North Central holds No. 1 with 44 first-place votes. Behind the Cardinals, this is the biggest week of the Division III season so far. Five games feature two ranked teams, and four of them involve top-10 teams.
AFCA Division III Coaches Poll: Week 5
| Rank | Team | Record |
| 1 | North Central (IL) | 3-0 |
| 2 | Wisconsin-River Falls | 3-0 |
| 3 | Wheaton (IL) | 4-0 |
| 4 | Wisconsin-Platteville | 3-0 |
| 5 | Saint John’s (MN) | 3-0 |
| 6 | John Carroll | 4-0 |
| 7 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 3-0 |
| 8 | Bethel (MN) | 2-1 |
| 9 | Trinity (TX) | 3-0 |
| 10 | Hardin-Simmons | 2-0 |
| 11 | Berry | 3-0 |
| 12 | Salisbury | 3-0 |
| 13 | Christopher Newport | 3-0 |
| 14 | Hope | 4-0 |
| 15 | Endicott | 4-0 |
| 16 | Cortland | 4-0 |
| 17 | WashU | 4-0 |
| 18 | Wartburg | 1-2 |
| 19 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 1-2 |
| 20 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 2-1 |
| 21 | Utica | 4-0 |
| 22 | Susquehanna | 3-1 |
| 23 | DePauw | 3-1 |
| 24 | Heidelberg | 4-0 (NEW) |
| 25 | Franklin & Marshall | 3-0 |
Dropped out: Mount Union
Five ranked-vs-ranked showdowns
No. 2 Wisconsin-River Falls at No. 7 Wisconsin-Whitewater — Saturday, 2 PM. The game of the week. Both WIAC teams are 3-0, and the winner takes early control of the toughest conference in Division III. Whitewater gets the Falcons at Perkins Stadium.
No. 8 Bethel (MN) at No. 5 Saint John’s (MN) — Saturday, 2 PM. One of Division III’s great rivalries, and the MIAC title could run through Collegeville. Bethel already has a loss, so it’s close to must-win for the Royals.
No. 6 John Carroll at No. 17 WashU — Saturday, 2 PM. Both teams are unbeaten, and it’s the likely North Coast Athletic Conference title game. A win over a top-10 team would show WashU belongs in the national conversation.
No. 11 Berry at No. 9 Trinity (TX) — Saturday, 1 PM. Two unbeaten teams from the South meet in San Antonio. The winner will have a strong playoff résumé.
No. 16 Cortland at No. 21 Utica — Saturday, 1 PM. Both teams are 4-0, and it’s the best Empire 8 matchup of the year. Utica gets Cortland at home.
The rest of the ranked slate
- No. 1 North Central vs. Augustana (IL) — 2 PM
- No. 3 Wheaton vs. North Park — 2 PM
- No. 4 Wisconsin-Platteville at Wisconsin-Stout — 2:05 PM
- No. 10 Hardin-Simmons vs. UFTL — 2 PM
- No. 12 Salisbury at TCNJ — 3 PM
- No. 13 Christopher Newport vs. William Paterson — 1 PM
- No. 14 Hope at Olivet — 2 PM
- No. 15 Endicott at University of New England — Noon
- No. 18 Wartburg at Nebraska Wesleyan — 2 PM
- No. 19 Wisconsin-La Crosse at Wisconsin-Oshkosh — 2 PM (Oshkosh is receiving votes)
- No. 20 Mary Hardin-Baylor vs. Keystone — 7 PM
- No. 23 DePauw vs. Oberlin — 1 PM
- No. 24 Heidelberg vs. Baldwin Wallace — 7 PM (Baldwin Wallace is 3-0 and receiving votes)
- No. 25 Franklin & Marshall vs. Gettysburg — 1 PM
All times Eastern.
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