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Week 7 in Division III football brought dominant defense, dramatic finishes and a playoff picture that is beginning to take shape, even if the current NPI still needs much more data before it tells the full story. UW-Platteville put together an almost incomprehensible defensive performance against UW-River Falls, while Maryville forced five turnovers to upset Trinity (Texas) and continue its remarkable turnaround after an 0-3 start. St. John’s survived a serious challenge from Concordia-Moorhead, and Hope erased a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Adrian. Hope coach Peter Stuursma joins us to discuss the halftime adjustments, his three-headed backfield and an electric homecoming atmosphere. We hand out game balls to two big backfield performers from Saturday, talk about why two Division III football teams keep playing each other and a which conference contender is getting its injured quarterback back at exactly the right time. Week 1 feature: Mustain navigating field for Merchant Marine Logan Hansen returns with Analytics 301 to examine the race for those coveted top eight seeds, likely at-large candidates and four Week 8 games that could reshape the postseason picture. Then we go region by region: For example, Bridgewater wins with eight points after the clock hits zero, Texas Lutheran’s Malik Johnson makes NCAA history, Baldwin Wallace keeps building its case, Millikin and Illinois Wesleyan go wild in the final two minutes, and UW-Eau Claire takes another step forward. We also revisit some of the “drunkest” games we’ve ever seen, ask whether anyone is truly driving the Centennial Conference race, and discuss Division III’s unusual run of in-season coaching changes. Patrick and Greg cover it all in Around the Nation Podcast No. 422. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: UMass Dartmouth athletics file photo by Calder Troutman Photography cgtshots; Andy McNeill for UW-Platteville athletics; Maryville athletics file photo

A No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown under the lights produced a 2-0 halftime score, a virtual walk-off field goal, a new No. 1 team in the country and maybe the latest entry in Little Brass Bell lore. Wheaton finally got the trophy back, plus Rowan finally got past Salisbury, and Washington & Lee reminded everyone why nobody enjoys defending the option for 22-play drives. North Central spent most of the night looking for the breakout run. Wheaton made sure it never arrived. How did Wheaton hold North Central to 0.9 yards per carry? Which defender piled up 18 tackles, 6½ tackles for loss and the game’s biggest interception? And how will this Bell game be remembered, or named? Which championship contender survived a goal-line stand at the 5-yard line? And who needed just six possessions to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season? Who earned game balls after defining wins? Which conference winning streaks now sit atop Division III football after North Central and Randolph-Macon saw theirs come to an end? Who finally got on the scoreboard? And which bizarre play featured one interception, four laterals and a big long touchdown? Story in The Athletic about Eureka coach Dion Jordan UW-Stout succeeds in the lateral protocol Plus, Jesse Scott joins us for Fast Five after the biggest win of his tenure, Logan Hansen updates a playoff race that suddenly looks more wide open than ever, and we debate whether there has ever been a season with this many legitimate national-title contenders. Trinity continued making its case in the NESCAC, Muhlenberg won another thriller against Franklin & Marshall, Millsaps stayed in the SAA race behind a backup quarterback, and Wilmington nearly landed a statement win against Hanover. And looking ahead: Can Merchant Marine survive a crucial NEWMAC test against Salve Regina? Will Dickinson keep rolling when it visits Franklin & Marshall for the Conestoga Wagon Trophy? Can LaGrange take control of the USA South race at Brevard? Will Linfield and Whitworth once again decide the Northwest Conference? And who is best positioned to wear the crown now that Division III has a new No. 1? Patrick and Greg tackle all this, plus your mailbag questions, in the latest edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Michael Hudson Photography for Wheaton athletics; Keith Lucas, Sideline Media; Salisbury athletics

UW-Whitewater found a freshman-sized answer to a championship-sized challenge, while St. John’s turned shovel passes into an avalanche against Bethel and WashU broke through with the first top 10 victory in program history. Across Division III, defenses joined the scoring spree, long field goals delivered big wins and the playoff picture got a whole lot more interesting. Which two defenses each produced three pick-sixes on the same Saturday? Which quarterback ran for three fourth-quarter touchdowns on just four carries? Which offense somehow scored 335 points on 336 plays? Oh yes, we did the math. Full postgame interviews: Bethel at St. John’s Who came up with the key defensive plays to get a game ball in Trinity’s revenge win against Berry? Who became a one-man Falcon wrecking machine in Whitewater? Who hit from 54 yards to give Luther a win, and who earned the nickname “Patty Ice” while kicking St. Olaf to a win? Plus, WashU coach Aaron Keen joins us for Fast Five, the analytics say what they’re going to say, and Dickinson produces a third quarter unlike just about anything we’ve seen. Who survived an even longer delay than the one at St. John’s? Who scored three touchdowns before the opponent even recorded a first down? And who finally got to see the St. John’s tailgate? And looking ahead: Can Whitewater follow its biggest win of the season by winning at UW-La Crosse? Will Rowan’s defensive prowess continue at Salisbury? Might Howard Payne make a statement at Mary Hardin-Baylor? Can Ohio Northern throw a great big … bear paw … into the OAC race? And most importantly, what happens when No. 1 North Central and No. 2 Wheaton meet for the Little Brass Bell? Patrick and Greg tackle all this, plus your mailbag questions, in the latest edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Semanco Media for WashU athletics; Evan Laserstein for UW-Whitewater athletics, Ella Carlson for St. John’s athletics

Christopher Newport struck the biggest blow this week among ranked teams, with the Captains coming up with six takeaways and shutting out Susquehanna on the road, while the Goat and the Cheese Bowl got some time in the spotlight (mmm, goat cheese) and Springfield survived in a rain-swept defensive battle. Which conference gave us a huge Act 1 finale this weekend? Which punter came up with a huge game in his team’s win? Which broadcast team shouted out Pat Coleman on the air, and got him to answer? Oh yes, we’re listening. Who came up with the key defensive plays to get a game ball in a shutout win? Who got the special teams play his team desperately needed on a day where the offense was struggling? Who finally bookended a win in a rivalry game? Plus, Christopher Newport coach Paul Crowley joins us for Fast Five, the analytics say what they’re going to say, and St. Francis finally gets out of the queue and onto the field. How many people played quarterback for Texas Lutheran? Who opened the door in Region 4? And over-under: How many yards for Wash U against John Carroll this upcoming week? How many points will the winning team end up scoring in the Berry-Trinity (Texas) game? How many yards will Tyler Szalkowski throw for for Utica against Cortland? How many points do we really expect Baldwin Wallace and Heidelberg to put up on Saturday? And lastly, how many people will cram in the gates at Whitewater and St. John’s this weekend for their top 10 clashes? Patrick and Greg answer these, plus your mailbag questions, in the latest edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photo: @leary_kell38655

My goodness. It’s been 38 years since Heidelberg did that — that being winning a football game at Mount Union. This is just the third OAC loss for Mount Union since the turn of the century — how’s that for words we never expected to say — but it seems more impactful than the Ohio Northern game in 2005 or the John Carroll game in 2016 because it’s the Purple Raiders’ third loss in four games. And Mount Union is just 12 seconds away from being 0-3 on the season. What’s wrong with the Purple Raiders? This isn’t a question that we take lightly around here. When Mount Union did not win the national titles in consecutive years and then lost a regular season game, there was some glee in the Division III crowd, thinking that the Mount Union run was over. It was not. This was 2005. Mount Union has won six more titles since then. Patrick and Greg talk through the game, the repercussions for Mount Union, what might happen to the program this season. Surprise: There is still reason to be hopeful in 2026, Purple Raider fans. UW-River Falls continued its amazing start to the season, one fueled by its defense in a 31-14 win at Wartburg. Patrick Coleman talks to Falcons running back Trevor Asher, Falcons coach Jake Wissing and Wartburg coach Chris Winter. (Plus more interviews and highlights in the video at the bottom of the page.) Susquehanna and Chapman register big wins against ranked opponents as well. Our hearts go out to everyone in the UMass-Dartmouth community after the deadly stabbing of freshman running back Marvins Antoine following the team’s Friday night game. Greg got over to the showdown of restart programs in Southern California, where Azusa Pacific got the win vs. Whittier, and we hear from APU coach AJ Parnell and quarterback Laki Wallwork. We tell you why your unbeaten team isn’t in the D3football.com Top 25. We hand out game balls, find the interesting stats of the week, Jake Wissing is our guest for Fast Five and more. Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas get you to your 21st night of September in this week’s edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Mentioned in the episode: Podcast 264, the one with the second-round shocker. Story starts at the 3:00 mark. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Heidelberg athletics by Nikki Miller; Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

It seems like Division III football made another big splash this past weekend, and we’re not just talking about that flood that overtook Washington & Jefferson’s field at halftime vs. Keystone. No, we’re talking about another great week of games. How about unranked Randolph-Macon taking down then-No. 3 Johns Hopkins? No. 1 North Central and No. 9 Wartburg tight going deep into the fourth quarter? No. 6 UW-River Falls taking it to No. 21 Coe? No. 14 Hardin-Simmons winning at No. 12 UW-La Crosse? And none of that even includes the fact that Mount Union was 16 seconds away from losing its third consecutive game. Game balls get handed out to some of the top performances and most memorable performances in Division III from Week 2. Plus, which team held the ball for more than 25 minutes in the second half? Yes, you read that right. Who’s hitting a ton in Region 1? What’s the hullabaloo in the 2? What do you see in the 3? Who’s got questions galore in the 4? Who’s taking a long drive in the 5? Who’s getting their kicks in the 6? Randolph-Macon coach Pedro Arruza joins us for Fast Five. Plus, when Patrick pulls over the podcast car to the side of the road, what is the big question? And didn’t Pumpkin Spice season come even earlier this year? We’ll have a Pumpkin Spice Showdown in the Final Countdown. Plus we take four mailbag questions, and much more. Patrick Coleman and Greg Thomas deliver all of the goodness to your fall in this week’s edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Randolph-Macon athletics; Wade Gardner, d3photography.com; Hardin-Simmons athletics

The task seemed impossible: For as long as we’ve been waiting for these Week 1 games and talking about them, especially the two in the Chicago suburbs featuring four of the top five teams in the country, they couldn’t possibly live up to the hype we’d given them. Could they? Well, perhaps they couldn’t both live up to the hype, but one sure as heck did, as No. 5 Wheaton knocked off No. 3 Mount Union when offensive guard Aiden Byrne blocked the Purple Raiders’ attempt to tie the game with an extra point kick with 22 seconds left. So it was all celebration for the Thunder, and Patrick Coleman was there and brings the sounds and the observations, as we hear from Wheaton coach Jesse Scott in Fast Five, and we’ll hear from Byrne as well. Patrick was also at the Bethel-North Central game, three-quarters of it anyway, so he got the gist, and we’ll talk about the key new personnel for North Central as well as what was missing for Bethel, plus the things that the No. 1-ranked Cardinals and No. 2 Royals need to work on. And we’ll dive heavily into No. 11 St. John’s win vs. No. 10 UW-La Crosse also. And how many viewers did the Wheaton win get? Logan Hansen comes back to the podcast for the regular season with his breakdown of the top learnings from the week from an analytics perspective in Analytics 301, a 3 minute and 1 second swing through the big games coming up as well as key questions: Will the WIAC have a decent shot of getting four teams in the playoffs again? Plus, Patrick and Greg Thomas swing through all six regions of Division III. Who’s only just begun in Region 1? Who has a clue in Region 2, etc.? Plus they hand out game balls, pick out the stats of the week, and answer your mailbag questions. How did our team’s Week 1 predictions go? Yes, we hold each other accountable for that and we’ll own up to it on every weekly podcast. Plus, in the Final Countdown, three results that surprised each of us from this week. We talk about dozens of teams and dozens of games, so check it all out on the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Michael Hudson Photography; Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com; Steve Woltmann for North Central athletics

Kickoff comes tomorrow! That’s right, it’s Kickoff Eve and here at D3football.com we drop a new podcast to get you ready for the 2026 season openers on Thursday night, Friday night and all day Saturday. This edition of the D3football.com Podcast is sponsored by GameStrat, the most reliable & fastest in-game video replay system on the market. Find out more at GameStrat.com. If this is your first time following Division III football, well, welcome! We want to make sure you are as up to speed as possible when you get to your tailgating spot, and that includes us walking you through the basics of how Division III is structured, how big it is (and how hard it is to get into the Top 25!), as well as how the playoffs are put together. We’ll also take you around all six regions on the Week 1 schedule and go through a game of the week for each region, plus two more games to keep an eye on. Who’s on the run in Region 1? Who’s in the queue in Region 2? You get the idea. Plus, Greg and Patrick take us through a Week 1 viewing schedule, one game at a time, and it’s a new season, so there’s a new bit in this podcast. A new feature. Check it out. We have this and more in the latest edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. Mailbag topics include: Which Division III coach could be next to take a Division I FCS head coaching job? Is Division III really losing too much in terms of transfers? Which unlikely predictions are most likely to come true? How will D-III fare against non-Division III opponents this week? Plus, yes, we will talk about Manchester leaving D-III next season and what it means for the HCAC, perhaps the OAC and perhaps the SAA. Notes from the show: Etchglow’s transfer portal tracker Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com; JCU athletics photo by CJ Lyon; UMHB athletics; Eastern athletics; Steve Woltmann for North Central athletics; Millsaps athletics

We’re wrapping up the offseason, one in which we’ve now dropped 11 podcasts for you, including 24 coach and/or student athlete interviews, a commissioner and a collector of college football helmets. And we are here to get you into preseason camp, into your full pads and helmets and much more with Podcast 414. This edition of the D3football.com Podcast is sponsored by GameStrat, the most reliable & fastest in-game video replay system on the market. Find out more at GameStrat.com. Johns Hopkins is the preseason No. 4 team in our Top 25 poll, and coach Dan Wodicka was glad to talk to us during the middle of the Blue Jays’ preseason camp. Find out who the new JHU starting quarterback will be, where he came from, what else he does at Johns Hopkins, and what made his teammates vote him a captain before he has ever started a single football game for the program. Why do the Blue Jays carry just 100 players this year, and how does that compare to previous seasons? Who is wearing the honored No. 3 for Johns Hopkins this season? How well will the team reload at offensive line, where they lose four starters. And how well has JHU transitioned to new quarterbacks in the recent past? We also chat with Wes Dodson, head coach at LaGrange. The Panthers had a breakthrough season, going 10-2 and winning a first-round playoff game, and are looking to continue to push the program forward, just a few years after Dodson inherited a team which would go 0-9. The football team is a huge part of the campus culture at LaGrange, which is growing but still had under 650 full-time undergraduates last year. Secondary is the biggest spot to fill for the Panthers, while Henry Broadnax is a veteran returning at quarterback for LaGrange, coming back after playing hurt last season. Plus, how will the Top 25 poll react to the big games in the first two weeks of the season? Which Week 1 games between unranked teams do we have a particular eye on? That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation during the season, twice monthly in the offseason, about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: David Hilbert, d3photography.com; Marty Corcoran, Johns Hopkins; Rachel Staub, Washington & Jefferson

The discussion of 5-for-5, which is to say, a five-year window in which to play up to five years of sports, has been rampant at the Division III level in recent weeks, especially since Division II went in on the concept which was pioneered at the Division I level. Plus, we get you ready for Week 1 by talking with Mike McElroy and Cooper Drews at Bethel, and Jesse Scott at Wheaton. And we pay a visit to the Helmet Guy. This edition of the D3football.com Podcast is sponsored by GameStrat, the most reliable & fastest in-game video replay system on the market. Find out more at GameStrat.com. Division II jumped in quickly on adopting 5-for-5. Can Division III do the same? Should Division III do the same? And is 5-for-5 really what it sounds like? Patrick and Greg dive into the process, the survey of athletic directors and conference commissioners and whether such a concept aligns with the Division III mission and philosophy. Additional content: Division III working group survey summary Goals of the Division III working group We are also joined by McElroy and Drews, whose No. 2-ranked Bethel Royals have a bunch of attention on them this year. First off, they’re looking for a name for their offense — can it be as good as Top Gun at UW-River Falls last year? The circumstances are pretty different for Bethel in 2026 compared to 2025, as the offense is returning essentially everyone who ran the ball or caught a pass, so the Royals hope to hit the ground running, or passing, when facing D3football.com preseason No. 1 North Central. Wheaton is hitting the field in Week 1 with a tough game once again, as the Thunder host Mount Union. Jesse Scott tells us how the game came about, what sort of extra lore could be added to the matchup, talks about quarterback Mark Forcucci and how to replace a tough defender in Peter Johanik, who graduated. Also, the Thunder program and alumni had a moment of tragedy this offseason, and Scott talks about the loss of Jalen Shaffer and Philip LoChirco over the summer. Plus, who are the potential Week 1 upsets? Which conferences might be looking to join the HCAC and OAC and declare some sort of cooperative working agreement? That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation during the season, twice monthly in the offseason, about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Caleb Williams, d3photography.com; Patrick Coleman, D3sports.com; Kodiak Creative

The wait is almost over, and the 2026 Division III football season is kicking off with an absolute bang. On this episode of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast, we are breaking down our newly released Preseason Top 25 poll and looking ahead to a schedule that is already shaping up to be, well, we used the term “gobsmacking.” This edition of the D3football.com Podcast is sponsored by GameStrat, the most reliable & fastest in-game video replay system on the market. Find out more at GameStrat.com. For the very first time in the 23-year history of the poll, the season opens with a monumental clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country. It’s an unprecedented Week 1 blockbuster that breaks the mold of the usual Mount Union, Whitewater, or Mary Hardin-Baylor early-season math. We dive into what this historic matchup, between North Central and Bethel, means for the landscape of D-III football, how the poll numbers set up the early schedule, and highlight the games you absolutely cannot miss. Plus, we are bringing you newsmakers directly from the sidelines to get you ready for the fall: Coach Brad Spencer and senior safety Brayden Garrigan from North Central join us. Spencer chats about the mindset in Naperville heading into 2026, how the coaching staff is managing the continued sky-high expectations, and the benefits of playing Bethel once again. We also get Garrigan’s perspective on his busy offseason and what it actually feels like in the North Central locker room in terms of bringing new starters and freshmen into the mix. Mary Hardin-Baylor head coach Larry Harmon drops in to discuss how the Cru are hoping to improve on offense in their second year since the return of offensive coordinator Steven Lee. While the quarterback situation is a little up in the air, we hear a little about the position, plus what UMHB needs to do to elevate the offense. We also talk about the Cru’s schedule, especially key games against Endicott and Rowan which are sure to help the NPI of the winner. Mentioned in the podcast: ATN Podcast 383, A new year awaits Plus we answer mailbag questions about the preseason Top 25, share our sleeper picks for the 2026 season, talk about how we go about making our preseason votes, and give a brief prediction for the game between No. 1 North Central and No. 2 Bethel. And … what of UW-River Falls? The Falcons lost key personnel to graduation, more to the transfer portal, and their head coach and offensive coordinator. We know, not everyone has heard. Patrick and Greg do not agree as to where UW-River Falls should be ranked in the preseason, but we’ll offer hope for where they might find success in 2026. That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation during the season, twice monthly in the offseason, about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Podcast Addict: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Mathieu Starke, d3photography.com; Mary Hardin-Baylor athletics; Ryan Coleman, d3photography.com

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has made a lot of waves since last we talked, what with Millsaps and then Southwestern electing to rejoin the SCAC starting in 2027. So, at the risk of there perhaps being a third member of the Southern Athletic Association returning to the SCAC before we could get the podcast out, we sat down with Dwayne Hanberry, commissioner of the SCAC, to discuss the changes, the status of Gallaudet in the conference, and more. This edition of the D3football.com Podcast is sponsored by GameStrat, the most reliable & fastest in-game video replay system on the market. Find out more at GameStrat.com. In addition to that breaking news, we also discuss the recent announcement that the Monon Bell game will be played at Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana, at a price of $50 a ticket plus Ticketmaster fees. There will be words, for sure. We also talk too early about the preseason Top 25 poll, which should come out within the next week. Our coach interviews in this edition of the podcast each represent opposite ends of the experience spectrum. That includes Tyler Hopperton, who has been the head coach at Mount St. Joseph going on a decade and has been at MSJ as either a coach or player for half the lifetime of the program. Hopperton talks about his team going to a bowl game last year after a string of three consecutive NCAA playoff trips, the high points in Cincinnati’s Division III program and the benefits of Skyline Chili. We also have Jacob Donohoe, the new head coach at Nebraska Wesleyan, coming over after spending time as an offensive coordinator at Coe. He takes over a program which was coached by Brian Keller for the past 30 years, was a longtime member of the NAIA and in a whole different conference.  Donohoe talks about reconnecting with alumni, changing the terminology within the program, what he learned at Coe and more, including the famous Runza sandwich. Mentioned in the podcast: ATN Podcast 378, The Texas two-swap Full interview with Dwayne Hanberry Plus we answer mailbag questions about the future of Trinity (Texas), and about the best quarterback performances we’ve seen in covering Division III. That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation during the season, twice monthly in the offseason, about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Nebraska Wesleyan athletics; Eduardo Moll, Southwestern Athletics; Millsaps athletics; Mount St. Joseph athletics

We’re just 72 days away from the start of the Division III football season, and in that time, there’s a bunch of work to get done, including getting ready for the D3football.com preseason Top 25. We’re hungry for football to get started! And we’re getting you there with a couple of great conversations with coaches and Division III schools putting in that offseason work. That includes at Ohio Northern, which was stung at the last second in the NPI calculation and just missed the NCAA playoffs. Then the Polar Bears were stung at the last second in their bowl game, as Wabash scored at the end of the game, plus connected on a two-point conversion to get the win. That’s a lot of stinging, but the Polar Bears have worked away from that, including going as far as Ireland to find a summer opponent and get themselves ready for the 2026 Division III football season. ONU coach Andy Fries talks with us about that trip, the beautiful Cliffs of Moher which you see on the podcast thumbnail image, breaking in a new quarterback and so much more in our conversation in Podcast 410. Patrick Coleman also dropped by his alma mater, Catholic U., to chat with the Cardinals’ new coach, Kory David. Of course, things look a little different around CUA these days, and the new coach is a longtime defensive coach who played and coached at Cortland, while also driving defenses at Hobart, Muhlenberg and Eastern. In addition to answering the long-debated question of Wawa vs. Sheetz, David also talks about his two young coordinators, who he hired away from Mike Sirianni at Washington & Jefferson, as well as recruiting the northeast corridor, bringing a startup mentality to a CUA program which was 3-7 last year, and much more. Mentioned in the podcast: ATN Podcast 370, Much to be thankful for, featuring Mike Gutelius Plus we answer mailbag questions about Rowan and Hardin-Simmons, and discuss the latest coaching change at Hilbert. That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation during the season, twice monthly in the offseason, about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Mike Atherton, d3photography.com; Ohio Northern Athletics; Rowan athletics; Patrick Coleman, D3sports.com

It’s been a big year for the Denison Big Red, and although that hasn’t completely trickled down to the Denison football team, we thought we’d check in with coach Jack Hatem. The North Coast Athletic Conference has definitely been in transition of late, with John Carroll joining the league in all sports, and WashU in football specifically, and Denison lost its rising junior quarterback, Tyler Green who elected to transfer. More about that in a moment. Hatem talks about how his team has to raise the level of its game to compete in a much stronger conference, what the quarterback situation will look like at Denison, what he’s learned from the national championship coaches at his school, why he stays in the game and why he loves recruiting when, in fact, he is pretty near retirement age. Plus, his taste in music. There’s also been a bunch of change at Susquehanna, where new coach Chris Pincince is a Division III head football coach for the first time, and is coaching in D-III for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. It’s a good thing he and former coach Tom Perkovich are old friends, because Pincince talks about the hole they were left, with eight players having transferred out and so far, the transfer portal only having brought one person in. But a number of assistant coaches stayed to help the program have continuity, giving Pincince a leg up on the D-III learning curve, and Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year Galen Limantour is back as well, which is a huge boost for Susquehanna. About Tyler Green — his transfer to John Carroll means Denison will still have to face him in conference the next two years, and JCU was in sore need of a quarterback for 2026. We’ll talk about that, plus answer your mailbag questions. That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Denison athletics photos by Jace Delgado, Susquehanna athletics photo by Kim Howes

The mailbag is pretty active in this podcast, with listeners chiming in with questions about how Concordia (Wis.) will do in transitioning from the NACC to the CCIW, whether this year’s new technology in Division III will be added more smoothly than last year, what Trinity (Texas) was leaving behind in leaving its long-time conference home, and which mascot matchup would be our favorite. We’ll also talk about the new quarterback transferring into UW-Oshkosh, and finally get Coe and UW-Oshkosh schedules finalized. Plus, we have two guests: Trinity (Conn.) head coach Jeff Devanney and Ithaca coach Brandon Maguire. At Trinity, the day we’ve all been waiting for is arriving, where the NESCAC is finally allowed to go to the playoffs. The Bantams are all smiles. If you missed it, the conference presidents have been holding NESCAC football teams back for about 30 years while all other sports have been permitted to play on past Week 11. Devanney talks about how that changes the recruiting pitch, both for incoming student-athletes and a handful of key players who have an extra year of eligibility to be used. At Ithaca, Maguire gets promoted from within and talks about how many of the 96 players on the roster they managed to get to stick around after the previous coach left right before Christmas. Why did they players who stayed, stay? What does Ithaca need to get back to the very top of the Liberty League standings and get to the playoffs? What are the Bomber alumni most concerned about? That and more in this conversation. That and more in this edition of the D3football.com Around the Nation podcast. The D3football.com Around the Nation podcast is a weekly conversation about NCAA Division III football, and has been running since 2007. Hit play, or subscribe to get this podcast on your mobile device. You can subscribe to the Around the Nation Podcast in Apple Podcasts, and many other places. You can also get this and any of our future Around the Nation podcasts automatically by subscribing to this RSS feed: http://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/?feed=podcast Here’s how to find us on some of the major podcasting apps: Apple Podcasts: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast iHeart Radio: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Spotify: D3football.com Around the Nation Podcast Photos: Trinity (Conn.) athletics photo by Isabella Calagna; Ithaca athletics photo; North Central athletics photo by Mark Black;