| | |
| Season | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Postseason | Single-elimination |
| Preseason No. 1 | Wisconsin–Whitewater |
| National champions | Mount Union |
| Conferences with most teams in final poll | OAC, WIAC (3) |
Two human polls and a committee's selections comprise the 2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III football rankings. Unlike in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the NCAA, Division III's college football's governing body, bestows a national championship on the winner of the Stagg Bowl – the championship round of a 32-team postseason tournament. The main weekly poll that begins in the preseason is the D3football.com Poll which ranks the top 25 colleges in Division III football. Another weekly poll starting in the preseason is the BennetRank. One additional poll is released midway through the season, the AFCA Division III Coaches' Poll.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| Selected for Division III Football Championship Playoffs | ||
(#–#) | Win–loss record | |
(Italics) | Number of first place votes | |
т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
| Preseason Jul 13 [1] | Week 1 Sep 5 [2] | Week 2 Sep 13 [3] | Week 3 Sep 20 [4] | Week 4 Sep 27 [5] | Week 5 Oct 4 [6] | Week 6 Oct 11 [7] | Week 7 Oct 18 [8] | Week 8 Oct 25 [9] | Week 9 Nov 1 [10] | Week 10 Nov 8 [11] | Week 11 Nov 15 [12] | Final Dec 21 [13] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wisconsin–Whitewater (18) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (0–0) (19) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (1–0) (19) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2–0) (19) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (3–0) (21) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (4–0) (21) | Mount Union (5–0) (19) | Mount Union (6–0) (19) | Mount Union (7–0) (19) | Mount Union (8–0) (19) | Mount Union (9–0) (19) | Mount Union (10–0) (19) | Mount Union (15–0) (25) | 1. |
| 2. | Mount Union (6) | Mount Union (1–0) (4) | Mount Union (1–0) (4) | Mount Union (2–0) (4) | Mount Union (3–0) (2) | Mount Union (4–0) (2) | Linfield (4–0) (6) | Linfield (5–0) (6) | Linfield (6–0) (6) | Linfield (7–0) (6) | Linfield (8–0) (6) | Linfield (9–0) (6) | St. Thomas (MN) (14–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Linfield (1) | Linfield (0–0) (2) | Linfield (1–0) (2) | Linfield (2–0) (2) | Linfield (2–0) (2) | Linfield (3–0) (2) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (5–0) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (6–0) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (7–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (7–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (8–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (9–1) | Linfield (12–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor (1–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (2–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (4–0) | Wesley (5–0) | Wesley (6–0) | Wesley (7–0) | Wesley (8–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (9–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (10–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (12–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Wesley | Wesley (0–0) | Wesley (1–0) | Wesley (2–0) | Wesley (3–0) | Wesley (3–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (4–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (5–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (6–1) | St. Thomas (MN) (8–0) | Wheaton (IL) (9–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (9–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (11–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Wartburg | Wartburg (1–0) | Wartburg (2–0) | Wartburg (3–0) | Wartburg (3–0) | Wartburg (4–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (4–1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (5–1) | St. Thomas (MN) (7–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (7–1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (8–1) | Wheaton (IL) (10–0) | Wesley (11–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Wheaton (IL) | Wheaton (IL) (1–0) | Wheaton (IL) (2–0) | Wheaton (IL) (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (4–0) | Wheaton (IL) (5–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (6–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (6–1) | Wheaton (IL) (8–0) | Wabash (9–0) | Wabash (10–0) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (11–2) | 7. |
| 8. | John Carroll | Saint John's (MN) (1–0) | Saint John's (MN) (2–0) | Saint John's (MN) (3–0) | Wabash (3–0) | Wabash (4–0) | Wartburg (5–0) | Wheaton (IL) (6–0) | Wheaton (IL) (7–0) | Hardin–Simmons (8–0) | Johns Hopkins (9–0) | Johns Hopkins (10–0) | Wabash (12–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Saint John's (MN) | Wabash (1–0) | Wabash (1–0) | Wabash (2–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (3–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (4–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (5–0) | Wabash (6–0) | Wabash (7–0) | Wabash (8–0) | Thomas More (10–0) | Thomas More (10–0) | Wheaton (IL) (11–1) | 9. |
| 10. | Wabash | John Carroll (1–0) | John Carroll (1–0) | John Carroll (2–0) | Johns Hopkins (4–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Wabash (5–0) | Johns Hopkins (6–0) | Johns Hopkins (7–0) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (7–1) | Saint John's (MN) (8–1) | Saint John's (MN) (9–1) | Saint John's (MN) (10–2) | 10. |
| 11. | North Central (IL) | Johns Hopkins (1–0) | Johns Hopkins (2–0) | Johns Hopkins (3–0) | John Carroll (3–0) | Thomas More (5–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Thomas More (7–0) | Thomas More (8–0) | Johns Hopkins (8–0) | Wesley (8–1) | Wesley (9–1) | Thomas More (11–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Widener | St. Thomas (MN) (1–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (2–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (2–0) | Thomas More (4–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–1) | Thomas More (6–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–1) | Saint John's (MN) (6–1) | Thomas More (9–0) | Hardin–Simmons (8–1) | Hardin–Simmons (9–1) | Hardin–Simmons (9–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Johns Hopkins | North Central (IL) (0–0) | North Central (IL) (1–0) | Thomas More (3–0) | Washington & Jefferson (3–0) | Saint John's (MN) (4–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (4–1) | Saint John's (MN) (5–1) | Hardin–Simmons (7–0) | Saint John's (MN) (7–1) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (8–1) | Mary Hardin-Baylor (9–1) | Johns Hopkins (11–1) | 13. |
| 14. | St. Thomas (MN) | Washington & Jefferson (1–0) | Washington & Jefferson (2–0) | Washington & Jefferson (3–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–0) | Rowan (4–0) | Saint John's (MN) (4–1) | Hardin–Simmons (6–0) | Concordia Moorhead (7–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (6–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (7–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–2) | 14. |
| 15. | Washington & Jefferson | Hobart (1–0) | Thomas More (2–0) | Wittenberg (2–0) | Rowan (3–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (3–1) | Hardin–Simmons (5–0) | Washington & Jefferson (5–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (7–0) | John Carroll (7–1) | John Carroll (8–1) | North Central (IL) (7–3) | Cortland State (9–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Hobart | Thomas More (1–0) | Hobart (2–0) | Rowan (2–0) | Saint John's (MN) (3–1) | Hardin–Simmons (4–0) | Washington & Jefferson (4–1) | North Central (IL) (4–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–2) | North Central (IL) (5–3) | North Central (IL) (6–3) | Washington and Lee (10–0) | North Central (IL) (7–3) | 16. |
| 17. | Wittenberg | Wittenberg (1–0) | Wittenberg (1–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (2–1) | North Central (IL) (2–2) | North Central (IL) (3–2) | Concordia Moorhead (6–1) | John Carroll (6–1) | Washington and Lee (8–0) | Washington and Lee (9–0) | Texas Lutheran (8–2) | Albright (10–2) | 17. |
| 18. | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Texas Lutheran (1–0) | Rowan (1–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (2–1) | Hardin–Simmons (3–0) | Cortland State (5–0) | John Carroll (4–1) | John Carroll (5–1) | Salisbury (5–1) | Case Western Reserve (7–1) | Texas Lutheran (7–2) | Dubuque (8–2) | Texas Lutheran (8–2) | 18. |
| 19. | St. John Fisher | Bethel (MN) (1–0) | Centre (2–0) | Hardin–Simmons (3–0) | Ithaca (2–0) | Washington & Jefferson (3–1) | Concordia Moorhead (5–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (6–0) | North Central (IL) (4–3) | Delaware Valley (7–1) | Wartburg (8–1) | Wartburg (9–1) | Ohio Northern (9–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Bethel (MN) | Rowan (1–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (1–1) | Ithaca (2–0) | Bethel (MN) (3–1) | Wittenberg (3–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (5–0) | Albright (6–0) | Cortland State (7–1) | Texas Lutheran (6–2) | Dubuque (7–2) | Albright (9–1) | Whitworth (9–2) | 20. |
| 21. | Texas Lutheran | Centre (1–0) | Hardin–Simmons (2–0) | Centre (3–0) | North Central (IL) (1–2) | John Carroll (3–1) | Albright (5–0) | Rowan (5–1) | Wartburg (6–1) | Wartburg (7–1) | Salisbury (6–2) | Salisbury (7–2) | Washington and Lee (10–1) | 21. |
| 22. | Centre | Chapman (0–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (2–0) | North Central (IL) (1–1) | Cortland State (4–0) | Hobart (4–1) | Rowan (4–1) | Wartburg (5–1) | Washington and Lee (7–0) | Illinois Wesleyan (7–1) | Case Western Reserve (7–2) | Whitworth (9–1) | John Carroll (8–2) | 22. |
| 23. | Thomas More | Muhlenberg (1–0) | Bethel (MN) (1–1) | Bethel (MN) (2–1) | Guilford (3–0) | Concordia Moorhead (4–1) | Salisbury (3–1) | Salisbury (4–1) | Case Western Reserve (6–1) | Concordia Moorhead (7–2) | East Texas Baptist (7–2) | John Carroll (8–2) | Dubuque (8–3) | 23. |
| 24. | Chapman | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (0–1) | Ithaca (1–0) | Guilford (3–0) | Wittenberg (2–1) | Chicago (4–0) | Ithaca (4–1) | Texas Lutheran (5–1) | Delaware Valley (6–1) | Dubuque (6–2) | Albright (8–1) | Guilford (9–1) | Wartburg (9–1) | 24. |
| 25. | Muhlenberg | Wisconsin–Platteville (1–0) | Guilford (2–0) | Cortland State (3–0) | Hobart (3–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (4–0) | Texas Lutheran (5–1) | Whitworth (6–0) | Texas Lutheran (5–2) | St. Lawrence (7–1) | Whitworth (8–1) | Cortland State (8–2) | Huntingdon (10–2) | 25. |
| Preseason Jul 13 [14] | Week 1 Sep 5 [15] | Week 2 Sep 13 [16] | Week 3 Sep 20 [17] | Week 4 Sep 27 [18] | Week 5 Oct 4 [19] | Week 6 Oct 11 [20] | Week 7 Oct 18 [21] | Week 8 Oct 25 [22] | Week 9 Nov 1 [23] | Week 10 Nov 8 [24] | Week 11 Nov 15 [25] | Final Dec 21 [26] | ||
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| Dropped: No. 16 Hobart | Dropped: No. 21 Centre | Dropped:
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| Dropped: No. 24 Ithaca | Dropped:
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| Week 3 Sep 21 [27] | Week 4 Sep 28 [28] | Week 5 Oct 5 [29] | Week 6 Oct 12 [30] | Week 7 Oct 19 [31] | Week 8 Oct 26 [32] | Week 9 Nov 2 [33] | Week 10 Nov 9 [34] | Week 11 Nov 16 [35] | Final Dec 21 [36] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2–0) (36) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (3–0) (38) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (4–0) (37) | Mount Union (5–0) (38) | Mount Union (6–0) (37) | Mount Union (7–0) (37) | Mount Union (8–0) (39) | Mount Union (9–0) (39) | Mount Union (10–0) (39) | Mount Union (15–0) (42) | 1. |
| 2. | Mount Union (2–0) (5) | Mount Union (3–0) (2) | Mount Union (4–0) (3) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (5–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (6–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (7–0) (2) | Linfield (7–0) (3) | Linfield (8–0) (4) | Linfield (9–0) (3) | St. Thomas (MN) (14–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) (1) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) (1) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (4–0) (1) | Linfield (4–0) (2) | Linfield (5–0) (3) | Linfield (6–0) (3) | Wesley (8–0) | Wheaton (IL) (9–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (10–0) | Linfield (12–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Linfield (2–0) | Linfield (2–0) | Linfield (3–0) (1) | Wesley (5–0) | Wesley (6–0) | Wesley (7–0) | Wheaton (IL) (8–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (9–0) | Wheaton (IL) (10–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (12–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Wesley (2–0) | Wesley (3–0) | Wesley (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (5–0) | Wheaton (IL) (6–0) | Wheaton (IL) (7–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (8–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (8–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (9–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (11–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Wheaton (IL) (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (4–0) | Wartburg (5–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (6–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (7–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (7–1) | Johns Hopkins (9–0) | Johns Hopkins (10–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (11–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Wartburg (3–0) | Wartburg (3–0) | Wartburg (4–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (5–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (5–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (6–1) | Hardin–Simmons (8–0) | Wabash (9–0) | Wabash (10–0) | Wesley (11–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Johns Hopkins (3–0) | Johns Hopkins (4–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (4–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (4–1) | Johns Hopkins (6–0) | Johns Hopkins (7–0) | Johns Hopkins (8–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (8–1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (9–1) | Wabash (12–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Saint John's (MN) (3–0) | Wabash (3–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Wabash (6–0) | Wabash (7–0) | Wabash (8–0) | Thomas More (10–0) | Thomas More (10–0) | Wheaton (IL) (11–1) | 9. |
| 10. | John Carroll (2–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (3–0) | Wabash (4–0) | Wabash (5–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (5–1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (6–1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (7–1) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (8–1) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (9–1) | Johns Hopkins (11–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Wabash (2–0) | John Carroll (3–0) | Thomas More (5–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (4–1) | Thomas More (7–0) | Thomas More (8–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (7–1) | Saint John's (MN) (8–1) | Saint John's (MN) (9–1) | Saint John's (MN) (10–2) | 11. |
| 12. | Washington & Jefferson (3–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–0) | Hardin–Simmons (4–0) | Thomas More (6–0) | Hardin–Simmons (6–0) | Hardin–Simmons (7–0) | Thomas More (9–0) | Wesley (8–1) | Wesley (9–1) | Thomas More (11–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–0) | Washington & Jefferson (3–0) | Rowan (4–0) | Hardin–Simmons (5–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (7–0) | Saint John's (MN) (7–1) | Wartburg (8–1) | Hardin–Simmons (9–1) | Hardin–Simmons (9–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Thomas More (3–0) | Thomas More (4–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (4–1) | Saint John's (MN) (5–1) | Saint John's (MN) (6–1) | Wartburg (7–1) | John Carroll (8–1) | Wartburg (9–1) | Wartburg (9–1) | 14. |
| 15. | St. Thomas (MN) (2–0) | Hardin–Simmons (3–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (3–1) | Saint John's (MN) (4–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (6–0) | Wartburg (6–1) | John Carroll (7–1) | Hardin–Simmons (8–1) | Washington and Lee (10–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Wittenberg (2–0) | Rowan (3–0) | Saint John's (MN) (4–1) | Illinois Wesleyan (5–0) | Albright (6–0) | John Carroll (6–1) | Washington and Lee (8–0) | Washington and Lee (9–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–2) | Washington and Lee (10–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Hardin–Simmons (3–0) | Ithaca (3–0) | Illinois Wesleyan (4–0) | Albright (5–0) | Washington & Jefferson (5–1) | Concordia Moorhead (7–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (6–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (7–2) | St. Norbert (10–0) | Albright (10–2) | 17. |
| 18. | Rowan (2–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (2–1) | Cortland State (5–0) | Washington & Jefferson (4–1) | Wartburg (5–1) | Washington and Lee (7–0) | St. Norbert (8–0) | St. Norbert (9–0) | Albright (9–1) | Cortland State (9–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Ithaca (2–0) | Saint John's (MN) (3–1) | Albright (4–0) | John Carroll (4–1) | John Carroll (5–1) | Olivet (7–0) | Western New England (8–0) | Western New England (9–0) | Western New England (10–0) | St. Norbert (10–1) | 19. |
| 20. | Centre (3–0) | Illinois Wesleyan (3–0) | Washington & Jefferson (3–1) | Gustavus Adolphus (6–0) | Concordia Moorhead (6–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–2) | Albright (7–1) | Albright (8–1) | Albion (9–1) | Albion (9–2) | 20. |
| 21. | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (2–1) | Guilford (3–0) | John Carroll (3–1) | Concordia Moorhead (5–1) | North Central (IL) (4–2) | St. Norbert (7–0) т | Delaware Valley (7–1) | Albion (8–1) | Whitworth (9–1) | Whitworth (9–2) | 21. |
| 22. | North Central (IL) (1–1) | Cortland State (4–0) | North Central (IL) (2–2) | North Central (IL) (3–2) | Albion (6–0) | Western New England (7–0) т | Illinois Wesleyan (7–1) | North Central (IL) (6–3) | John Carroll (8–2) | Western New England (10–1) | 22. |
| 23. | Illinois Wesleyan (3–0) | Bethel (MN) (3–1) | Gustavus Adolphus (5–0) | Rowan (4–1) | Rowan (5–1) | Salisbury (5–1) | North Central (IL) (5–3) | Whitworth (8–1) | North Central (IL) (7–3) | John Carroll (8–2) | 23. |
| 24. | Guilford (3–0) | North Central (IL) (1–2) | Concordia Moorhead (4–1) | Albion (5–0) | Washington and Lee (6–0) | Albright (6–1) | Concordia Moorhead (7–2) | Guilford (8–1) | Guilford (9–1) | Huntingdon (10–2) | 24. |
| 25. | Bethel (MN) (2–1) | Albright (3–0) | Wittenberg (3–1) | Washington and Lee (5–0) | Whitworth (6–0) | Cortland State (7–1) | Albion (7–1) | DePauw (8–1) | Dubuque (8–2) | Ohio Northern (9–3) | 25. |
| Week 3 Sep 21 [37] | Week 4 Sep 28 [38] | Week 5 Oct 5 [39] | Week 6 Oct 12 [40] | Week 7 Oct 19 [41] | Week 8 Oct 26 [42] | Week 9 Nov 2 [43] | Week 10 Nov 9 [44] | Week 11 Nov 16 [45] | Final Dec 21 [46] | ||
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| Dropped: No. 20 Gustavus Adolphus | Dropped:
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| Dropped: No. 25 Depauw | Dropped:
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