| | |
| Season | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Postseason | Single-elimination |
| Preseason No. 1 | Mount Union |
| National champions | |
| Conference with most teams in final poll | WIAC (3) |
Two human polls and a committee's selections comprise the 2016 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. 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 July 19 [1] | Week 1 September 4 [2] | Week 2 September 11 [3] | Week 3 September 18 [4] | Week 4 September 25 [5] | Week 5 October 2 [6] | Week 6 October 9 [7] | Week 7 October 16 [8] | Week 8 October 23 [9] | Week 9 October 30 [10] | Week 10 November 6 [11] | Week 11 November 13 [12] | Final December 18 [13] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mount Union (18) | Mount Union (0–0) (16) | Mount Union (1–0) (16) | Mount Union (2–0) (19) | Mount Union (3–0) (19) | Mount Union (4–0) (16) | Mount Union (5–0) (15) | Mount Union (6–0) (15) | Mount Union (7–0) (14) | Mount Union (8–0) (14) | Mount Union (9–0) (13) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (10–0) (18) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (15–0) (25) | 1. |
| 2. | Linfield (3) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (1–0) (4) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2–0) (4) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2–0) (2) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (3–0) (2) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (4–0) (1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (5–0) (3) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (6–0) (2) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (7–0) (2) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (8–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (9–0) (10) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (10–0) (5) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (13–2) | 2. |
| 3. | Wisconsin–Whitewater (3) | Linfield (0–0) (4) | Linfield (1–0) (3) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) (3) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) (3) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (4–0) (7) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (5–0) (6) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (6–0) (7) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (7–0) (8) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (8–0) (8) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (9–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (10–0) (2) | John Carroll (12–2) | 3. |
| 4. | St. Thomas (MN) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (1–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (2–0) (2) | St. Thomas (MN) (3–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (4–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (5–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (6–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (6–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (7–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (8–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (9–0) (1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (9–1) | Mount Union (12–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Mary Hardin–Baylor | Mary Hardin–Baylor (1–0) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (2–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (2–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (3–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (4–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (4–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (5–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (6–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (7–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (8–1) | North Central (IL) (10–0) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (12–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Wisconsin–Oshkosh | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (1–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (1–0) | Saint John's (MN) (3–0) | North Central (IL) (4–0) | North Central (IL) (4–0) | North Central (IL) (5–0) | North Central (IL) (6–0) | North Central (IL) (7–0) | North Central (IL) (8–0) | North Central (IL) (9–0) | John Carroll (9–1) | St. Thomas (MN) (12–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Wesley | Wheaton (IL) (1–0) | Wheaton (IL) (2–0) | North Central (IL) (3–0) | Linfield (1–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (4–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–1) | Linfield (5–1) | Linfield (6–1) | Linfield (7–1) | Mount Union (9–1) | Linfield (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Wheaton (IL) | Saint John's (MN) (1–0) | Saint John's (MN) (2–0) | Wheaton (IL) (3–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–0) | Linfield (2–1) | Linfield (3–1) | Linfield (4–1) | Saint John's (MN) (7–1) | Saint John's (MN) (7–1) | Saint John's (MN) (8–1) | Linfield (8–1) | Wheaton (IL) (11–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Saint John's (MN) | North Central (IL) (1–0) | North Central (IL) (2–0) | Linfield (1–1) | Johns Hopkins (4–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Johns Hopkins (6–0) | Johns Hopkins (7–0) | Johns Hopkins (8–0) | Johns Hopkins (9–0) | Saint John's (MN) (9–1) | Saint John's (MN) (10–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Hardin–Simmons | Wisconsin–Platteville (1–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (2–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (2–0) | Saint John's (MN) (3–1) | Wheaton (IL) (5–0) | Saint John's (MN) (5–1) | Saint John's (MN) (6–1) | Hardin–Simmons (6–1) | Hardin–Simmons (7–1) | Hardin–Simmons (8–1) | Johns Hopkins (10–0) | North Central (IL) (11–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Thomas More | Johns Hopkins (1–0) | Johns Hopkins (2–0) | Johns Hopkins (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (4–0) | Saint John's (MN) (4–1) | Wheaton (IL) (6–0) | Hardin–Simmons (6–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (6–2) | Wisconsin–Platteville (7–2) | Hardin–Simmons (9–1) | Johns Hopkins (11–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Wisconsin–Platteville | Hardin–Simmons (1–0) | Hardin–Simmons (1–0) | Hardin–Simmons (2–0) | Hardin–Simmons (3–0) | Hardin–Simmons (4–0) | Hardin–Simmons (5–0) | Wheaton (IL) (6–1) | Wheaton (IL) (7–1) | Wheaton (IL) (7–1) | Wheaton (IL) (8–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–2) | Alfred (12–1) | 12. |
| 13. | North Central (IL) | Wabash (1–0) | Wabash (1–0) | Wabash (2–0) | Salisbury (3–0) | Salisbury (4–0) | St. John Fisher (6–0) | Thomas More (6–1) | Thomas More (7–1) | Thomas More (8–1) | Thomas More (9–1) | Wheaton (IL) (9–1) | Hardin–Simmons (9–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Wabash | Delaware Valley (1–0) | Delaware Valley (2–0) | Delaware Valley (3–0) | St. John Fisher (4–0) | St. John Fisher (5–0) | Thomas More (5–1) | Franklin (5–1) | Stevenson (7–0) | Stevenson (8–0) | Alfred (9–0) | Alfred (10–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Johns Hopkins | Salisbury (1–0) | Cortland (2–0) | Salisbury (2–0) | Huntingdon (3–0) | Thomas More (4–1) | Wittenberg (5–0) | Stevenson (6–0) | Alfred (7–0) | Alfred (8–0) | Coe (9–0) | Thomas More (9–1) | Wesley (9–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Albright | Cortland (1–0) | Salisbury (1–0) | St. John Fisher (3–0) | Thomas More (3–1) | Wittenberg (4–0) | East Texas Baptist (5–0) | St. Lawrence (6–0) | St. Lawrence (7–0) | St. Lawrence (8–0) | John Carroll (8–1) | Coe (10–0) | Wittenberg (10–2) | 16. |
| 17. | Cortland | Wesley (0–1) | Wesley (1–1) | Huntingdon (3–0) | East Texas Baptist (3–0) | East Texas Baptist (4–0) | Franklin (5–1) | Alfred (6–0) | Coe (8–0) | Coe (9–0) | Wabash (8–1) | Wittenberg (9–1) | Coe (11–1) | 17. |
| 18. | John Carroll | Ohio Northern (0–0) | East Texas Baptist (2–0) | Thomas More (2–1) | Wittenberg (3–0) | Franklin (4–1) | Stevenson (5–0) | Coe (7–0) | East Texas Baptist (6–1) | Salisbury (7–1) | St. John Fisher (8–1) | Wesley (8–2) | Thomas More (9–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Whitworth | Franklin (1–0) | Huntingdon (2–0) | East Texas Baptist (3–0) | Franklin (3–1) | Stevenson (5–0) | Wabash (4–1) | East Texas Baptist (5–1) | Salisbury (6–1) | Wabash (7–1) | Wittenberg (8–1) | Hobart (9–1) | Hobart (9–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Washington and Lee | East Texas Baptist (1–0) | Thomas More (1–1) | Franklin (2–1) | Stevenson (4–0) | Wabash (3–1) | St. Lawrence (6–0) | Wabash (5–1) | Wabash (6–1) | John Carroll (7–1) | Wesley (7–2) | Stevenson (9–1) | Stevenson (9–2) | 20. |
| 21. | Texas Lutheran | Huntingdon (1–0) | St. John Fisher (2–0) | Stevenson (3–0) | Hobart (4–0) | St. Lawrence (5–0) | Dubuque (6–0) | Rowan (5–1) | John Carroll (6–1) | East Texas Baptist (7–1) | Case Western Reserve (9–0) | Monmouth (IL) (10–0) | Monmouth (IL) (10–1) | 21. |
| 22. | Ohio Northern | Thomas More (0–1) | Franklin (1–1) | Hobart (3–0) | Christopher Newport (4–0) | Hobart (5–0) | Hendrix (5–0) | Salisbury (5–1) | Denison (7–0) | Wittenberg (7–1) | Hobart (8–1) | St. John Fisher (8–2) | Western New England (11–1) | 22. |
| 23. | Salisbury | John Carroll (0–1) | Washington & Jefferson (2–0) | Cortland (2–1) | Wabash (2–1) | Dubuque (5–0) | Alfred (5–0) | John Carroll (5–1) | Wittenberg (6–1) | St. John Fisher (7–1) | Stevenson (8–1) | St. Lawrence (9–1) | Frostburg State (10–1) | 23. |
| 24. | Huntingdon | St. John Fisher (1–0) | Stevenson (2–0) | Christopher Newport (3–0) | Central (4–0) | Hendrix (4–0) | Rowan (4–1) | Denison (6–0) | St. John Fisher (6–1) | Case Western Reserve (8–0) | Monmouth (IL) (9–0) | Frostburg State (9–1) | St. Lawrence (9–1) | 24. |
| 25. | Delaware Valley | Washington & Jefferson (1–0) | Hobart (2–0) | Central (3–0) | St. Lawrence (4–0) | Alfred (5–0) | Salisbury (4–1) | Delaware Valley (5–1) | Case Western Reserve (7–0) | Monmouth (IL) (8–0) | St. Lawrence (8–1) | Huntingdon (9–1) | St. John Fisher (8–3) | 25. |
| Preseason July 19 [14] | Week 1 September 4 [15] | Week 2 September 11 [16] | Week 3 September 18 [17] | Week 4 September 25 [18] | Week 5 October 2 [19] | Week 6 October 9 [20] | Week 7 October 16 [21] | Week 8 October 23 [22] | Week 9 October 30 [23] | Week 10 November 6 [24] | Week 11 November 13 [25] | Final December 18 [26] | ||
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| Dropped: No. 22 Hobart | Dropped:
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| Dropped: No. 22 Denison | Dropped:
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| Dropped: No. 25 Huntingdon |
| Week 3 September 19 [27] | Week 4 September 26 [28] | Week 5 October 3 [29] | Week 6 October 10 [30] | Week 7 October 17 [31] | Week 8 October 24 [32] | Week 9 October 31 [33] | Week 10 November 7 [34] | Week 11 November 14 [35] | Final December 19 [36] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Mount Union (2–0) (37) | Mount Union (3–0) (39) | Mount Union (4–0) (38) | Mount Union (5–0) (36) | Mount Union (6–0) (35) | Mount Union (7–0) (38) | Mount Union (8–0) (37) | Mount Union (9–0) (38) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (10–0) (24) | 1. | |
| 2. | Wisconsin–Whitewater (2–0) (3) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (3–0) (1) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (4–0) (2) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (5–0) (4) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (6–0) (5) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (7–0) (3) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (8–0) (4) | Wisconsin–Whitewater (9–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (10–0) (12) | 2. | |
| 3. | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (3–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (4–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (5–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (6–0) (2) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (7–0) (1) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (8–0) (1) | Mary Hardin–Baylor (9–0) (1) | St. Thomas (MN) (10–0) (6) | 3. | |
| 4. | St. Thomas (MN) (3–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (4–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (5–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (6–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (6–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (7–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (8–0) | St. Thomas (MN) (9–0) (1) | North Central (IL) (10–0) | 4. | |
| 5. | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (2–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (3–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (4–0) | Wheaton (IL) (6–0) | North Central (IL) (6–0) | North Central (IL) (7–0) | North Central (IL) (8–0) | North Central (IL) (9–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (9–1) | 5. | |
| 6. | Wheaton (IL) (3–0) | Wheaton (IL) (4–0) | Wheaton (IL) (5–0) | North Central (IL) (5–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (5–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (6–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (7–1) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (8–1) | Johns Hopkins (10–0) | 6. | |
| 7. | North Central (IL) (3–0) | North Central (IL) (4–0) | North Central (IL) (4–0) | Wisconsin–Oshkosh (4–1) | Johns Hopkins (6–0) | Johns Hopkins (7–0) | Johns Hopkins (8–0) | Johns Hopkins (9–0) | Linfield (8–1) | 7. | |
| 8. | Saint John's (MN) (3–0) | Johns Hopkins (4–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Johns Hopkins (5–0) | Hardin–Simmons (6–0) | Linfield (5–1) | Linfield (6–1) | Linfield (7–1) | Mount Union (9–1) | 8. | |
| 9. | Johns Hopkins (3–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–0) | Hardin–Simmons (4–0) | Hardin–Simmons (5–0) | Linfield (4–1) | Saint John's (MN) (7–1) | Saint John's (MN) (7–1) | Saint John's (MN) (8–1) | Saint John's (MN) (9–1) | 9. | |
| 10. | Wabash (2–0) | Hardin–Simmons (3–0) | Linfield (2–1) | Linfield (3–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–1) | Wheaton (IL) (7–1) | Wheaton (IL) (7–1) | Wheaton (IL) (8–1) | John Carroll (9–1) | 10. | |
| 11. | Wisconsin–Platteville (2–0) | Linfield (1–1) т | Salisbury (4–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (4–1) | Saint John's (MN) (6–1) | Hardin–Simmons (6–1) | Hardin–Simmons (7–1) | Hardin–Simmons (8–1) | Hardin–Simmons (9–1) | 11. | |
| 12. | Hardin–Simmons (2–0) | Salisbury (3–0) т | Wisconsin–Platteville (3–1) | Saint John's (MN) (5–1) | Wheaton (IL) (6–1) | Stevenson (7–0) | Stevenson (8–0) | Coe (9–0) | Wheaton (IL) (9–1) | 12. | |
| 13. | Delaware Valley (3–0) | St. John Fisher (4–0) | Saint John's (MN) (4–1) | St. John Fisher (6–0) | Thomas More (6–1) | Thomas More (7–1) | St. Lawrence (8–0) | Thomas More (9–1) | Coe (10–0) | 13. | |
| 14. | Linfield (1–1) | Saint John's (MN) (3–1) | St. John Fisher (5–0) | Wittenberg (5–0) | Stevenson (6–0) | St. Lawrence (7–0) | Thomas More (8–1) | Wabash (8–1) | Thomas More (9–1) | 14. | |
| 15. | Salisbury (2–0) | Huntingdon (3–0) т | Wittenberg (4–0) | East Texas Baptist (5–0) | St. Lawrence (6–0) | Coe (8–0) | Coe (9–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (7–2) | Alfred (10–0) | 15. | |
| 16. | St. John Fisher (3–0) | Hobart (4–0) т | Hobart (5–0) | Dubuque (6–0) | Franklin (5–1) | Wabash (6–1) | Wabash (7–1) | Alfred (9–0) | Wisconsin–Platteville (8–2) | 16. | |
| 17. | Huntingdon (3–0) | Wittenberg (3–0) | East Texas Baptist (4–0) | Thomas More (5–1) | Coe (7–0) | Salisbury (6–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (6–2) | Monmouth (IL) (9–0) | Monmouth (IL) (10–0) | 17. | |
| 18. | Hobart (3–0) | East Texas Baptist (3–0) | Dubuque (5–0) | Franklin (5–1) | Wabash (5–1) | Wisconsin–Platteville (5–2) | Salisbury (7–1) | John Carroll (8–1) | Hobart (9–1) | 18. | |
| 19. | Thomas More (2–1) | Thomas More (3–1) | Thomas More (4–1) | Stevenson (5–0) | Salisbury (5–1) | Monmouth (IL) (7–0) | Alfred (8–0) | St. John Fisher (8–1) | Muhlenberg (9–1) | 19. | |
| 20. | Wittenberg (2–0) | Dubuque (4–0) | Franklin (4–1) | St. Lawrence (6–0) | Monmouth (IL) (6–0) | Alfred (7–0) | Monmouth (IL) (8–0) | Case Western Reserve (9–0) | Wittenberg (9–1) | 20. | |
| 21. | Dubuque (3–0) | Franklin (3–1) | Stevenson (5–0) | Wabash (4–1) | Alfred (6–0) | East Texas Baptist (6–1) | East Texas Baptist (7–1) | Hobart (8–1) | Stevenson (9–1) | 21. | |
| 22. | East Texas Baptist (3–0) | Stevenson (4–0) | St. Lawrence (5–0) | Salisbury (4–1) | East Texas Baptist (5–1) | John Carroll (6–1) | John Carroll (7–1) | Muhlenberg (8–1) | Wesley (8–2) | 22. | |
| 23. | Franklin (2–1) | Wabash (2–1) | Wabash (3–1) | Coe (6–0) | St. John Fisher (6–1) | St. John Fisher (6–1) | St. John Fisher (7–1) | Wittenberg (8–1) | Western New England (10–0) | 23. | |
| 24. | Muhlenberg (3–0) | St. Lawrence (4–0) | Wisconsin–Stevens Point (4–0) | Monmouth (IL) (5–0) | Hobart (5–1) | Denison (7–0) | Case Western Reserve (8–0) | Stevenson (8–1) | St. Lawrence (9–1) | 24. | |
| 25. | St. Lawrence (3–0) | Christopher Newport (4–0) | Guilford (4–0) |
| John Carroll (5–1) | Hobart (6–1) | Hobart (7–1) | Wesley (7–2) | Huntingdon (9–1) | 25. | |
| Week 3 September 19 [37] | Week 4 September 26 [38] | Week 5 October 3 [39] | Week 6 October 10 [40] | Week 7 October 17 [41] | Week 8 October 24 [42] | Week 9 October 31 [43] | Week 10 November 7 [44] | Week 11 November 14 [45] | Final December 19 [46] | ||
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| Dropped: No. 16 Franklin | Dropped: No. 24 Denison | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| None |