The latest FloCollege D3 football rankings are here, and Week 1 wasted no time turning the Top 25 upside down. From a new-look top three to massive falls by traditional powers, here are five things to know about the latest rankings.

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North Central remains at No. 1, defending national champion UW-River Falls has climbed to No. 2 and Wheaton has rocketed into the top three. Meanwhile, two preseason top-three teams have fallen outside the top 10, and four new programs have entered the Top 25.

Here are five things to know about the latest FloCollege D3 football rankings after Week 1.

Thunderstruck: Wheaton Snaps Mount Union’s 85-Game Regular-Season Win Streak

No team inside the FloCollege top 10 made a bigger move than Wheaton.

The Thunder jumped six spots after beating preseason No. 2 Mount Union 24-23. 

In a cinematic ending, All-American offensive guard Aiden Byrne blocked an MU game-tying extra point with 22 seconds remaining to seal Wheaton's first win over Mount Union in eight all-time meetings.

Wheaton Athletics called it the program's “biggest non-conference, regular season victory in program history.”

The result also ended Mount Union's streak of 38 consecutive season-opening victories and its 85-game regular-season winning streak.

Heavy Is The Crown: No. 1 North Central Faces Another Ranked Test

North Central backed up its preseason No. 1 ranking with a 44-21 victory over preseason No. 3 Bethel. Quarterback Garret Wilson threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns, while the Cardinals forced four turnovers.

There will be little time to celebrate. No. 1 North Central travels to face No. 11 Wartburg on Sept. 12 in one of two matchups between teams in the FloCollege Top 25 this week.

The programs have met just once before, but it was memorable. Wartburg erased a 20-0 deficit in the 2023 NCAA Division III semifinals and took a 27-26 lead before North Central rallied for a 34-27 win and advanced to the Stagg Bowl.

North Central has defended No. 1 once. Now the Cardinals have another chance to prove they belong there.

No Blaha, No Problem. UW-River Falls Is Already No. 2

UW-River Falls opened the season at No. 4 despite winning the 2025 national championship, in part because of major offseason departures that included Gagliardi Trophy winner Kaleb Blaha and head coach Matt Walker.

It took one game for the Falcons to begin answering those questions.

River Falls beat Southern Virginia 73-7, scoring five touchdowns in the first quarter. New quarterback Peter McDevitt completed 13 of 15 passes for 231 yards and five touchdowns while adding another score on the ground.

The result pushed River Falls two spots to No. 2. Now comes a bigger test at No. 18 Coe. Last year's meeting was a 59-47 River Falls victory in which the teams combined for nearly 1,400 yards of offense.

One Loss, 11 Spots: Mount Union And Bethel Pay The Price

The biggest drops near the top of the rankings belong to the two teams that began directly behind North Central.

Mount Union fell from No. 2 to No. 13 following its one-point loss to Wheaton, while Bethel dropped from No. 3 to No. 14 after losing to North Central.

Bethel's fall is especially interesting when looking deeper into the numbers. The Royals actually outgained North Central 449-421 and outrushed the Cardinals 171-96. Four turnovers, however, helped North Central take control.

Win And You're Out? Cortland Falls From The Top 25

Four programs entered the rankings this week: No. 19 Linfield, No. 22 Mary Hardin-Baylor, No. 24 LaGrange and No. 25 Muhlenberg.

That movement created an unusual situation for Cortland.

The Red Dragons entered the preseason FloCollege rankings at No. 25 and then beat Grove City 28-18 on the road. Cortland still dropped out of the Top 25 and is now among the teams receiving votes.

It is an early reminder that these rankings aren't simply about remaining undefeated. With strength of schedule, quality wins, margin of victory and other factors involved, what happens elsewhere in Division III can be just as important as the final score.

FloCollege D3 Football Rankings 2026: Week 1 Top 25

1. North Central

2. UW-River Falls

3. Wheaton

4. Johns Hopkins

5. John Carroll

6. UW-Platteville

7. Berry

8. St. John’s

9. UW-Whitewater

10. Trinity (Texas)

11. Wartburg

12. Susquehanna

13. Mount Union

14. Bethel

15. Hardin-Simmons

16. Christopher Newport

17. Salisbury

18. Coe

19. Linfield

20. Hope

21. DePauw

22. Mary Hardin-Baylor

23. UW-La Crosse

24. LaGrange

25. Muhlenberg

D3 Football Rankings: Receiving Votes

Endicott, Cortland, Springfield, Franklin & Marshall, UW-Stout, Carroll (Wisconsin), Augustana (Illinois), UW-Stevens Point, Macalester and Luther.

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