Wheaton, Ill. – For the first time in program history the Wheaton football team is ranked No. 1 in the D3football.com Top-25 poll. Wheaton, ranked No. 2 in last week's poll, moves into the top spot after defeating No. 1 ranked North Central on Saturday in a dramatic 13-10 win in the 2026 "Battle for the Little Brass Bell".

Wheaton gained 53 points in this week's poll and amassed 620 total points to move into the top spot. St. John's (Minn.) is ranked second with 570 points and one first-place vote in second place. North Central drops to third place with 564 points, UW-Whitewater is fourth with 554 points and one first-place vote. UW-Platteville rounds out the top-five with 551 points.

The D3football.com Top-25 Poll has been in existence since 2003, and today's Week 6 poll of the 2026 season is the 292^nd poll all-time from the website. Wheaton is the ninth institution to reach the top spot in the poll. The Thunder football program joins: Cortland, Linfield, Mary Hardin-Baylor, Mount Union, North Central, St. John's (Minn.), UW-River Falls, and UW-Whitewater as the nine programs to be ranked No. 1.

Wheaton returns home next Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff against Carroll University.