Wheaton College football is 5-0 and ranked No. 2 in the nation, setting up a showdown Saturday against top-ranked North Central College for the Little Brass Bell.
The Thunder jumped from No. 3 to No. 2 in both the AFCA Division III Coaches Poll and the D3football.com Top 25 after their 33-6 homecoming win over North Park on Saturday, Oct. 3. North Central (4-0) collected all 53 first-place votes in the AFCA poll and 24 of 25 in the D3football.com poll.
The 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Oct. 10, at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville will be the highest-ranked matchup in the 126-year rivalry, according to North Central College Athletics. It is the 107th meeting between the programs and the 77th since the Little Brass Bell Trophy was introduced.
North Central has won the last five Bell games, including a 35-0 rout in 2025. The Cardinals carry a 53-game CCIW winning streak, the longest in conference history. Wheaton still leads the all-time series 55-48-3.
Harris earns CCIW honor
Junior linebacker Zeke Harris was named CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week for his performance against North Park, Wheaton Athletics announced. Harris posted a team-high 11 tackles, six of them solo, and added a sack for a four-yard loss. The Wheaton defense held North Park to 148 total yards and just 20 rushing yards.
Harris is a 2026 D3football.com Preseason All-America Second Team selection who led the CCIW in tackles in 2025 with 119. He is the fourth Thunder player to earn a CCIW weekly award this fall, joining Seth Kortenhoeven (special teams, twice) and quarterback Mark Forcucci (offense).
Season built on big wins
The Thunder are 5-0. Wheaton opened the 2026 campaign by beating then-No. 3 Mount Union 24-23 on Sept. 5, snapping the Purple Raiders' 85-game regular-season winning streak. Head coach Jesse Scott said after the Sept. 5 opener, "I am not sure we were prepared for it to come down to quite literally the last play of the game. But I am so proud of the way that our players played throughout the course of the game."
That competitive edge has carried through five weeks. Against North Park, Forcucci went 19-for-26 for 182 yards, and running back Matt Crider rushed 17 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns. The offense totaled 404 yards.
Presale tickets available through Friday
Wheaton Athletics has 1,000 presale tickets for Saturday's game. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors, with a 10-ticket-per-customer cap. The remaining presale schedule at the Wheaton Athletics offices:
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, and Thursday, Oct. 8: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, and Friday, Oct. 9: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Presale ticketholders can enter Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium through the northwest corner gate on the visiting side, bypassing the main entrance. Tickets must be in hand to use that gate. Tickets will also be available at the stadium on game day.
Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. in Naperville.
