The Washington University Bears are 5-0 and ranked in the D3 Top 10 for the first time ever. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
Fresh off its first ever victory over a Top 10 opponent, the Washington University football team rose eight spots up the D3Football Top 25 rankings and into the No. 10 spot, marking the first time in program history the Bears were ever ranked in the Top 10.
WashU knocked off then-No. 8 ranked John Carroll, 35-25, last Saturday in what many are calling the biggest win in program history.
Since then, voters around the country have taken notice to the incredible start to the 2026 season the Bears have been on. WashU is 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings, which has the club tied for first place with longtime power Denison University.
WashU QB Levi Moore has thrown 10 touchdown passes and rushed for seven more in the Bears’ five wins this season. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
Two-time defending national champion North Central remained the nation’s top-ranked Division III team, after defeating Augustana 35-7 last weekend. The Cardinals will face No. 2 Wheaton this Saturday in what many are calling the D3 game of the year.
St. John’s, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Wisconsin-Platteville make up the rest of the top five, with Wisconsin-River Falls, Hardin-Simmons, Trinity, and Endicott owning the four spots in front of WashU.
John Carroll slipped from No. 8 to No. 17, following its loss, while other previously ranked teams Utica and Mount Union fell out of the poll completely after those teams lost last week.
The WashU Bears knocked off No. 8 John Carroll, 35-25, last Saturday. (Photo: Primo Greenway)
WashU will enjoy a bye this week before returning to action next Saturday, October 17, with a road game in Gambier, Ohio, against Kenyon College.
WashU’s next home game will be on October 31, when the Bears will host Denison, in a matchup that could determine the NCAC league championship at Francis Olympic Field. That game will kickoff at 1 p.m., and both games will be streamed live on North Coast Network.
WEEK 6 NCAA D3 TOP 25 RANKINGS (D3FOOTBALL.COM)
| Rank | School (No. 1 votes) | W-L | Points | Prev. |
| 1. | North Central (Ill.) (24) | 4-0 | 624 | 1 |
| 2. | Wheaton (Ill.) | 5-0 | 567 | 3 |
| 3. | St. John’s (1) | 4-0 | 558 | 5 |
| 4. | Wisconsin-Platteville | 4-0 | 554 | 4 |
| 5. | Wisconsin-Whitewater | 4-0 | 549 | 6 |
| 6. | Wisconsin-River Falls | 3-1 | 485 | 2 |
| 7. | Hardin-Simmons | 3-0 | 473 | 9 |
| 8. | Trinity (Texas) | 4-0 | 429 | 10 |
| 9. | Endicott | 5-0 | 373 | 11 |
| 10. | WashU | 5-0 | 360 | 18 |
| 11. | Wartburg | 2-2 | 331 | 12 |
| 12. | Salisbury | 4-0 | 330 | 13 |
| 13. | Christopher Newport | 4-0 | 318 | 14 |
| 14. | Hope | 5-0 | 300 | 15 |
| 15. | Cortland | 5-0 | 262 | 17 |
| 16. | Bethel | 2-2 | 240 | 7 |
| 17. | John Carroll | 4-1 | 235 | 8 |
| 18. | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 2-2 | 201 | 19 |
| 19. | Mary Hardin-Baylor | 3-1 | 170 | 20 |
| 20. | Baldwin Wallace | 4-0 | 142 | — |
| 21. | Berry | 3-1 | 96 | 16 |
| 22. | Franklin and Marshall | 4-0 | 80 | — |
| 23. | Randolph-Macon | 3-1 | 73 | 25 |
| 24. | Susquehanna | 3-1 | 53 | 23 |
| 25. | Heidelberg | 4-1 | 52 | 21 |
Dropped out: No. 22 Utica; No. 24 Mount Union.
Others receiving votes: Mount Union 51; Utica 43; Linfield 41; Dickinson 30; Chapman 27; DePauw 19; Wesleyan 9; Rowan 8; Washington & Jefferson 8; Lake Forest 7; Calvin 7; Eastern 6; Ursinus 4; Trinity (Conn.) 4; Hanover 3; Ithaca 2; Whitworth 1.
2026 WASHU BEARS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 5, 2026 (Saturday) | 7 p.m. | Away | Rhodes College | Memphis, Tenn. / Crain Field | W, 73-0 (1-0) |
| September 12, 2026 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Home | #15 DePauw University* | Francis Olympic Field | W, 37-27 (2-0) |
| September 19, 2026 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Wittenberg University* | Springfield, Ohio / Edwards-Maurer Field | W, 31-24 (3-0) |
| September 26, 2026 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Oberlin College* | Oberlin, Ohio / Dick Bailey Field | W, 79-0 (4-0) |
| October 3, 2026 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Home | #8 John Carroll University* | Francis Olympic Field | W, 35-25, (5-0) |
| October 17, 2026 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Kenyon College* | Gambier, Ohio / McBride Field | |
| October 24, 2026 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Wabash College* | Crawfordsville, Ind. / Little Giant Stadium | |
| October 31, 2026 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Home | Denison University* | Francis Olympic Field | |
| November 7, 2026 (Saturday) | 12 p.m. | Away | Ohio Wesleyan University* | Delaware, Ohio / Selby Stadium | |
| November 14, 2026 (Saturday) | 1 p.m. | Home | The College of Wooster* | Francis Olympic Field |
* – denotes North Coast Athletic Conference game