Aurora Vs. Naperville Match-Up Looming in D3 Football Playoffs

We have two of the best division 3 football teams in our own backyard, and they could very well meet each other in this year’s D3 playoffs!

Playing their games in downtown Naperville, North Central college has been a D3 powerhouse for the last handful of season. The Cardinals have won the national championship two out of the last four seasons (save the cancelled COVID year of 2020). Yet again, they have the talent to make it to this year’s title game with an unblemished 10-0 record and the distinction of being ranked as the #1 team in the land.

Eleven miles due west of Benedetti-Wehrli stadium waits another nationally ranked team hoping to upset it’s neighbors. The 15th ranked Spartans of Aurora University are 9-1, it’s only loss coming in week two to North Central.

North Central has a first round bye in this year’s playoff bracket, and will host the winner of Whitworth and Pomona-Pitzer on Nov. 30th.

Aurora U. also has a bye and will play Hope College on Nov. 30th in Holland, Michigan.

If both of our local teams should happen to win those games, they will battle each other for the right to move on and possibly play for an NCAA D3 national title!

According to NCC’s football database, the Cards are 9-1 all time versus Aurora U. They’re only loss in the series’ first game…a 6-0 Spartan win in October of 1899!

The stakes are high! Good luck to both teams!