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Can anyone stop the North Central juggernaut in the NCAA Division III football playoffs?
The defending national champion has blown through the regular season, with only one opponent getting within 30 points of the Cardinals. After reaching the Stagg Bowl the last five years and lifting the trophy three times in that span, North Central has established itself as D3's top program.
That doesn't mean anyone will be rolling over for the Cardinals, though, and the most storied program in D3 football should be the top contender. Mount Union has 13 Division III titles, more than twice as many as any other school, and is looking to win the Stagg Bowl for the first time since 2017 after falling to North Central in the final last season.
The Purple Raiders will join a list of contenders including Johns Hopkins and Bethel hoping to find a way to solve North Central.
The Sporting News has all the details on the 2025 Division III football playoffs, including a complete schedule with live stream information.
How to watch NCAA D3 football playoffs
The first round through the semifinals will stream live on ESPN+.
Catch all your favorite ESPN+ action with ESPN Select! Just download the new ESPN app, sign in with your ESPN account, tap Subscribe to ESPN Select, and you're set to stream live sports, originals, and more—all in one place.
The Stagg Bowl championship game on Jan. 4 will be broadcast by ESPN and can also be streamed via Fubo, which offers a free trial to new subscribers.
NCAA D3 football playoffs 2025 schedule, scores
Saturday, Dec. 13 - Quarterfinals
| Johns Hopkins 40, Susquehanna 10 | — | — |
| John Carroll 21, Berry 13 | — | — |
| North Central 35, Bethel 21 | — | — |
| Wheaton vs. UW-River Falls | 3 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Saturday, Dec. 20 - Semifinals
| North Central vs. John Carroll | TBD | ESPN+ |
| Johns Hopkins vs. UW-River Falls/Wheaton | TBD | ESPN+ |
Sunday, Jan. 4 - Stagg Bowl
Played at Canton, Ohio
| Semifinal winners | 8 p.m. | ESPN, Fubo, ESPN app |
Saturday, Dec. 6 - Third round
| John Carroll 10, Mount Union 7 (2 OT) | — | — |
| Berry 31, Trinity (TX) 23 | — | — |
| Johns Hopkins 45, Salisbury 13 | — | — |
| Susquehanna 29, Eastern 0 | — | — |
| Wheaton 49, DePauw 24 | — | — |
| North Central 35, Wisconsin-La Crosse 27 | — | — |
| Bethel 35, Wisconsin-Platteville 24 | — | — |
| UW-River Falls 42, Saint John's (MN) 14 | — | — |
Saturday, Nov. 29 - Second round
| Mount Union 49, Muhlenberg 7 | — | — |
| John Carroll 35, Randolph-Macon 6 | — | — |
| Berry 18, LaGrange 14 | — | — |
| Wisconsin-La Crosse 9, Hope 7 | — | — |
| Eastern 28, Franklin & Marshall 24 | — | — |
| Salisbury 35, Endicott 28 | — | — |
| Johns Hopkins 34, Springfield 14 | — | — |
| Susquehanna 42, Christopher Newport 28 | — | — |
| Trinity (TX) 34, Hardin-Simmons 24 | — | — |
| North Central (IL) 38, Hanover 6 | — | — |
| Wisconsin-Platteville 24, Alma 7 | — | — |
| Bethel (MN) 51, Coe 26 | — | — |
| Wheaton (IL) 28, Wartburg 24 | — | — |
| DePauw 26, Wisconsin-Whitewater 23 | — | — |
| Saint John's (MN) 49, Monmouth (IL) 15 | — | — |
| UW-River Falls 58, Chapman 7 | — | — |
Saturday, Nov. 22 - First round
| Muhlenberg 34, Union (NY) 26 | — | — |
| LaGrange 24, Framingham State 21 | — | — |
| Susquehanna 38, Washington & Jefferson 32 | — | — |
| Springfield 21, Cortland 7 | — | — |
| Hanover 23, Grove City 15 | — | — |
| Coe 44, Concordia Wisconsin 7 | — | — |
| Wheaton (IL) 76, Crown (MN) 14 | — | — |
| Chapman 18, Whitworth 16 | — | — |
NCAA D3 football playoffs bracket 2025
The full bracket for this year's D3 playoffs is below:
— NCAA Division III (@NCAADIII) November 16, 2025D3 football playoffs round-by-round schedule 2025
| First round | Nov. 22 |
| Second round | Nov. 29 |
| Third round | Dec. 6 |
| Quarterfinals | Dec. 13 |
| Semifinals | Dec. 20 |
| Final | Jan. 4 |
NCAA D3 football champions list
The last 10 Division II football champions are listed below.
| 2024 | North Central (Ill.) | Mount Union |
| 2023 | Cortland | North Central (Ill.) |
| 2022 | North Central (Ill.) | Mount Union |
| 2021 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | North Central (Ill.) |
| 2019 | North Central (Ill.) | Wisconsin-Whitewater |
| 2018 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Mount Union |
| 2017 | Mount Union | Mary Hardin-Baylor |
| 2016 | Mary Hardin-Baylor | Wisconsin-Oshkosh |
| 2015 | Mount Union | St. Thomas (Minn.) |
| 2014 | Wisconsin-Whitewater | Mount Union |
English (US)