NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Two new pre-season Division III football rankings were released on Monday morning, and the Christopher Newport University football team is slotted 18th in the nation and second in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC). The national ranking comes from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), while the conference poll follows a vote of league coaches heading into the 2026 campaign.
The Captains, 10-1 a year ago and Champions of the NJAC, reported earlier this month and
Paul Crowley's squad is coming off it's first-ever undefeated regular season. Crowley, who is beginning his fifth season as Head Coach, is understandably optimistic about the new season.
"We've had a really good camp so far," Crowley said Monday as classes began on campus. "Our returning players and newcomers have had a chance to come together and gel as a new team in a short amount of time. We've also been able to perform community service, and it's been great engaging with the Newport News community."
The Captains open the 2026 slate on Saturday, September 5th, hosting the Newport News Apprentice School at TowneBank Stadium. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. Individual game tickets for
Reserved Bleacher and
General Admission seating. as well as
tailgate passes are currently available for purchase. Tickets you can purchase online by clicking
here, or by calling the CNU Athletic Ticket Office at
757-594-7880.
"We've got two weeks of hard work to finish our preparations for the opener," Crowley continued. "Our student-athletes are excited to open the new year at TowneBank Stadium and continue the success of the program in the new season."
The complete pre-season poll from the AFCA:
|
Rank
|
School (1st votes)
|
2025 Rec.
|
Pts.
|
2025 Rank*
|
Season Opener
|
Head Coach
|
|
1
|
North Central (50)
|
14-1
|
1322
|
2
|
Sept. 5 vs. No. 2 Bethel (Minn.)
|
Brad Spencer
|
|
2
|
Bethel (Minn.)
|
12-1
|
1228
|
5
|
Sept. 5 at No. 1 North Central
|
Mike McElroy
|
|
3
|
Mount Union
|
11-1
|
1202
|
6
|
Sept. 5 at No. 5 Wheaton
|
Geoff Dartt
|
|
4
|
Johns Hopkins
|
12-2
|
1162
|
4
|
Sept. 5 vs. Ithaca
|
Dan Wodicka
|
|
5
|
Wheaton
|
11-3
|
1030
|
7
|
Sept. 5 vs. No. 3 Mount Union
|
Jesse Scott
|
|
6
|
UW-Platteville
|
9-3
|
1025
|
11
|
Sept. 5 vs. Aurora
|
Ryan Munz
|
|
7
|
UW-River Falls (3)
|
14-1
|
961
|
1
|
Sept. 3 vs. Southern Virginia
|
Jake Wissing
|
|
8
|
John Carroll
|
12-2
|
930
|
3
|
Sept. 5 at Carnegie Mellon
|
Brian Polian
|
|
9
|
Wartburg
|
10-1
|
904
|
14
|
Sept. 5 at Monmouth (Ill.)
|
Chris Winter
|
|
10
|
UW-La Crosse
|
8-3
|
836
|
10
|
Sept. 5 at No. 11 St. John's (Minn.)
|
Michael Zweifel
|
|
11
|
St. John's (Minn.)
|
10-2
|
835
|
8
|
Sept. 5 vs. No. 10 UW-La Crosse
|
Gary Fasching
|
|
12
|
UW-Whitewater
|
8-3
|
666
|
20
|
Sept. 5 vs. Carleton
|
Jace Rindahl
|
|
13
|
DePauw
|
10-2
|
627
|
13
|
Sept. 5 at Rose-Hulman
|
Brett Dietz
|
|
14
|
Trinity (Tex.)
|
10-2
|
617
|
16
|
Sept. 5 vs. Texas Lutheran
|
Jerheme Urban
|
|
15
|
Berry
|
11-2
|
567
|
9
|
Sept. 5 at Huntingdon
|
Tony Kunczewski
|
|
16
|
Hardin-Simmons
|
9-2
|
563
|
19
|
Sept. 5 vs. Chapman
|
Jesse Burleson
|
|
17
|
Salisbury
|
10-2
|
482
|
12
|
Sept. 12 vs. McDaniel
|
Sherman Wood
|
|
18
|
Christopher Newport
|
10-1
|
382
|
18
|
Sept. 5 vs. Newport News
|
|
|
19
|
Hope
|
9-2
|
351
|
17
|
Sept. 5 at Denison
|
Peter Stuursma
|
|
20
|
Mary Hardin-Baylor
|
7-3
|
305
|
NR
|
Sept. 4 at Rowan
|
Larry Harmon
|
|
21
|
Susquehanna
|
11-3
|
272
|
15
|
Sept. 5 at Union (N.Y.)
|
Chris Pincince
|
|
22
|
Coe
|
9-3
|
177
|
NR
|
Sept. 5 vs. Cornell (Iowa)
|
Tyler Staker
|
|
23
|
Randolph-Macon
|
9-2
|
137
|
21
|
Sept. 4 at Dickinson
|
Pedro Arruza
|
|
24
|
Endicott
|
9-2
|
119
|
24
|
Sept. 5 vs. Eastern (Pa.)
|
Paul McGonagle
|
|
25
|
Cortland
|
8-3
|
112
|
NR
|
Sept. 5 at Grove City
|
Tom Blumenauer
|
*– Record and ranking in final AFCA Division III Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: UW-Oshkosh, 53; Linfield, 47; Alma, 40; Franklin & Marshall, 33; Monmouth (Ill.), 28; Washington & Jefferson, 28; Central (Iowa), 22; Chapman, 22; LaGrange, 20; Springfield, 20; Whitworth, 16; Eastern (Pa.), 11; Grove City, 9; Hampden-Sydney, 7; Augustana (Ill.), 6; Baldwin-Wallace, 6; Concordia (Wis.), 6; UW-Stout, 6; Wabash, 6; Adrian, 4; Hanover, 4; Calvin, 3; Muhlenberg, 3; Washington (Mo.), 3; Carnegie Mellon, 2; Illinois Wesleyan, 2; Union (N.Y.), 2; Utica (N.Y.), 2; Lake Forest, 1; Rowan, 1.
The pre-season poll of coaches from the NJAC, with number of first place votes in parenthesis:
| 1. Salisbury (6) |
|
| 2. CNU (1) |
|
| 3. Rowan (1) |
|
| 4. Montclair State (dark horse) |
|
| 5. TCNJ |
|
| 6. Kean |
|
| 7. William Paterson |
|
| 8. Castleton |
|
