GRINNELL, Iowa–After a vote of the league’s ten head coaches, the Foresters of Lake Forest College are the favorites to repeat as Midwest Conference (MWC) football champions.
Seven first-place votes and 79 points propelled the Foresters to the top of the field.In2021, Lake Forest snapped a nine-year drought to win its program’s sixth MWC title after a perfect10-0 regular season record(9-0 MWC).
In second place, Monmouth College received 74 points and the remaining three first-place votes. Last season, the Fighting Scots finished 8-2 with their only conference loss coming against the Foresters.
The University of Chicago landed in third place with 65 points, ahead of Ripon College (52) and Illinois College (46) rounding out the top-five.
Picking up 43 points, Cornell College is expected to finish sixth, followed by Knox College (35), Lawrence University (21), Grinnell College (20), and Beloit College.
Illinois College will kick off the 2022 season with a non-conference opponent on Thursday, September 1, followed by the remaining MWC teams on Saturday, September3.League play will open the following week on Saturday, September 10.
The 2022 MWC football champion will receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs, while the runner-up will face off against an opponent from the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) in the inaugural Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl.
Full preseason coaches’ poll results and quick facts for all ten league teams can be found below:
2022 MWC Football Preseason Coaches’ Poll Results
1. Lake Forest College (7) –79points
2. Monmouth College (3) –74points
3. University of Chicago –65points
4.Ripon College–52points
5.Illinois College –46points
6.Cornell College –43points
7.Knox College –35points
8. Lawrence University –21points
9. Grinnell College –20 points
10. Beloit College –15 points
***Story courtesy of Monmouth College Athletics***
