CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Wartburg College football team secured the program’s 20th football title in program history today in addition to the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Football Playoffs. This year’s postseason appearance will mark the 17th in program history.
This marks the ninth time in conference history a team in the league has three-peated the conference title. The Knights finished the conference slate 8-0 as they stand No. 11/11 in the national rankings and No. 13 in NPI rankings ahead of the playoff selections tomorrow.
Wartburg, picking up its 26th straight league win, routed Loras 69-14 in the regular season finale. It took under three minutes for the Knights to find the endzone with a Carter Markham rushing touchdown. Ben Bryant, Dawson Rud, Tucker Kinney, Carter Henry, Max Solis, Riley Richards, Matthew Hilleman, and Levi Pingel all recorded touchdowns for Wartburg throughout the game. Cael O’Neil recorded two made field goals from 33 and 22 yards this afternoon.
Chris Winter, in his fourth season at the helm of Wartburg football, led the Knights to their third consecutive conference title. He will be leading the Knights to another NCAA playoff after finishing as a semifinalist the last two seasons.
Wartburg will learn their first-round NCAA Division III playoff opponent on Sunday, November 17 at 4:00p (CST), when the 40-team bracket is announced live on NCAA.com.
Don't forget to become a fan of the American Rivers Conference on Facebook @AmericanRiversConference, X (Twitter) @AmerRiversConf, and Instagram @AmericanRiversConference.
About the American Rivers Conference
The Conference dates back to December 8, 1922, when representatives from 12 colleges got together and formed the "Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association." Honoring its heritage in Iowa and its expansion outside the state, the American Rivers Conference brand was established on August 9, 2018, to build on the academic and athletic success provided by its legacy, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The A-R-C has nine full-time members: Buena Vista University, Central College, Coe College, University of Dubuque, Loras College, Luther College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Simpson College, and Wartburg College.
