Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – For the first time since the 2014 season, the Midwest Conference (MWC) Football Champion will be determined by the highest winning percentage in league play, as each member institution will face-off in a round robin. Prior to this fall, the Conference was divided into two divisions with the No. 1 seeds upon conclusion of divisional play squaring off for the MWC AQ to the NCAA Tournament. Under the new single round robin schedule, the league football head coaches selected Monmouth College as the favorite to win the 2021 Conference title in the preseason coaches’ poll announced today.
 
The defending Conference champion Scots, who have won three of the last four Conference titles, secured eight first-place votes and 72 points in the poll’s top spot.
 
The University of Chicago finished second with 60 points, while Lake Forest College picked a first-place vote and 58 points for third place.
 
Illinois College and Ripon College round out the top five with 56 and 44 points, respectively.
 
Cornell College enters the rankings in sixth place with 35 points, followed by Knox College (28), Beloit College (24), Lawrence University (18), and Grinnell College (10).
 
All ten Midwest Conference schools will kick of the 2021 football season by week’s end with non-Conference action. Illinois College will take the field on Thursday, September 2 in a home contest against Lakeland University, while the remaining nine schools will play on Saturday, September 4.
 
The Conference Champion will represent the MWC in the NCAA Division III Football Championship field.
 
Full preseason poll results and quick facts for all ten teams can be found below:

1. Monmouth College (8) – 72 points
2. University of Chicago – 60 points
3. Lake Forest College (1) – 58 points
4. Illinois College – 56 points
5. Ripon College – 44 points
6. Cornell College – 35 points
7. Knox College – 28 points
8. Beloit College – 24 points
9. Lawrence University – 18 points
10. Grinnell College – 10 points 

Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Ted Soenksen (3^rd Season)
2019: 1-9 (overall); 1-4 (MWC North)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Dan Pifer (2^nd Season)
2019: 4-5 (overall); 1-3 (MWC South)
All-Conference Returnees: Matthew Corley (Jr), Mason Davis (Sr), Kale Kuhiiki (Sr - 2018 Newcomer of the Year), Demarius Pittman (Sr)
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Brent Barnes (2^nd Season)
2019:
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Illinois College Blue Boys
Head Coach: Ray DeFrisco (6^th Season)
2019: 6-3 (overall); 2-2 (MWC South)
All-Conference Returnees: Trevor Smalls (Jr), Jaylin Swan (Sr), Seth Vaughn (Sr)
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Aaron Willits (1^st Season)
2019: 3-6 (overall); 0-4 (MWC South)
All-Conference Returnees: Charlie Gibbons (Sr), Ean Rau (Sr)
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: Jim Catanzaro (13^th Season)
2019: 7-3 (overall); 4-1 (MWC North)
All-Conference Returnees: Danny Baker (Jr), A.J. Jackson (Jr), Jamari Tansmore (Sr)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Tony Aker (1^st  Season)
2019: 1-8 (overall); 0-5 (MWC North)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Chad Braun (7^th Season)
2019: 7-2 (overall); 4-0 (MWC South)
All-Conference Returnees: Derek Brown (Jr), Nathan Graham (Sr), Devin Lawrence (Sr), Jake Uryasz (Sr)
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Ron Ernst (31^st Season)
2019: 4-6 (overall); 3-2 (MWC North)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A

University of Chicago Maroons
Head Coach: Chris Wilkerson (9^th Season)
2019: 6-3 (overall); 3-1 (MWC South)
All-Conference Returnees: Nicholas D’Ambrose (Sr)