HILBERT, Wis. – The Midwest Conference announced the 2026 Football Preseason Poll on Thursday. Luther College was projected to finish ninth and it also marks the first season of being a member of the Midwest Conference.
 
Head coach Joe Troche returns for his fifth season. "This is our largest senior class that we have and we're going to a new conference; there's a lot of things to be really excited about," Troche said. "We've got 10 on offense and eight on defense coming back."
 
Notable returners for the Norse include American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) all-conference honorable mentions: long snapper Ben Lorence and defensive back Tyler Ragan. Ragan finished seventh in NCAA Division III for total tackles with 121 and he averaged 12.1 per game. 
 
The Norse host Lawrence University on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. at Legacy Field in Carlson Stadium for the 2026 season opener.
 
2026 Football Preseason Poll – Points (first place votes)

1. Monmouth College – 99 (9)
2. Lake Forest College – 90 (2)
3. University of Chicago – 80
4. Illinois College – 77
5. Ripon College – 59
6. Cornell College – 58
7. Grinnell College – 39
8. Knox College – 34
9. Luther College – 31
10. Beloit College – 25
11. Lawrence University – 13