LANCASTER, Pa. – Defending champion Johns Hopkins has been chosen as the favorite to repeat in the 2024 Centennial Conference Football Preseason Poll. The Blue Jays were one of three teams to receive at least one first-place vote, garnering four first-place tallies and totaling 34 points to earn the billing as preseason favorite.
Muhlenberg nabbed two first-place votes and totaled 31 points to finish second in the voting, while Franklin & Marshall (25 points, 1 first-place vote) was projected to finish third. Ursinus was close behind F&M in fourth place with 22 points, followed by Dickinson (17), Gettysburg (10) and McDaniel (8).
The 2024 campaign kicks off on Friday, Sept. 6 with four CC teams - Dickinson, F&M, McDaniel and Ursinus - hosting season-opening contests under the lights. Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins and Muhlenberg will open the season on Saturday, Sept. 7 with road contests. Conference play opens up on Saturday, Sept. 21 with all seven CC squads hosting NJAC teams as part of a scheduling agreement with the nearby conference. The final day of the regular season is set for Saturday, Nov. 16, with the NCAA playoffs and the annual Centennial-MAC Bowl Series slated for the following weekend.
2024 Centennial Conference Football Preseason Poll
| Rank | Institution (First-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. Johns Hopkins (4) |
34 |
| 2. Muhlenberg (2) |
31 |
| 3. Franklin & Marshall (1) |
25 |
| 4. Ursinus |
22 |
| 5. Dickinson |
17 |
| 6. Gettysburg |
10 |
| 7. McDaniel |
8 |
2024 Schedule |
2023 All-Centennial Team |
History |
D3football.com Rankings |
AFCA Rankings
The 2024 season will feature a major adjustment in Division III football, as the NCAA has expanded its tournament field from 32 teams to 40, giving more opportunites for high-quality teams that don't win their conference to earn at-large berths into the postseason.
The expanded field will be a welcome change for the Centennial, which has sent multiple teams to NCAAs four times previously, including twice in the past five seasons (2018, 2021). When giving the opportunity, multiple CC teams have thrived in the national tournament, most recently occuring in 2021 with Muhlenberg making it to the quarterfinals and Johns Hopkins reaching the second round.
Hopkins edged Muhlenberg for the conference title in 2023 by virtue of one of the most bizarre game-ending plays possible. Deadlocked at 28-28 late in regulation in Allentown, JHU tight end Will Leger grabbed a blocked field goal attempt from behind the line of scrimmage and raced 14 yards into the end zone for a touchdown, handing the Blue Jays a dramatic 34-28 lead. That win occurred in week 9 of the regular season and would eventually prove to be the de facto CC title game. Hopkins went on to defeat Western Connecticut State and Union to reach the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to Randolph-Macon, 39-36, in an epic final eight matchup.
The Mules, F&M and Ursinus represented the CC in the eighth annual Centennial-MAC Bowl Series, each coming away with victories to improve the conference's overall mark to 16-5 in the series, including a 14-1 record over the past five seasons. Muhlenberg downed Lebanon Valley 23-7, Franklin & Marshall defeated King's 30-7, and Ursinus took down Stevenson 31-13.
A trio of All-Americans and 39 players with All-Centennial awards are back on the gridiron this fall. JHU graduate student tight end
Will Leger, JHU junior offensive lineman
Michael Nwosu and F&M kicker
Laurence Miller return as All-Americans, while Muhlenberg senior quarterback
Joe Repetti, the reigning CC Offensive Player of the Year, headlines a group of 15 returners with multiple career All-CC honors to their names. Dickinson senior running back
Diante Ball, Muhlenberg senior defensive lineman
Keshon Davila and Ursinus senior defensive back
Ryan DiVergilis are each three-time CC all-stars entering their final years.
Johns Hopkins is ranked eighth while Muhlenberg is 21st in both the
D3football.com and
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) preseason national polls.
Returning All-Americans (3)
Will Leger, Johns Hopkins, Gr., TE
- 2023: D3football.com Third Team
Michael Nwosu, Johns Hopkins, Jr., OL
- 2023: D3football.com Fourth Team
Laurence Miller, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., K
- 2023: D3football.com Fourth Team
Returning All-Centennial (39)
Diante Ball, Dickinson, Sr., RB (2023 First Team, 2022 First Team, 2021 Honorable Mention)
Vincent Sprenger, Dickinson, Sr., OL (2023 Second Team)
Alex Sulin, Dickinson, Sr., DB (2023 First Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Bram Leys, Dickinson, Jr., LB (2023 Second Team)
Jeff Decker, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., DL (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team)
Gary Lewis, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., WR (2023 First Team)
Laurence Miller, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., K (2023 First Team)
Aaron Rascoe, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., RB (2022 First Team)
Matt Scully, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., LB (2023 Second Team, 2021 Honorable Mention as kick returner)
Matt Wertz, Franklin & Marshall, Jr., DB (2023 Second Team)
Jacob Hille, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., LB (2022 Second Team)
Michael Nwosu, Johns Hopkins, Jr., OL (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team)
E.J. Talarico, Johns Hopkins, Sr., KR (2023 First Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Cole Crotty, Johns Hopkins, So., WR (2023 First Team)
Will Leger, Johns Hopkins, Gr., TE (2023 First Team)
Cole Peters, Johns Hopkins, Sr., LB (2023 First Team)
Bay Harvey, Johns Hopkins, Sr., QB (2023 Second Team)
Isaac Urquidi, Johns Hopkins, Jr., DL (2023 Second Team)
Matthew Konkol, Johns Hopkins, Sr., DL (2023 Second Team)
Oliver Craddock, Johns Hopkins, Sr., LB (2023 Second Team)
PJ Penders, Johns Hopkins, Sr., DB (2023 Second Team)
Carson Bourdo, Johns Hopkins, Jr., DB (2023 Honorable Mention)
Jack Kinerney, Muhlenberg, Sr., OL (2023 First Team, 2022 First Team)
Joe Repetti, Muhlenberg, Sr., QB (2023 First Team & Offensive POTY, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Keshon Davila, Muhlenberg, Sr., DL (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team, 2021 Second Team)
Ryan Wreath, Muhlenberg, Sr., OL (2023 Second Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Christopher Ardito, Muhlenberg, Sr., WR (2023 Second Team)
Matt Papa, Muhlenberg, Sr., DL (2023 Second Team)
Timothy Buda, Muhlenberg, Sr., WR (2023 Honorable Mention)
Ryan DiVergilis, Ursinus, Sr., DB (2023 First Team, 2022 First Team, 2021 Honorable Mention)
Tony Holden, Ursinus, Sr., RB (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team)
Trey Williams, Ursinus, Sr., OL (2023 First Team, 2022 Second Team)
Anthony Esposito, Ursinus, Sr., DB (2023 First Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Justin Collier, Ursinus, Sr., WR (2023 Second Team, 2022 Honorable Mention)
Devin Cope, Ursinus, Sr., OL (2023 Second Team)
Jordan Carr, Ursinus, Jr., K (2023 Second Team)
Deane Leader, Ursinus, Jr., OL (2023 Honorable Mention)
Connor Carter, Ursinus, Sr., DL (2023 Honorable Mention)
Cody House, Ursinus, Jr., KR (2023 Honorable Mention)
