Since college football returned to traditional seasons following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pacific Lutheran football team has enjoyed a run of improvement, posting three consecutive seasons with a .500 record or better.

Last year marked the team’s best performance in a decade, a 7-3 season that included a 5-2 record and third-place finish in the Northwest Conference.

The two seasons prior, the Lutes were 5-5 (2023) and 6-4 (2022) overall after not winning more than four games since 2016.

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Head coach Brant McAdams is entering his eighth season at Pacific Lutheran, and he’s optimistic after completing the best campaign of his time with the squad.

From 1979 through 2001, PLU was a regular fixture in the NAIA Division II and then NCAA Division III postseasons, including four consecutive appearances in the Division III Playoffs from 1998-2001.

The highlight of that streak was a national championship in 1999, secured with a 42-13 win over Rowan. Mount Union won three titles on each side of the Lutes’ victory.

The precedent certainly is there for McAdams and his team, but they’ll first have to get around Linfield and Whitworth, which have dominated the NWC standings for many years running. 

Only six times since 1996 has a team other than Linfield or Whitworth won at least a share of the conference championship. Willamette did it four times, with the most recent being 2008, while Pacific Lutheran won the title outright in 1998 and shared it with Linfield and Whitworth in 2001. 

PLU will kick off the 2025 season with three nonconference games, with the first coming on the road Sept. 6 against California Lutheran. NWC play for the Lutes will begin at home Oct. 4 against Willamette. 

How To Stream Pacific Lutheran Football Games In 2025

Every NWC and home Pacific Lutheran football game will stream live on FloCollege and the FloSports app. 

Game replays, highlights and breaking news will also be available on both platforms.

Pacific Lutheran University Football Schedule 2025

All Times Eastern/Pacific

• Sept. 6 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. at California Lutheran University
• Sept. 13 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. vs. Simpson University (Calif.)
• Sept. 20 (Sat): 3 p.m./Noon vs. Trinity University (Texas)
• Oct. 4 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. vs. Willamette University
• Oct. 11 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. at University of Puget Sound
• Oct. 18 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. vs. Pacific University
• Oct. 25 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. vs. Linfield University
• Nov. 1 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. at Whitworth University
• Nov. 8 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. at Lewis & Clark College
• Nov. 15 (Sat): 4 p.m./1 p.m. vs. George Fox University

What Was The Pacific Lutheran Football Record In 2024?

7-3 (5-2 NWC)

• Pacific Lutheran 43, Simpson 0
• Concordia (Minn.) 31, Pacific Lutheran 3
• Pacific Lutheran 27, Cal Lutheran 17
• Whitworth 34, Pacific Lutheran 23
• Pacific Lutheran 34, Pacific 18
• Pacific Lutheran 50, Willamette 0
• Pacific Lutheran 31, Lewis & Clark 28
• Pacific Lutheran 24, George Fox 14
• Linfield 38, Pacific Lutheran 10
• Pacific Lutheran 34, Puget Sound 21

When Do The 2025 NCAA Division III College Football Playoffs Start?

The first round of the 2025 NCAA Division III Playoffs will be Nov. 22.

The 2025 Division III Football Championship title game will be played Jan. 10, 2026, at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.

College Football Rankings 2024 – Final AFCA Division III Coaches Poll

End Of 2024 Season

1. North Central (Ill.) (43) 15-0
2. Mount Union (Ohio) 14-1
3. Johns Hopkins (Md.) 12-2
4. Susquehanna (Pa.) 12-2
5. Salisbury (Md.) 12-1
6. Springfield (Mass.) 12-1
7. St. John’s (Minn.) 11-1
8. Cortland (N.Y.) 11-1
9. DePauw (Ind.) 11-1
10. Bethel (Minn.) 11-3
11. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.) 8-4
12. Wartburg (Iowa) 10-2
13. Hope (Mich.) 11-1
14. Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) 10-2
15. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 10-1
16. Linfield (Ore.) 10-2
17. Wisconsin-Platteville 9-2
18. Randolph-Macon (Va.) 10-2
19. Endicott (Mass.) 10-2
20. Grove City (Pa.) 9-2
21. Wisconsin-La Crosse 8-4
22. Aurora (Ill.) 9-2
23. Whitworth (Wash.) 10-2
24. Washington & Jefferson (Pa.) 9-2
25. Coe (Iowa) 9-2

Others Receiving Votes: Hobart (N.Y.), 80; Lake Forest (Ill.), 49; John Carroll (Ohio), 42; Trinity (Tex.), 37; Wheaton (Ill.), 26; Wisconsin-River Falls, 24; King’s (Pa.), 15; Centre (Ky.), 11; Maryville (Tenn.), 10; Massachusetts-Dartmouth, 5; Texas Lutheran, 5; Ursinus (Pa.), 3; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 2; Alma (Mich.), 1.

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See some of the top Division III football plays from Week 9 of the 2024 season.

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