Trine University
5-5 2025 finalThe Thunder of Angola, Indiana — the program once known as Tri-State University until a 2008 donor renaming — now one of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's strongest Division III sides.
The Thunder hold the line.
The Thunder of Angola, Indiana — the program once known as Tri-State University until a 2008 donor renaming — now one of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's strongest Division III sides.
Stack MIAA titles and convert them into deep NCAA Division III playoff runs — make Angola a place the bracket has to take seriously.
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
Trine University sits 5th in the Michigan Conference and 109th of 240 in the CFB Zeitgeist — outside the at-large picture — the path runs through the conference title.
| Team | Conf | Overall | Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alma | 7-0 | 8-3 | 64.2 |
| 2 | Hope College | 6-1 | 9-2 | 65.0 |
| 3 | Adrian | 5-2 | 8-2 | 60.6 |
| 4 | Calvin University | 4-3 | 7-3 | 59.1 |
| 5 | Trine University | 3-4 | 5-5 | 52.0 |
| 6 | Kalamazoo | 1-6 | 4-6 | 44.4 |
| 7 | Albion | 1-6 | 3-7 | 43.7 |
| 8 | Olivet College | 1-6 | 1-9 | 36.9 |
Win the Michigan Conference for the automatic berth into the 40-team NCAA Division III bracket. Miss it and the path is an at-large bid, selected by NPI — the metric the CFB Index mirrors. Six wins survive the bracket to the Stagg Bowl.
Signature win 59-7 over Olivet College; toughest day 7-38 against Christopher Newport.
The Pulse on Trine University
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Trine University
The baseline for a successful season.
The primary goal and national bracket path.
One of 32 national tournament entries.
The Division III national championship game.
Trine University · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Home-Field Advantage · Trine University · 2018-present
Average
60% home win rate vs 60% on the road. margin runs -0.5 weaker at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
Schedule Strength · Trine University · 2025
Hard
Average opponent win rate 55% across 10 finalized games. Strong conference slate — wins here carry full weight in Super Region selection.
Moment of the Year · Trine University · 2025
Won 27-10 vs Rose-Hulman
Week 3 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
From the Archive — Trine University
2024: Won 35-30 vs Calvin University
In 2024, the program won 35-30 vs Calvin University — a tight home result that left the 5-point margin on the books.
Go Thunder.