Wheaton and North Central set to resume "Battle for the Little Brass Bell" rivalry on Saturday
Wheaton, Ill. - The Thunder football team travels to nearby Naperville on Saturday night for the annual meeting between Wheaton and the North Central College Cardinals. Saturday's battle features two nationally ranked teams as Wheaton is ranked 14th in this week's D3football.com Top-25 poll and 15th in the American Football Coaches Association Division III Poll, while North Central is ranked first in each poll.
This year's meeting is the 108th time the two institutions have faced off on the football field as Wheaton holds a 55-49-3 advantage in the all-time series. Wheaton has won six of the past 10 meetings against the Cardinals.
In 1946, the 30th all-time meeting between the two teams, the "Little Brass Bell" trophy was introduced. According to legend, "The Bell" first appeared in New York in the early 1800's. In 1839, a New England family headed westward carrying "The Bell" and settled in DuPage County. "The Bell" became part of the political bickering between Naperville and Wheaton over the location of the DuPage County Courthouse.
In 1857, Wheaton began a campaign to assume the leadership of the county and 10 years later, officially gained control. However, the city of Naperville refused to turn over the county records to Wheaton. At 4 AM one July morning, according to the DuPage County Guide, Wheaton struck back with a raid on the Naperville courthouse which netted the records in questions. From his home opposite the courthouse, Naperville resident Herom H. Cody awoke to see men carrying off armfuls of documents. Before the Congregational Church bell could sound the alarm, the culprits had fled. The Brass Bell was among the items removed.
Years later, "The Bell" came into the possession of a local farmer living between Wheaton and Naperville. Both of his sons wanted to attend college, so it was decided that the son who won a coin toss would attend North Central, while the other would go to Wheaton. Shortly afterwards, the farmer died and the in the division of the estate, the brother attending North Central inherited the "Little Brass Bell".
Ultimately, the prize became a symbol of campus loyalty and became the target of night raids and collegiate shenanigans, moving back and forth between Naperville and Wheaton until it was hidden by the North Central brother. It remained hidden until its rediscovery in the attic of a Naperville home in the early 1940s. In Wheaton and North Central's first-ever conference match up in "The Battle for the Little Brass Bell", Wheaton took a victory 15-14. Wheaton holds a 50-20 advantage in the series since the introduction of the Little Brass Bell Trophy.
Wheaton-North Central By the Numbers
Longest Win Streak
Wheaton: 11 games (1948-1958)
North Central: 8 games (1900; 1914-1917; 1919; 1922-23)
Most Points Scored in a Game (By one team)
Wheaton: 56 points in a 56-12 victory in 1993
North Central: 94 points in a 94-0 victory in 1914
All-Time Series Results
The Little Brass Bell was introduced in 1946. Wheaton is 50-24 in Bell games.
* - Playoff Game
Year |
Result |
Year |
Result |
1900 |
North Central 32, Wheaton 0 |
1972 |
Wheaton 30, North Central 12 |
1914 |
North Central 94, Wheaton 0 |
1973 |
Wheaton 20, North Central 13 |
1915 |
North Central 66, Wheaton 0 |
1974 |
Wheaton 20, North Central 13 |
1916 |
North Central 46, Wheaton 6 |
1975 |
Wheaton 23, North Central 19 |
1917 |
North Central 64, Wheaton 0 |
1976 |
Wheaton 32, North Central 22 |
1919 |
North Central 6, Wheaton 3 |
1977 |
North Central 25, Wheaton 20 |
1922 |
North Central 19, Wheaton 0 |
1978 |
North Central 27, Wheaton 12 |
1923 |
North Central 7, Wheaton 0 |
1979 |
North Central 34, Wheaton 10 |
1924 |
Wheaton 13, North Central 6 |
1980 |
North Central 28, Wheaton 27 |
1925 |
Wheaton 20, North Central 0 |
1981 |
North Central 27, Wheaton 13 |
1926 |
North Central 10, Wheaton 0 |
1982 |
North Central 27, Wheaton 22 |
1927 |
North Central 26, Wheaton 6 |
1983 |
Wheaton 34, North Central 30 |
1928 |
North Central 25, Wheaton 0 |
1984 |
Wheaton 35, North Central 0 |
1929 |
North Central 45, Wheaton 0 |
1985 |
Wheaton 29, North Central 21 |
1930 |
North Central 26, Wheaton 0 |
1986 |
Wheaton 31, North Central 7 |
1931 |
North Central 26, Wheaton 7 |
1987 |
North Central 10, Wheaton 6 |
1932 |
North Central 7, Wheaton 6 |
1988 |
Wheaton 31, North Central 6 |
1933 |
Tied 0-0 |
1989 |
Wheaton 28, North Central 0 |
1934 |
North Central 53, Wheaton 0 |
1990 |
Wheaton 38, North Central 7 |
1935 |
North Central 16, Wheaton 0 |
1991 |
Wheaton 36, North Central 0 |
1936 |
Tied 0-0 |
1992 |
Wheaton 33, North Central 6 |
1937 |
North Central 12, Wheaton 7 |
1993 |
Wheaton 56, North Central 12 |
1938 |
Wheaton 7, North Central 6 |
1994 |
Wheaton 39, North Central 10 |
1939 |
North Central 20, Wheaton 13 |
1995 |
Wheaton 34, North Central 16 |
1940 |
North Central 20, Wheaton 13 |
1996 |
Wheaton 30, North Central 19 |
1941 |
North Central 13, Wheaton 0 |
1997 |
North Central 20, Wheaton 7 |
1942 |
North Central 14, Wheaton 0 |
1998 |
Wheaton 28, North Central 3 |
1944 |
Wheaton 20, North Central 0 |
1999 |
Wheaton 49, North Central 13 |
1945 |
North Central 16, Wheaton 14 |
2000 |
Wheaton 38, North Central 10 |
1946 |
North Central 7, Wheaton 0 |
2001 |
Wheaton 42, North Central 17 |
1947 |
North Central 7, Wheaton 6 |
2002 |
Wheaton 41, North Central 7 |
1948 |
Wheaton 14, North Central 0 |
2003 |
Wheaton 37, North Central 23 |
1949 |
Wheaton 13, North Central 0 |
2004 |
Wheaton 17, North Central 7 |
1950 |
Wheaton 49, North Central 14 |
2005 |
North Central 35, Wheaton 26 |
1951 |
Wheaton 26, North Central 7 |
2006 |
Wheaton 31, North Central 19 |
1952 |
Wheaton 21, North Central 0 |
2007 |
Wheaton 28, North Central 24 |
1953 |
Wheaton 53, North Central 20 |
2008 |
North Central 44, Wheaton 21 |
1954 |
Wheaton 2, North Central 0 |
2009 |
North Central 27, Wheaton 7 |
1955 |
Wheaton 12, North Central 7 |
2010 |
North Central 28, Wheaton 6 |
1956 |
Wheaton 52, North Central 7 |
2011 |
North Central 33, Wheaton 7 |
1957 |
Wheaton 9, North Central 6 |
2012 |
Wheaton 35, North Central 21 |
1958 |
Wheaton 33, North Central 6 |
2013 |
North Central 35, Wheaton 16 |
1959 |
Tied 7-7 |
2014 |
Wheaton 34, North Central 31 |
1960 |
North Central 7, Wheaton 6 |
2015 |
Wheaton 17, North Central 9 |
1961 |
Wheaton 20, North Central 7 |
2016 |
North Central 35, Wheaton 25 |
1962 |
Wheaton 37, North Central 13 |
2016* |
Wheaton 31, North Central 14 |
1963 |
Wheaton 13, North Central 7 |
2017 |
Wheaton 42, North Central 20 |
1964 |
North Central 13, Wheaton 0 |
2018 |
Wheaton 52, North Central 30 |
1966 |
North Central 16, Wheaton 13 |
2019 |
Wheaton 35, North Central 21 |
1967 |
Wheaton 15, North Central 14 |
2021 |
North Central 20, Wheaton 7 |
1970 |
Wheaton 42, North Central 12 |
2022 |
North Central 20, Wheaton 33 |
1971 |
Wheaton 31, North Central 16 |
2023 |
North Central 54, Wheaton 35 |
|
|
2024 |
North Central 55, Wheaton 27 |
Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2025/10/3/football-wheaton-and-north-central-set-to-resume-battle-for-the-little-brass-bell-rivalry-on-saturday.aspx