The Little Brass Bell · Wheaton Football History

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 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 1946, “The Little Brass Bell” became the trophy of the annual football battle between North Central College and Wheaton College, where it remains a symbol of history and rivalry between the two schools. Wheaton leads the all-time series with North Central 53-44-3. The 2018 meeting between the Thunder and the Cardinals was the 100th meeting between two of collegiate football's greatest rivals.

All-Time Series Results

The Little Brass Bell was introduced in 1946. Wheaton is 50-23 in Bell games.

* - Playoff Game

Year |

Result |

Year |

Result |

1900 |

North Central 32, Wheaton 0 |

1974 |

Wheaton 20, North Central 13 |

1914 |

North Central 94, Wheaton 0 |

1975 |

Wheaton 23, North Central 19 |

1915 |

North Central 66, Wheaton 0 |

1976 |

Wheaton 32, North Central 22 |

1916 |

North Central 46, Wheaton 6 |

1977 |

North Central 25, Wheaton 20 |

1917 |

North Central 64, Wheaton 0 |

1978 |

North Central 27, Wheaton 12 |

1919 |

North Central 6, Wheaton 3 |

1979 |

North Central 34, Wheaton 10 |

1922 |

North Central 19, Wheaton 0 |

1980 |

North Central 28, Wheaton 27 |

1923 |

North Central 7, Wheaton 0 |

1981 |

North Central 27, Wheaton 13 |

1924 |

Wheaton 13, North Central 6 |

1982 |

North Central 27, Wheaton 22 |

1925 |

Wheaton 20, North Central 0 |

1983 |

Wheaton 34, North Central 30 |

1926 |

North Central 10, Wheaton 0 |

1984 |

Wheaton 35, North Central 0 |

1927 |

North Central 26, Wheaton 6 |

1985 |

Wheaton 29, North Central 21 |

1928 |

North Central 25, Wheaton 0 |

1986 |

Wheaton 31, North Central 7 |

1929 |

North Central 45, Wheaton 0 |

1987 |

North Central 10, Wheaton 6 |

1930 |

North Central 26, Wheaton 0 |

1988 |

Wheaton 31, North Central 6 |

1931 |

North Central 26, Wheaton 7 |

1989 |

Wheaton 28, North Central 0 |

1932 |

North Central 7, Wheaton 6 |

1990 |

Wheaton 38, North Central 7 |

1933 |

Tied 0-0 |

1991 |

Wheaton 36, North Central 0 |

1934 |

North Central 53, Wheaton 0 |

1992 |

Wheaton 33, North Central 6 |

1935 |

North Central 16, Wheaton 0 |

1993 |

Wheaton 56, North Central 12 |

1936 |

Tied 0-0 |

1994 |

Wheaton 39, North Central 10 |

1937 |

North Central 12, Wheaton 7 |

1995 |

Wheaton 34, North Central 16 |

1938 |

Wheaton 7, North Central 6 |

1996 |

Wheaton 30, North Central 19 |

1939 |

North Central 20, Wheaton 13 |

1997 |

North Central 20, Wheaton 7 |

1940 |

North Central 20, Wheaton 13 |

1998 |

Wheaton 28, North Central 3 |

1941 |

North Central 13, Wheaton 0 |

1999 |

Wheaton 49, North Central 13 |

1942 |

North Central 14, Wheaton 0 |

2000 |

Wheaton 38, North Central 10 |

1944 |

Wheaton 20, North Central 0 |

2001 |

Wheaton 42, North Central 17 |

1945 |

North Central 16, Wheaton 14 |

2002 |

Wheaton 41, North Central 7 |

1946 |

North Central 7, Wheaton 0 |

2003 |

Wheaton 37, North Central 23 |

1947 |

North Central 7, Wheaton 6 |

2004 |

Wheaton 17, North Central 7 |

1948 |

Wheaton 14, North Central 0 |

2005 |

North Central 35, Wheaton 26 |

1949 |

Wheaton 13, North Central 0 |

2006 |

Wheaton 31, North Central 19 |

1950 |

Wheaton 49, North Central 14 |

2007 |

Wheaton 28, North Central 24 |

1951 |

Wheaton 26, North Central 7 |

2008 |

North Central 44, Wheaton 21 |

1952 |

Wheaton 21, North Central 0 |

2009 |

North Central 27, Wheaton 7 |

1953 |

Wheaton 53, North Central 20 |

2010 |

North Central 28, Wheaton 6 |

1954 |

Wheaton 2, North Central 0 |

2011 |

North Central 33, Wheaton 7 |

1955 |

Wheaton 12, North Central 7 |

2012 |

Wheaton 35, North Central 21 |

1956 |

Wheaton 52, North Central 7 |

2013 |

North Central 35, Wheaton 16 |

1957 |

Wheaton 9, North Central 6 |

2014 |

Wheaton 34, North Central 31 |

1958 |

Wheaton 33, North Central 6 |

2015 |

Wheaton 17, North Central 9 |

1959 |

Tied 7-7 |

2016 |

North Central 35, Wheaton 25 |

1960 |

North Central 7, Wheaton 6 |

2016* |

Wheaton 31, North Central 14 |

1961 |

Wheaton 20, North Central 7 |

2017 |

Wheaton 42, North Central 20 |

1962 |

Wheaton 37, North Central 13 |

2018 |

Wheaton 52, North Central 30 |

1963 |

Wheaton 13, North Central 7 |

2019 |

Wheaton 35, North Central 21 |

1964 |

North Central 13, Wheaton 0 |

2021 |

North Central 20, Wheaton 7 |

1966 |

North Central 16, Wheaton 13 |

2022 |

North Central 33, Wheaton 20 |

1967 |

Wheaton 15, North Central 14 |

2023 |

North Central 54, Wheaton 35 |

1970 |

Wheaton 42, North Central 12 |

2024 |

North Central 55, Wheaton 27 |

1971 |

Wheaton 31, North Central 16 |

1972 |

Wheaton 30, North Central 12 |

1973 |

Wheaton 20, North Central 13 |