The Midwest Conference: Knox, Monmouth and D-III in west-central Illinois
Last updated August 16, 2026.
The Midwest Conference is an NCAA Division III league, and it is where both of our local colleges compete: the Knox College Prairie Fire in Galesburg and the Monmouth College Fighting Scots in Monmouth.
Ten core members as of 2026
Luther College officially joined as the league’s tenth core institution on July 1, 2026.
- Beloit (Wis.)
- Cornell (Iowa)
- Grinnell (Iowa)
- Illinois College
- Knox (Galesburg)
- Lake Forest
- Lawrence (Wis.)
- Luther (Iowa)
- Monmouth
- Ripon (Wis.)
Affiliate members: the University of Chicago competes in football; St. Norbert and Milwaukee School of Engineering compete in swimming and diving.
The Bronze Turkey
The Knox–Monmouth football rivalry is among the oldest in Division III. The teams first met in 1888 and passed 100 meetings in 1989 — only the fourth D-III football rivalry to do so.
They play for the Bronze Turkey, a one-foot-high replica of a Thanksgiving bird introduced in 1928, back when the game was played on Thanksgiving Day. The 2026 meeting is Saturday, November 14 at noon at Knosher Bowl in Galesburg.
Where the two programs stand
Monmouth went 9-2 overall and 9-0 in the Midwest Conference in 2025, winning the league title and reaching the NCAA Division III tournament. Chad Braun’s team is the preseason conference favorite.
Knox went 2-7 (2-6 MWC) and has a new head coach in Adam Gonzaga, named the 32nd in program history in January.
Both open Saturday, September 5 — Monmouth hosting nationally ranked Wartburg, Knox traveling to Eureka.
Beyond football
The Midwest Conference crowns champions across the full athletic calendar — basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, track and field, cross country, tennis, golf and swimming among them. Muddy River Sport follows Knox and Monmouth across all of it.
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