Baldwin Wallace football claims its first outright OAC championship since 1991 and earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Baldwin Wallace football is back on the national stage.
With a landmark 27-21 victory over longtime rival Mount Union on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Alliance, the Yellow Jackets captured the Ohio Athletic Conference championship and secured an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.
The victory adds a new chapter to BW's storied football tradition. It marks the Yellow Jackets' first win over Mount Union since 1994 and secures BW's first OAC championship since the 1994 team shared the conference crown. It is BW's first outright OAC championship since 1991 and sends the Yellow Jackets back to the NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2003.
And for the 9-0 Yellow Jackets, there is still more football to play.
The 2026 Yellow Jackets join BW teams that captured OAC championships across generations, beginning with 1935 and continuing through championship seasons in the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s. This year's title is the 13th in program history.
With the victory, Head Coach Jim Hilvert's record in eight seasons at Baldwin Wallace stands at 66-25 overall and 57-23 in OAC play.
The Yellow Jackets are 9-0 overall and 7-0 in the OAC, extending their undefeated season while adding a conference championship and NCAA playoff berth to their accomplishments.
The victory in Alliance stands as the defining moment so far. Against a Mount Union program that has established itself as a perennial national power in NCAA Division III football, BW secured the conference championship and its place on the national postseason stage.
The result puts this year's Yellow Jackets alongside some of the most accomplished teams in BW football history, with opportunities still ahead to add to an already memorable season.
The Yellow Jackets will make their seventh NCAA Division III playoff appearance and their first since 2003. BW's previous playoff teams competed in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1991 and 2003.
For the 2026 team, the return to postseason football is an opportunity to build on that tradition and make its own mark in the national playoffs.
The significance of the BW-Mount Union matchup extended beyond the OAC.
The game was available to a national audience through the FloSports FAST Channel on Amazon Prime Video, bringing the Yellow Jackets and one of Division III football's longstanding rivalries to viewers across the country.
Before turning their attention to the NCAA playoffs, the Yellow Jackets have one more opportunity to play in front of the home crowd.
BW closes the regular season against Muskingum University on Saturday, Nov. 14, in Berea.
Yellow Jacket fans are encouraged to attend, celebrate a memorable season and help send the team into the NCAA playoffs with a strong home-field atmosphere.
Visit bwyellowjackets.com for ticket information and to read more about the Yellow Jackets.
