1946 College Conference of Illinois football season

The 1946 College Conference of Illinois football season was the season of college football played by the member schools of the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) as part of the 1946 college football season. The CCI was formed in May 1946 and was a reorganization of the "Illinois College Conference" that had existed for the prior nine years.^[1]

1946 College Conference of Illinois football season
Sport	Football
Number of teams	9
Champion	North Central

1946 College Conference of Illinois football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
North Central (IL) $	7	–	1	–	0			7	–	1	–	0
Illinois Wesleyan	3	–	1	–	0			3	–	5	–	0
Wheaton (IL)	3	–	1	–	0			6	–	2	–	0
Lake Forest	3	–	1	–	0			3	–	3	–	0
Augustana (IL)	2	–	2	–	0			3	–	5	–	0
Millikin	1	–	3	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Illinois College	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	5	–	1
Elmhurst	1	–	4	–	0			2	–	6	–	0
Carthage	0	–	4	–	0			0	–	7	–	1
$ – Conference champion

The North Central Cardinals, in their first year under head coach Herb Heilman, won the CCI championship with a 7–1 record. Three teams tied for second place: the Wheaton Crusaders; Illinois Wesleyan Titans; and Lake Forest Foresters.^[2]

Conference overview

Conf. rank	Team	Head coach	Conf. record	Overall record	Points scored	Points against
1	North Central (IL)	Herb Heilman	7–1	7–1	148	22
2 (tie)	Wheaton (IL)	Harvey Chrouser	3–1	6–2	146	33
2 (tie)	Illinois Wesleyan	Melvin Clay	3-1	3-5	56	111
2 (tie)	Lake Forest	Ralph Jones	3–1	3–3	50	104
5	Augustana (IL)	John L. Briley	2–2	3–5	65	89
6	James Millikin	Marshall Wells	1–3	2–6	53	93
7 (tie)	Illinois College	Albert Miller	1–4	2–5–1	60	133
7 (tie)	Elmhurst	O.M. Langhorst	1–4	2–6	88	162
9	Carthage	Paul LaVinn	0–4	0–7–1	14	178

^[2]

Team overviews

North Central

1946 North Central Cardinals football
CCI champion
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	7–1 (7–1 CCI)
Head coach	Herb Heilman
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 North Central Cardinals football team represented North Central College of Naperville, Illinois, during the 1946 college football season. In their first season under head coach Herb Heilman, the Cardinals compiled a 7–1 record, won the CCI championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 148 to 22.^[3] The Cardinals' sole loss was by a 10-7 score against Lake Forest. It was North Central's first conference championship in 29 years.^[4]

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	Illinois Wesleyan	Naperville, IL	W 17–0		[5]
October 5	at James Millikin	Decatur, IL	W 7–6	3,000	[6]
October 12	Illinois College	Naperville, IL	W 39–0		[7]
October 19	at Lake Forest	Farwell Field Lake Forest, IL	L 7–10		[8]
October 26	at Carthage	Carthage, IL	W 40–0		[9]
November 2	at Wheaton	Lauson Field Wheaton, IL	W 7–0	2,500	[10]
November 9	Augustana	Naperville, IL	W 18–0	3,500	[11]
November 16	at Elmhurt	Elmhurst, IL	W 13–6		[4]

^[12]

Wheaton

1946 Wheaton Crusaders football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	6–2 (3–1 CCI)
Head coach	Harvey Chrouser (3rd season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

The 1946 Wheaton Crusaders football team represented Wheaton College of Wheaton, Illinois, in the College Conference of Illinois during the 1946 college football season. In their third non-consecutive year under head coach Harvey Chrouser, the Crusaders compiled a 6–2 record (3–1 against CCI opponents), tied for second place in the CCI, and outscored opponent by a total of 146 to 33.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	Concordia*		W 31–6
October 5	Western Illinois*	Wheaton, IL	W 6–0		[13]
October 12	at Northern Illinois*	DeKalb, IL	L 0–20		[14]
October 19	Elmhurst	Wheaton, IL	W 27–0	3,000	[15]
October 26	Lake Forest	Wheaton, IL	W 31–0		[16]
November 2	North Central	Lauson Field Wheaton, IL	L 0–7		[10]
November 9	Loras*		W 26–0
November 16	at Carthage	Carthage, IL	W 25–0		[17]
*Non-conference game

^[18]

Illinois Wesleyan

1946 Illinois Wesleyan Titans football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	3–5 (3–1 CCI)
Head coach	Melvin Clay
Home stadium	Memorial Stadium
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Source
September 28	at North Central	Naperville, IL	L 0–17	[5]
October 5	Evansville*	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IL	L 6–20	[19]
October 12	James Millikin	Bloomington, IL	W 12–7
October 18	at Northern Illinois*	Glidden Field DeKalb, IL	L 0–20	[20]
October 26	Augustana	Bloomington, IL	W 25–13	[21]
November 2	at Arkansas State*	Kays Stadium Jonesboro, AR	L 0–20	[22]
November 9	at Illinois College	Jacksoville, IL	W 13–7
November 16	Illinois State Normal	Bloomington, IL	L 0–7
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[23]

Lake Forest

1946 Lake Forest Foresters football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	3–3 (3–1 CCI)
Head coach	Ralph Jones (11th season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 12	Elmhurst	Lake Forest, IL	W 20–12
October 19	North Central	Farwell Field Lake Forest, IL	W 10–7		[8]
October 26	at Wheaton	Wheaton, IL	L 0–31		[16]
November 2	Carroll*	Lake Forest, IL	L 0–34	2,500
November 9	Wabash*	Crawfordsville, IN	L 0–20		[24]
November 16	James Millikin	Lake Forest, IL	W 20-0		[25]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[26]

Augustana

1946 Augustana (Illinois) Vikings football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	3–5 (2–2 CCI)
Head coach	John Briley (3rd season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	Coe*	Rock Island, IL	L 6–7		[27][28]
October 5	Carthage	Rock Island, IL	W 13–0
October 12	St. Ambrose*	Rock Island High School Rock Island, IL	L 0–19	3,500	[29]
October 19	at Knox*	Galesburg, IL	L 0–7		[30]
October 26	at Illinois Wesleyan	Bloomington, IL	L 13–25		[21]
November 2	at Monmouth*	Monmouth, IL	W 20–13		[31]
November 9	at North Central	Naperville, IL	L 0–18		[11]
November 16	Illinois College	Rock Island, IL	W 13–0		[32]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

^[33]

James Millikin

1946 Millikin Big Blue football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	2–6 (1–3 CCI)
Head coach	Marshall Wells (3rd season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
October 5	North Central	Decatur, IL	L 6–7	3,000	[6]
October 12	at Illinois Wesleyan	Bloomington, IL	L 7–12
October 19	at Eastern Illinois	Charleston, IL	L 0–7
October 26	Illinois College		W 27–0	3,500
November 2	Illinois State Normal	McCormick Field Normal, IL	L 0–20		[34]
November 9	Western Illinois		W 13–7
November 16	at Lake Forest	Lake Forest, IL	L 0–20
November 23	Northern Illinois	Decatur, IL	L 0–20		[35]
Homecoming

Illinois College

1946 Illinois College Blueboys football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	2–5–1 (1–4 CCI)
Head coach	Albert Miller
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 29	Western Illinois*		L 6–21
October 4	Quincy*	Jacksonville, IL	W 21–14
October 12	at North Central	Naperville, IL	L 0–39		[7]
October 19	Shurtleff	Jackonville, IL	T 0–0		[36]
October 26	at James Millikin	Decatur, IL	L 0–27		[37]
November 2	Elmhurst	Jacksonville, IL	W 26–6
November 9	Illinois Wesleyan	Jackonville, IL	L 7–13
November 16	at Augustana	Rock Island, IL	L 0–13		[32]
*Non-conference game Homecoming

Elmhurst

1946 Elmhurst Bluejays football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	2–6 (1–4 CCI)
Head coach	O.M. Langhorst
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	Northern Illinois	Elmhurst, IL	L 6–49		[38]
October 5	at Concordia	River Forest, IL	L 13–27
October 12	at Lake Forest	Lake Forest, IL	L 12–20
October 19	at Wheaton	Wheaton, IL	L 0–27
October 26	Concordia	Elmhurst, IL	W 18–0
November 2	at Illinois College	Jacksonville, IL	L 6–26
November 9	Carthage	Elmhurst, IL	W 27–0
November 16	North Central	Elmhurst, IL	L 6–13		[4]

Carthage

1946 Carthage Red Men football
Conference	College Conference of Illinois
Record	0–7–1 (0–4 CCI)
Head coach	Paul LaVinn (2nd season)
Seasons ← 1945 1947 →

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 28	at Wartburg*	Waverly, IA	L 7–32
October 5	at Augustana	Rock Island, IL	L 0–13
October 12	Eureka	Carthage, IL	T 7–7
October 19	at Monmouth*	Monmouth, IL	L 0–28		[39]
October 26	North Central	Carthage, IL	L 0–40
November 2	Culver-Stockton		L 0–6
November 9	at Elmhurst	Elmhurst, IL	L 0–27
November 16	Wheaton	Carthage, IL	L 0–25		[17]
*Non-conference game

References

1. "Nine Colleges in Reorganized State League". The Rock Island Argus. May 25, 1946. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
2. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 124.
3. "Two Illinois Conferences Decide Crowns for 1946". The Pantagraph. November 18, 1946. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "North Central Tops Elmhurst, 13-6; Wins Title". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1946. p. II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "North Central Whips Illinois Wesleyan, 17-0". Chicago Tribune. September 29, 1946. p. II-4 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Forrest R. Kyle (October 6, 1946). "North Central Nips Millikin, 7-6: Blue 16-Game Victory Streak Comes to End". The Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. III-1 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "North Central Wins, 39-0, Over Illinois College". Chicago Tribune. October 13, 1946. p. II-3 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "North Central Dealt 10-7 Los By Lake Forest: Naperville Eleven Sustains First C.C.I. Defeat". Chicago Tribune. October 20, 1946. p. II-5.
9. "North Central Triumphs, 40-0, Over Carthage". Chicago Tribune. October 27, 1946. p. II-5 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "North Central Whip Wheaton; Takes 1st Place". Chicago Tribune. November 3, 1946. p. II-2 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "North Central Submerges Augustana, 18 to 0: Long Runs Spell Doom for Vikings". Quad-City Times. November 10, 1946. p. 44 – via Newspapers.com.
12. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 204.
13. "Wheaton Wins, 6-0". Chicago Tribune. October 6, 1946 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "DeKalb Deals Wheaton First Defeat, 20 to 0". Chicago Tribune. October 13, 1946 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Wheaton Whips Elmhurst, 27-0, in Homecoming: Crusaders Show Power Before 3,000". Chicago Tribune. October 20, 1946. p. II-7 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Lake Forest Routed, 31-0, by Wheaton". Chicago Tribune. October 27, 1946. p. II-4 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Wheaton Team Triumphs Over Carthage, 24-0". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1946. p. II-2 – via Newspapers.com.
18. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 232.
19. "Evansville Proves Too Stout for IWU". The Pantagraph. October 6, 1946. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Huskies Keep Goal Record". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. October 19, 1946. p. 6. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
21. "Illinois Wesleyan vs. Millikin". The Decatur Daily Review. October 13, 1946. p. 29.
22. "Arkansas State rips IWU, 20–0". The Pantagraph. November 3, 1946. Retrieved October 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
23. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 185.
24. "10 Nov 1946, Page 42 - The Indianapolis Star at". Newspapers.com. November 10, 1946. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
25. "Lake Forest Downs Millikin, 20-0: Loss Is Third For Big Blue In C.C.I. Play". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. November 17, 1946. pp. 27–28 – via Newspapers.com.
26. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 189.
27. "Augustana Loses to Coe, 7-6". Daily Dispatch. September 30, 1946. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
28. "98-Yard Run, Extra Point Win for Coe". The Cedar Rapids Gazette. September 29, 1946. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
29. John O'Donnell (October 13, 1946). "St. Ambrose Rolls Over Augustana by 19 to 0 Score". The Democrat and Leader. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Knox Tops Augustana With Late Pass, 7-0". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. October 20, 1946. p. 30.
31. "Vikings Defeat Scots, 20-13: Augie Scores on 2 Long Drives, Intercepted Pass". Daily Dispatch. November 4, 1946. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
32. "Augustana Wins Over Illinois College, 13 to 0". Chicago Tribune. November 17, 1946. p. II-4 – via Newspapers.com.
33. W.J. Bingham, ed. (1947). The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide including the Official Rules 1947. A.S. Barnes and Company. p. 162.
34. Forrest R. Kyle (November 3, 1946). "Normal Downs Millikin: Blue Squanders Opportunities, Losing, 20 to 0". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. pp. 27, 29 – via Newspapers.com.
35. Kyle, Forrest R. (November 24, 1946). "Dekalb Downs Millikin, 20-0". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. p. 13. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
36. "Shurtleff Stands Off Illinois College 0-0 As Pioneer Line Sparkles". Alton Evening Telegraph. October 21, 1946. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
37. "J.M.U. Routs Illinois College, 27-0: Millikin Passes Clinch Initial Win of Season". Decatur Sunday Herald and Review. October 27, 1946. pp. 29–30 – via Newspapers.com.
38. "Huskies Pile Heavy Score". The DeKalb Daily Chronicle. September 30, 1946. p. 6. Retrieved December 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
39. "Monmouth Wins". The Pantagraph. October 20, 1946. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.