# 1961 College Conference of Illinois football season

The 1961 College Conference of Illinois football season was the season of college football played by the seven member schools of the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) as part of the 1961 college football season.
The 1961 Millikin Big Blue football team, in its sixth and final year under head coach Don Shroyer, compiled a perfect 8–0 record (6–0 in conference games), won the CCI championship, and was ranked 14th in the final National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll.

## Teams
### Millikin

The 1961 Millikin Big Blue football team was an American football team that represented Millikin University as a member of the College Conference of Illinois during the 1961 college football season. In their sixth and final year under head coach Don Shroyer, the Big Blue compiled a perfect 8–0 record (6–0 against conference opponents), won the CCI championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 305 to 79. Millikin was ranked 14th in the final National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll. The 1961 campaign was one of only four undefeated seasons in Millikin football history.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | at Illinois State Normal* | McCormick FieldNormal, IL | W 22–0 | 1,000 |
| September 30 | Carthage | Millikin FieldDecatur, IL | W 32–30 | |
| October 7 | North Park* | Millikin FieldDecatur, IL | W 72–0 | |
| October 14 | at Augustana (IL) | Rock Island, IL | W 39–7 | |
| October 21 | Lake Forest | Millikin FieldDecatur, IL | W 47–7 | 3,000 |
| October 28 | at Illinois Wesleyan | IWU StadiumBloomington, IL | W 27–16 | |
| November 4 | North Central (IL) | Millikin FieldDecatur, IL | W 19–0 | |
| November 11 | at Carroll (WI) | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | W 47–13 | |
| *Non-conference gameHomecoming ||||||

### Carroll

The 1961 Carroll Pioneers football team was an American football team that represented Carroll College (now known as Carroll University) of Waukesha, Wisconsin, as a member of the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) during the 1961 college football season. In their third season under head coach Vince DiFrancesca, the Pioneers compiled a 6–3 record (5–1 in CCI games), finished in second place in the CCI, and were outscored by a total of 174 to 157.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 16 | at Whitewater State* | Whitewater, WI | L 6–28 |
| September 23 | Carthage | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | W 19–6 |
| September 30 | at North Park* | Chicago, IL | W 19–13 |
| October 7 | Augustana (IL) | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | W 21–14 |
| October 14 | at Lake Forest | Lake Forest IL | W 26–7 |
| October 21 | Illinois Wesleyan | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | W 27–19 |
| October 28 | at North Central (IL) | Naperville, IL | W 19–13 |
| November 4 | at Wheaton (IL)* | McCully FieldWheaton, IL | L 7–27 |
| November 11 | Millikin | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | L 13–47 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Carthage

The 1961 Carthage Redmen football team was an American football team that represented Carthage College of Carthage, Illinois, as a member of the College Conference of Illinois (CCI) during the 1961 college football season. In their seventh season under head coach Art Keller, the Redmen compiled a 7–2 record (4–3 in CCI games), finished in third place in the CCI, and outscored opponents by a total of 267 to 127.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 16 | at Augustana (IL) | Ericson FieldRock Island, IL | W 33–13 | |
| September 23 | at Carroll (WI) | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | L 6–19 | |
| September 30 | at Millikin | Millikin FieldDecatur, IL | L 20–32 | |
| October 7 | Illinois Wesleyan | Carthage, IL | W 33–12 | |
| October 14 | Kalamazoo* | Carthage, IL | W 33–6 | 2,300 |
| October 21 | North Park* | Carthage, IL | W 38–19 | |
| October 28 | at Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | W 42–13 | |
| November 4 | Culver–Stockton* | Carthage, IL | W 21–0 | |
| November 18 | North Central (IL) | Carthage, IL | W 41–13 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### North Central

The 1961 North Central Cardinals football team represented North Central College of Naperville, Illinois, during the 1961 college football season. In their sixth season under head coach Jesse Vail, the Cardinals compiled a 5–4 record (3–3 against CCI opponents), placing in fourth place in the CCI.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | at Fisk* | | W 15–14 | 850 |
| September 30 | at Augustana | | W 33–16 | 700 |
| October 7 | Lake Forest | Naperville, IL | W 27–3 | 1,200 |
| October 14 | at Illinois Wesleyan | IWU StadiumBloomington, IL | W 13–7 | 3,000 |
| October 21 | Wheaton* | Naperville, IL (Little Brass Bell) | L 7–20 | 7,500 |
| October 28 | Carroll | Naperville, IL | L 13–19 | 2,900 |
| November 4 | at Millikin | | L 0–19 | 3,300 |
| November 11 | North Park* | Naperville, IL | W 26–7 | 3,000 |
| November 18 | at Carthage | | L 14–41 | 2,000 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Augustana

The 1961 Augustana Vikings football team represented Augustana College of Rock Island, Illinois, during the 1961 college football season. In their third season under head coach Ray B. Leoschner, the Vikings compiled a 5–4 record (2–4 against CCI opponents), placing in fifth place in the CCI.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| September 16 | Carthage | Rock Island, IL | L 13–33 |
| September 23 | at Manchester* | North Manchester, IN | W 14–6 |
| September 30 | North Central | Rock Island, IL | L 16–33 |
| October 7 | at Carroll | Waukesha, WI | L 14–21 |
| October 14 | Millikin | Rock Island, IL | L 7–39 |
| October 21 | at Wartburg* | Waverly, IA | W 20–8 |
| October 28 | at William Penn* | Oskaloosa, IA | W 14–7 |
| November 4 | Lake Forest | Rock Island, IL | W 21–10 |
| November 11 | at Illinois Wesleyan | Bloomington, IL | W 21–13 |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Illinois Wesleyan

The 1961 Illinois Wesleyan football team represented Illinois Wesleyan University of Bloomington, Illinois, during the 1961 college football season. In their eighth season under head coach Don Larson, the Foresters compiled a 2–7 record (1–5 against CCI opponents), placing in sixth place in the CCI.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | DePauw* | IWU StadiumBloomington, IL | L 0–8 | |
| September 30 | at Lake Forest | Lake Forest, IL | W 13–6 | 1,500 |
| October 7 | at Carthage | Carthage, IL | L 12–33 | |
| October 14 | North Central | IWU StadiumBloomington, IL | L 7–13 | 3,000 |
| October 21 | at Carroll | Haertel FieldWaukesha, WI | L 19–27 | |
| October 28 | Millikin | IWU StadiumBloomington, IL | L 16–27 | |
| | North Park* | | W 20–7 | |
| November 11 | Augustana | IWU StadiumBloomington, IL | L 13–21 | |
| November 18 | at Illinois State Normal* | Normal, IL | L 6–16 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||

### Lake Forest

The 1961 Lake Forest Foresters football team represented Lake Forest College of Lake Forest, Illinois, during the 1961 college football season. In their fourth season under head coach Nick Wasylik, the Foresters compiled a 0–8 record (0–6 against CCI opponents), placing in last place in the CCI.
| Date | Opponent | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | North Park* | Lake Forest, IL | L 0–6 | 1,000 |
| September 30 | Illinois Wesleyan | Lake Forest, IL | L 6–13 | 1,500 |
| October 7 | at North Central | Naperville, IL | L 3–27 | 1,200 |
| October 14 | Carroll | Lake Forest, IL | L 7–26 | 2,500 |
| October 21 | at Millikin | Millikin FieldDecatur, IL | L 4–47 | 3,000 |
| October 28 | Carthage | Lake Forest, IL | L 13–42 | |
| November 4 | at Augustana | Rock Island, IL | L 10–21 | |
| November 11 | Hamline* | Lake Forest, IL | L 7–32 | |
| *Non-conference game ||||||