RFC Summer Semester--The Debut

Spring is nearing its end. Summer is just around the corner. That means it's time for the start of the "Real Football Central Summer Semester". This post is the first of what will likely be a long series of preseason previews of most--if not all--of the small college football programs and conferences across the United States. So, without further ado, let's get started.


Colonial Athletic Association


Website: http://www.caasports.com/



What it is: The CAA is a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly NCAA Division I-AA. Membership stretches from Maine to Virginia. It will field 10 teams in 2010. The CAA includes defending national champion Villanova. Since 2003, the CAA has won four of the last seven national championships (Delaware, 2003; James Madison, 2004; Richmond, 2008; and Villanova, 2009).


The conference will see some changes in 2010. Both Hofstra and Northeastern dropped their football programs at the end of the 2009 season. Second-year program Old Dominion will spend another season as an independent before moving into the CAA fold for 2011. Additionally, the conference will extend its footprint into Georgia by 2012. That's when Georgia State University from Atlanta will officially join the CAA for football.



Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses; projected conference champion in BOLD)



1. Villanova (14-1): Defending national champion Wildcats are the team to beat until another squad proves otherwise.



2. Richmond (11-2): Don't be surprised to see the 2008 national champion Spiders give the Wildcats a run for their money in the always-tough CAA.

3. William & Mary (11-2): Expect the Tribe to be thick of this tough conference race, too.

4. New Hampshire (10-3): The Wildcats from Northern New England finished 6-2 in CAA action last season.

5. Delaware (6-5): The Blue Hens hope to bounce back after a disappointing 4-4 conference finish in 2009.

6. James Madison (6-5): The Dukes also had a down year last season.

7. Maine (5-6): The Black Bears hope to overcome the odds en route to a winning record in 2010.

8. Massachusetts (5-6): The Minutemen struggled to a 3-5 conference finish last year.

9. Towson (2-9): The Tigers have the misfortune of competing in the toughest conference in the FCS.

10. Rhode Island (1-10). So do the Rams, who went winless in CAA action at 0-8.