What it is: The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, or the GLIAC (pronounced "glee-AC"), is an NCAA Division II league that consists of 14 football-playing schools, located primarily in Michigan and Ohio. Founded in 1972, the GLIAC initially sponsored until the end of the 1989. That's when the Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference (MIFC) was formed prior to the 1990 season. The MIFC was disbanded in 1999, as the GLIAC chose to renew its sponsorship of football.
Of the current GLIAC members, only Indianapolis is an associate member. Two new schools, Lake Erie (Ohio) and Ohio Dominican, will officially join the GLIAC in time for the 2010 season.
Despite a history that dates back almost four decades, to 1971, Grand Valley State has established itself as one of the premier small college football programs in the nation. In the last decade, the Lakers have won four NCAA Division II national championships (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), while finishing as the national runner-up on two other ocassions (2001, 2009).
Website: http://www.gliac.org/
Predicted order of finish (2009 order of finish, projected champion in BOLD type)
1. Grand Valley State (13-2): The Lakers to add a fifth national championship to their trophy case in 2010 after losing to Northwest Missouri State in the 2009 title game.
2. Hillsdale (10-3): The Chargers handed GVSU its first regular season loss since 2004, only to fall to the Lakers in round two of the D-II playoffs.
3. Saginaw Valley (9-3): The Cardinals hope to soar higher after being eliminated by Nebraska-Kearney in the first round of the D-II playoffs.
4. Northwood (Mich.)--(7-4): The Timberwolves won four straight games to end the 2009 season after a 3-4 start.
5. Findlay (7-4): A season-ending two-game skid ended any slim playoffs the Oilers had.
6. Northern Michigan (6-4): The Wildcats lost all four games by 12 points or less last year.
7. Ashland (6-5): The Eagles look to make their second NCAA playoff appearance in three years after a mediocre 6-4 finish in the GLIAC in '09.
8. Wayne State (Mich.)--(6-5): A season-ending three-game skid put the Warriors out of GLIAC championship contention in 2009. They hope to be in the hunt in 2010.
9. Indianapolis (4-7): The Greyhounds hope to put a disappointing 2009 season behind them.
10. Michigan Tech (2-8): The Huskies hope to do the same as well.
11. Ferris State (1-10): The Bulldogs lone win of 2009 came against Tiffin in the season opener.
12. Tiffin (0-11): The Dragons last win came in the third game of the 2008 season, in a 34-28 quadruple overtime victory over Northern Michigan. They enter the 2010 campaign on a 19-game losing streak.
13. Ohio Dominican (7-3): The Panthers face a tough task, as they enter their first season in the GLIAC.
14. Lake Erie (7-4): The Storm will have their hands full in their inaugural GLIAC season as well.
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5 years ago
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