RFC Summer Semester--Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Preview (NCAA Division III)

What it is: The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) started as the Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1987. The original members of the ICAC then were Anderson, DePauw, Franklin, Hanover, Manchester, and Wabash. Of those original six institutions, only DePauw and Wabash have moved on to other conferences.

In 1998, the ICAC changed its name to the HCAC, as Ohio institutions such as Bluffton and Mount St. Joseph moved into the fold. In 2010, the HCAC will have nine schools playing football, as Earlham College from Indiana will join the conference in time for the upcoming season on the gridiron.

Website: http://www.heartlandconf.org

Predicted order of finish (2009 order of finish, projected champion in BOLD type)

1. Franklin (7-3): The Grizzlies hope to get back on top in the HCAC after a "down" season where they finished the 2009 season tied for second in conference play at 5-2.

2. Mount St. Joseph (9-2): The Lions scored an average of just over 32 points a game en route to an undefeated 7-0 mark in HCAC action, as well as a trip to the Division III playoffs in 2009.

3. Rose-Hulman (6-4): The Engineers will pay a visit to defending Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) champion DePauw to open the 2010 season on September 11. They welcome back eight starters on defense, as well as seven on offense.

4. Manchester (5-5): The Spartans won five of their final seven games after starting 0-3. That was good for a 5-2 mark, as well as a tie for second place in the HCAC with Franklin. Still, a tough schedule awaits the 2010 edition of the Spartans, as they face five teams that finished the 2009 campaign with a .500 or better overall record. That includes games against D-III playoff teams Trine and Mount St. Joseph. Oh, and they'll play six games on the road this season too.

5. Earlham (5-5): The Quakers will make their HCAC debut at Manchester on September 18.

6. Hanover (3-7): The Panthers are a combined 5-7 in HCAC action over the last two years.

7. Defiance (4-6): The Yellow Jackets will play their first three games of 2010 on the road. Their home opener is against Franklin on September 18, followed by another home against Mount St. Joseph two weeks later.

8. Anderson (1-9): The Ravens hope to put a miserable 2009 season behind them, and soar high for the 2010 season.

9. Bluffton (0-10): The Beavers last win came on September 27, 2008, when they defeated Kalamazoo, 23-15. They've lost 17 straight games since then.

rst three games