What it is: Founded in 1976, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) will enter its 35th season of play in 2010. Seven of the ODAC's current 13 full members field a football program, with a 14th, Catholic University of Washington, D.C., competing as an associate member, although the Cardinals were a full member up until the mid-1980's. All but two of the conference's football-playing members, Catholic and Guilford (N.C), come from the state of Virginia.
The ODAC has had its struggles in postseason play over the years, as the league is just 12-20 (.375) all-time in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Bridgewater (Va.) has the highest winning percentage in the D-III dance among current ODAC members, going 9-6 overall (.600) while making six straight trips to the postseason (2000-2005). Hampden-Sydney reached postseason play after going unbeaten during the regular season last year, only to be upset by Johns Hopkins, 23-7, in the first round of the D-III playoffs.
Among current members, Emory & Henry has won the most ODAC championships with 10. However, the Wasps last title came in 2000. Randolph-Macon has the second highest number of titles with nine, the most recent crown coming in 2008.
Finally, the ODAC is home to the "Oldest Small College Rivalry in the South", better known as "The Game", as Hampden-Sydney and Randolph-Macon have met 115 times since 1893, with the Tigers holding a 59-45-11 all-tme lead over the Yellow Jackets. H-SC won last year's meeting, 34-27.
Website: http://www.odaconline.com/
Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion marked in BOLD type)
1. Hampden-Sydney (10-1): The Tigers enter the 2010 season hoping to put the sting of last year's first round playoff loss behind them.
2. Bridgewater (Va.)--(7-3): The Eagles play host to Hampden-Sydney for homecoming on Oct. 9.
3. Randolph-Macon (6-4): The Yellow Jackets face NCAA playoff team Johns Hopkins in Week 2 (September 11).
4. Emory & Henry (7-3): The Wasps started 4-0, lost three in a row, then won three games in a row, to end the 2009 season.
5. Guilford (4-6): The Quakers hope to move forward after a disappointing 2009 campaign, where they finished 2-5 in ODAC action.
6. Washington & Lee (4-6): All of the Generals six losses in '09 came by eight points or less.
7. Catholic (1-9): The Cardinals hope to bounce back after going winless (0-6) in ODAC play a year ago.
RFC Contacts
E-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.com
Twitter: twitter.com/realfootball
5 years ago
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