What it is: The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) is a multi-sport conference that consists of 15 schools, with all but one of them located in the state of West Virginia. Of those institutions, nine of them currently play football. The WVIAC crowned Marshall, now a member of FBS Conference USA, as its first football champion in 1925.
The WVIAC hasn't fared well in postseason play over the last 45 years, as its teams are a combined 12-30 dating back to 1965. Fairmont State won the lone national championship among current members, defeating Eastern Washington, 28-21, for the 1967 NAIA title. Glenville State is the only other current league member to play for a national championship, losing 10-3 to Northwestern (Iowa) in the 1973 NAIA Division II title game.
At the NCAA Division II level, Shepherd and West Liberty are the only current members to reach quarterfinal round of the playoffs, with the Rams losing 1998, 2006, and 2007, while West Liberty fell to California (Pa.), 57-35, in its first-ever NCAA postseason appearance.
Website: http://www.wviac.org/
Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)
1. West Liberty (11-2): The Hilltoppers begin the 2010 season ranked as high as No. 3 in the nation by Sporting News and Lindy's magazines. The real key is if they can live up to those lofty expectations. They'll find out quickly on August 29, when they travel to Edinboro in a re-match of last year's second round playoff game. West Liberty won that high-scoring affair, 84-63.
2. Charleston (9-2): Back-to-back late-season losses to West Liberty and Glenville State derailed the Golden Eagles postseason hopes after an 8-0 start.
3. Shepherd (6-4): The Rams hope to get back on top after a mediocre 2009 season.
4. Glenville State (7-4): A season-ending win over archrival Shepherd gives the Pioneer faithful hope for the 2010 season.
5. Fairmont State (3-8): The Falcons hope to soar their way to the top of the WVIAC standings after posting a 3-5 conference mark in '09.
6. Concord (6-5): The Mountain Lions have their work cut out for them if they want post back-to-back winning seasons, as they face two D-II playoff teams from a year ago in UNC Pembroke and West Liberty, as well as a nine-win team in Charleston.
7. Seton Hill (1-10): The Griffins face a long climb back to the top after going from a 10-win NCAA playoff team in 2008, to a squad that went winless (0-8) in the WVIAC in 2009.
8. West Virginia State (3-7): The Yellow Jackets struggled to a 2-6 mark in the WVIAC last season.
9. West Virginia Wesleyan (2-8): The Bobcats last WVIAC title came in 2003. They finished that season with a 9-2 overall record.
5 years ago
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