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American Southwest Conference: Mississippi College at Mary Hardin-Baylor (October 9): While both the Choctaws and Crusaders, respectively, shared the ASC title, as well as reached the NCAA Division III playoffs, both in 2009, it was MC emerging victorious, 17-14, over UMHB, to earn the postseason autobid. The 2010 match-up should have even more anticipation.Atlantic Central Football Conference: Wesley at Salisbury (October 30): The Wolverines have outscored the Sea Gulls 66-33 in their last meetings; 36-21 in 2008, and 30-12 in 2009.Centennial Conference: Johns Hopkins at Franklin & Marshall (November 6): Early November showdown could settle the issue in the CC.Old Dominion Athletic Conference: Randolph-Macon at Hampden-Sydney (November 13): The 116th edition of "The Game" could have more at stake in 2010, as both the Yellow Jackets and Tigers, respectively, have landed the last two playoff autobids representing the ODAC. R-MC upset H-SC to advance in 2008, while the Tigers returned the favor in 2009.President's Athletic Conference: Washington and Jefferson at Thomas More (September 25): The Saints enter the 2010 season with a 12-game winning streak in PAC games dating back to 2008.Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference: DePauw at Centre (September 18): Defending SCAC champion Tigers will get tested early against the upstart Colonels.USA South Athletic Conference: Averett at North Carolina Wesleyan (November 13): Battling Bishops may have to battle their way past the Cougars for their third USAC title, as well as NCAA playoff berth, in four years.Independents: Huntingdon at LaGrange (November 6): Both the Hawks from Alabama (2009), as well as the Panthers from Georgia (2008), have been to the D-III playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Don't be surprised if either team makes a serious run for postseason play in 2010.
Note: Welcome to another edition of the "THE LIGHTNING ROUND", exclusively at RFC. Each week during the season, TLR will offer predictions on who will win the top games in all of small college football across the U.S.A. As in previous seasons, the following ground rules remain the same. Click here to read an explanation of those rules.Projected winner (s) highlighted in RED.Game (s) of the week highlighted in italics.Other games of interes highlighted in BOLD type.Thursday, August 26NCAA Division IIMinnesota State-Moorhead at Missouri Southern StateSoutheastern Oklahoma State at Henderson StateEmporia State at Southwestern Oklahoma StateInterdivisional GamesSouthern Virginia (NAIA) at Concord (W.Va.)--(D-II)Bemidji State (D-II) at Minot State (NAIA)Saturday, August 28NCAA Division IIMinnesota-Duluth at Central Washington(Wildcats play host to Bulldogs in re-match of 2009 contest!)Washburn at Colorado Mines(Ichabods match wits with the Orediggers!)Wayne State (Neb.) at Nebraska-Kearney(Wildcats open 2010 campaign against defending RMAC champion Lopers!)Shepherd at ShippensburgWinona State at Carson-NewmanAlbany State (Ga.) at Kentucky StatePittsburg State (Kan.) at Central OklahomaMorehouse at BenedictJohnson C. Smith at Elizabeth City StateNorth Greenville at Mars HillFort Valley State at MilesChowan at Lenoir-RhyneClark-Atlanta at LaneBowie State at Seton HillSt. Paul's at West Virginia WesleyanWinston-Salem State at Virginia UnionInterdivisional GamesEdward Waters (NAIA) at Brevard (D-II)Mercyhurst (D-II) at Notre Dame (Ohio)--(NAIA)West Alabama (D-II) at Shorter (NAIA)Connect with RFCE-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.comFacebook: Click the "Like" button at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/realfootball
College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW): Illinois Wesleyan at North Central (October 23): The Cardinals play host to the Titans with revenge on their minds, as IWU won the 2009 tilt, 28-22, in overtime, and win the autobid to the NCAA Division III playoffs in the process.Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC): Franklin at Mount St. Joseph (October 2): The road to the 2010 HCAC crown will likely go through Cincinnati.Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA): Trine at Adrian (October 2): The Bulldogs play host to the two-time defending conference champion Thunder in the league opener for both teams. Trine is a combined 12-0 in its first two seasons in the MIAA.Northern Athletics Conference (NATHC): Lakeland at Concordia (Ill.)--(October 23): The defending champion Muskies must hit the road to take the preseason favorite Cougars.North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC): Wabash at Wittenberg (November 6): This clash between the Little Giants and Tigers could settle the issue in the NCAC.Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC): Ohio Northern at Mount Union (October 2): The Polar Bears might have the best chance to unseat the Purple Raiders, who have won 10 D-III national championships over the last 17 years.Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC): Martin Luther at Greenville (Ill.)--(October 2): The Knights from Minnesota will head south to Illinois to play against the Panthers.Connect with RFCE-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.comFacebook: Click the "Like" button at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/realfootball
Note: This post corrects an erroneous entry from June 9, 2010. RFC regrets the error.What it is: The Liberty League traces its origins back to 1995, when it started as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. All of its current members, with the exception of associate member Worcester Polytechnic (Mass.) ,all play with Upstate New York schools such as Hobart and Union. The conference begins its 16th season, with Union (N.Y.) entering the 2010 campaign as defending co-champions. Susquehanna, whose football program now competes in the Centennial Conference, won the LL's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs, where the Crusaders were crushed by Delaware Valley, 66-7, in round one, in 2009.Looking ahead, Springfield (Mass.) will become the newest members of the Liberty League, with the Pride's first season coming in 2012.Website: http://www.libertyleaguesports.org/Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected conference champion in BOLD type)1. Union (N.Y.)--(8-3): The Dutch won the ECAC North Atlantic Bowl title after a 39-21 win over Hartwick.2. Hobart (6-3): The Statesmen finished 5-2 in LL play last season.3. Rochester (4-6): The Yellowjackets face three straight teams with winning records (Case Western Reserve, St. John Fisher, and Union) to open the 2010 season.4. Rensselaer: (5-4): The Engineers struggled to a 3-4 mark in Liberty League action in 2010.5. St. Lawrence (3-7): The Saints (2-5 LL) had a two-win improvement from 2008, when they finished that season at 1-9.6. Merchant Marine (4-6): The Mariners finished the 2009 season with four straight losses.7. WPI (3-7): Chris Robertson replaces the retiring Ed Zaloom as head coach. Robertson takes over a program that ended last season with seven straight losses after starting 3-0, all in Liberty League action.RFC Contacts:E-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.comTwitter: www.twitter.com/realfootball
Note: This corrects an erroneous post from June 10, 2010. RFC regrets the error.What it is: The Centennial Conference consists of 10 football-playing schools, all in either in Pennsylvania or Maryland. The CC's first season playing on the gridiron came in 1983, when Gettysburg, Muhlenberg, and Swarthmore--which no longer has a football program--finished in a three-way tie for the inaugural league title. Gettysburg won the first outright CC championship in 1985, when the Bullets finished that season at 6-0-1 in league play en route to an 11-1-1 overall record. Gettysburg fell to Ithaca, 34-0, in NCAA Division III semifinal action. No current member has advanced that far since then. Full members of the conference fielding football programs are Dickinson, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg, Johns Hopkins, McDaniel, Muhlenberg, and Ursinus, while associate members are Juniata and Moravian. Susquehanna enters the CC after winning a share of the Liberty League title last year.Website: http://www.centennial.org/Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)1. Johns Hopkins (10-3): Defending CC champs pulled off upset wins over previously unbeaten Hampden-Sydney and Thomas More before falling to Wesley in the quarterfinals. The Bluejays play their first three games on the road to start the 2010 season.2. Dickinson (8-2): The Red Devils missed out on postseason play despite finishing in a three-way tie for second place (6-2) in 2009. They'll find out quickly how good they are when they travel to Hobart for their season opener on September 11, followed by their home opener against Franklin & Marshall less than a week later.3. Franklin & Marshall (9-2): A hard-fought 29-24 win over Wilkes in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl gave the Diplomats their best finish since 2004 (8-3).4. Susquehanna (8-3): The Crusaders enter the CC trying to erase the memory of last year's first round playoff loss to Delaware Valley. 5. Ursinus (6-5): The Bears won four of their final five regular season games to reach the ECAC Southeast Bowl, where they fell to Kean, 35-14.6. McDaniel (5-5): The Green Terror struggled to a 3-5 mark in CC play a year ago.7. Gettysburg (3-7): The Bullets face an NCAA playoff team (Johns Hopkins) and an ECAC Bowl participant (Lebanon Valley) in their first two games of 2010.8. Muhlenberg (3-7): The Mules will try to get back to their winning ways after a disappointing 2009 season, where they finished 2-6 in the Centennial Conference.9. Juniata (1-9): The Eagles have won at least five games only twice in the last 10 years (2001-2002).10. Moravian (2-8): The Greyhounds take on two NCAA playoff teams from last season (Susquehanna and Johns Hopkins) in the first month of this season.
Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC): Norwich at Mount Ida (September 25): The Cadets crushed the Mustangs, 49-14, en route to their first-ever conference championship. If they hope to make it back-to-back league titles this year, they'll have to do it on the road.Empire 8: St. John Fisher at Alfred (October 23): The Cardinals and Saxons both earned a share of the E8 title in 2009, with the latter squad advancing to the NCAA playoffs. Don't be surprised if the battle for the 2010 crown comes down to this aforementioned contest.Liberty League: Union (N.Y.) at Hobart (October 9): With automatic playoff qualifier Susquehanna now in the Centennial Conference, this clash between the Dutchmen and home standing Statesmen could decide the LL autobid this fall.Middle Atlantic Conference: Delaware Valley at Albright (November 6): The Lions play host to the defending league champion Aggies in a clash that could decide all of the marbles in the MAC, the D-III version, that is.New England Football Conference (Bogan): Maine Maritime at Bridgewater State (Mass.)--(October 30): Defending overall NEFC champion Mariners must pay a visit to Massachusetts to have a chance to return to league title game, as well as get a shot at a second straight D-III playoff berth.New England Football Conference (Boyd): Curry at Plymouth State (November 6): The Colonels downed the Panthers, 20-9, in the 2009 meeting on October 24.New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC): Williams at Amherst (November 13): With none of its teams being sent to the D-III dance, the "Biggest Little Game In America" could take on even more importance in 2010, as the visiting Ephs could be the only squad standing between the Lord Jeffs and another unbeaten season (8-0 in 2009).New Jersey Athletic Conference: Montclair State at Cortland State (October 30): The preseason favorite Red Dragons play host to the Red Hawks in a clash that could crown the 2010 NJAC champion.
Note: Our look into small college football's most pivotal match-ups of the upcoming season continues with a look into the key games in NCAA Division II's Super Region 4. Conferences profiled in this installment are the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), the Lone Star Conference (LSC), and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA).GNAC: Central Washington vs. Western Oregon (October 16 at Seattle, November 13 at Central Washington): If any squad has the best chance to dethrone the Wildcats, it's the Wolves, who welcome back 11 starters from last season.LSC: With four teams advancing to the playoffs, and a fifth, West Texas A&M, overcoming a slow start to win the Kanza Bowl in 2009, the LSC South just might be the toughest "division" in all of D-II entering 2010. Any games these teams play against each other this season will decide who will eventually come out on top.MIAA: Northwest Missouri State at Washburn (October 23): The defending D-II national champion Bearcats must pay a visit to Topeka, Kansas to take on the Ichabods.Connect with RFCE-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.comFacebook: Click the "Like" button at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.com/Twitter: http://twitter.com/realfootball
Note: The "RFC Summer Semester" rolls on with a look at the key match-ups in Super Region 1 of NCAA Division II. Super Region 1 consists of programs in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the Northeast 10 Conference, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).CIAA: The race for the conference title was very intense in 2009. Don't expect things to change much in 2010, as this year's championship game will be played on November 13.Northeast 10: Southern Connecticut State at Merrimack (November 6): Both the Owls and Warriors finished in a three-way tie with Bentley for the league title last year. But don't count out the Falcons, as they might have a say as to which wins it all, or in this case, part of it, this year.PSAC (East): West Chester at Bloomsburg (October 23): The winner of this game could position themselves to at least reach the PSAC title on November 13.PSAC (West): Indiana (Pa.) at California (Pa.)--(October 30): If any team has the best chance to dethrone the Vulcans, that squad just might be the Crimson Hawks of IUP. They struggled to a disappointing 5-6 finish last season.WVIAC: Charleston at West Liberty (October 30): The Hilltoppers are at home against a Golden Eagles that hopes to make a run at a playoff berth after missing out in 2009 despite a 9-2 finish.
Northeast: Central Connecticut State at Albany (N.Y.)--(October 22): The defending NEC champion Blue Devils must travel into the Capital Region of Upstate New York to face the Great Danes.Ohio Valley: Jacksonville State at Eastern Illinois (September 25): With their postseason eligibility restored after missing out in 2009 due to APR violations, the Gamecocks have something to prove in 2010.Patriot League: With four teams finishing within one game of each other in the conference standings, three of those squads (Colgate, Lafayette, and Lehigh) all tied for second place, expect another tight race for the title in 2010. Oh, and defending champion Holy Cross is still the team to beat coming into this season.Southern: Furman at Appalachian State (October 30): Annual rivalry between these Carolina rivals could decide the SoCon crown.Southland: Stephen F. Austin at McNeese State (October 9): The Cowboys play host to the Lumberjacks in this key SLC clash.Connect with RFCE-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.comFacebook: Click the "Like" button at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/realfootball
Note: This is the first in a series of the potential key games by division, conference, and region, leading up to the first several weeks of the 2010 season. First up is the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, or the FCS, for short (formerly NCAA Division I-AA).Big Sky: Montana at Eastern Washington (September 18): The conference opener for both the Grizzlies and Eagles. It'll be played on the new "red turf" at Woodward Stadium, located on the EWU campus.Big South: Stony Brook at Liberty (November 20): The Flames will get a chance to avenge last year's stunning loss to the Seawolves, on the final Saturday of the regular season in Lynchburg.Colonial: With so much strength from top to bottom, it's hard to pick one pivotal game that could decide it all. Still, expect defending FCS champion Villanova to get a challenge from perennial Virginia powers Richmond and William & Mary for the CAA crown.Great West: UC Davis at Cal Poly (November 13): If the preseason predictions from the GWC coaches holds true, expect the " Battle for the Golden Horseshoe" to be for more than just bragging rights.MEAC: South Carolina State at Florida A&M (October 2): The Bulldogs must travel to Tallahassee to face a resurgent Rattlers program.Missouri Valley: Here's another conference with a three-way toss-up for the title: Northern Iowa, upstart South Dakota State, and defending league champion Southern Illinois. Again, at least two or more games might decide the winner by the next to last weekend in November.
Note: This is the final installment of conference previews at RFC. To see previous installments of the series, visit http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.com, click on the months of May, June, July, and August under the 2010 portion of the "Blog Archive", and click on the conference preview of your choice.What it is: The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) ranks among the oldest conferences in the nation, getting its start in 1915. As the name implies, all of the current members of the SCIAC are located in or near Los Angeles. The vast majority of the institutions, in fact, call Los Angeles County home. Of the eight current members, only Cal Tech currently doesn't have a football program. As hard as it might be to believe, current Pac 10 Conference member UCLA was once a member of the SCIAC, as the Bruins were members from 1920-1927. Also, the clash between USC and UCLA isn't the only rivalry in Southern California, as the game between Occidental and Pomona-Pitzer is one of the oldest rivalries west of the Mississippi River, with the first game being played in 1895. Website: http://www.thesciac.org/Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)1. Cal Lutheran (8-2): Ben McEnroe enters his fourth season at the Kingsmen helm. He hopes to coach them to their third SCIAC title in four years.2. Occidental (7-2): Both of the Tigers losses in 2009 came to eventual D-III playoff teams: Linfield and Cal Lutheran.3. Redlands (7-2): The Bulldogs have won 28 SCIAC titles all-time, 10 of them in the last 20 years.4. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (5-4): The Stags enter the 2010 season with a coaching change. Rick Candaele announced his retirement as head coach of August 15. Steve Retzlaff takes over as the interim head coach this fall.5. Pomona-Pitzer (4-5): The Sagehens are a combined 6-12 over the last two seasons.6. Whittier (3-6): The Poets haven't had a winning season since 1998, when they finished 7-2 overall, and went unbeaten in the SCIAC at 6-0 en route to the conference championship that year.7. LaVerne (0-9): There's only one way for the Leopards to leap after a winless season, and that's up.Connect with RFCE-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.comFacebook: Click the "Like" button below the "RFC on Facebook" link at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.com/Twitter: http://twitter.com/realfootball
What it is: Getting its start in 1926, the Northwest Conference (NWC) has become one of the strongest NCAA Division III conferences in the nation over the last decade. Starting out at the NAIA level, the NWC moved up to the D-III ranks in 1998. Since then, two of its current members have won national championships in football, with Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) winning it in 1999, followed by Linfield (Ore.) in 2004.The small college program with the most-storied tradition in the Pacific Northwest, or even on the whole West Coast for that matter, is Linfield. The Wildcats enter the 2010 campaign shooting for an intercollegiate record 55th consecutive winning season. Ironically, the program that has the second longest active streak of consecutive winning records also competes at the D-III level in Ithaca (N.Y.), whose Bombers will take a run of 39 straight winning seasons into this season.Dating back to 1961, Linfield is 27-17 all time in postseason play, including a 12-5 mark in NCAA playoff games dating back to 2000. Prior to joining the NCAA, Linfield won three NAIA Division II national championships in 1982, 1984, and 1986. Another current NWC program with a rich history is Pacific Lutheran (Wash.). From 1969-2004, the Lutes recorded 36 straight winning seasons, winning three NAIA titles (1980, 1987, 1993) along the way. The coach most responsible for the success of the PLU program during most of that 36-year period was former head coach Frosty Westering. From 1972 until his retirement in 2003, Westering compiled a career record of 261-70-5 (.784). In 40 seasons overall as a head coach, he was 305-96-7 (.765).Looking ahead to 2010, the Boxers of Pacific University (Ore.) will take the football field for the first time in almost two decades, while another current NWC member, George Fox (Ore.) will restart its own program starting in 2013 after an absence of more than four decades.Website: http://www.nwcsports.com/Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)1. Linfield (12-1): The Wildcats will look to win their fifth national championship overall, and first since 2004. They had their best season since then in 2009, losing to eventual national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater in the national semifinals.2. Willamette (8-2): The Bearcats bring back eight offensive and six defensive starters into the fold for 2010.3. Whitworth (5-5): The Pirates will found out quickly how good they are when they open the 2010 season against nationally ranked Hardin-Simmons on September 4.4. Pacific Lutheran (3-6): The Lutes have had only two winning seasons in the six years they've played under current head coach Scott Westering.5. Lewis & Clark (2-7): The Pioneers struggled to a 1-5 mark in NWC action last season. Their last winning season was in 1995, when they finished 5-4.6. Puget Sound (0-9): After a winless season in 2009, the Loggers are looking to win in 2010.7. Pacific (n/a): The Boxers make their return to the gridiron on September 4, when they face Puget Sound in a non-conference contest. It'll be their first game since 1991.
What it is: Starting as the Great West Football Conference in 2004, the Great West Conference (GWC) is kind of misnomer, since not all of its member schools are based on the West Coast, or even west of the Rocky Mountains, for that matter. In fact, of the five current football playing member institutions, only two (University of California-Davis and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) are actually located on the West Coast.At least three former GWC members have moved on to other conferences. Northern Colorado left the league for the Big Sky in 2006, while North Dakota State and South Dakota State followed two years later, joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference.Cal Poly and UC Davis have won or shared four of the six GWC titles since 2004, with former members North Dakota State (2006) and South Dakota State (2007) being the only other to win league titles over the last six years.Website: http://www.greatwestconference.org/Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)1. UC Davis (6-5): The Aggies enter the 2010 season as the defending GWC champions. They hope to win back-to-back outright titles this year.2. North Dakota (5-5): 14 starters return for the Fighting Sioux this season. They hope to win their first-ever conference title since moving from the NCAA Division II ranks in 2008.3. South Dakota (5-5): The Coyotes face a fierce non-conference schedule in 2010, including a trip to BCS Big 10 Conference Minnesota on Septembber 11.4. Southern Utah (5-6): The Thunderbirds had their best finish since 2004 (6-5).5. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (4-7): The Mustangs struggled to a last place finish in the GWC at 1-3 last season.
What it is: Thanks to a split by its original members from the non-football playing Pacific West Conference, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) was launched in 2001. Entering the 2010 season, the GNAC will have five schools playing American college football, consisting of four U.S. institutions (California, Oregon, Utah, and Washington State), and one Canadian institution (British Columbia). Simon Fraser University became the first Canadian university to be accepted into the NCAA fold as a Division II member in 2009. The Clan will officially join the GNAC in time for the 2011 season.Since its formation of the GNAC nine years ago, Central Washington has established itself as the premier program in the league, winning five conference championships (2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009), while advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs four times (2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009). The GNAC did not sponsor football during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. During that time, both CWU and Western Washington played in the now-defunct North Central Conference. Western Washington dropped its football program after the 2008 season.Perhaps the most notable alumni to have played for Central Washington is journeyman NFL quarterback Jon Kitna. Undrafted in 1997, Kitna goes into the 2010 season playing for a fourth different NFL franchise, as he spent with the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, and currently, the Dallas Cowboys.Website: http://www.gnacsports.com/Predicted order of finish (2009 overall record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)1. Central Washington (12-1): Expectations once again are high for the Wildcats, as seven returning starters, as well as 32 returning lettermen, hope to put them back in the playoffs for the fourth straight season. To get back to postseason play, though, CWU must replace 16 starters lost due to graduation.2. Western Oregon (5-5): Head Coach Arne Ferguson welcomes back 11 starters from the squad that finished second in the GNAC at 3-3. They hope to earn their first-ever NCAA Division II playoff appearance, with their last trip to postseason play coming in 2007. The Wolves defeated Colorado Mines, 26-12, in the Dixie Rotary Bowl that season.3. Humboldt State (5-5): The Lumberjacks struggled to a last place finish in the GNAC at 1-5 last season. It won't get any easier for them in 2010, as they face non-conference road trips to NCAA FCS Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, as well as NAIA Azusa Pacific.4. Dixie State (4-7): The Red Storm will face D-II Adams State to open the season (August 28), and pay a visit to FCS Southern Utah to close it (November 6).5. Simon Fraser (1-7): The Clan will find out quickly just what NCAA college football is all about, as they face all but one team from the U.S. this season. Connect with RFCOn Facebook: Click the "Like" button at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.com/On Twitter: Visit http://twitter.com/realfootballVia e-mail: realfootballcentral@gmail.com
What it is: With a history dating back more than a century, to 1909, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) is the fifth oldest league in the United States. Only four other conferences; the Missouri Valley Conference, the Ohio Athletic Conference, the Big Ten Conference, and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association have had more longevity than the RMAC. Current BCS Big 12 Confefence, and soon to be Pac-10 Conference member Colorado, as well as current Mountain West members Brigham Young, Colorado State, and Wyoming, competed in the RMAC during its early years.Today, the RMAC has 10 institutions that currently play football, with the vast majority of members located in the state of Colorado, with others located in Nebraska and New Mexico. As far as postseason play is concerned, the RMAC has had its share of struggles, especially in national championship games, as current league members are 0-4 all-time dating back to 1982, all at the NAIA level.Website: http://www.rmacsports.org/Predicted order of finish (2009 record in parentheses, projected champion in BOLD type)1. Nebraska-Kearney (11-2): The Lopers have high hopes, and high expectations, for the 2010 season, as they begin it ranked in at least the Top 15 in two separate preseason polls. UNK is just 3-7 all-time in postseason games, including a 1-3 mark in the NCAA Division II playoffs.2. Chadron State (7-4): The Eagles have won or shared seven RMAC titles since 1996. 2009, however, proved to be a down year for the CSC program, as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005.3. Colorado State-Pueblo (7-4): The Thunderwolves hope to be formidable foes in the RMAC in just their third season back after a 24-year absence.4. Colorado Mines (8-3): The Orediggers have 33 letterwinners, including 13 starters coming back to help them earn their first D-II playoff appearance since 2004.5. Adams State (5-6): The Grizzlies have played football since 1930, but have had just five trips to postseason play to show for it, with the most recent trip happening in 1989, when they competed in the NAIA ranks. 13 returning starters hope to give the ASC program its sixth all-time postseason, as well as its first-ever trip to the D-II playoffs, in 2010.6. Mesa State (5-6): The Mavericks were 3-3 in games decided by nine points or less in 2009.7. Western State (3-8): The Mountaineers last winning season was in 2002, when they finished 6-5 overall.8. Western New Mexico (2-8): The Mustangs return 20 starters for 2010, with 10 a piece on both sides of the football.9. Fort Lewis (2-9): The Skyhawks hope to put another disappointing season in the past.10. New Mexico Highlands (1-10): The Cowboys surrendered an average of 46.8 points per game, 43.6 in RMAC contests in 2009.Join RFC on Facebook: Simply click the "Like" button below the phrase "RFC on Facebook", at http://realfootballcentral.blogspot.com/.
