RFC Summer Semester--Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC)--(NCAA Division II)

Looking back: Despite winning a third straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship in 2010, Central Washington was snubbed for an NCAA Division II playoff invite.  In fact, none of the teams in the GNAC advanced to postseason play last year.

Looking ahead: The GNAC will add an additional team for football in 2012, as California's Azusa Pacific University will join the conference as an associate member.

Website: http://www.gnacsports.com/

Predicted order of finish (2010 overall record in parentheses)

1. Central Washington (8-3):  From 2007-2009, the Wildcats compiled a combined 32-6 record, advancing to the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of those last three years.  But 2010 found CWU on the outside looking in when playoff selection time came around, as losses to defending national champion Minnesota-Duluth, as well as to GNAC foe Humboldt State, spelled doom for the Wildcats postseason hopes.  They'll face another tough non-conference slate in 2011, as they face the likes of Texas A&M-Kingsville and West Texas A&M, both out of the rugged Lone Star Conference.  Head Coach Blaine Bennett returns plenty of talented players from last year's squad, with 30 lettermen; 11 of them starters.  It'll be interesting to see if those returnees can help get CWU back in the playoff hunt.

2. Western Oregon (7-4):  The Wolves face a tough non-conference schedule that includes visits to perennial D-II powers Grand Valley State and Abilene Christian, as well as to Montana out of the FCS Big Sky Conference.


3. Humboldt State (8-3):  The Lumberjacks and head coach Rob Smith return 37 letterwinners, almost half of them starters, in hopes of winning not only their first-ever GNAC title, but their 10th conference championship all-time, with their last league crown coming back in 1995.  That was when they took home the title of the now-defunct Northern California Athletic Conference.


4. Dixie State (2-8):  The Red Storm were held to 14 points or less in six of their eight losses last season.  Additionally, they were outscored 122-10 in three of their last four games of last year, all losses.  The lone win in that four-game span came on October 23, a narrow 18-15 triumph over Simon Fraser.


5. Simon Fraser (1-9):  As the only Canadian institution competing in the NCAA, the Clan will focus on winning their first-ever GNAC game in 2011, after finishing winless in their inaugural conference season at 0-8.