RFC Summer Semester--2012 Debut--New England Football Conference (NEFC)--(NCAA Division III)

Editor's Note:  Welcome to the third season debut of the "RFC Summer Semester", exclusively on Real Football Central.  We hope to get through yet another summer of preseason previews of small college football throughout the U.S.A., as well as occasionally previewing some key games in the Arena Football League, the other indoor football leagues, and the upcoming Canadian Football League (CFL) season.  So, without further ado, let's get started, with the NCAA Division III New England Football Conference (NEFC).

New England Football Conference

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2011 Final Standings 

Looking back:  A dramatic 2011 season in the NEFC ended with Western New England outlasting Framingham State in an overtime thriller, and advancing to its first-ever NCAA Division III playoff.  However, the Golden Bears were quickly ousted by Salisbury, 62-24, in the first round.


Looking ahead: 2012 will mark the final season of the current 16-team NEFC, as the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) will begin playing football in 2013.  


Here's the make-up of the two split conferences:


MASCAC:  Bridgewater State, Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Massachusetts-Dartmouth, Massachusetts Maritime, Plymouth State, Western Connecticut, Westfield State, and Worcester State.


NEFC: Coast Guard, Curry, Endicott, Maine Maritime, MIT, Nichols, Salve Regina, and Western New England.


2012 Predicted Order of Finish (2011 overall record in parentheses)

Bogan Division

1. Worcester State (8-3):  The Lancers finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Bogan Division at 6-2, but lost a three-way tiebreaker that eventually went in favor of Framingham State.  If they hope to land a berth in the NCAA playoffs in 2012, they must survive a schedule that includes playing three of their first five games of the season on the road.  That includes a September 15 visit to defending NEFC champion Western New England.

2. Framingham State (7-4):  After a heartbreaking overtime loss to WNEC in last year's NEFC title game, the Rams hope to get over the hump, and win another Bogan Division crown.


3. Bridgewater State (7-3):  The Bears will play three of their first five games at home, including three straight games in the middle of September, and three of the final five games on the road.


4. Westfield State (5-5):  The Owls won back-to-back games to close out the 2011 season after starting it at 3-5. They were an even 3-3 in games decided by three points or less last season. 


5. Massachusetts Maritime (5-4):  The Buccaneers started last season 5-2, but lost back-to-back games to finish at 3-4 in NEFC play.  They open this season playing four of their five games on the road, while playing their final two games at home.


6. Coast Guard (2-8):  The Bears look to move up after a miserable 2011 season.


7. Maine Maritime (4-5):  A 4-1 start to 2011 ended with a four-game losing streak for the Mariners, who hope to advance to the D-III playoffs for the first time since 2009.


8. Fitchburg State (2-8):  The Falcons enter the 2012 campaign on a five-game losing streak.


Boyd Division

1. Endicott (10-1):  The Gulls may have lost only one game in 2011, but that one loss, to Western New England, cost them a chance to play for a conference title.  They hope to get over that hump in 2012.


2. Western New England (10-2):  Fresh off their first-ever NCAA playoff appearance, the Golden Bears hope to make it back-to-back postseason appearances in 2012.  

3. Salve Regina (8-3):  The Seahawks reeled off six straight wins to end the 2011 season after a 2-3 start, including a win over Worcester State in the ECAC Northwest Bowl to top it off.  They hope that momentum will carry over into 2012.


4. Curry (5-5):  After missing out on postseason play the last three years, the Colonels hope to return to the top in 2012.  But that would mean having to overtake the three teams that finished above them in 2011, as they play Endicott, WNEC, and Salve Regina in consecutive weeks starting on September 29.


5. UMass-Dartmouth (5-5):  The Corsairs have a brutal road trip to open the season, paying visits to Mount Ida, Bridgewater State, and Framingham State, before playing against Plymouth State in their home opener on September 22.


6. Plymouth State (4-6):  The Panthers look to rebound after a season-ending four-game losing streak wiped out a promising 4-2 start.


7. MIT (2-7):  The Engineers struggled to a 1-6 mark in Boyd Division play last season.


8. Nichols (0-10):  The Bison's last win came on October 30, 2010, when they (ironically) held off MIT, 17-14.  They've lost 11 straight games since then.