Editor's Note: Welcome to the fourth season of the "RFC Summer Semester", exclusively on Real Football Central. The post you're about to read below will be the first of what hopefully will be many previews to come, covering small college, NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and now "Group of Five" football.
For those people reading the blog for the first time, the "Group of Five" consists of the five low-tiered, or mid-major, conferences of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS): the American Athletic Conference (AAC)--(formerly the Big East Conference), Conference USA (C-USA), the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Mountain West Conference, and the Sun Belt Conference.
Oh, and we'll occasionally cover all things Arena Football League, Canadian Football League (CFL), and other professional football leagues, indoors and outdoors, that aren't named the National Football League (NFL).
With that said, let's get started, with the all-new NCAA Division III Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC).
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC)
Website
2012 Final Standings (MASCAC games only)
2012 Final Standings (as members of the New England Football Conference)
Looking back: Framingham State won not one, but two, championships in 2012. Sort of. In addition to winning the NEFC title in their final season in that league, the Rams finished also undefeated against their fellow MASCAC foes, finishing 5-0 in that conference. Also, Bridgewater State carried the banner for the MASCAC last year, as the Bears joined the Rams in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Both fell in the first round, with Framingham falling to Cortland State in a 20-19 heartbreaker, while Bridgewater lost to Widener, 44-14.
Looking ahead: Being new to NCAA Division III football, the MASCAC will not get an automatic bid to the playoffs, despite having nine teams in 2013. In addition to the six schools that played in the MASCAC last year, Plymouth State, UMass-Dartmouth, and Western Connecticut State will also join the conference as affiliate members.
Predicted order of finish (2012 overall record in parentheses):
1. Framingham State (10-2): With six of their 10 games, including three of their first four contests, on the road, the Rams might have a tough row to hoe in winning 10 games again in 2013. If that wasn't enough, the Rams also must pay a visit to Bridgewater State on November. 9, the next-to-last week of the regular season.
2. Bridgewater State (9-2): Speaking of the Bears, they'll open the 2013 season against a Salve Regina team that also finished 9-2 in 2012, but missed out on postseason play, thanks to a 28-16 loss to Framingham State in the NEFC title game on November 10, 2012.
3. Worcester State (6-4): The Lancers will have a difficult debut in the MASCAC for 2013, as they travel to Bridgewater State in their first league contest on September 20.
4. UMass-Dartmouth (5-5): The Corsairs also will have a new conference to adjust to, as they open MASCAC play with road games at Westfield State (September 21) and Framingham State (October 5).
5. Massachusetts Maritime (5-4): The Buccaneers had nine players make the all-NEFC academic team in 2012, with just two lost to graduation. It will be interesting to see if success in the classroom will translate into success on the field in 2013.
6. Westfield State (3-7): The good news for the Owls? They lose just 11 seniors from their 2012 roster. The bad news? They'll likely have to fight for every win in the new-look MASCAC in 2013.
7. Fitchburg State (2-8): The Falcons last winning season came in 2005, when they finished 8-3.
8. Plymouth State (2-8): The Panthers also face an uphill battle in trying to get back to their winning ways. They haven't had a winning record since 2009, when they finished 8-3. Their last NCAA playoff appearance came the year before that, in 2008, finishing 10-2 that season.
9. Western Connecticut State (1-8): The Colonials join the MASCAC from the NJAC, but face a tremendous challenge under second-year Head Coach Joe Loth.
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