Long Island University (LIU): The Sharks came about as a result of the merger of the NCAA Division II LIU-Post Pioneers (with football) from Brookville, N.Y., and the NCAA Division I LIU-Brooklyn Blackbirds (without football). In their final incarnation as the Pioneers, LIU-Post (10-1 overall in 2018) cruised through the regular season undefeated en route to winning the Northeast 10 Conference championship, only to be upset and ousted by Slippery Rock in the first round of the D-II playoffs. A rough maiden voyage awaits the Sharks in their inaugural season, as they'll head west to face national semifinalist South Dakota State in their first-ever FCS game on September 7. That's followed by seven straight games against NEC foes, starting with the home opener vs. Sacred Heart on September 21.
Merrimack: The other program to make the transition from the D-II NE-10 to the D-I NEC is the Warriors from North Andover, Mass. Unlike LIU, though, things got off to a rough start for Merrimack, losing four of their first five games, only to win four of their final five games to finish the 2018 season at 5-5 overall, and 5-4 in the NE-10. The Warriors will play an independent schedule for the 2019 season, with Virginia-Lynchburg, Central Connecticut State, NAIA Mayville State, first-year program Franklin Pierce, as well as Lehigh, Bryant and a familiar foe in LIU being among the opponents.
North Alabama: The Lions will start the second season of their transition to the FCS level playing in the Big South Conference. UNA hopes to build off of a 7-3 record in their rookie FCS season a year ago, winning four of those games by five points or less. The Lions will face a much tougher schedule this fall, with 2018 FCS playoff participants Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State among the opponents they'll play in 2019.
North Dakota: Playing in their second and final season as an independent before making the move to the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in 2020, the Fighting Hawks hope to improve on their 6-5 overall record in 2018. In order for that to happen, however, UND must learn how to win the games, as the Fighting Hawks finished 1-3 in games decided by five points or less last season. The highlight game of the 2019 season for UND will be on September 7, when the Fighting Hawks travel to Fargo to face two-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State in the long-awaited renewal of that intra-state rivalry. The last meeting between the two teams came in 2015. That was when NDSU downed UND 34-9.
Presbyterian: Coming off of a dismal 2-8 mark in 2018, the Blue Hose will enter 2019 hoping to go nowhere but up in their final season as a member of the Big South Conference. They'll play a full schedule as an independent in 2020 before joining the Pioneer Football League (PFL) as a non-scholarship program in 2021.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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