THE RFC MYC: Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The University of Mount Union Purple Raiders added yet another Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship to what's surely an already-crowded trophy case, as they also cruised through another undefeated regular season at 10-0 overall. After finishing unbeaten at 9-0 in OAC action, Mount Union has now won 32 conference titles, to go with their 13 national championships all-time, which dates back to the first-ever title the Purple Raiders won in 1993.

In the NCAA Division III playoffs, Mount Union crushed Washington & Lee 52-0 in the first round, outlasted Johns Hopkins 45-35 in the second round, and rallied to beat Muhlenberg 35-29 in overtime in the quarterfinals, before falling to then-defending national champion turned eventual national runner-up North Central in the national semifnals to finish their fall 2021 season at 13-1 overall. 

Looking ahead to 2022, expect Mount Union to try to win its 33rd conference championship, as well as put themselves in the conversation for that elusive 14th national championship in program history. However, expect the three teams that finished 2021 in a three-way tie for second place in the OAC at 7-2 in Baldwin-Wallace (8-2 overall in 2021), Heidelberg (8-2), and John Carroll (7-3) to have a say in who might dethrone the Purple Raiders this fall.

2021 (Fall) Ohio Athletic Conference Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Baldwin-Wallace

Capital

Heidelberg

John Carroll

Marietta

Mount Union

Muskingum

Ohio Northern

Otterbein

Wilmington

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THE RFC MYC (ICYMI): Revised Schedules for the Southland Conference and WAC.

Editor's Note: In the wake of the decisions by Lamar University and the University of the Incarnate Word to leave the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and return to the Southland Conference in time for the 2022 season, this special installment of 'THE RFC MYC" will show the revised schedules of all of the teams in both conferences, including the two aforementioned institutions listed above.

Here are the original articles that were posted on RFC earlier this year:

Southland Conference (June 11, 2022)

Western Athletic Conference (June 17, 2022)

Now here are the newly-revised schedules for each team in both conferences:

Southland Conference

Houston Baptist

Incarnate Word

Lamar

McNeese State

Nicholls 

Northwestern State

Southeastern Louisiana

Texas A&M-Commerce*

Western Athletic Conference

Abilene Christian

Sam Houston State*

Stephen F. Austin

Southern Utah

Tarleton State**

Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State)**

*-Ineligible for WAC title (transitioning to the FBS level).

**-Ineligible for the WAC title (transitioning from the NCAA Division II level).

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THE RFC MYC: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA)-(NCAA Division III)

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Albion College Britons outlasted the Hope College Flying Dutch, 41-38, in a high-scoring showdown for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title on November 6. That dramatic win helped the Britons earn the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs after finishing 5-1 in league play, breaking a tie with Hope to advance to postseason play for the fall of 2021. Albion downed Alma, 34-7, the following week to win the program's 38th conference championship of all time.

However, the Britons' season would come to an abrupt close one week later, as Wisconsin-LaCrosse cruised to a convincing 58-23 win over Albion in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. With that loss, Albion's season ended at 9-2 overall.

Moving on to 2022, expect Albion to be favored once again to win another MIAA title. But don't count out squads such as Hope (8-2 overall, 5-1 in the MIAA in 2021), Trine (6-4, 4-2), Olivet (7-3, 3-3), and Adrian (5-5, 3-3) as far as being in the discussion for the crown in what is the nation's oldest intercollegiate athletics conference, with a history dating back to 1888.

2021 (Fall) Final MIAA Football Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Adrian

Albion

Alma

Hope

Kalamazoo

Olivet

Trine

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THE RFC MYC: North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The DePauw University Tigers made history during the fall 2021 season, as they became the 20th program at the NCAA Division III level to win 600 games all-time. They reached that milestone after crushing Oberlin 66-13 on November 6. The Tigers also clinched the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship with the convincing win over the Yeomen, allowing them to eventually finish conference play at 8-1 despite falling to Wabash in the Monon Bell Game the following week. DePauw finished the regular season at 8-2 overall after losing to the Little Giants.

In the NCAA Division III playoffs, DePauw held off Rose-Hulman down the stretch to win 26-21 on November 20, and advance to the second round. The Tigers fell to Wisconsin-Whitewater in the second round to finish the season at 9-3 overall.

Going into the 2022 season, DePauw will be the likely favorite to repeat as NCAC champions. But the Tigers will have plenty of challengers looking to dethrone them this fall, with Ohio Wesleyan (8-2, 7-2), Wittenberg (7-3, 7-2), Wabash (7-3, 6-3), Denison (6-4, 6-3), and Wooster (6-4, 5-4) being the among the most serious contenders.

2021 (Fall) NCAC Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Allegheny

Denison

DePauw 

Hiram

Kenyon

Oberlin

Ohio Wesleyan

Wabash

Wittenberg

Wooster

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THE RFC MYC: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin' Engineers fought their way to an undefeated season in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) play for the fall of 2021, as they finished 7-0 in HCAC contests to earn their league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. RHIT's season ended in the first round of the playoffs after losing a heartbreaker to DePauw, 26-21, to finish their campaign at 8-3 overall. Including their 4-1 overall mark during the pandemic-shortened spring season, Rose-Hulman finished the combined 2021 calendar year at 12-4 overall.

As the 2022 season quickly approaches, the Fightin' Engineers hope to find themselves in the fight for another HCAC crown this fall. However, in order to find its way back into postseason play, RHIT must push its way through a "challenging schedule" that includes a rematch with the same DePauw squad that ended their season in the first round of the D-III playoffs last fall. Also, expect the Engineers to face challenges from longtime foes like Mount St. Joseph (6-4 overall, 4-3 in the HCAC in 2021), as well as Franklin (6-4, 4-3), and Hanover (5-5, 4-3), as they hope to repeat as HCAC champions this year.

2021 (Fall) Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Anderson

Bluffton

Defiance

Franklin

Hanover

Manchester

Mount St. Joseph

Rose-Hulman

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THE RFC MYC: Southern Athletic Association (SAA)-(NCAA Division III)

Southern Athletic Association (SAA)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The traditional fall season of 2021 saw the rise of the Trinity University Tigers from San Antonio, Texas to the top of the Southern Athletic Association (SAA), as they finished undefeated in conference play at 7-0 en route to a final regular-season record of 9-0. However, the Tigers' season came to a way-too-early close in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, as they fell to eventual national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor in a low-scoring 13-3 contest to finish their campaign at 9-1 overall.

The only other SAA squad to advance to postseason play last fall was the Birmingham-Southern College Panthers from Birmingham, Alabama. After a regular season in which they finished 6-1 in SAA action, as well as 9-1 overall, the Panthers outlasted Huntingdon 24-14 in the first round of the D-III playoffs, before succumbing to the same Mary Hardin-Baylor squad, 42-7, in the second round, to finish their season at 10-2 overall.

As for what the 2022 season could hold in store for the SAA, don't be surprised if both Birmingham-Southern and Trinity find themselves doing battle for the title this fall. On November 6, 2021, the Tigers held off the Panthers in the final seconds to not only get a 28-27 win but also earn the eventual conference crown and the automatic bid to the D-III playoffs. Also, expect Centre (8-2 overall, 5-2 in the SAA in 2021) and Berry (6-4, 4-3) to have a say in who eventually wins the SAA title.

2021 (Fall) SAA Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Berry 

Birmingham-Southern

Centre

Hendrix

Millsaps

Rhodes

Sewanee

Trinity (Tex.)

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THE RFC MYC: Gulf South Conference (GSC)-(NCAA Division II)

 Gulf South Conference (GSC)-(NCAA Division II)

Overview: The Gulf South Conference (GSC) continued to prove why it's one of the toughest conferences at the NCAA Division II level, with three of its eight teams advancing to the playoffs in the fall of 2021. Additionally, dating back to the 2000 season, GSC teams have appeared in 11 of the last 21 national championship games, with such squads winning six of those titles (Delta State 2000, Valdosta State 2004, 2007, 2012, 2018, and West Florida 2019).

Despite falling to the then-defending national champion University of West Florida Argonauts in the regular-season finale on November 13, the Valdosta State University Blazers still found a way to not only earn the #1 seed in Super Region 2 but also make another deep run to the national championship game. However, the Blazers' quest to take home another national championship fell by the wayside, as Ferris State cruised to a convincing 58-17 win in the title game. Valdosta State finished the 2021 season at 12-2 overall. 

As for West Florida, one week after winning their program's first-ever GSC crown, the Argonauts' quest to win back-to-back national championships came to a cold stop in the first round of the D-II playoffs, as Newberry rallied down the stretch to pull off the upset over UWF, 33-30, in overtime. West Florida's season ended at 9-2 overall after the stunning home loss to the Wolves from South Carolina.

The other team to advance to postseason play last fall was the University of West Georgia Wolves. After finishing the regular season at 8-2, with both of their losses coming to VSU and West Alabama, UWG downed SIAC champion Albany State (Ga.) on the road, 23-7, in the first round of the playoffs, before falling to Valdosta State, 66-35, in the second round, to finish their season at 9-3 overall.

With another season just around the corner, expect all three aforementioned teams in UWF, UWG, and VSU to put themselves in the conversation for the GSC crown once again this fall. However, if Valdosta State is to make another deep run to a potential national championship, the Blazers must do it under new head coach Tremaine Jackson. Jackson replaces Gary Goff, who resigned less than 48 hours after the D-II national championship game to become the head coach at FCS McNeese State University.

2021 (Fall) Gulf South Conference Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Delta State

Mississippi College

North Greenville

Shorter

Valdosta State

West Alabama

West Florida

West Georgia

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THE RFC MYC: Mid-South Conference (MSC)-(NAIA)

Mid-South Conference (MSC)-(NAIA)

Overview: For all of the talk about "realignment" and "super-conferences" at the upper echelon of the NCAA Division I (FBS/Power Five) level, one such "super-conference" already exists at the NAIA level, with 22 teams taking the field in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) for the traditional fall season of 2021. Of those teams, 10 of those squads finished the 2021 season with a winning record.

One of those teams was the then-defending national champion Lindsey Wilson College Blue Raiders. After winning their first-ever national championship during the pandemic-shortened spring season of 2021, the Blue Raiders continued their winning ways right up until the national semifinal round of the NAIA playoffs. That was when Grand View denied Lindsey Wilson the rare chance to win back-to-back national championships within the same calendar year. The Blue Raiders fell to the Vikings, 34-28, in a tremendous upset on December 4, to see their season come to a close at 12-1 overall.

A quick look ahead to the 2022 season sees Lindsey Wilson in the mix to make another deep playoff run, while Keiser and Reinhardt, whose squads both finished at 9-3 overall last fall, just might have something to say about who will ultimately come out on top in the MSC this fall. Another team to not even think about counting out in the race for this season's conference crown is Faulkner, whose Eagles finished 8-2 overall last season. Don't count out 9-2 St. Thomas (Fla.) either.

2021 (Fall) Mid-South Conference Football Final Standings

2022 (Fall) Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Appalachian Division

Bluefield

Faulkner

Kentucky Christian

Point

Reinhardt

St. Andrews

Union (Ky.) 

Bluegrass Division

Bethel (Tenn.)

Campbellsville

Cumberland (Tenn.)

Cumberlands (Ky.)

Georgetown (Ky.)

Lindsey Wilson

Pikeville

Thomas More

Sun Division

Ave Maria

Florida Memorial

Keiser

Southeastern

St. Thomas (Fla.)

Warner

Webber International

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THE RFC MYC: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Overview: The Albany State University (Ga.) Golden Rams finished unbeaten in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) action en route to winning the East Division title. They then pitched a shutout over the Miles College Golden Bears, 31-0, to win the SIAC title in the championship game on November 13. Unfortunately, however, the Golden Rams' season ended in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, with West Georgia holding ASU to just one touchdown in a 31-7 loss to the Wolves. ASU finished its 2021 season at 10-2 overall.

Heading into the 2022 season, expect both Albany State and Miles to represent their respective divisions, East and West, in their quest to win the SIAC title this fall.

2021 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season, the link (s) will appear in each post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.

East Division

Albany State (Ga.)

Benedict

Clark Atlanta

Fort Valley State

Morehouse

Savannah State

West Division

Central State

Kentucky State

Lane

Miles

Tuskegee

Transition Teams

Allen

Edward Waters

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THE RFC MYC: South Atlantic Conference (SAC)-(NCAA Division II)

South Atlantic Conference (SAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Overview: It was a bizarre 2021 season for the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), as an unlikely champion in the Newberry College Wolves rose to the top of this traditionally competitive conference last fall. The Wolves finished first in the SAC at 7-1, while also finished the regular season at 9-2. Newberry stunned the small college football world when they pulled off the upset over the then-defending NCAA Division II national champion University of West Florida Argonauts in the first round of the playoffs by the final score of 33-30 on November 20. The Wolves then fell to Bowie State, 13-10, the following week to finish their season at 10-3 overall.

As if things weren't strange already, three other SAC squads finished the fall 2021 season at 8-3 overall, as well as a three-way tie for second place in conference play at 6-2 once the smoke cleared at the end of the regular season. The Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears were one of those teams, as they lost to that same Bowie State squad in the first round. On the other hand, the other two teams that finished in that three-way tie for second place fell short of advancing to postseason play, as the Mars Hill University Lions lost a heartbreaker to the only other team to finish in that tie in the Wingate University Bulldogs, 26-19, on the final day of the regular season, November 13.

The 2022 season will mark multiple changes for the SAC, as the Barton College Bulldogs from Wilson, North Carolina, as well as the Erskine College Flying Fleet from Due West, South Carolina, will join the league as associate members for football-only over the next two years-2022 and 2023. Also, the Emory & Henry University Wasps are in the midst of transitioning from the NCAA Division III to the NCAA Division II ranks, while the Anderson University Trojans from Anderson, South Carolina hope to start their football program by 2024.

With that said, expect another competitive season in the SAC this fall, with an inaugural conference championship game to be played on November 12, between the top two teams in the final regular-season standings.

2021 (Fall) South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.

Barton

Carson-Newman

Catawba

Emory & Henry*

Erskine

Lenoir-Rhyne

Limestone

Mars Hill

Newberry

Tusculum

Virginia-Wise

Wingate

*-Ineligible for the South Atlantic Conference title, transitioning from the NCAA Division III level.

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THE RFC MYC: USA South Athletic Conference (USAC)-(NCAA Division III)

USA South Athletic Conference (USAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Huntingdon College Hawks overcame an 0-2 start to go undefeated in the USA South Athletic Conference (USAC) at 8-0, and win the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. The Hawks' season ended in the first round at 8-3 overall after losing to fellow Alabama rival Birmingham-Southern. In fact, two of Huntingdon's three losses last fall came to the Panthers, with the third loss coming to Wisconsin-Oshkosh. 

The upcoming 2022 season will bring about many changes for the USAC, as the Belhaven University Blazers from Jackson, Mississippi will join the league as an associate member after spending the past seven seasons in the American Southwest Conference (ASC). The Blazers will join what's likely to be a competitive conference in the USA South, as they're coming off of a 2021 season where they finished 7-3 overall and 6-3 in the ASC. The addition of Belhaven brings the total number of teams in the USAC to nine, as longtime member Averett University of Danville, Virginia has joined the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).

Finally, another team that could provide a tremendous challenge to Huntingdon for the USAC crown is Methodist University. After splitting their first four contests, the Monarchs finished the traditional fall season strong, winning five straight games to finish their 2021 campaign at 7-2 overall, and 7-1 in conference play. The Monarchs and their fans hope the ending to 2021 will carry over into 2022. Don't count out another North Carolina squad in Brevard (6-4, 6-2) either.

2021 (Fall) USA South Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.

Belhaven

Brevard 

Greensboro

Huntingdon

LaGrange

Maryville

Methodist

North Carolina Wesleyan

Southern Virginia

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THE RFC MYC: Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Washington & Lee University Generals earned what was probably one of their biggest wins in program history, as they rallied in the final seconds to knock off the Randolph-Macon College Yellow Jackets, 25-24, on September 25. That come-from-behind win not only helped propel the Generals to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) championship but also the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. W&L's season ended in the first round after losing to Mount Union to finish its season at 8-3 overall.

As for Randolph-Macon, despite ending the 2021 season with six straight wins, the Yellow Jackets found themselves on the outside looking in when Selection Sunday arrived, as they finished 9-1 overall, as well as 5-1 in ODAC action. Dating back to the 2019 season, R-MC has compiled a combined overall record of 23-3. That included an abbreviated, undefeated spring 2021 season at 5-0, as well as an overall mark of 9-2 in 2019.

The upcoming 2022 season will see several changes in membership for the ODAC, as longtime member Emory & Henry has officially begun its transition to the NCAA Division II ranks as a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), while Averett joins the league from the USA South Athletic Conference (USAC). The addition of Averett gives the ODAC eight football-playing members for this fall.

2021 (Fall) Old Dominion Athletic Conference Football Final Standings

2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.

Averett

Bridgewater (Va.)

Ferrum

Guilford

Hampden-Sydney

Randolph-Macon

Shenandoah

Washington & Lee

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