Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC)-(NCAA Division II)
Overview: In just their second season of membership, the Ashland University Eagles from Ashland, Ohio won their first-ever outright Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) championship. The Eagles finished G-MAC action at 7-1 en route to a final regular-season record of 9-1 overall. In the NCAA Division II playoffs, Ashland outlasted Notre Dame (Ohio) 20-13 in the first round, before falling to IUP 19-13 in the second round to finish its 2022 season at 10-2 overall.
The only other G-MAC team to advance to postseason play last season was the Tiffin University Dragons from Tiffin, Ohio. The Dragons gave Truman State all it could handle before losing 28-27 in the America's Crossroads Bowl on December 3. Tiffin finished the 2022 season at 6-5 overall, with all five of its losses coming by eight points or less.
The upcoming 2023 season will see at least two changes in the G-MAC. One of those changes will come in the coaching department, as Lee Owens retired from Ashland after 19 seasons and 266 wins as the Eagles head coach, with Doug Geiser coming in to replace him.
The other significant change for the G-MAC comes in the membership department, with the Thomas More University Saints from Crestview Hills, Kentucky joining the conference, as they begins their transition from the NAIA to the NCAA Division II level. TMU finished 5-6 overall in its' final NAIA season, but will be ineligible for postseason play until 2025.
In the meantime, however, Ashland will face a tough start to its' 2023 season in its' first campaign under Geiser, with the Eagles not only opening their campaign at fellow D-II playoff participant IUP but also facing two-time, defending back-to-back national champion Ferris State for their home opener following week.
In addition to Tiffin, other teams that expect to contend for the G-MAC title this fall include Ohio Dominican (7-3 overall in 2022) and Findlay (7-4). Both teams finished conference play in a three-way tie for second place with Tiffin at 6-2.
2023 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 2023 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.
Final 2022 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Standings
Ashland
Findlay
Hillsdale
Kentucky Wesleyan
Lake Erie
Ohio Dominican
*-Thomas More is transitioning from the NAIA to the NCAA Division II level, and is therefore ineligible for postseason play.
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