The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Midwest Conference (MWC)-(NCAA Division III)

Midwest Conference (MWC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Midwest Conference will grow by one member to 11 schools in 2026, with the Luther College Norse of Decorah, Iowa, joining the league from the American Rivers Conference (ARC). The Norse will be one of the many teams looking to dethrone the Monmouth College Scots of Monmouth, Illinois. The Scots reeled off nine straight wins after losing their opener to win the MWC crown, with a loss at St. John's (Minn.) in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs ending their season at 9-2 overall. 

2025 Midwest Conference (MWC) Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules 


492. Beloit

493. Chicago

494. Cornell (Iowa)

495. Grinnell

496. Illinois College

497. Knox

498. Lake Forest

499. Lawrence

500. Luther

501. Monmouth (Ill.)

502. Ripon

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW)-(NCAA Division III)

College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) (NCAA Division III)

Overview: The North Central College Cardinals have had the winningest program in all of NCAA Division III over the past five seasons, losing just three games since the start of the 2021 season, all in the Stagg Bowl, while also winning the national championship in 2022 and 2024, to complement their first-ever national championship in 2019.

However, the Cardinals' quest to win back-to-back national championships was derailed by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons in the 2026 Stagg Bowl on January 4. NCC fell to UWRF 24-14, finishing the 2025 season at 14-1 overall, with head coach Brad Spencer posting an outstanding record of 58-2 during his four seasons coaching the Cardinals.

With 2026 just around the corner, North Central hopes to win its third national championship in five years, and its fourth title dating back to 2019. But the Cardinals will face two strong opponents to start the season, as they host d3football.com preseason #2 Bethel (Minn.) in the season opener on September 5,  then travel to Iowa to face #9 Wartburg the following weekend. 

2025 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order; click the links below to find the schedules)

483. Augustana (Ill.)

484. Carroll (Wis.) 

485. Carthage

486. Elmhurst

487. Illinois Wesleyan

488. Millikin

489. North Central

490. North Park

491. Wheaton


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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

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

Overview: The Hanover College Panthers from Hanover, Indiana, overcame a 0-2 start to their 2025 season, reeling off eight straight wins, including an unbeaten 6-0 showing in conference play, to win the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) championship. The Panthers then extended their winning streak to nine straight games after outlasting and eliminating Grove City (Pa.), 23-15, in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs, before falling to North Central the following week, ending their season at 9-3 overall.

Moving on to the 2026 season, Hanover hopes not only to add another HCAC championship to its trophy case but also to advance deeper in postseason play after the Panthers' second-round playoff exit last fall. But expect Mount St. Joseph to mount a serious challenge to Hanover's hopes of a repeat conference crown after the Lions finished 6-5 overall and 5-1 in HCAC play in 2025.

  

2025 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order; click the links below to find the schedules)


476. Anderson

477. Bluffton

478. Franklin

479. Hanover

480. Manchester

481. Mount St. Joseph

482. Rose-Hulman

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) (NCAA Division III)

Overview: The University of Mount Union Purple Raiders won their 36th all-time Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championship after finishing unbeaten in OAC action at 8-0 and 10-0 to finish the regular season. But after crushing Muhlenberg 49-7 to open the NCAA Division III playoffs on November 29, the Purple Raiders' 2025 season ended in a shocking way, as former OAC and now-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) member John Carroll upset them 10-7 in double overtime the following week. Mount Union's season ended at 11-1 overall following the loss to John Carroll.

As the 2026 season approaches, Mount Union will not only look to win an unprecedented 37th all-time conference championship but also to win that elusive 14th national championship in program history, with their last title coming in 2017. However, multiple challengers such as Ohio Northern (8-3 overall in 2025) and Baldwin-Wallace (8-2) hope to break the stranglehold that the Purple Raiders have had on the OAC for most of the past 30-40 years. 

 

2025 Ohio Athletic Conference Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules 

467. Baldwin-Wallace

468. Capital

469. Heidelberg

470. Marietta

471. Mount Union

472. Muskingum

473. Ohio Northern

474. Otterbein

475. Wilmington

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

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

Overview: The John Carroll University Blue Streaks of University Heights, Ohio, made history in 2025, clinching their first-ever North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) championship in their inaugural season in the league at 8-0 and 9-1 overall. They carried their regular-season success into the NCAA Division III playoffs, including a double-overtime upset win over former Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) foe Mount Union in the third round. JCU's season ended at 12-2 overall after losing to North Central in the national semifinals on December 20. 

Moving on to 2026, John Carroll will enter the upcoming season as the favorite to repeat as NCAC champions, with the Blue Streaks receiving six of 10 first-place votes in the preseason coaches' poll, while DePauw (10-2 overall, 7-1 in the NCAC in 2025) received the remaining four votes. Don't count out Wabash (9-2, 6-2) as a potential sleeper to win the conference this fall, while NCAC this fall, while Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) (8-3 overall in 2025), joins the league as a football-only member after playing in the CCIW for the past seven seasons. 

2025 NCAC Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules 

457. Denison

458. DePauw 

459. John Carroll

460. Kenyon

461. Oberlin

462. Ohio Wesleyan

463. Wabash

464. Washington-St. Louis

465. Wittenberg

466. Wooster

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA)-(NCAA Division III)

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

Overview: Expect another tight, close race for the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) title in 2026, with Alma (8-3, 7-0 in 2025) looking to successfully defend its title, while Hope (9-2, 6-1), Adrian (8-2, 5-2), and Calvin (7-3, 4-3) all hope to mount serious challenges to the Scots supremacy atop "America's Oldest Collegiate Conference."

   

2025 Final MIAA Football Standings

2026 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order; click the links below to find the schedules)

449. Adrian

450. Albion

451. Alma

452. Calvin

453. Hope

454. Kalamazoo

455. Olivet

456. Trine

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC)-(NCAA Division II)

2025 GMAC Final Standings (Courtesy of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference)

Overview: The race for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) title in 2025 was close from start to finish, with Ashland and Findlay tied for first place in conference play at 8-1, and both finishing their respective seasons at 10-3 and 10-2 overall. Expect Northwood, which finished a close third in G-MAC action at 7-2 and 9-3 overall last fall, to be a factor in this fall's race.

439. Ashland

440. Findlay

441. Hillsdale

442. Kentucky Wesleyan

443. Lake Erie

444. Northwood

445. Ohio Dominican

446. Thomas More

447. Tiffin

448. Walsh

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) (NCAA Division II)

Editor's Note: Effective with this post, there will be brief one- or two-sentence analyses of each conference, followed by the schedules for all current teams. As always, stay with RFC for continuing coverage of non-power conference college football all season long.

Quick Hitter Analysis: After becoming only the fourth different college football team in history to finish a season undefeated at 16-0 overall (1894 Yale, 2019 North Dakota State, and 2025 Indiana), the Ferris State University Bulldogs from Big Rapids, Michigan, will try to win their third straight NCAA Division II national championship, and fifth in the last six seasons, in 2026. Ferris State outscored all 16 opponents 844-366 in 2025, averaging almost 53 points per game.

2025 GLIAC Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to find the schedules)

431. Davenport

432. Ferris State

433. Grand Valley State

434. Michigan Tech

435. Northern Michigan

436. Roosevelt

437. Saginaw Valley State

438. Wayne State (Mich.)

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC)-(NCAA Division II)

Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) (NCAA Division II)

Overview: The University of Indianapolis Greyhounds cruised to yet another Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) championship after posting an undefeated mark of 8-0 in GLVC play and 10-1 at the end of the regular season. The Greyhounds crushed fellow conference foe Truman State 57-14 in the first round before being upset by Minnesota State in the second round for a final finish of 11-2 in 2025. 

The upcoming 2026 season will be the last for UIndy in the GLVC, as school officials announced on June 24 that the Greyhounds will join the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) in 2027. The move will bring the GLVC's football-playing membership to eight schools by then. 

In the meantime, though, expect UIndy to shoot for its fifth-straight GLVC title this fall, with teams like Truman State (8-4 overall, 7-1 in the GLVC in 2025) and Upper Iowa (9-3, 6-2) hoping to dethrone the Greyhounds in their GLVC swan song. 

Predicted Order of Finish (courtesy of the Great Lakes Valley Conference)

2025 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order; click the links below to find the schedules)

422. Indianapolis

423. Lincoln (Mo.)

424. McKendree

425. Missouri S&T

426. Quincy

427. Southwest Baptist

428. Truman State

429. Upper Iowa

430. William Jewell

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Gulf South Conference (GSC)-(NCAA Division II)

Gulf South Conference (GSC) (NCAA Division II)

Overview: The Gulf South Conference (GSC) played with just four teams in 2025, with the University of West Florida Argonauts posting the best overall record, finishing 10-2. The Argonauts were one of two GSC teams to advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs last season, defeating and eliminating North Greenville, 43-19, in the first round, before being ousted by Newberry 24-17, in what proved to be their final game as a member of both the GSC and the NCAA Division II ranks. On April 2, 2026, UWF announced it was moving up to NCAA Division I, joining the United Athletic Conference for FCS football. 

The only other GSC squad to advance to postseason play last fall was the Valdosta State University Blazers from Valdosta, Georgia. After struggling to a 3-4 record in non-conference play, the Blazers thrived in GSC action, upsetting UWF, 47-44, in overtime to claim their 12th conference title in program history. VSU's season ended at 6-5 overall with a 35-30 loss at Albany State (Ga.) the following week.

With just three teams heading into 2026, the GSC faces an uncertain future, at least from a football standpoint. With no automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs to fall back on, every game that Valdosta State, Delta State (7-3 overall in 2025), and West Alabama (5-4) will play this season will be important if any of those squads hope to play deep into November or even December, for that matter. That means that even one loss, never mind two or more, could be costly to their potential postseason hopes. 

2025 Gulf South Conference Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order; click the links below to find the schedules)

419. Delta State

420. Valdosta State

421. West Alabama


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