The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker:Centennial Conference (CC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: The 2025 season proved to be a banner year for the Centennial Conference, as six of its eight squads advanced to postseason play in some form last fall.

Of those eight teams, three advanced to the NCAA Division III playoffs last season, with second-place Johns Hopkins advancing the farthest. Despite settling for an at-large bid to the playoffs after finishing 6-1 in CC action, the Blue Jays proved why they were one of the nation's elite programs, as they posted convincing wins over Springfield, Salisbury, and Susquehanna, before succumbing to eventual national champion Wisconsin-River Falls 48-41 in the national semifinals on December 20. JHU's season ended at 12-2 after falling to the Falcons.

Meanwhile, two other CC squads advanced to NCAA postseason play after posting solid regular-season performances. Franklin & Marshall made history last fall, as the Diplomats finished CC action unbeaten at 7-0 after upsetting Johns Hopkins in the regular-season finale for both teams, and advanced to the D-III playoffs for the first time ever, only to lose to another first-time participant in Eastern 28-24, in the second round to finish the season at 9-2.

On the other hand, Muhlenberg was the only other CC team to earn an NCAA playoff bid, with the Mules outlasting Union (N.Y.) 34-26 in the first round before being crushed by Mount Union, 49-7, in the second round, to end their season at 9-3. Both of the Mules' regular-season setbacks came against F&M, 28-27 on October 11, and against JHU, 47-26 on November 1, as they settled for a third-place finish in conference play at 5-2. 

Finally, the three remaining teams from the CC that advanced to postseason play all finished 3-4 in conference games, with Ursinus defeating Lebanon Valley 31-13 to finish 7-4 overall, Carnegie Mellon outlasting Misericordia 24-17 to end its season at 6-5, and Dickinson dropping a 14-13 decision to Delaware Valley to close their campaign at 5-6. All three games were played as a part of the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series, which features contests between teams from the Centennial and Middle Atlantic Conferences.    

With a #6 preseason ranking from Lindy's Sports, expect Johns Hopkins to be the team to beat in the Centennial Conference again this fall. However, don't be surprised if Franklin & Marshall, Muhlenberg, and the rest of the CC have something to say about who comes out on top in 2026. 

237. Carnegie Mellon

238. Dickinson

239. Franklin & Marshall

240. Gettysburg

241. Johns Hopkins

242. McDaniel

243. Muhlenberg

244. Ursinus

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Mountain East Conference (MEC)-(NCAA Division II)

Mountain East Conference (MEC)-(NCAA Division II)

Overview: The Frostburg State University Bobcats from Maryland and the University of Charleston Golden Eagles of West Virginia both shared the Mountain East Conference (MEC) football championship in 2025 after both teams finished 7-1 in conference play. Frostburg State finished the regular season at 9-2, while Charleston finished at 8-3.

But it was the Bobcats that emerged as the first-ever automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Division II playoffs from the MEC after they defeated the Golden Eagles 32-30 in a triple-overtime thriller on October 18. Frostburg State's lone loss in MEC play came the week before, on October 11. That's when the Bobcats fell to Glenville State, 19-13, in double overtime.

As for Charleston, all three of the Golden Eagles' losses came to California (Pa.), West Alabama, and Frostburg State. Additionally, all three of UC's losses were by a combined 10 points: 23-19 to the Vulcans, 28-24 to the Tigers, and 32-30 to the Bobcats.

In the NCAA Division II playoffs, Frostburg State pulled off back-to-back wins on the road, as the Bobcats pulled off the upset over CIAA champion Johnson C. Smith 21-7 in the first round, followed by a 23-21 win over Cal U in the second round, before being crushed by eventual national semifinalist Kutztown 51-29 in the quarterfinals. Frostburg State's season ended at 11-3 after losing to the Golden Bears.

As the 2026 season approaches, expect Frostburg State to be favored to win another MEC championship this fall, with Charleston being among the multiple challengers for the top spot in this challenging conference. 

228. Charleston (W. Va.)

229. Concord

230. Fairmont State

231. Frostburg State

232. Glenville State 

233. West Liberty

234. West Virginia State

235. West Virginia Wesleyan

236. Wheeling

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: Despite an 0-2 start to their season, the Washington & Jefferson College Presidents still managed to dominate the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) in 2025, as they not only finished PAC action undefeated at 8-0, but also won all eight conference games by double digits, with the closest contest coming in a 28-17 win over Case Western Reserve on November 1.

Meanwhile, the Grove City College Wolverines had another good season last fall, finishing second in PAC play at 7-1. Their lone loss in league play came in the league opener to W&J on September 27, with the Wolverines losing to the Presidents 34-14. GCC ended its regular season with seven straight wins.

Three PAC teams advanced to postseason play in 2025, with W&J earning the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs thanks to its undefeated conference season, while GCC earned an at-large bid. Both teams saw their seasons end heartbreakingly in the D-III playoffs, as the Presidents lost to Susquehanna 38-32 and the Wolverines fell to Hanover on the road in Indiana 38-32. W&J and GCC both finished their respective seasons at 8-3. 

The third team from the PAC that advanced to postseason play last season was the Westminster College Titans. After a third-place finish in PAC play at 6-2, the Titans also ended their 2025 season at 8-3 after knocking off Mount St. Joseph 40-21 in the Extra Points Bowl in Canton, Ohio, on November 22. The Titans ended their season on a four-game winning streak.

The 2026 season for the PAC sees the addition of one new member in the Saint Francis University Red Wolves (formerly the Red Flash) of Loretto, Pennsylvania. St. Francis joins the league after spending the last 33 seasons at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level, winning two Northeast Conference (NEC) championships in 2016 and 2022. Because of the transition to Division III, SFU is ineligible for the PAC championship or postseason play. The addition of St. Francis will give the PAC 12 football-playing schools for this season.

216. Allegheny

217. Bethany (W. Va.)

218. Case Western Reserve

219. Geneva

220. Grove City

221. Hiram

222. St. Francis (Pa.)*

223. Saint Vincent

224. Thiel

225. Washington & Jefferson

226. Waynesburg

227. Westminster (Pa.)

*-Transitioning from the NCAA Division I (FCS) level to the NCAA Division III level.

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC)-(NCAA Division II)

Overview: Can any team stop the Kutztown University Golden Bears? That's the question the other 15 programs in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) must answer as the 2026 football season approaches.

KU had its best season in school history in 2025, advancing to the NCAA Division II national semifinals. Sadly, Kutztown's season came to a close at 14-1 overall after losing to eventual national runner-up Harding 49-27 on December 13.

Aside from Kutztown's outstanding season, the PSAC proved to be a "master class" in parity last fall. No other PSAC squad won more than 10 games, although two West Division teams advanced to postseason play. Indiana (Pa.) lost to Assumption in the first round of the D-II playoffs to finish at 7-4, while fellow rival California (Pa.) managed to advance to the second round despite finishing 3-3 in PSAC play. The Vulcans upset Virginia Union on the road in the first round, before losing to Frostburg State in a 23-21 heartbreaker to end their season at 9-4.

The PSAC will have a new look to its line-up in 2026, with the Lackawanna College Falcons from Scranton, Pennsylvania, joining the mix this fall. The addition of Lackawanna gives the PSAC 16 teams this season, with eight teams, including Lackawanna, in the East Division and eight squads playing in the West Division. The addition of Lackawanna forced Lock Haven to move to the West Division.

Still, no matter what the makeup of the PSAC will be, Kutztown will still be the team to beat, as the Golden Bears hope to win their fourth-straight conference title this fall. That is, until and unless another squad proves otherwise. 

Final 2025 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Football Standings

East Division

200. Bloomsburg

201. East Stroudsburg

202. Kutztown

203. Lackawanna

204. Millersville

205. Shepherd

206. Shippensburg

207. West Chester

West Division

208. California (Pa.)

209. Clarion

210. Edinboro

211. Gannon

212. Indiana (Pa.)

213. Lock Haven

214. Seton Hill

215. Slippery Rock

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Northeast 10 Conference (NE10)-(NCAA Division II)

Northeast 10 Conference (NE10)-(NCAA Division II)

Overview: The Bentley University Falcons made history in 2025, becoming the first-ever Northeast 10 Conference team to advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs via an automatic qualifier. The Falcons finished 6-1 in NE10 action, knocking off Assumption 20-17 on November 8 to clinch the conference crown.

In the D-II playoffs, Bentley's season ended swiftly, as eventual national semifinalist Kutztown crushed the Falcons 52-0 in the first round. Bentley finished the 2025 season at 7-4 overall after the loss to the Golden Bears in Pennsylvania.

As for Assumption, the Greyhounds finished the regular season at 6-2 in NE10 play and 8-2 overall. They stunned Indiana (Pa.) 23-20 on the road in the first round, before falling to Kutztown 56-19 in the second round. Assumption's season ended at 9-3 overall.

Expect a tight race to the top for the Northeast 10 Conference title this fall.

192. American International

193. Assumption

194. Bentley

195. Franklin Pierce

196. Pace

197. Post

198. Saint Anselm

199. Southern Connecticut State

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Pacific-12 Conference (FBS Group Of Six)

Pacific-12 Conference (FBS Group Of Six)

Overview: There are so many reasons to like the new Pacific-12 Conference, or Pac-12 for short.

One reason may be the competitiveness of the programs themselves, as six of the eight teams were bowl-eligible in 2025, with all six squads settling for a combined 3-3 record in bowl games. That included Washington State outlasting Utah State 34-21 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on December 22.

Another reason could be that most of the new programs in the Pac-12 came over from other conferences. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State all joined their new league from the Mountain West Conference, while Texas State made the move from the Sun Belt Conference. That leaves Oregon State and Washington State as the only squads to not change conferences.

But maybe the biggest reason the new Pac-12 may be so well-liked is the way the conference schedule is set up. All eight teams will play seven conference games, with a "flex game" scheduled for the final week of the regular season on the week of November 28. The top two teams will play each other in the Pac-12 championship game on December 4.

With that said, expect a competitive race for the inaugural crown of the all-new Pacific-12 Conference this fall.

184. Boise State

185. Colorado State

186. Fresno State

187. Oregon State

188. San Diego State

189. Texas State

190. Utah State

191. Washington State

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Six)

Mountain West Conference (FBS Group Of Six)

Overview: Do you notice anything different about the Mountain West Conference going into the 2026 season? The major difference is in which teams have left the now 28-year-old league, and who's coming in to join it.

The biggest change of all is that eight teams (all with the word "State" in their names) will soon become members of the new-look Pacific-12 Conference. That leaves 10 schools taking the field in the newly restructured Mountain West Conference.

The newcomers for 2026 in the MWC are UTEP from Conference USA, Northern Illinois from the Mid-American Conference, and maybe the most-talked-about newcomer of all time, the North Dakota State University Bison from Fargo, North Dakota. 

NDSU joins the FBS ranks after dominating the FCS level for most of the last 15 years, winning 10 national championships all-time dating back to the 2011 season. That run includes five straight titles from 2011-2015, 2017-2019, and their most recent crowns in 2021 and 2024.

It'll be interesting to see how competitive the Bison will be in a conference that includes longtime members such as New Mexico and UNLV. Both of those squads are expected to be serious contenders for the Mountain West Conference crown this season.

 

174. Air Force

175. Hawai'i

176. New Mexico

177. Nevada

178. North Dakota State*

179. Northern Illinois

180. San Jose State

181. UNLV

182. UTEP

183. Wyoming

*-North Dakota State is transitioning from the FCS to the FBS level in 2026.

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