RFC Throwback Thursday 2026 Debut: North Dakota State vs. Jacksonville State-2016

(Video courtesy of NCAA/ESPN.)

Welcome to another season of "RFC Throwback Thursday", only on the Real Football Central blog. Each week during the college football season, "RFC Throwback Thursday" takes a look back at some of the greatest games and moments in "alternative college football" history, or the history of college football outside of the so-called "power conferences," such as the SEC or Big 10 for example. 

This week, the clock gets turned back to January 9, 2016. That was when the North Dakota State University Bison faced the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks from Jacksonville, Alabama, in the FCS national championship game at Frisco, Texas, concluding the 2015 season. Led by future NFL quarterback Carson Wentz, the third-seeded Bison crushed the top-seeded Gamecocks, 37-10, to win their fifth-straight national championship dating back to 2011. NDSU would go on to win five more FCS national championships-2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024-before beginning the transition to the FBS level in 2026. 

As for Jacksonville State, the Gamecocks continued to compete at the FCS level until 2023. That was when they began their own transition to the FBS ranks. Jax State has played in a bowl game in all three seasons as an FBS member, winning two of those contests (the New Orleans Bowl in 2023 and the Salute to Veterans Bowl in 2025) and one Conference USA title over the last three seasons. 

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)-(NAIA)

Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)-(NAIA)

2025 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Football Final Standings

2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Preseason Coaches Poll

2026 Schedules.

550. Briar Cliff

551. Concordia (Neb.)

552. Dakota Wesleyan

553. Doane

554. Dordt

555. Hastings

556. Midland

557. Morningside

558. Mount Marty

559. Northwestern (Iowa)

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC)-(NCAA Division II)

Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) (NCAA Division II)

NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll

2025 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Football Final Standings


536. Augustana (S.D.)

537. Bemidji State

538. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.)

539. Jamestown (N.D.)

540. Minnesota-Duluth

541. Minnesota State

542. Minot State

543. MSU Moorhead

544. Northern State

545. Sioux Falls

546. Southwest Minnesota State

547. U Mary

548. Wayne State (Neb.)

549. Winona State

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RFC Weekly Predictions: THE 2026 DEBUT

Editor's Note: This is the first installment of the "RFC Weekly Predictions" on Real Football Central. Each week during the 2026 season, we'll look at the top games in FBS (Group of 6), FCS, and small-college football (NCAA Division II, Division III, and NAIA) with predictions!

Suppose you're wondering what the "Group of Six" is. In that case, it consists of the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, as well as the Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt Conferences. As always, there are no games involving any teams from the "Power Conferences" or Notre Dame, for that matter (although with the current conference realignment at the FBS level, there may be some "wiggle room" for flexibility as the season progresses). So, without further ado, it's time to get started.

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Six

Saturday, August 29

Jacksonville State at North Dakota State

(The Bison battle the Gamecocks in their FBS debut!)

Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan

(The Eagles play host to the Hornets in the first-ever FBS contest for the former FCS Big Sky Conference program!)

Memphis at UNLV

(Finally, in the "Game of the Week" for the "Group of Six Conferences", the Rebels from the Mountain West Conference face the Tigers from the American Conference in a clash that could impact the "College Football Playoff" race as the season progresses!)

FCS

Thursday, August 27

Maine at Towson

Mercyhurst at Youngstown State

Long Island at North Dakota

Saturday, August 29

Central Connecticut State at South Dakota

(The Coyotes from the Missouri Valley Football Conference clash with the Blue Devils from the NEC in the first-ever meeting between the two teams!)

Monmouth (N.J.) at Tennessee Tech

(In another match-up with potential playoff implications later in the season, the Southern Conference Golden Eagles host the CAA Blue Hawks!)

Southern Utah at Montana

Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State

NCAA Division II

Thursday, August 27

Ferris State at Pittsburg State (Kan.)

(The defending national champion Bulldogs from Michigan travel to Kansas to face the Gorillas to begin the defense of their latest national championship!)

Minnesota-Duluth at Slippery Rock

Central Missouri at Colorado State-Pueblo

Western Colorado at West Texas A&M

Friday, August 28

Delta State at Northeastern State (Okla.)

NAIA

Thursday, August 27

Reinhardt at Lindsey Wilson

Ottawa (Ariz.) at Montana Tech

Friday, August 28

Dordt at Indiana Wesleyan

Saturday, August 29

Benedictine (Kan.) at Morningside

St. Francis (Ind.) at Campbellsville

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) (NCAA Division III)

Overview: It's hard to think of even one, much less two, big games to start the season, yet it's happening for the two teams that finished in the top two spots of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in 2025.

First, the Bethel University Royals of Arden Hills, Minnesota, will travel to Naperville, Illinois, to face the North Central College Cardinals in a rare season-opening showdown between the preseason #1 and #2-ranked teams in the nation, according to d3football.com. It'll be a rematch of last year's NCAA Division III quarterfinal playoff game. In that contest, the Cardinals ended the Royals' season with a 35-21 loss on December 13, ending Bethel's season at 12-1 overall. 

The other major opening weekend contest involving the MIAC on September 5 has the Saint John's University Johnnies of Collegeville, Minnesota, hosting the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles. SJU finished the 2025 season at 10-2 overall after losing to eventual national champion Wisconsin-River Falls in the third round of the D-III playoffs on December 3. The Johnnies enter this September 5 contest ranked #11 in the d3football.com preseason poll, while the Eagles, who ended the 2025 season at 8-3 overall after losing to North Central in the third round, come in at #10.

But the one contest that could decide the MIAC championship will take place less than a month after both Bethel and St. John's play their lone non-conference games, as the Johnnies will play host to the Royals on October 3. In their only meeting of 2025, the Royals handed the Johnnies a 17-10 loss on October 4. On the other hand, Bethel's win over St. John's helped the Royals win their second MIAC title in the last three seasons.

To make a long story short, Saturday, September 5th, 2026 can't arrive quickly enough for the entire MIAC, especially for Bethel and St. John's. The opening games for both squads could set the tone for the rest of the 2026 season. 

2025 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Football Final Standings

526. Augsburg

527. Bethel (Minn.)

528. Carleton

529. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.)

530. Gustavus Adolphus

531. Hamline

532. Macalester

533. St. John's

534. St. Olaf

535. St. Scholastica

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The RFC MYC: Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) (NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Crown College Polars from St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, will look to take the next step in winning their program's first-ever postseason contest after finishing the 2025 season at 7-4 overall, 6-1 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC), and winning the conference championship in the process. The Polars' season ended with a 76-14 loss to Wheaton in the first round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. 

2025 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules 


520. Crown

521. Greenville

522. Martin Luther

523. Minnesota-Morris

524. Northwestern (Minn.)

525. Westminster (Mo.)

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) (NCAA Division III)

Overview: The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) produced its first NCAA Division III football national champion since the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks won it all in 2014, as the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons used a strong second half to dethrone the defending national champion North Central College Cardinals, 24-14, and win their first-ever national championship in the Stagg Bowl on January 4, 2026. UWRF finished its historic 2025 season at 14-1 overall after pulling off the upset over NCC.

A quick look ahead to the 2026 season suggests the WIAC will be among the toughest conferences in Division III yet again this fall. In fact, the four WIAC teams that were ranked in the d3football.com preseason poll-Platteville at #6, River Falls at #7, La Crosse at #10, and Whitewater at #11- all advanced to the D-III playoffs in 2025. 

So, don't be surprised if any of those four squads, or any of the other squads, for that matter, not only make a surprise run at the WIAC title, but also make that deep run to a potential national championship that River Falls made last fall. 

 

2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Football Final Standings

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



512. Wisconsin-Eau Claire

513. Wisconsin-LaCrosse

514. Wisconsin-Oshkosh

515. Wisconsin-Platteville

516. Wisconsin-River Falls

517. Wisconsin-Stevens Point

518. Wisconsin-Stout

519. Wisconsin-Whitewater

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The RFC Offseason Schedule Tracker: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC)-(NCAA Division III)

Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) (NCAA Division III)

Overview: Can the Concordia University Eagles of Mequon, Wisconsin, repeat as Northern Athletics Conference (NACC) champions after posting an unbeaten record of 8-0 in conference play and 9-2 overall in 2025? Or can the Aurora University Spartans of Aurora, Illinois, bounce back and try to win their seventh NACC crown in eight years after a second-place finish in NACC action at 6-2 and 8-3 overall? Or could another team step up and finish on top come November? At least one of those questions could be answered as the 2026 season draws closer to reality. 

2025 NACC Football Final Standings

2026 Schedules 

503. Aurora

504. Benedictine (Ill.)

505. Concordia-Chicago (Ill.)

506. Concordia (Wis.)

507. Eureka

508. Lakeland

509. Rockford

510. St. Norbert

511. Wisconsin Lutheran

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