Friday, August 21, 2026

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. 
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Thursday, August 20, 2026

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. 

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Wednesday, August 19, 2026

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. 

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Tuesday, August 18, 2026

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. 


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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. 




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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Sunday, August 16, 2026

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


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Friday, August 14, 2026

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. 

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Thursday, August 13, 2026

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. 


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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