RFC Summer Semester: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Preview (NCAA Division III)

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

Website

2013 Final Standings

Past Seasons--Since 2008 (Courtesy of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference)

Looking back: Concordia (Wis.)--(8-3 overall) cruised through an unbeaten conference season at 6-0 to claim the 2013 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) football championship. The Falcons run in the NCAA Division III playoffs, however, was cut short in the first round, as Wisconsin-Platteville won convincingly, 54-20.


Looking ahead: Can the Concordia from Wisconsin make it back-to-back in the NACC, as in back-to-back NACC titles.  Or can the Concordia from Chicago bounce back after going from 10-1 and a playoff team in 2012, to a dismal 2-8 and no playoffs in 2013? Or can someone like Lakeland step up and take control?  It's like the saying goes, "that's why they play the games." Oh, and dating back to 2008, five different schools--Aurora, Benedictine (Ill.), Concordia (Chicago), Concordia (Wis.), and Lakeland--have won at least a share of the conference title.

Predicted order of finish (2013 overall record in parentheses):

1. Lakeland (7-3):  Coming off a 5-1 finish, as well as a season-ending three-game winning streak, don't be surprised if the Muskies win their first league title since 2009.
2. Concordia (Wis.)--(8-3):  But the Falcons aren't going to go quietly going into 2014.

3. Wisconsin Lutheran (4-6):  The Warriors hope for a better performance under returning head coach Dennis Miller, who stepped down for personal reasons after leading the them to a program-best 7-3 overall mark in 2012.

4. Benedictine (Ill.)--(7-3):  Head Coach Jon Cooper must replace 13 seniors who helped lead the Eagles to third place in the NACC, finishing 4-2 in league games last season.

5. Aurora (3-7):  The Spartans are hoping to start over under new head coach Rick Ponx, whose last postseason appearance came in 2008, finishing at 9-2 overall.

6. Concordia (Chicago)--(2-8):  Cougars face a long, hard road back to the top of the NACC after a miserable 2013 season.

7. Rockford (1-9):  The Regents will look to snap a skid of six straight losing seasons dating back to 2008.  They've won just six games overall since then.

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