RFC Small College Preview: New England Football Conference (NEFC)

New England Football Conference (NEFC) 

2015 Football Standings - NEFC

2016 NEFC Schedule

Looking back: The Western New England University Golden Bears cruised through the regular season undefeated en route to the New England Football Conference (NEFC) championship in 2015. Their run through the NCAA Division III playoffs, however, was cut short by Johns Hopkins, as the Blue Jays cruised to a convincing 52-20 win in the first round.

Looking ahead: The 2016 season will be the last for the NEFC, as the league will split into two separate conferences in time for the 2017 season, with three of its teams moving to the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC), while the rest will make the move to the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC). In the meantime, expect Western New England to be the favorite to win the final NEFC title in 2016.

Predicted order of finish (2015 overall record in parentheses):

1. Western New England (10-1): The Golden Bears will take aim at back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances this fall.

2. Salve Regina (8-2): If the Seahawks hope to advance to the D-III dance in 2016, they must replace a 1,000-yard receiver in Alex Hulme, as well as multiple other seniors on last year's roster.

3. Endicott (5-5): The Gulls face a tough road ahead if they hope to have a winning record in 2016, as they'll face six teams that finished 2015 with a .500 or better record. That includes three teams advanced to the D-III dance last year (Framingham State, St. Lawrence, and Western New England). 

4. Coast Guard (5-5): Head Coach Bill George enters his 18th season at the Bears helm hoping they can walk away with the last-ever NEFC championship this fall.

5. Curry (4-6): The Colonels enter the 2016 campaign hoping to snap a streak of three straight losing seasons (2013-2015).

6. Maine Maritime (3-6): Speaking of snapping similar streaks, the Mariners are seeking their first winning season since 2010, when they finished 8-3 overall.

7. MIT (2-8):  After a storybook 2014 season that included an unbeaten regular season, as well as the program's first-ever NCAA playoff appearance, the Engineers fell back to earth in 2015, struggling to a 2-5 mark in NEFC play. They hope that 2016 will be the "Year Of The Bounce-Back"!!!

8. Nichols (1-9): Head Coach Dale Olmsted begins his third season at the Bison helm. His main task will be to turn around a program that has won just four games combined over the past four years (2012-2015).

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