THE RFC MYC: American Rivers Conference (ARC)-(NCAA Division III)

Overview: It was a "tale of two seasons" for the American Rivers Conference (ARC), formerly the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC), as the recently rebranded NCAA Division III league (2018) had not only had two of its teams advance to postseason play but also like most conferences, had to settle for playing a limited schedule of games due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, both Central and Wartburg shared the ARC crown after finishing the regular season at 10-2 overall and 7-1 in conference play. However, it was the Dutch that earned the ARC's automatic bid to the D-III playoffs after stunning the Knights 57-56 in a dramatic overtime thriller on November 9. Both teams advanced to the second round before being eliminated, with Central losing to Wheaton, while Wartburg fell to eventual national runner-up Wisconsin-Whitewater.

As mentioned above, most of the ARC's teams had to settle for playing a significantly abbreviated schedule of games during the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19, as seven of the conference's nine teams played only one or two games, with Buena Vista and Wartburg choosing to "opt-out" due to the pandemic. Central and Loras were the only teams to finish the shortened season undefeated at 2-0 overall, while Dubuque outlasted Coe 17-13 on March 27 in its lone contest of the spring to finish its season at 1-0.

Going into the traditional fall season of 2021, expect Central and Wartburg to be the teams to beat in the ARC once again, although squads such as Dubuque, Coe, Loras, and Simpson, among others, could have a say in the conversation as far as who might ultimately come out on top in this conference.

2019 American Rivers Conference Football Final Standings

2021 (Spring) American Rivers Conference Football Final Standings 

NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2021 (fall) season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for preseason previews, schedules, schedule updates, and much more.

Buena Vista

Central

Coe

Dubuque

Loras

Luther

Nebraska Wesleyan

Simpson

Wartburg

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