South Atlantic Conference (SAC)-(NCAA Division II)
Overview: It was a bizarre 2021 season for the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), as an unlikely champion in the Newberry College Wolves rose to the top of this traditionally competitive conference last fall. The Wolves finished first in the SAC at 7-1, while also finished the regular season at 9-2. Newberry stunned the small college football world when they pulled off the upset over the then-defending NCAA Division II national champion University of West Florida Argonauts in the first round of the playoffs by the final score of 33-30 on November 20. The Wolves then fell to Bowie State, 13-10, the following week to finish their season at 10-3 overall.
As if things weren't strange already, three other SAC squads finished the fall 2021 season at 8-3 overall, as well as a three-way tie for second place in conference play at 6-2 once the smoke cleared at the end of the regular season. The Lenoir-Rhyne University Bears were one of those teams, as they lost to that same Bowie State squad in the first round. On the other hand, the other two teams that finished in that three-way tie for second place fell short of advancing to postseason play, as the Mars Hill University Lions lost a heartbreaker to the only other team to finish in that tie in the Wingate University Bulldogs, 26-19, on the final day of the regular season, November 13.
The 2022 season will mark multiple changes for the SAC, as the Barton College Bulldogs from Wilson, North Carolina, as well as the Erskine College Flying Fleet from Due West, South Carolina, will join the league as associate members for football-only over the next two years-2022 and 2023. Also, the Emory & Henry University Wasps are in the midst of transitioning from the NCAA Division III to the NCAA Division II ranks, while the Anderson University Trojans from Anderson, South Carolina hope to start their football program by 2024.
With that said, expect another competitive season in the SAC this fall, with an inaugural conference championship game to be played on November 12, between the top two teams in the final regular-season standings.
2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.
2022 Schedules (Teams are listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2022 season. The link (s) will appear in each blog post when the team's schedule is submitted. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and more.
*-Ineligible for the South Atlantic Conference title, transitioning from the NCAA Division III level.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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