Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)-(NAIA)
Overview: The 2022 football season for the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) could best be described as "a tale of two teams" from Iowa, with both squads experiencing their best and worst moments throughout the year.
One of the "best moments" for the GPAC came in the season opener between the then-defending national champion Morningside University Mustangs and the Northwestern College Red Raiders from Orange City, Iowa on September 3. In a contest that lived up to all of the expectations, the Mustangs held off the Red Raiders 30-29. Morningside then cruised through the rest of its' regular season schedule to finish it at 10-0 overall, with the Mustangs claiming their 13th GPAC championship.
As it turned out, however, this close clash vs. Morningside proved to be the only game that Northwestern would lose all season, as the Red Raiders ended the season with 13 straight wins, winning all of their contests by at least 10 points or more. Their season ended with a 35-25 win over Keiser (Fla.) in the NAIA national championship game on December 17. It was Northwestern's first national championship since winning the now-defunct NAIA Division II title in 1983, as well as their third overall, which came in 1973.
As for the "worst moment" of the 2022 season from the GPAC perspective, it happened on November 26. That was when the aforementioned Keiser squad rallied in the final minutes and seconds to pull off the upset over Morningside 29-28, to end the Mustangs quest for back-to-back national championships. Morningside's season ended at 11-1 overall following the stunning loss to the Seahawks from West Palm Beach, Florida.
Going into the 2023 season, it appears to be Northwestern/Morningside vs. "the field", as the Red Raiders were picked to finish first in the GPAC, while the Mustangs came in a close second in the conference's preseason poll. Expect Saturday, October 28 to be the "most-marked date on the calendar" for this fall, at least as far as NAIA football is concerned. That's when Northwestern plays host to Morningside in a contest that could decide this year's GPAC champion.
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 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.
Briar Cliff
Concordia (Neb.)
Dakota Wesleyan
Doane
Dordt
Hastings
Jamestown
Midland
Morningside
2023 Schedules (Teams 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, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 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.
Briar Cliff
Concordia (Neb.)
Dakota Wesleyan
Doane
Dordt
Hastings
Jamestown
Midland
Morningside
Mount Marty
Northwestern (Iowa)
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
Northwestern (Iowa)
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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