Thursday, August 28, 2025

RFC Weekly Predictions: THE 2025 DEBUT Part 3

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.


Featured games in BOLD type.

NCAA Division II

Thursday, August 28


Bemidji State at Michigan Tech

(The NSIC Beavers hit the road to face the GLIAC Huskies in the season opener for both teams!!!!!)

Pittsburg State at Ferris State

(The defending national champion Bulldogs begin their quest for another national championship when they go up against the Gorillas in Kansas!!!!!)

Central Missouri at Delta State

Colorado Mesa at Central Washington

Edinboro at East Stroudsburg 

Minnesota State-Moorhead at Northern Michigan

Nebraska-Kearney at Wayne State (Nebraska)

Northeastern State at Saginaw Valley State

Northwest Missouri State at Minnesota State

West Texas A&M at Western Colorado

Wheeling at Clarion


Friday, August 29

Lenoir-Rhyne at West Florida

(The Bears from North Carolina travel to the Florida Panhandle to face the Argonauts in a critical season opener for both teams!!!!!)

NAIA

Thursday, August 28

Texas Wesleyan at Lindsey Wilson

(The upstart Rams travel to Kentucky to face the Blue Raiders in the season opener for both teams!!!!!)

Olivet Nazarene at Taylor

Cumberlands (Ky.) at Union Commonwealth

Judson at Mayville State

William Penn at William Woods

Point at Faulkner

Valley City State at Dickinson State

Nelson at MidAmerica Nazarene

INTERDIVISIONAL GAMES

Thursday, August 28

Indianapolis (NCAA Division II) at Marian (NAIA)

(The Knights play host to the Greyhounds in yet another big season opener!!!!!)


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Tuesday, August 26, 2025

RFC Weekly Predictions: THE 2025 DEBUT Part 2

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.


Featured games in BOLD type.

FBS Group Of Five/FCS

Saturday, August 30

Central Connecticut State at UConn

(The Huskies host the Blue Devils in a battle between a bowl winner (Wasabi Fenway) and an FCS playoff participant from 2024!!!!!)

Holy Cross at Northern Illinois

(Another team of Huskies hopes to get their 2025 season off on the right foot when they clash with the FCS Crusaders!!!!!)

Eastern Michigan at Texas State

(The Bobcats battle the Mid-American Conference Eagles to begin their Sun Belt Conference swan song!!!!!)

Georgia Southern at Fresno State (0-1)

(The Eagles fly west into California to face the Bulldogs in a critical non-conference clash!!!!!)

Idaho at Washington State

(The Cougars clash with the Vandals in a late-night showdown in the Inland Northwest!!!!!)

Chattanooga at Memphis

Weber State at James Madison

Southeast Missouri State at Arkansas State

Southeastern Louisiana at Louisiana Tech

FCS vs. FCS

Thursday, August 28

Mercyhurst at Youngstown State

Dayton at Eastern Illinois

Lindenwood at St. Thomas (Minn.)

Towson at Norfolk State

Alcorn State at Northwestern State

Friday, August 29

Campbell at Rhode Island

Monmouth (N.J.) at Colgate

New Haven at Marist

Saturday, August 30

Richmond at Lehigh

(The Mountain Hawks square off against the Spiders in a showdown that serves as a rematch of a first-round FCS playoff game and the Patriot League debut for the visitors from Virginia!!!!!)

Eastern Washington at Incarnate Word (0-1)

Sacramento State at South Dakota State 

(The Southland Conference Cardinals and the Missouri Valley Football Conference Jackrabbits host a pair of respective opponents from the Big Sky Conference in the season opener for all four squads!!!!!)

Hampton at Jackson State

North Carolina A&T at Tennessee State

New Hampshire at North Carolina Central

Howard vs. Florida A&M

(Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens, Fla.)


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Monday, August 25, 2025

RFC Weekly Predictions: THE 2025 DEBUT Part 1

Editor's Note: This is the first installment of the "RFC Weekly Predictions" on Real Football Central. Each week during the 2025 season, we'll look at the top games in FBS (Group of Five), FCS, and small college football (NCAA Division II, Division III, and NAIA), with predictions!


Suppose you're wondering what the "Group of Five" is. In that case, it consists of the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA, as well as the Mid-American, Mountain West, and Sun Belt Conferences. As always, there are no games involving any teams from the Power 5 Conferences, or Notre Dame, for that matter (although with the current conference realignment at the FBS level, there may be some "wiggle room" for flexibility as the season progresses). So, without further ado, it's time to get started.

KEY: Projected winners are marked in RED.

Featured games in BOLD type.

Thursday, August 28


FBS Group Of Five/FCS

Boise State at South Florida

(The defending Mountain West Conference champion Broncos will begin their quest for another College Football Playoff berth when they travel across the country to clash with the Bulls in the season-opener for both teams!!!!!)

Lafayette at Bowling Green

(The Falcons host the Leopards in the head coaching debut for former Tennessee State head coach and Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George!!!!!)

Delaware State at Delaware

Wyoming at Akron

Alabama State at UAB

Stony Brook at San Diego State

Friday, August 29

Tarleton State (1-0) at Army 

(The Black Knights open their 2025 season hosting a Texans team that started its season with a 42-0 shutout win at Portland State!!!!!)

Appalachian State at Charlotte

(The Mountaineers face the 49ers in the debut of two of their respective head coaches in Dowell Loggains [Appalachian State] and Tim Albin [Charlotte]!!!!!!)

Bethune-Cookman at Florida International

UNLV (1-0) at Sam Houston State (0-1)

Central Michigan at San Jose State 


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Wednesday, August 13, 2025

THE RFC MYC: Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC)-(NCAA Division III)


Overview: Take a quick note of the membership changes in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) for 2025. Western Connecticut State left the MASCAC to join the Landmark Conference. In contrast, Vermont State Castleton (formerly Castleton) has joined the New Jersey Conference (NJAC) as an associate member for football only. 

On the other hand, the newest member of the MASCAC going into 2025 is the Anna Maria College Amcats from Paxton, Massachusetts, which moves over from the now-defunct Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC). The Amcats finished the 2024 season at 4-5 overall and 2-1 in ECFC action.

Even with those changes, the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Corsairs will remain the team to beat in the MASCAC this fall. The Corsairs finished the regular season unbeaten in MASCAC at 9-0 and 10-0 overall. However, UM-D fell to Springfield, 54-27, in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs after earning a first-round bye. The Corsairs finished their 2024 campaign at 10-1 overall. 

Tuesday, August 12, 2025

THE RFC MYC: Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC)-(NCAA Division III)

Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC)-(NCAA Division III)


Overview: With Carnegie Mellon (10-2, 9-1 in 2024) moving on to the Centennial Conference, expect a more wide-open race for the Presidents Athletic Conference championship in 2025.

Meanwhile, the Hiram College Terriers from Hiram, Ohio, have replaced the Carnegie Mellon Tartans as members of the PAC heading into this fall.

Tuesday, August 05, 2025

THE RFC MYC: Landmark Conference (LC)-(NCAA Division III)

Landmark Conference (LC)-(NCAA Division III)


Overview: After a successful run to the NCAA Division III national semifinals, which ended with a 66-0 loss to eventual national champion North Central, the Susquehanna University River Hawks hope to win their third-straight Landmark Conference title, in the league's third season of existence.


The Western Connecticut State University Wolves will join the league this season, replacing Keystone College, which will only play a junior varsity schedule this fall after finishing 1-9 last fall.


2024 Landmark Conference Final Standings

2025 Schedules 

Catholic

Juniata


Lycoming


Moravian


Susquehanna


Western Connecticut State


Wilkes



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THE RFC MYC: Centennial Conference (CC)-(NCAA Division III)

Centennial Conference (CC)-(NCAA Division III)


The Brief Overview: The Centennial Conference will gain one new member in 2025, as the Carnegie Mellon University Tartans from Pittsburgh move from the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The Tartans will join defending conference champion and 2024 NCAA Division III national semifinalist Johns Hopkins in a conference that consists of institutions in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The addition of Carnegie Mellon will give the CC eight teams this season.

Friday, August 01, 2025

THE RFC MYC: Northeast 10 Conference (NE10)-(NCAA Division II)

Northeast 10 Conference (NE10)-(NCAA Division II)


The Brief Overview: With New Haven (8-3, 7-1 in 2024) moving on to the NCAA Division I (FCS) Northeast Conference, the race for the NCAA Division II Northeast 10 Conference crown is officially open for 2025.
 Don't be surprised if Bentley (8-2, 6-2) ends up on top of the NE-10 heap at the end of the season.

THE RFC MYC: Northeast Conference (NEC)-(FCS)

Northeast Conference (NEC)-(FCS)


The Brief Overview: Say goodbye to St. Francis (Pa.), which will downgrade its athletic department to NCAA Division III in 2026. Meanwhile, New Haven will start its four-year transition into the NCAA Division I ranks this season. Still, the other postseason-eligible teams will try to dethrone the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils from the top of the NEC in 2025.

Final 2024 Northeast Conference Football Standings


2025 Schedules

Central Connecticut State

Duquesne

LIU

Mercyhurst*

New Haven*

Robert Morris

St. Francis (Pa.)**

Stonehill*

Wagner


*-Transitioning from the NCAA Division II level.


**-Downgrading to the NCAA Division III level.
 
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