The NAIA football season officially begins this week, with the majority of teams starting their 2024 campaigns and vying for a spot in the field of 20 for the NAIA Championship Series. This opening week features several high-profile non-conference matchups, including MSC vs. Sooner, GPAC vs. Heart, MSC vs. Frontier, and Frontier vs. NSAA, making it an exciting time for NAIA football fans.
While it’s early in the season to talk about postseason implications, these games can certainly impact ratings. Cross-conference games often spark debates, like “Our No. 3 team beat your No. 2 team, so Conference ABC is stronger than your conference.” These discussions, though often premature given that most teams have had limited practice and only a few scrimmages since last November, are nonetheless part of the fun.
Let’s preview some of the best matchups for this week:
Thursday: Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) at Texas Wesleyan (-1.5):
Dubbed “The Outsiders Bowl,” this game features two teams that just missed the NAIA Championship Series last year. Texas Wesleyan welcomes new head coach Bradley Sherrod, while Lindsey Wilson returns with a veteran squad under head coach Phil Klecker, who boasts a 17-5 record over his first two seasons. Despite my pick for Texas Wesleyan to win, I’m not overly confident. The outcome will likely depend on travel and preparation challenges, especially with Texas Wesleyan having more insight into Coach Klecker’s style.
Prediction: Texas Wesleyan 27, Lindsey Wilson 24.
Thursday: Georgetown (Ky.) (-5.5) at Montana Tech (MT):
This is one of the most anticipated games of the offseason, featuring two NAIA powerhouses: a Championship Series qualifier and a Semifinalist from last year. Both teams return key players, and this matchup will showcase two of the NAIA’s best running backs, Darius Neal (Georgetown) and Landers Smith (Montana Tech). I give a slight edge to Georgetown.
Prediction: Georgetown 24, Montana Tech 17.
Thursday: Rocky Mountain (MT) at Dickinson State (ND) (-3):
These teams, former rivals in different conferences, are now about to renew their rivalry in the same conference. Rocky Mountain edged out Dickinson State last season with a thrilling 2-point conversion. Dickinson State has since improved and ended last season strong. Home-field advantage and a strong running game could be the difference for the Blue Hawks.
Prediction: Dickinson State 31, Rocky Mountain 24.
Saturday: Benedictine (KS) at Morningside (Iowa) (-4):
Morningside won last season’s road game against Benedictine, and both teams return most of their starters. This matchup is evenly matched, but I’m leaning towards Morningside due to the home-field advantage. Benedictine could pull off a win if they force turnovers, as they did last year, but it wasn’t enough to change the game’s outcome.
Prediction: Morningside 21, Benedictine 20.
Saturday: Evangel (Mo.) at Kansas Wesleyan (-4.5):
Last year, Kansas Wesleyan was expected to make the postseason, but Evangel surprised everyone by doing so in their first year in the KCAC. With Kansas Wesleyan fueled by last season’s disappointment and returning 17 starters, they are poised to exploit Evangel’s inexperience on offense.
Prediction: Kansas Wesleyan 34, Evangel 21.
Saturday: Southwestern at Ottawa (Kan.) (Even):
Southwestern was the preseason favorite to win the KCAC last year, but Ottawa outperformed expectations and made the postseason. The key to this game will be Southwestern’s new defensive starters, while Ottawa returns 17 players from last year’s squad. The Braves also have a new quarterback, a DII transfer, who could impact the game.
Prediction: Ottawa 27, Southwestern 17.
Top Performers from Last Week:
With only two games last week, there’s not much to cover. College of Idaho dominated Lincoln in a game that offered valuable experience but isn’t likely to be considered relevant in the weeks to come. Webber International’s Trent Grotjan threw for 160 yards on 10-12 passing with 2 touchdowns, both caught by WR Keyon Dickens, who also finished with 71 receiving yards.
Ramblings of Dannelly:
Looking ahead, this may be the last year NAIA teams face Lincoln University of Oakland, California, and possibly the last year Lincoln has a football program. The school has faced significant scrutiny over its academic standards and eligibility requirements for players. If you’re unfamiliar with this ongoing story, search “Lincoln University USA Today Articles.”
Frankly, I don’t understand why NAIA teams are still scheduling Lincoln. The only apparent reason is the guaranteed home game, as Lincoln lacks a home facility and plays all their games on the road. This year, Lincoln has three more NAIA teams on their schedule: Southern Oregon (9/7), Webber International (9/21), and Florida Memorial (11/16).
The lack of consistent eligibility standards at Lincoln, combined with the scrutiny the school is under, makes playing them feel less beneficial for NAIA teams. Winning against them counts for little more than a “W” in the column, while losing could harm a team’s reputation given the circumstances.
Elsewhere in the NAIA, two programs are getting their start as Simpson plays College of Idaho and William Woods takes on William Penn. I have no delusions these two first year programs are going to challenge this week but both will have solid programs in the future. I think William Woods has the slight advantage to becoming more competitive sooner as the institution is in a great situation in a solid conference to compete early in their programs history. Simpson can recruit California but ultimately has a ton of travel in front of them in a conference with some of the best in the NAIA.
This week truly begins the farewell tour of Concordia University Ann Arbor, unlike the Rolling Stones, Motley Crue or Led Zeppelin. CUAA announced last spring this would be the final year for their athletic programs. The Cardinals host Olivet Nazarene and will no doubt be playing this season with a chip on their shoulders. You have to feel for a group of kids who wanted an education and the chance to play college football being told they won’t be able to do that at their chosen school after this year. CUAA has a ton of starters back according to the reports, so I am interested to see how this squad comes together this season.
In non-division action, I’ll be keeping my eye on Valley City State as they take on former DAC foe Minot State as well as Reinhardt traveling to Carson-Newman. Both games are on Thursday. The NAIA’rs have a chance to take W’s from DII in both games.
The “yikes” game of the week is North American taking on FCS Stephen F. Austin State University. North American is still considered an upstart NAIA program from the Houston area. They were 1-10 last season with their only win coming against Texas College. In 2023, they played Portland State in a game that finished 91-0. Stephen F. Austin State University plays in the Southland Conference where they were picked 5th in the preseason poll. Needless to say, this game. . .yikes.
Don’t forget to check out our Sunday night NAIA football show on the VSN YouTube page. Like/Subscribe to get notified of all the action. The next VSN NAIA Football Top 25 will come out in two weeks (September 9th) so don’t be disappointed when there is no update this weekend.
Also, be on the lookout for new “Athlete Profiles” coming to VSN where we feature some of the top athletes in the NAIA. Those will begin posting soon as we’ve received over 100 survey results!
Let’s play some NAIA football!
Thanks for this analysis.