BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – College football has returned to Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) campuses with kickoff of the 2023 season less than two weeks away.
The season officially begins on Saturday, September 2 with seven MIAC programs in action against non-conference opponents. Conference games will begin on Saturday, September 23 with five "crossover" games. This will be the third year of divisional play in the conference. In-division games will begin on Saturday, October 7.
The MIAC champion and automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs will be decided on Saturday, November 11 when the top team from the Skyline Division (as determined by in-division record) hosts the top team from the Northwoods Division with the conference title on the line.
The 2023 NCAA Division III Football Championship is scheduled to be played on December 15, 2023 at Salem Stadium in Salem, Va.
2022 FINAL STANDINGS
Northwoods Division
Saint John's (10-2, 7-1, 4-0)*%
Gustavus (7-3, 6-2, 3-1)
Carleton (7-3, 5-3, 2-2)
St. Olaf (4-6, 3-5, 1-3)
St. Scholastica (3-7, 2-6, 0-4) |
Skyline Division
Bethel (10-3, 7-1, 4-0)%
Augsburg (6-4, 4-4, 3-1)
Concordia (5-5, 3-5, 2-2)
Macalester (5-5, 3-5, 1-3)
Hamline (2-8, 0-8, 0-4) |
*MIAC Champion
%NCAA Playoff Participant |
|
RULE CHANGES
The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) reviewed and approved multiple rules changes submitted by the Football Rules Committee this past April. The initiatives aim to address pace of play and breaks in the game; however, not all will be adopted - at least right away - by NCAA Division III. One such change is to allow the clock to run following a first down. This change was adopted immediately by Division I and II but will not be implemented in Division III games this season.
Effective, however, will be a rule that prohibits consecutive charged team timeouts by the same team in any individual dead ball period, as well as a rule that will carry over any penalties at the end of the first or third quarter to be enforced on the first play of the next quarter. In addition, guidelines were established for second-half warmup activities, and drones were confirmed as not allowed over the playing surface or the team area when teams are on the field.
MIAC SPORTS NETWORK
The MIAC Sports Network powered by Hudl launched in August and will be the streaming home of all MIAC-hosted games, events, and championships. The MIAC Sports Network is available on the web (https://miacsportsnetwork.com/) along with streaming apps for television and mobile devices, including Android TV, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku (TV), iOS, Android (mobile), and Amazon Fire Tablet. The app can be found and installed free of charge by searching for the MIAC Sports Network.
MIAC APP
The MIAC debuted its refreshed mobile app last summer in partnership with SIDEARM Sports. The app is free to fans and can be downloaded on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store for Android devices.
AWARD WATCH
The 2023 MIAC Football All-Conference honors will be voted on by MIAC coaches at the conclusion of the regular season. In addition to a 60-player All-MIAC squad, coaches will also vote on individual awards for the MIAC Offensive, Defensive, Rookie, and Coach of the Year.
Throughout the regular season, the MIAC will recognize top individual performances with the MIAC Football Offensive, Defensive, and Special Teams Players of the Week awards. Athlete of the Week awards will begin on Tuesday, September 5, and be announced each Monday following through the end of the regular season.
FOR THE RECORD
The 2023 MIAC Football Record Book is available for download and features historical standings, all-time award winners, record information, and more. The information included in the record book is based on available data and research for additional historical documents is ongoing.
QUICK HITS
D3football.com Preseason Rankings: No. 6 Saint John's, No. 14 Bethel, RV Gustavus
D3football.com Preseason All-America: Saint John's TE Alex Larson (1T), Bethel WR Joey Kidder (2T)
First Non-Conference Game Date: Saturday, September 2
First Conference Game Date: Saturday, September 23
Championship Week: Saturday, November 11
Season Links: Standings | Schedule | News | Statistics | Athletes of the Week | Championship Week | Record Book