FB: American Rivers Conference

[DriftlessDuhawk]

I wouldn't be against a post season bowl game between the top non playoff team from the ARC and an Iowa NAIA school.  Though I don't know if that is allowed.   

This would be my preferred postseason bowl set up! Lean into the amazing amount of small school college football being playing in the state of Iowa! Call it the Iowa Classic and play it in one of the larger cities in the state. Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids or Mediacom Stadium in Des Moines would both work great imo.

I also have no idea if this would be legal by NCAA/NAIA standards.

[Patrick Coleman]

I don't have that answer either on whether a crossover event would be acceptable. The Victory Bowl sometimes matched up a D-III with an NAIA but they were both members of the NCCAA.

[Patrick Coleman]

Dropped our latest podcast this morning, in which we chat with Brandon Novak, the new head coach at Loras:

https://www.d3blogs.com/d3football/2026/04/19/atn-podcast-406-looking-ahead-at-draft-duhawks-diplomats/

[DriftlessDuhawk]

Loved the interview Pat! Lot of excitement in Dubuque surrounding the football program for the first time in a while.

Loras had a tailgate/open practice this last weekend where fans were able to see the new look Duhawks. Not much as changed on the offensive side of the ball from what I saw. Powers' offense is very similar to what they ran last year with a few slight wrinkles. The defense seems to be much faster paced with less complexity than what Loras has attempted to run in the past. The past defensive scheme required multiple positions making checks and calls each play depending on the formation/scheme of the offense. When this was done effectively the defense worked well. In the last two/three seasons this appeared to be a bit too much communication for the back end of the defense and players were rarely on the same page. It appears this staff is taking a much more basic approach to allow players to play much faster and freer. Excited to see the results!