In the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) strategic plan, the conference has had a goal of setting up a bowl game opportunity for its teams that do not make the NCAA DIII Football Playoffs.
The past three years the A-R-C has placed two teams in the NCAA Playoffs (Wartburg as the Conference each year and Coe as an at large selection). Getting an at large is very tough and the A-R-C is one of only a handful of conferences to get multiple bids. In 2026 it looks unlikely at this point that the A-R-C will get two teams again.
In DIII the trend of Bowl Games has been growing with already two bowl games in Wisconsin already established the past couple of years.
Isthmus Bowl in Sun Prairie WI (Suburb of Madison) which features the top non-playoff team from the powerful WIAC (UW schools) and the Powerful CCIW. These are the two best DIII conferences in the US. Last year the National Title game for DIII football was WIAC (UW- River Falls) and CCIW (North Central). These two conferences put multiple teams in the NCAA DIII
Lakefront Bowl in Waukesha WI (Suburb of Milwaukee) which features the second-place team from the Midwest Conference (MWC) and the NACC. These conferences do not get at large berths currently.
Riverbend Bowl Series
The Bowl Announcement is a very cool thing for Iowa DIII teams. The A-R-C is made up of 7 Iowa teams and one in Nebraska, so this game or games is an opportunity for one of two teams to keep playing on and have a great end to a good season. It is a cool reward.
The partners of the A-R-C in the announcement today are not public yet. Who else besides A-R-C team will be playing is still unclear.
Inaugural Riverbend Bowl Series Announced – American Rivers Conference
The candidates for the partner or partners of the A-R-C are the UMAC (Minnesota Teams), MIAC (MN teams including DIII powers Bethel and St. Johns), Midwest Conference (Iowa Grinnell, Luther, and Cornell, Illinois and Wisconsin), the WIAC, the NACC (Many Wisconsin Teams) and the CCIW (Illinois).
SGI Commentary
Being in Wisconsin getting the WIAC as a partner would be ideal. These University of Wisconsin schools are much larger enrollments being Public State Schools. For example almost all the Wisconsin schools have significantly larger enrollments than the University of Northern Iowa in our state.
This might some years be the 6th best team in the WIAC (4 DIII Playoff berths, and the next best team going to the Isthmus bowl), but the 6th best WIAC team would win most DIII conferences in the US. The WIAC is that good, as Wisconsin has only one D1 team (Badgers) and no FCS, D2 or NAIA teams so many great players that could go elsewhere to play at a higher level will stay home to play as in state tuition is very affordable. They would bring fans to the game with their large fan bases.
CCIW – Super Conference North Central Wheaton are locks for the NCAA DIII playoffs, and the 3rd/4th place team is going to the Isthmus Bowl (the next team that does not make the playoffs) but the next CCIW team is a very good football team. This would be a very tough team(s) to play
UMAC – Single Berth league and the 2nd place team would come over, and they would be close enough.
NACC – Wisconsin Teams primarily single-berth games and 2nd Place team and fans who can get to the game easily.
Midwest Conference – We would love this as Grinnell, Cornell, and Luther might make that game and Iowa vs. Iowa matchup would be ideal. The Wisconsin teams and the Illinois teams in the league are also close.
We have read reports today that the MIAC is likely not participating.
So, news today but not alot of details, exciting for the A-R-C and Iowa DIII teams.
