Indianapolis has departed, as their primary conference (Great Lakes Valley) now sponsors football. However, three new teams enter the fray as Notre Dame (OH), Walsh, and Malone join the conference, ballooning the field to sixteen teams. The coaches seem unsure about the North Division, although Grand Valley State had a comfortable lead as their pick for #1; Hillsdale and 2011 D-II runner-up Wayne State also received significant support for the #1 spot in the North, which is going to be tougher with those two teams moving from the South Division. Ashland is a much clearer pick in the South now that their rivals have scooted north.
Team capsules follow: