Some Small College Football Programs Kicking Off Saturday

For a lot of football teams, the super day this weekend will actually be Saturday. That's when some NCAA Division III and NAIA programs will begin their 2020 schedules after delaying their seasons last fall.

A lot of schools who couldn't kick off at the normal time in September still have to wait until spring, but two NAIA conferences -- the Mid-South and Mid-States Football Association -- will begin Saturday. There are also nine D-III game scheduled for the weekend.

Meanwhile, Division II has four conferences set to play, and some FCS programs will get rolling as early as next week. A lot of the games taking place are the result of coaches coming together to form a schedule -- as no one has to adhere to a national (or even local) television contract at the small-college level.

“I think it’s important for our coaches to understand some of what it takes to be able to have their athletes being able to practice and compete,” Pacific Lutheran interim athletic director Jen Thomas told The Associated Press. “And I think it’s good for the athletes to see their coaches and other coaches coming together to be able to do this."