There may be pockets of Texas or Florida where there is similar success, but you might be hard-pressed to find an area as strong for small college football as Central Indiana is. UIndy, who had an undefeated regular season last year, is in the preseason Division II Top 25. Franklin, an eight-time defending HCAC Champion, is picked to win their league again. NAIA power Marian has won two National Championships in the last six years and is an annual contender.
All three programs are looking to build on their recent success in 2018, and we invited their three head coaches - UIndy's Bob Bartolomeo (Wednesday), Marian's Mark Henninger (Thursday), and Franklin's Mike Leonard (Friday) - on the show this week. Take a listen:
UIndy head coach Bob Bartolomeo:
Marian head coach Mark Henninger:
Franklin head coach Mike Leonard: