As the 2016 NCAA Div. II football season creeps ever closer, I thought it might be a good idea to break down a quick recap of the 2015 season while also looking ahead towards the opening week of the 2016 campaign. The new football season is set to get underway with Week 1 action, beginning with two GLVC teams on the field on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 1, with the other seven set to begin throughout the day on Saturday, Sept. 3.

Breaking down the all-conference teams from a season ago shows that both Indianapolis and McKendree return 11 all-league performers, with the Greyhounds returning a conference-best seven first-team award winners for the 2016 season. A pair of teams to keep in the front pocket for improvement could be both Quincy (four returning first-teamers) and Missouri S&T (combined seven first-and second-team returners).

Of note, the conference's reigning Offensive Player of the Year (Issac Fisher, QB, McKendree), Defensive Player of the Year (Joel Wimbley, LB, Saint Joseph's), and Special Teams Player of the Year (Reece Horn, PR/KR/WR, UIndy) have all graduated, opening up the floor for a trio of new opportunities. SBU does return last year's Freshman of the Year, QB TJ Edwards.

Four different teams return five or fewer all-conference players from 2015; however, Truman brings back the most out of that cluster with a combined four first- or second-team players.

What the Coaches Said: Who are the Coaches?: Coming Up: