Expectations are high for NSIC and MIAC college football teams in 2025. Here’s what you need to know.

Minnesota State Mankato has been one of the most consistent programs in Division II football over the past decade.

The Mavericks, who reached the semifinals of the Division II playoffs last season, have averaged 10.8 victories per season the past 10 years and have reached the playoffs eight times since 2014.

Under coach Todd Hoffner, the Mavericks have won seven NSIC championships. Hoffner, who is in his 15th season as the Mavericks’ coach, signed a five-year contract extension this summer.

The Mavericks, who open the season Thursday at home against Northwest Missouri State, were ranked No. 4 in the D2football.com preseason Top 25 and were the top pick in the NSIC preseason poll.

“With a very difficult early schedule, we will have to be on our ‘A’ game to get things started properly,” Hoffner said.

Hayden Ekern has graduated, so the Mavericks will have a new quarterback. Ekern threw a school-record 73 touchdown passes in 47 games over the past four seasons.

Sophomore Mitch Thompson, who appeared in four games last season, is vying with three others for the starting position.

Marcus Hansen, the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and a second-team AP All-American the past two seasons while at Bemidji State, has joined the program as a transfer.

Here are nine other things to watch this season among Minnesota Division II and Division III football programs:

· The NSIC will return to two divisions after playing the past two seasons with one. The NSIC went to one division after Upper Iowa’s departure from the league after the 2022-23 school year left the conference with 13 teams. Because of the addition of Jamestown (N.D.), which has made the transition from NAIA to Division II, the conference will return to North and South divisions. Also this season, the NCAA is expanding the field for the Division II playoffs from 28 to 32 teams. The change came one year after the NCAA expanded the Division III playoff field from 32 to 40 teams.

· Another consistent NSIC program is Bemidji State. In eight seasons under coach Brent Bolte, the Beavers have gone 71-26. Over the past four seasons, the Beavers have won 10, 10, nine and 10 games and at least one playoff game each season. The Beavers, who open the season at Michigan Tech on Thursday, were ranked No. 19 in the D2football.com preseason Top 25 and were picked fourth in the NSIC preseason poll.

· Minnesota Duluth was picked to finish third in the NSIC. The Bulldogs, who have won at least seven games every season since 2013 under coach Kurt Wiese, have won 12 of the past 15 NSIC North Division titles. Minnesota Duluth, which opens the season against Winona State on Thursday at TCO Stadium in Eagan, returns nine starters on defense.

· After four seasons of two divisions (Northwoods and Skyline), the MIAC will return to one division this season. This season and next season, the MIAC will play an eight-game conference schedule, with the final game coming as part of a championship week. Beginning in 2027, the MIAC will return to a nine-game conference schedule (last used in 2001) with one nonconference game.

· St. John’s, ranked No. 5 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25, will open its season Sept. 13 at home against Minnesota-Morris. That day the Johnnies will honor receiver Blake Elliott, who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Dec. 9. Elliott is just the second player from the MIAC — Calvin Roberts of Gustavus Adolphus was the first — to be named to the Hall of Fame. When he finished his career, Elliott was second all-time in all NCAA divisions in receptions and touchdown receptions.

· Bethel, ranked No. 12 in the D3football.com preseason poll, opens its season Sept. 13 at home against Northwestern (St. Paul). The Royals went 11-3 and reached the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs last season in Mike McElroy’s first season as coach. Quarterback Cooper Drews, who threw for 3,822 yards and 43 touchdowns last season, returns. The Royals lost defensive back Matt Jung, who was a first-team All-American last season as a sophomore after leading Division III with nine interceptions — four returned for touchdowns. Jung, from Neenah, Wis., transferred to Wisconsin.

· KiJuan Ware, who was the interim head coach at Macalester in 2021, begins his first season as Augsburg’s head coach. Ware, who was the Auggies’ defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator in 2022 and 2023, spent last season as the offensive coordinator at Division II Shippensburg (Pa.). Ware replaces Derrin Lamker, who resigned in May after five seasons to coach at Osseo High School. The Auggies will be the first MIAC team to open the season when they travel to Valley City State on Sept. 4. The Auggies were 4-6 last season.