DUBUQUE, Iowa — October 22, 2026

The American Rivers Conference — the league home of Loras College and the University of Dubuque — announced on October 21, 2026, that it will launch the inaugural Riverbend Bowl Series, a postseason football event for NCAA Division III programs that do not qualify for the NCAA playoffs.

The series is set for Saturday, November 21, in the Fox Cities region of Wisconsin. Two games will be played that day at Neenah High School in Neenah, bringing together four Division III teams whose seasons would otherwise end with the regular schedule, according to a Radio Dubuque report published October 22.

The A-R-C is leading the development and coordination of the event. The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference is confirmed as a participant, and additional leagues are under consideration, including the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference from Minnesota, the Midwest Conference, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Participating teams, selection criteria, ticket information, and broadcast details will be announced at a later date. Those elements are pending.

The series gives playoff-less Division III programs — potentially including teams from A-R-C member schools such as Loras and the University of Dubuque — a postseason destination and an extra game. For Division III programs, the season normally ends in November for teams outside the NCAA playoff field; the Riverbend Bowl Series would extend those seasons by one more week.

Sources

https://rollrivers.com/news/2026/10/19/football-inaugural-riverbend-bowl-series-announced.aspx