No. 4 Colorado School of  Mines was stunned by inter-state rival Colorado Mesa 14-13 in Week 6 on Oct. 5.

This 2024 season in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference went pretty much like most would’ve expected.

The Roosevelt Lakers had to expect a learning curve when jumping from the NAIA level to NCAA Division II, while also landing in one of the toughest football conferences in the nation.

The Northern Michigan Wildcats haven’t won a football game since 2022, and the sting of two consecutive winless seasons has to be weighing on them.

Before the Roosevelt Football team ever played a game in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, preseason expectations were for the Lakers to fail in their debut and finish last in the conference.

The last time the Northern Michigan Wildcats won a football game was Nov. 12, 2022, on the way to a 4-7 season.

Former Michigan Tech quarterback Dan Mettlach returned to his alma mater in 2017 and was named head coach prior to the 2023 season, and he has helped the Huskies improve each year he has been in charge.

Perennially, the Michigan Tech Football team is a middle-of-the-road performer in the stacked Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, typically finishing each season looking up at the likes of Ferris State and Grand Valley State.

The Grand Valley State football team has won 10 or more games 18 times since 2001 and is coming off an 11-2 season.

The Ferris State Football team has won three national championships in the past four seasons (2021, 2022, 2024) and enters the 2025 college football campaign riding a 14-game winning streak.

For the early part of the 21st century, Grand Valley State Football was the team to beat in Division II football, and while it has been almost two decades since the Lakers have won a national title, their success certainly hasn’t slowed within the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

After losing their season opener last season, the Ferris State Bulldogs rattled off 14 consecutive wins and claimed their third NCAA Division II national championship in four seasons.

The Davenport Panthers are 23-9 over the last three seasons, but they’ve struggled when it comes to keeping up with the goliaths of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Ferris State and Grand Valley State.

The Davenport Football program has provided memorable performances and shown much progress in recent seasons. However, playing in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has been a double-edged sword for the Panthers.

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