TOPEKA, Kan. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association hosted its annual Football Media Day on Monday, July 27, on the campus of Washburn University. Head coaches, student-athletes and administrators from all 10 MIAA football member institutions gathered in Washburn’s Bill Sneed Indoor Athletic Facility for a day full of press conferences, interviews and more.

The full-day event opened with MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy and MIAA Supervisor of Football Officials Phil Laurie taking the press conference stage at 9:30 a.m. in Topeka, the capital city of Kansas. Commissioner Racy provided media members in attendance with NCAA news and updates, previewed the upcoming season, and looked back on recent football success in the MIAA:

• During the past six seasons, nine MIAA teams have advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs and/or competed in a Division II Bowl Game.
• MIAA football teams own a combined record of 26-13 against non-conference opponents over the last two seasons.
• The MIAA’s postseason bowl record stands at 14-2 (.875 winning percentage) since 2014.
• The last time the MIAA didn’t have multiple teams in the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs was in 2009.

Commissioner Racy also explained Division II’s new NCAA Power Index (NPI), created to replace Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) as the sole selection metric for NCAA Division II team championships. Established in January 2026, NPI evaluates a team’s key performance factors, including winning percentage, strength of schedule and
game location multipliers.

The event continued with each MIAA team participating in 15-minute press conferences, taking questions from media representatives about the upcoming season. MIAA head coaches and two student-athletes represented each team on the press conference stage. Recurring topics of conversation among head coaches included the depth of the MIAA, pros and cons of the transfer portal, and the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility model.

“College football is a really big deal on our campuses and in our MIAA communities, and I’m thankful that we take the time to come together as a conference to celebrate MIAA football,” said Commissioner Mike Racy. “Today was a perfect setting on Washburn’s campus in Topeka to kick off a new college football season!”

The 2026 MIAA Football Media Day was only the second-ever media day the Association has hosted on a MIAA-member campus. Built in 2020, Washburn’s indoor facility features a 200-meter, six-lane, banked track as well as a 110-yard synthetic turf practice field.

Football fans can watch the entire MIAA Football Media Day hosted by Washburn University for free on The MIAA Network.

The 2026 NCAA Division II officially kicks off on Thursday, August 27, and concludes with the final regular season contests on Saturday, November 14. The NCAA will announce the teams advancing to the 2026 Division II Football Playoffs on November 15.
 
The MIAA’s 12-week schedule features 63 MIAA matchups and 19 non-conference contests. To view the official week-by-week schedule for all 10 MIAA football teams, visit theMIAA.com/football.