The West DIA Conference will kick off this coming weekend with Wyoming at New Mexico and Utah at Colorado State.

That's right, Utah. The University of Utah Utes will play in two separate conferences this 2015-16 season, as Director of Rugby Mark Drown and the coaching staff look to find more regular competition for the team. That's been an issue for some years for Utah, finding enough games that are meaningful, and that give the team enough experience for when things get tough come playoff time. 

So begins a very busy and challenging season for Utah. They will play in the West DIA, facing off against Colorado State on Saturday, and then against Wyoming in Salt Lake City on October 3.

Then Utah hosts Colorado on October 17 before visiting Air Force on October 31.

In the spring, the Utes will play in the PAC Rugby Conference with Cal, Arizona State, Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon State. Then the expectation is that Utah will pursue places in both the DIA and Varsity Cup playoffs. So they could be looking at close to 13 major college games, plus non-conference contests.

Also in the West, Air Force has a new coach and has started well enough, but Wyoming is looking to make a surge, and the West, in general, looks to be highly competitive.

The Big Ten has started, with Indiana comfortable winners over Illinois thanks to two tries from Connor Marsh, two from Jake Hidalgo, and two from Bryce Campbell. Michigan State slammed Minnesota 65-5 led by No. 8 Todd Else's two tries. But it's only a soft start as this weekend eight teams are in action:

Ohio State at Illinois
Indiana at Purdue
Michigan State at Michigan
Iowa at Wisconsin

Indiana shouldn't have too many problems at the home of the boilermakers. Ohio State needs to ramp it up after a 44-22 loss to Bowling Green. Michigan State at Michigan and Iowa at Wisconsin are two games to watch.

Rugby East is in full swing and so far Penn State, having beaten both St. Bonaventure and Wheeling Jesuit. Army is also 2-0 but will get a sterner test this weekend at Wheeling Jesuit. St. Bonaventure (0-2) visits Iona (1-1); Army (2-0) at Wheeling Jesuit (1-1), Buffalo (0-2) is at Kutztown (0-0 in conference play); and West Virginia makes its Rugby East debut at 2-0 Penn State.

In the latest DIA Top 20, as voted by coaches and members of the media, St. Mary's remains at #1. Penn State, Indiana, and LSU all move up:

1) Saint Mary’s (1)
2) Life (2)
3) Lindenwood (3)
4) Davenport (4)
5) Army (5)
6) Kutztown (6)
7) Utah (7)
8) Penn State (9)
9) Wheeling Jesuit (8)
10) Air Force (10)
11) Indiana (12)
12) Cal Poly (11)
13) Colorado State (13)
14) Arizona (14)
15) San Diego State (15)
16) Michigan (16)
17) Wisconsin (17)
18) Colorado (18)
19) LSU (20)
20) Ohio State (19)