George Fox will be wearing these helmets for the first time vs. Arizona Christian. Unfortunately, the opponent will be playing its third game of the season. George Fox athletics photo

Whether you’re looking for a great rivalry between conference foes, a meeting of nationally ranked non-conference opponents or a fledgling program looking for its first win since taking a 45-year break from football, the West Region has you covered.

Last season, four of the six conferences in the Region crowned a new champion. Only Linfield repeated as a conference champ when the Wildcats extended their Northwest Conference winning streak to 32-games, and St. Scholastica won the UMAC title outright after sharing it with Greenville and Northwestern (Minn.) in 2012. So we know all the league title chases will be intriguing.

Plus, with eight teams ranked nationally in the Top 25 and George Fox ready to play its first game since 1968, it is not a matter of finding an intriguing matchup. The real challenge if deciding which game interests you most in any given week.

Here are some of the top games to help you make that decision.

Arizona Christian at George Fox on Sept. 6: While George Fox may be excited to reignite a rivalry with its neighbors in McMinnville, the Bruins will get a more reasonable test when they square off with Arizona Christian – another first-year football program. Chris Casey was a ball boy on the sidelines when George Fox played its last game in 1968. Now the Newberg native returns to his hometown to make his debut as a collegiate head coach.

Bethel at Wartburg on Sept. 13: Both teams were conference champions in their respective leagues last season and both teams won playoff games in 2013. So when No. 7 Bethel and No. 17 Wartburg square off in Waverly, it will be a great measuring stick for both programs to gauge how much success the 2014 season could bring. Teams in both the MIAC and IIAC will be watching too as they try to assess the conferences’ reigning champs.

UW-Whitewater at Franklin on Sept. 13: Since 2010, the Warhawks and Grizzlies have met four times, including three times in the postseason. UW-Whitewater, who opens the season ranked No. 1 after winning its fifth national championship in December, has won all of those meetings. But when the teams meet in the second week of the season, No. 25 Franklin’s spread offense will be the first real test for the Warhawks’ revamped defense.

Linfield at Redlands on Sept. 20: Defending SCIAC champion Redlands has a difficult schedule to begin the 2014 season. After traveling to Mary Hardin-Baylor the week prior, the Bulldogs will welcome Linfield to Ted Runner Stadium for another marquee matchup. Win or lose, Redlands will be battle-tested for its SCIAC opener at Pomona-Pitzer. For No. 4 Linfield it will be its second straight week playing a SCIAC contender. The Wildcats will be looking to get off to a good start as they seek their 59th consecutive winning season.

UW-Platteville at North Central (Ill.) on Sept. 20: A rematch of a 2013 second-round playoff game, UW-Platteville’s journey to Naperville to take on North Central (Ill.) could be one of the most anticipated non-conference matchups in the country. The Pioneers enter the season ranked No. 8 and hungry to return to the D-III playoffs after earning their first ever qualification last season. After reaching the national semifinals for the first time, the Cardinals enter the season ranked No. 6. For those who can’t wait until late November for that playoff atmosphere, this game should serve as a nice substitute.

Linfield at Pacific Lutheran on Oct. 4: Not that it’s been unusual as of late, but the Northwest Conference title is on the line when No. 4 Linfield travels to take on No. 19 Pacific Lutheran in the teams’ league-opener. Linfield has not lost a conference game since 2008, but the Lutes have been the No. 1 contender having finished runner-up the last four seasons. While the Wildcats try to stay atop the NWC standings, Pacific Lutheran will try snap a 14-game losing streak to Linfield that has spanned 12 years and has included two playoff defeats.

Dubuque at Wartburg on Oct. 18: Dubuque has had plenty of success during Stan Zweifel’s tenure as head coach. But during the Spartans’ revival that enjoyed an IIAC championship in 2011, the team has never defeated Wartburg. When the in-state rivals get together at Walston-Hoover Stadium, Dubuque will try to finally vanquish the Knights while No. 17 Wartburg looks to prove that last year’s conference championship and playoff victory were not a fluke.

St. Thomas at Bethel on Oct. 25: Over the last four seasons both Bethel and St. Thomas have enjoyed both MIAC and playoff success. The winner of this matchup since 2010 has won the conference title, and that should be the case again this year when the No. 7 Royals host No. 11 St. Thomas. Bethel won last year’s matchup by seven points, went undefeated in the MIAC and reached NCAA quarterfinals. After playing in the 2012 Stagg Bowl, St. Thomas is looking to rebound from missing the 2013 playoffs by winning its fourth MIAC title in five seasons.

UW-Whitewater at UW-Platteville on Nov. 1: Both teams enter the season ranked in the top-10 and the last time UW-Whitewater came to Ralph Davis Pioneer Stadium, the Warhawks escaped with a one-point victory. So it goes without saying that No. 1 UW-W’s visit to UW-Platteville will be highly anticipated again this season. The defending national champs are seeking their ninth WIAC title in 10 years while the No. 8 Pioneers are looking for their first league crown since 1980 – the WIAC’s longest active championship drought.

Chapman at Redlands on Nov. 8: Redlands ran the table in the SCIAC last season, including a 21-17 road win over Chapman. The loss propelled Redlands into the playoffs and knocked out the Panthers, who had to settle for celebrating the program’s best record in school history. If Chapman wants to celebrate another program first – a berth into the playoffs – a win over the defending champs is a must.

Greenville at St. Scholastica on Nov. 8: Greenville shared the league title with St. Scholastica and Northwestern (Minn.) two years ago, but the Saints received the UMAC’s automatic bid. St. Scholastica is still the only team to win the league’s automatic bid after an undefeated regular season a year ago. The Saints are poised to make their fifth playoff appearance in a row unless the Panthers can win on the road in the last week of the season.