Frank- I've seen a ton of both the NESCAC and the NEFC and I can tell you the talent is much better in the NESCAC from top to bottom.  The top of the NEFC (Curry, Fitchburg, Endicott, Bridgewater) could be competitve, but would struggle to finish over .500 in the NESCAC.  You're right about the decided advantage the NESCAC has in the coaching department although some schools in the NEFC are moving in that direction.    

The notion that Trinity is the only team in the NESCAC that lowers its standards for athletes and especially football players is ridiculous.  I hope we are all smart enough to realize that.  When I played at Trinity there were tons of guys on the team that were aided in admissions because they were football players.  The problem was that these guys weren't good enough and didn't work hard enough to bring Trinity to the top of the league.  I also played for 3 head coaches in 4 years and that always makes things difficult.  There was no discipline on the team Sunday through Thursday and it showed on Saturday.  Priore brought a confidence and an attitude that Trinity was going to be the best team in the league and they were going to do it his way.  What Priore lacked in tact and personality, he more than made up for in confidence, determination, and hard work.  He went out and brought in players that had the same tenacity that he did, that came from winning programs and that expected to play well and win.  I didn't hear Williams complaining about transfer rules when Scott Farley came to Williams from Villanova.  I can't imagine how Williams would accept a transfer from an inferior school...oh wait, his dad was the coach!!!  He did everything for those Williams teams (DB, WR, KR, PK, P).  Nor did I hear anyone complaining at Amherst about admissions standards when they allowed the likes of Daoust, McGee, Landolphi, and Lalli (all from the same high school and not dumb kids, but also not elite students with academics first mentalities) into their school to create arguably the most dominant NESCAC defense in history until the current bantams started their run.  What NESCAC record setting running back Brian Sanchez at Middlebury?  Check up on him and figure out why he lost a track scholarship as a high school senior.  Every program in the country uses the advantages they can to improve their program and they'd be stupid not to.  Can Trinity recruit kids that Williams or Bowdoin cannot?  Yes, they can, but what about the kids that the Ivies don't want that only consider Williams and Amherst as secondary options?  That's a disticnt advantage for those schools.  Ever since the Bob Davie era, Notre Dame has been claiming its at a competitive disadvantage because of their admission standards.  Now that they have a new coach, new attitude, but same guys that weren't good enough the last few years, you don't hear the complaints anymore about not having any players  

Sorry about the really long first post.  I've been reading this stuff for the past few weeks and finally decided to chime in.  I enjoy the discussion, but the petty personal jabs get a little old.