This particular Stagg Bowl was the first time I saw a local organizing committee other than Salem advertising locally in social media. I think that was a good look.

Future Stagg Bowls for a while are going to be on the second weekend in January and Saturday hopefully will be a better game day in those years. Basically, I don't see them wanting to play the game before Jan. 5 based on not wanting to put teams on the road on New Year's Day -- unless that changes, then we are looking far more often at 21 days between semis and finals.

Quote from: Pat Coleman on January 06, 2025, 02:47:24 PMThis particular Stagg Bowl was the first time I saw a local organizing committee other than Salem advertising locally in social media. I think that was a good look.

Future Stagg Bowls for a while are going to be on the second weekend in January and Saturday hopefully will be a better game day in those years. Basically, I don't see them wanting to play the game before Jan. 5 based on not wanting to put teams on the road on New Year's Day -- unless that changes, then we are looking far more often at 21 days between semis and finals.

are you saying Saturday, January 10th in Canton next year?  oh boy, bundle up.  good thing UMHB isn't a thing anymore

It's too soon to say Saturday is locked in but yes, that's the weekend where host committees were asked to confirm their stadium was available.

Congratulations to North Central!

Here is a Q-cast interview with new IWU head coach Jared Williamson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOKQMw1iSDo

Quote from: D3fanboy on January 06, 2025, 02:03:58 PM

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 01:33:55 PMI don't think attendance factors much into location/date for the Stagg. Most college bowl games are sparsely attended and are in neutral sites.

the NCAA could not care less about the attendance of the Stagg Bowl, nor do they really care about the TV ratings.  The D3 championship is just part of an overall NCAA package.  However, the attendance matters a bit more to the host city.  Salem just does a much, much, much better job of attracting locals than Texas, Annapolis or Canton (I live there and never heard a peep marketing the Stagg Bowl here) and marketing the game/weekend.  Canton is the near perfect location for D3FB, but Salem is the much better spot for a Stagg Bowl experience imo.

Great point. The game puts a spotlight on the location. Certainly Salem and even Canton are more central for D3.

Quote from: Titan Q on January 06, 2025, 03:14:22 PMCongratulations to North Central!

Here is a Q-cast interview with new IWU head coach Jared Williamson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOKQMw1iSDo

Great interview Bob. Thanks for venturing to the "dark side" to post this. Now back to basketball....Wheaton almost pulled off the stunner at King Saturday.

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 03:39:10 PM

Quote from: D3fanboy on January 06, 2025, 02:03:58 PM

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 01:33:55 PMI don't think attendance factors much into location/date for the Stagg. Most college bowl games are sparsely attended and are in neutral sites.

the NCAA could not care less about the attendance of the Stagg Bowl, nor do they really care about the TV ratings.  The D3 championship is just part of an overall NCAA package.  However, the attendance matters a bit more to the host city.  Salem just does a much, much, much better job of attracting locals than Texas, Annapolis or Canton (I live there and never heard a peep marketing the Stagg Bowl here) and marketing the game/weekend.  Canton is the near perfect location for D3FB, but Salem is the much better spot for a Stagg Bowl experience imo.

Great point. The game puts a spotlight on the location. Certainly Salem and even Canton are more central for D3.

I believe Columbus is pretty much the geographic center of D3FB, they happen to have two MLS stadiums that would make great Stagg hosts.  Just have to get them to bid on it. 

Quote from: robertgoulet on January 06, 2025, 01:55:35 PMyep. If you have a couple of schools with home stadiums of 100K each go somewhere "nice" and pull in 40-50K, it stands to reason that if you send 2 schools with 4-5K attendance each somewhere not nice they're only going to pull 2-3K.

Them's fight'n words, cowboy!  ...But you're not wrong.  Austin > Houston.

Quote from: The Third Division on January 06, 2025, 12:45:00 AMThe question we will all be asking ourselves next season is this.

Who is beating north central?

Quote from: Cardinal773 on January 06, 2025, 12:48:20 AMWell hopefully no one, but they've certainly got some big shoes to fill.

And of course the biggest shoes of all to fill are those of the back-to-back winner of the Gagliardi Trophy. On the order, don't be surprised if NCC's starting QB in next season's opening game is  D1 transfer. 

Bottom line on all the discussion regarding scheduling of the Stagg——-> Just plain stupid on several counts, especially when the 2nd semester of the school year starts the next morning.

Quote from: D3fanboy on January 06, 2025, 03:55:45 PM

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 03:39:10 PM

Quote from: D3fanboy on January 06, 2025, 02:03:58 PM

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 01:33:55 PMI don't think attendance factors much into location/date for the Stagg. Most college bowl games are sparsely attended and are in neutral sites.

the NCAA could not care less about the attendance of the Stagg Bowl, nor do they really care about the TV ratings.  The D3 championship is just part of an overall NCAA package.  However, the attendance matters a bit more to the host city.  Salem just does a much, much, much better job of attracting locals than Texas, Annapolis or Canton (I live there and never heard a peep marketing the Stagg Bowl here) and marketing the game/weekend.  Canton is the near perfect location for D3FB, but Salem is the much better spot for a Stagg Bowl experience imo.

Great point. The game puts a spotlight on the location. Certainly Salem and even Canton are more central for D3.

I believe Columbus is pretty much the geographic center of D3FB, they happen to have two MLS stadiums that would make great Stagg hosts.  Just have to get them to bid on it. 

I talked to a former committee member who said the older one -- Historic Crew Stadium -- is one that they hope they can get a bid in for.

2019 NCC won their first Stagg and Gagliardi QB Broc Rutter was done and Cardinal fans were crying about the next year, which was Luke Lehnens freshman year. Boo hoo.....

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 10:37:47 PM2019 NCC won their first Stagg and Gagliardi QB Broc Rutter was done and Cardinal fans were crying about the next year, which was Luke Lehnens freshman year. Boo hoo.....

NCC just got a commit from Ferris St QB Demir Ashiru. Maybe he can continue the run I'm sure you'd love that USee 😂

Quote from: robertgoulet on January 06, 2025, 10:41:39 PM

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 10:37:47 PM2019 NCC won their first Stagg and Gagliardi QB Broc Rutter was done and Cardinal fans were crying about the next year, which was Luke Lehnens freshman year. Boo hoo.....

NCC just got a commit from Ferris St QB Demir Ashiru. Maybe he can continue the run I'm sure you'd love that USee 😂

I think I've seen 2 transfers and 2 high school commits entering the derby on X.

Quote from: robertgoulet on January 06, 2025, 10:41:39 PM

Quote from: USee on January 06, 2025, 10:37:47 PM2019 NCC won their first Stagg and Gagliardi QB Broc Rutter was done and Cardinal fans were crying about the next year, which was Luke Lehnens freshman year. Boo hoo.....

NCC just got a commit from Ferris St QB Demir Ashiru. Maybe he can continue the run I'm sure you'd love that USee 😂

Excited for Demir. I've seen him play a few times live, he is a local kid. Played high school 15 minutes down the road at Plainfield North. His younger brother is a currently a sophomore at North so I'm sure that played a role in the transfer. Former NCC DL Anthony Imbordino ('05-'07) is also the head coach at Plainfield North and I'm sure he nudged him towards NCC as well. 

Demir was first team All State in Class 8A (the largest class size in Illinois) his senior year at North during the '22-23 season while leading them to their only 9-0 regular season in school history. 

He redshirted at Ferris in '23-24 and then this past year was listed on the roster, although his post on X says he has 4 years of eligibility of left, which I thought would only be 3 as I assume next year he would be considered a redshirt sophomore.  Never really know with the eligibility these days

Quote from: NCC2010 on January 07, 2025, 09:56:33 AMExcited for Demir. I've seen him play a few times live, he is a local kid. Played high school 15 minutes down the road at Plainfield North. His younger brother is a currently a sophomore at North so I'm sure that played a role in the transfer. Former NCC DL Anthony Imbordino ('05-'07) is also the head coach at Plainfield North and I'm sure he nudged him towards NCC as well. 

Demir was first team All State in Class 8A (the largest class size in Illinois) his senior year at North during the '22-23 season while leading them to their only 9-0 regular season in school history. 

He redshirted at Ferris in '23-24 and then this past year was listed on the roster, although his post on X says he has 4 years of eligibility of left, which I thought would only be 3 as I assume next year he would be considered a redshirt sophomore.  Never really know with the eligibility these days

I didn't know anything about him I was just trying to wind USee up but looks like they may have actually gotten a good one!