FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[wally_wabash]

I don't doubt that Capital has the edge in the kicking game, but it's worth pointing out that Wabash's kicking game has straightened itself out, quite literally, in the last few weeks given the shots taken at Wabash's kicking game earlier today. 

[Li'l Giant]

Superfly,

You wait until this week to come out of the woodwork to take potshots at the kickers? Seriously, what do you possibly think that will accomplish?

I'm relatively positive I could train a one legged orangutan to hit PATs.

Does this mean you still have some eligibility?

[formerd3db]

Bashdad:
Wishing you and family a Happy Thanksgiving and best of luck Saturday.  Hope the weather is not that bad. 

[BashDad]

formerd3db:

Best wishes for a happy thanksgiving to you and your family as well.  Looking forward to the Cap game--last I heard it was to be in the low 40's.  Not bad.  Should be a heck of a game!

Hope all in the NCAC have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

[smedindy]

I know a few of us in Hoosier land keep an eye on Butler:

Butler to Examine football

I didn't think they'd want to go down to D-3 because of hoops.

[bashcville]

Keith is picking a Wabash win in Crawfordsvill on Saturday. I hope he's right!

Capital at Wabash
The last of five exceptional second-round matchups, this could be another fireworks show, especially if the Crusaders clean up their five-turnover act from a week prior. But I suspect it will go the other way. The No. 3 and No. 5 run defenses in the country are matched up here, and both offenses are far more efficient through the air anyway. Defense wins the day here, and the Little Giants have it. In what some may consider a mild upset: Wabash 19, Capital 16.

[formerd3db]

smedindy:

Butler would be stupid to drop football.  There is no reason to do that, although from what was reported in the article you provided for us, they are not planning on dropping the program.  However, I agree with you that DIII is not an option for them due to their DI basketball program which they obiously won't drop (and shouldn't).

However, there is no reason for Butler to not be competitive at DIAA.  If Dayton and San Diego can do it, so can Butler (recall that San Diego was not always one of the better teams, but they beat an Ivy this year!).  Granted, some of the other Pioneer Leauge schools have not been powerhouses (and at times struggled against some of the better DIII teams), but that's better than not having a program at all. (Same goes for some of the DII schools in the GLIAC and elsewhere i.e. Tiffin, Urbana, etc., and they give scholarships, albeit some of them partial).  All of these schools, DIAA non-scholarship and DII can produce good football, although certainly as in any league at any level., the W-L record will varying from time to time as a program goes through phases - it's unavoidable and just the way it has always been.  Heck, look at Tulane, Northewestern especially this year. 

If Butler bails and goes the ridiculous Swarthmore route, I'll lose a lot of respect for that university.  A school without football doesn't have as good as identity (not meant as a swipe at any basketball programs) - a good article relating such reasoning is that on the University of New Orleans website where an organization of alumni have submitted a serious proposal for starting a football program and also those at Boston University who are attempting to have that program reinstated.  But it sounds like Butler just needs time to regroup and it appears from the article they are doing that.  Just MO.

[Li'l Giant]

A school without football doesn't have as good as identity

I agree with you. I went to law school at a university that doesn't have football. They have homecoming during hoops season. It's pretty weak. There wasn't much school spirit despite the national championships in baseball and softball while I was there.

I can't believe there are schools in Texas that don't have football. That's anathema to Texans.

I can't see Butler moving up to D-III but it would absolutely be the wrong decision to drop it entirely.


By the way, a special Thanksgiving Haiku:

Football, food, and beer.
A long day gorging myself.
Good God I am fat.

[wally_wabash]

Johns Hopkins plays D-III football and D-I lacrosse.  What's the difference between that and Butler playing D-I hoops and D-III football simultaneously?

[hammer]

this is hammer and his band of merry bandits. to clear up the comments made by a certain hscoach. those two other wig wearers are not a  part of our group.  i was not pleased either. but our group consists of about 30 people, but it seams that i am the one who is put out in front. we have fun. and the majority (99.9%) love us. we are true muc fans.  and by the way LK and the college have always been supportive of us.  go raiders and lets send augustana a message: Start the bus !!!!!!   

[Pat Coleman]

Because that's hoops and lacrosse is not. You cannot play up in basketball or football without playing up in everything. Seriously -- use a little logic there.

You can ask anyone who played Dayton's "Division III" football program how that worked -- playing D-III football and D-I everything else.

[Ric]

The "Dayton Rule" Pat is talking about was established, in part, because there were instances (plural) where Dayton would give a kid a track scholarship, a sport they competed at the DI level, and the kid would also play football in the fall in a sport they competed in at the D3 level.  The NCAA thought that was bending or maybe breaking the rules.  At the time Dayton was a D3 football power.  They had made the playoffs seven straight years when they had to make the move to start the 1993 season.  They won Stagg Bowls in '80 and '89 and lost in them in '81 and '91.  Mount Union upset the number one ranked Flyers 27-10 in Dayton in the first round of the '92 playoffs.  At the time, Dayton already knew they were moving to DIAA the following season.

[Mr. Ypsi]

A clarification:

There are also schools that are d1 in hockey (not sure about other sports), but d3 otherwise.  Is it now an NCAA rule, then, that a scholarship athlete in one sport is ineligible to compete in any d3 sport?  What about if they play on a d1 team, but are not themselves on scholarship?

Sounds like a very sensible rule, if so, for scholarship athletes; I'm undecided on the second scenario.

[Pat Coleman]

A clarification:

There are also schools that are d1 in hockey (not sure about other sports), but d3 otherwise.  Is it now an NCAA rule, then, that a scholarship athlete in one sport is ineligible to compete in any d3 sport?

Yes.

Don't know about the second scenario.

[Li'l Giant]

If Pat doesn't know then who really knows? There are pro baseball players who go play college football. But you can't ski in the Olympics and play college football.