FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[smedindy]

RHIT can't join - they don't have a PBK chapter!

Plus, we have to take all sports into consideration, and the NCAC does just fine in swimming, baseball, basketball, and others.

[Nonbiased Observer]

Nonbiased "O"...Never Say Never...I think Wabco has hit it right-on...I like the idea of the first Super Conference in D3. Was it all about academics when CWRU left  to join a "Little Ivy" with Chicago? Was the NCAC not good enough for the Spartans? C'mon...any institution, company, sales force, team, looks to get better...from the top, down. Hiram needs to make a major commitment to their programs. They have made recent strides in facilities, but the on-the -field product is a shame. Earlham, well is Earlham. When I see one NCAC team in the Top 25 for D3, when all of us sit in a hot-bed of HS talent...why, why can't we have multiple teams that rock, year in and year out. I am tired of the OAC dominating us. DU & RHIT have solid programs that could only enhance our standing...on & off the field.

eagle,

Again: Understand that the mission of the conference is not to win on a national level. These are like-minded schools with academics as their priority. Remember, this is a league where the school presidents have the heavy hand. All of the decisions are theirs.

I will repeat: The NCAC will never drop a school because of athletic status.

Also important to remember for football's sake: The NCAC and UAA (Case, Wash U, Carnegie Mellon and Chicago) join in a sort of football alliance in 2008.

For other sports: Kenyon seems to fare OK in swimming. The conference has also had a men's final four rep the last two years.

[seinfeld]

The two logical schools to replace Hiram (which should move to the President's Athletic Conference) and Earlham (maybe the Heartland would take them) would be DePauw and Washington & Jefferson. Both schools have Phi Beta Kappa and fit the academic and size profiles. DePauw has field hockey, which the conference could use another team in, and W&J has both field hockey and men's lacrosse, which is very important (and which neither Hiram or Earlham have). Plus, both schools are near major cities (Pittsburgh & Indianapolis), which seems to be the reason why the NCAC picked Hiram (that is not a joke).

Another thing to keep in mind with Hiram is that not only are they the weakest league team athletically, they are also the weakest academically. They bring nothing to the table. It was a bad decision that will probably never be changed. But it would work well for both Hiram and the NCAC if they would switch places with Washington & Jefferson. Hiram is very close geographically, and school size, to a number of the PAC schools like Thiel, Westminster, Grove City, etc.

[Li'l Giant]

Here's another write-up on the Team USA win.

Loads of D-III alums had noteworthy games.  I'm still nosing around for a participation report, but haven't been able to find one yet.  I can't imagine that every healthy body didn't see the field in a 77-0 game. 

It's a small picture but I'm kind of disappointed in the unis. I hate that weird pant stripe. The jerseys look good though. I'm curious what the helmet logo is. It kind of looks like it's the logo that is at the top of the webpage.

[smedindy]

I wouldn't say Hiram brings nothing to the table. It's a fine school. It was in "Colleges That Change Lives" and that wasn't just because they have an unusual name.

[seinfeld]

OK, what specifically is Hiram bringing to the NCAC? If you are the lowest ranking school academically, and you are by far the weakest athletic school, and you are cutting varsity sports (tennis), and you don't have sports that the NCAC needs to get automatic bids (men's lacrosse), then what do you bring to the NCAC? Does the NCAC want to follow their model of making gimic tuition proposals in order to get students to attend? Do NCAC schools want to model a school that can't, year after year, make its admissions numbers?

This isn't about bashing Hiram. It is about pointing out they are not an appropriate fit in the NCAC and were a bad choice to replace Case in the NCAC. They are a better fit in the PAC.

Antioch is one of Colleges That Changes Lives. Maybe we should make a bid to add them.

[seinfeld]

Wooster has posted its season preview. Make sure you have plenty of time to read it, as it is long, but informative as usual. If only Wooster's offense was an intricate as the season outlook ...

http://athletics.wooster.edu/fb/outlook.php

[Pat Coleman]

OK, what specifically is Hiram bringing to the NCAC?

A PBK, I would guess.

[Nonbiased Observer]

The mere fact you have to have a PBK chapter to be in the league should tell us the NCAC has little interest in being some major conference. It is a one-bid basketball league under the new rules and will never go deep in the football playoffs again.

It is what it is: A group of similar schools that want to play in a competitive league.

[runyr]

OK, what specifically is Hiram bringing to the NCAC?

A PBK, I would guess.

You guys need PBK patches on your jerseys.  That would be perfect.  Then you could change the name of the conference to "The Sneetches." 
http://www.amazon.com/Sneetches-Other-Stories-Classic-Seuss/dp/0394800893

[Gray Fox]

I've been hearing about this story all day. 

  http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_191080136.html

Maybe the Gators can find a way to use the ball in blocking drills.

[smedindy]

Is Hiram lower ranked than Wittenberg?

Someone has to be last of the 10 fine schools in the NCAC.

Wabash doesn't have lacrosse, either.

[wally_wabash]

It is a one-bid basketball league under the new rules and will never go deep in the football playoffs again.

The one bid you speak of (Wooster) wasn't the one bid that blew the title game two years ago (that is admittedly a dig on Witt and a compliment to the league). 

Wabash doesn't have lacrosse, either.

Wabash needs varsity lax.  Tomorrow. Are you listening Vern?

[smedindy]

Oh, and define 'deep' in the playoffs. If that means winning the region, then as long as Mt. Union is Mt. Union, that's a tall order. If it's getting to Mt. Union, I think that's doable for the right NCAC team. Wabash's 2005 squad was a few dropped passes away from hosting Mt. Union. (Alas...)

[wabco]

I suspect Wabash Lacrosse awaits the advent of the paved soccer and football fields ... which I am lead to believe is a year or two off.