FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[FightinScot]

75 bucks...I would like to think the Bishops rank in the top 3 in over-all facility war-fare with-in the NCAC,,,,,
Selby is old, but has great sight-lines & at 9100 capacity...has huge potential...Roy Rike Field  is one of the
best soccer stadiums in D3.....We talked about facilities a couple seasons ago.....AC, COW ( baseball is outstanding), Big Red are good...Bash is in their campaign to upgrade....I put it to the guys who is #1......I say OWU is my pick.....

before you crown OWU with "best facilities" you'd better look at this... http://www1.kenyon.edu/athleticcenter/

[short]

Facilities

1. Kenyon
2. Wabash
3. Denison
4. OWU
5. Oberlin
6. Allegheny
7. Wooster
8. Wittenberg
9. Hiram

[BashDad]

The LINDY'S Top-25 has been released and while, as usual, it elicits not much more than a snort and ruby-faced indignation, a general famine for conversation insists its passing along :

1. UW-W
2. Mt. Union
3. Wesley
4. Linfield
5 Trine
6 Bethel
7 Delaware Valley
8 St. Johns
9 Wittenberg
10 UMHB
11 Ohio Northern
12 John's Hopkins
13 Central
14 St. John Fisher
15 North Central
16 Ithaca
17 Williamette
18 Thomas Moore
19 Monmouth
20 MC
21 Washington and Jefferson
22 Wartburg
23 Bridgewater
24 Otterbein
25 Augustana

Trine? Top 5? Really?

Sigh...

[75 bucks]

Great indoor facility is only part of the equation. I have not seen Wabash.

But if I was a football recruit Kenyon's stadium has to put
them in the middle of the pack.

I have only seen Kenyon- OWU- Denison- Hiram- Wooster- Wittenberg-
- So I will rank them as I think a football recruit would see them. Stadium/Campus/overall athletic facilities

1. Wittenberg 
2. Denison
3. OWU
4. Wooster
5. Kenyon
6. Hiram

[BashDad]

I say any field with only one side offered for an audience gets bumped down, especially in regard to the perceptions of an I-Should-Be-Playing-At-A-Big-School recruit.

But talking about facilities as it relates to recruiting is like talking about a lover's mattress as a condition for marriage.  A stadium, however big or small, only exists, in this recruit-wowing context, as a physical place to couch the program's pride. A place to point to.

I think that's what you're talking about (why else would you rank Witt's car-lot so high), but at that point the relative difference in "facilities" becomes pretty meaningless, right? You're actually talking about a Program.

Objectively, Witt's stadium (albeit the new field turf) just ain't that great. Standing on the visitor's sideline feels like you're playing a little-league game at the local park. If afforded the opportunity to magically trade facilities with any number of NCAC programs, you don't think they do it? They'd be drooling to have OWU's stadium.  

[D3 Guy]

As far as football stadiums here is my ranking list with some observations from over the years about traditions etc.

1) Wabash - it just feels like old time football with tailgating and the students who chant and sing for the team leaving the field.

2) Denison - Great setting for a fall game when the leaves are changing colors, now with lights and the Woody Hayes rock.

3) Allegheny - New lights, turf, and visitor stands, note the fence made out of old road signs coming into town.

4) OWU - Its big old and designed by the same firm that erected the now demolished old Yankee stadium

5)tie Witt - Only has stands on one side which hurts an otherwise fine facility

5)tie Wooster - Love the band, love the home stands, but lets install stands on the visitor side and move this one up the list.

7) Kenyon - Beautiful campus and indoor facility that is second to none, but once again only one side and small number off stands.

8) Hiram - Very nice but small, stands on one side only, I believe the Cleveland Browns summer camp was at this school at one time.

9) Oberlin - I was in the home locker room during a visit a few years ago and don't think it looked much different then when John Heisman was coaching there. Attended a game and they had an announcer who sounded like Barry White and used only last names for players most of the time which sounded pretty cool.

[wabco]

BashDad

Agree as to Trine.  I think Wit (with the tradition, coaches, and the returners) deserves to be there ... not sure exactly where but no problem with that.  I believe 'Bash deserves to be in the top 25 ... with the grad losses, I think we will have to earn our way forward, but Trine? 

As to football enviornments/facilities, I will rank Hollet as #1 in NCAC ...  the tradition, the crowds, the support from all sources (students, alums, community, school admin, and players back to all those), the positive respectful way visitors are treated (except the Dannies ... and they deserve no more)... from locker rooms to the visiting supporters,  and now the new facilities ... including field turf and scoreboard.

Let the tailgates and festivities begin!  It will be interesting ... new Little Giant QB to outstanding receivers, developing O line who have the opportunity to write their own positive future, D (especially LB) which will be there and still there are opportunities for spots for new starters to begin to write their personal stories.  Keep in mind that these new opportunities are re-loads not new re-cruits. A new recruit must be a studmuffin to break into the seasoned group of returners.  Finally, great coaches with a system which is no longer "new" ... just being improved.

Here is to all the NCAC-ers.  Lets have the best, most competitive season ever.  AND then lets draw Trine in the first round of the playoffs ... 

[short]

My brother is Best Friends with an administrator at Kenyon and he told me they have 34 incoming football players in the 2010 class!  GREAT JOB KENYON!

[BashBacker#16]

Wabash will bring in 73 football recruits.

[wabco]

GREAT JOB WABASH

[DadofBashWarrior..]

Wabash will bring in 73 football recruits.

Excellent!!!!!

[usee]

  AND then lets draw Trine in the first round of the playoffs ... 

Be careful what you wish for. 2 years ago when Wheaton played @Trine in their run to the semifinals Trine was the best team we played besides Mt Union. I went to Angola very skeptical and was extremely impressed with their athleticism, coaching and depth as Wheaton prevailed 14-0. Trine is a lot better than most people think. I don't know anything about what they have returning this year but I would not want to play them in a first round game.

[fantastic50]

Wooster's website shows that the Scots will open with a Thursday night game at Baldwin-Wallace.  Unless ESPN8 has suddenly jumped in on D-3 football, it seems odd to play a weeknight game, even with it being Labor Day weekend.

[BashDad]

To be fair, I'm not saying Trine sucks. They were impressive both against CWRU and Witt, but if we're making a list of teams next year that would be scary to see in the first round, I'm still putting them below the CCIW champ and the OAC runner up. Not to mention the springfield tigers who've already beaten them (and more soundly than the score indicates).

[wabco]

Looking at my drothers for a first round game ... Trine wins over Wheaton every day.  I want to play Wheaton but not in the first round.  No point in both teams beating themselves to death in the first round.  Maybe I was being to specific to say Trine ... I will enlarge my choice of first round opponents to any team from the MIAA.