Around the Nation board

[Ron Boerger]

I have this link, but I'm not sure it's apples:apples with the reported CCIW data:

http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/Search.asp

[Grizzman]

D3Football Guys - the Month Long Run to the Playoffs sounds awesome ( assuming you like to travel) and will provide readers with some up close and personal reports on important D3 games.

Good Job!

[K-Mack]

D3Football Guys - the Month Long Run to the Playoffs sounds awesome ( assuming you like to travel) and will provide readers with some up close and personal reports on important D3 games.

Good Job!

That's the plan.

I did a couple consecutive weeks on the road last season (Trinity at Amherst and then DePauw at Wabash, and maybe some playoff travels after that) and it can get exhausting.

Oh, we did the doubleheader last year too, the UW-Eau Claire at UW-Whitewater, then Wheaton at North Central that night.

One thing I can say is that doing the writing only, even if technology allows me to live blog from the press box on game day, is much less stressful than broadcasting.

The broadcasting usually requires taping interviews with each coach the day before (which actually gives you a lot of insight into the programs, etc.) and knowing the rosters, game notes, history, etc. when you get to the stadium.

Writing allows you the time to decipher what's important and then learn it.

I am excited about some of these trips, especially since I haven't been able to do many games so far this year. I think it's a good mix of top teams, conference clashes and an inter-conference clash. I'll see Whitewater twice in three weeks, against two good teams, so we'll know if they're Stagg/No. 1 overall material by then. I'm also being ambitious with the Iowa thing ... that took some luck to find a week when it would work, with games nearby (too bad there's no staggered kickoffs or night games) and the three top IIAC teams (probably) all there at the same time.

I just think it'll be a good mix. Hopefully now the games give me something to write about each week

[K-Mack]

I guess to most here complaining about their school's position in the poll I am going to sound like I am rubbing salt in a wound.  I believe that the d3football.com poll is well researched.  By Mid-Season voters have started to figure out where the think teams belong as conference play is heating up.  Remember that in the Preseason and first few weeks poll position is established.  After that a team from the outside must do something impressive (ie beat an established national powerhouse) to get "love" from the pollsters.  Another thing to remember is that their is one way for a team to force the pollsters to take notice of it, win some playoff games.  When a team wins playoff games it shows that it is at the top of the divison.  Teams that consistantly win playoff games tend to get the benefit of the doubt in the polls even on down years.   

Absolutely, that and playing a good non-conference team. Now occasionally it happens where you schedule a good opponent a while in advance and by the time you play it's not a good opponent.

Also, conferences that win playoff games establish strength. So even if school x has never won or been to the playoffs, if they beat school z to take control of their conference race, and school z has been a playoff perennial, then school x gets their benefit of the doubt a lot of the time.

A little pollgebra for you.

The thing I like about the D3 poll is that a win is not a win is not a win. In other words, St. Norbert running over the MWC is not akin to ONU finishing third in the OAC ... because it isn't. No slight on the Knights, but that's a legit example.

Also I like that the D3 pollsters take risks and follow their guts. I don't agree with our poll half the time, and sometimes I'm proven right, often I'm proven wrong. It's a decent meeting of the minds, and if nothing else, gets the conversation started.

[Jonny Utah]

MIAA football budgets, as reported to the NCAA:

Albion     $269,194
Alma       $255,740
Hope       $217,750
Adrian     $202,250
Olivet      $173,500

How does this compare to other D3 schools.

sorry if this has already been posted and discussed.

what do those budgets include?  Just thinking about factors that could be taken into consideration....

-Equipment managers are oftentimes fulltime and do other sports as well
-do you include meals provided for road trips supplied by the school?
-do you include new facilities that were just built/maintained?
-do you include asst. coaches that coach other sports and do other jobs?


just seem like a lot of intangables that can add up. (salaries of equipment managers, assistants etc)

[K-Mack]

I would say yes on the meals.

Other big expenses:
Plane fare / bus rental, with driver
Groundskeeper?
Game day staff
Printing programs
New jerseys/equipment, 100 or 150 at a time
Daily laundry
Insurance
Game Tapes/video equipment
Recruiting travel, letterhead, etc.

These are just guesses.

I know when I played we brought a $200 check to camp to offset the practice greys (two team T-shirts, shorts, windbreaker or sweatshirt and swishy pants or sweatpants), laundry bag and other things you keep. Cleats were your own responsibility, although you could order through the team if you wanted to match. Game socks were free, game towels illegal except for the QB & C, locker room towels and stuff were provided. Laundry was done for you daily. Replacement parts, socks, jocks, helmet stickers, etc. were free.

We also had photo day, pretty sure those costs were above and beyond.

Our road trip per diem, depending on the class of the restaurant we stopped at, we would sometimes get off the bus and a coach would stand there with a stack of bills ... you would walk by and get a five and two ones or something.

On some road trips, we would have a walk-through at the other team's field or some random HS field, dine high class, with our suits on, then go to the movies.

When we changed coaches, we would leave as late as possible when we had to travel the day before, so we wouldn't miss that much class, and so that when we got to the hotel, we had time for walk through and position meetings, then bed.

Both styles were meant to keep players busy and out of trouble in the new city.

Game day you do a big breakfast really early (like 7-8 a.m. so it settles well before kickoff) then go back to sleep or burn your nervous energy some other way, meet, load up the bus, head to the field, do the game day routine.

I know that was a ramble, but I guess it was meant to show how quickly a road trip can become really expensive. Lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that players and coaches really only experience and know about.

Maybe some coaches or ex-coaches with inside knowledge of team budgets could post and shed some light on the costs.

[Ron Boerger]

When you guys go to Belton, you need to eat at the BBQ place we talked about on the ASC board last weekend ... really good stuff.  Just make sure the sausage hasn't been sitting in the pit a coupla hours too long 

So are you going to need any stringers?     Seriously, keep in mind that they apparently have no internet connectivitity whatsoever at Tiger Stadium.   The do have spare phone lines, and that's really all you need to do a webcast, isn't it? 

[Pat Coleman]

Yes, we actually prefer telephones. No firewalls on them.

Keith -- I think the question about budgets was more about what costs are covered by football budgets and what costs by overall athletics.

[Jonny Utah]

I would say yes on the meals.

Other big expenses:
Plane fare / bus rental, with driver
Groundskeeper?
Game day staff
Printing programs
New jerseys/equipment, 100 or 150 at a time
Daily laundry
Insurance
Game Tapes/video equipment
Recruiting travel, letterhead, etc.

These are just guesses.

I know when I played we brought a $200 check to camp to offset the practice greys (two team T-shirts, shorts, windbreaker or sweatshirt and swishy pants or sweatpants), laundry bag and other things you keep. Cleats were your own responsibility, although you could order through the team if you wanted to match. Game socks were free, game towels illegal except for the QB & C, locker room towels and stuff were provided. Laundry was done for you daily. Replacement parts, socks, jocks, helmet stickers, etc. were free.

We also had photo day, pretty sure those costs were above and beyond.

Our road trip per diem, depending on the class of the restaurant we stopped at, we would sometimes get off the bus and a coach would stand there with a stack of bills ... you would walk by and get a five and two ones or something.

On some road trips, we would have a walk-through at the other team's field or some random HS field, dine high class, with our suits on, then go to the movies.

When we changed coaches, we would leave as late as possible when we had to travel the day before, so we wouldn't miss that much class, and so that when we got to the hotel, we had time for walk through and position meetings, then bed.

Both styles were meant to keep players busy and out of trouble in the new city.

Game day you do a big breakfast really early (like 7-8 a.m. so it settles well before kickoff) then go back to sleep or burn your nervous energy some other way, meet, load up the bus, head to the field, do the game day routine.

I know that was a ramble, but I guess it was meant to show how quickly a road trip can become really expensive. Lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that players and coaches really only experience and know about.

Maybe some coaches or ex-coaches with inside knowledge of team budgets could post and shed some light on the costs.

And think about (probably a few thousand) dollars a year that are spent on t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats etc that are bought by parents, fans, friends.  In all reality that money ends up in the hands of the school......

-And how about paying for security for gameday?  Im sure just the Cortland/Ithaca must run into the thousands with outside police having to work as well.....

-And your right about the gameday staff.  Most of these workers are students that are on work-study programs that do other things for the school.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

No one from D3Football coming to the MUC vs. CU game on 10/28/06?

[Ralph Turner]

No one from D3Football coming to the MUC vs. CU game on 10/28/06?

Why?  Are you predicting a Capital upset as MUC blows a 35 point halftime lead? 8)

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

No one from D3Football coming to the MUC vs. CU game on 10/28/06?

Why?  Are you predicting a Capital upset as MUC blows a 35 point halftime lead? 8)

Nope, just a matchup of two (Probable) Top 4 (or better) teams.

[Ralph Turner]

No one from D3Football coming to the MUC vs. CU game on 10/28/06?

Why?  Are you predicting a Capital upset as MUC blows a 35 point halftime lead? 8)

Nope, just a matchup of two (Probable) Top 4 (or better) teams.

Okay, Capital might be a Top 4 that week.  Are they overcoming a 21-point deficit?

MUC has lost ONU O-N-E regular season game in the 21st century, and only two regular season games in the last 14 1/2 seasons.  There is no excitement in a 1:150 chance of MUC regular loss.  (How many Top 25 teams has MUC defeated in the last 14 1/2 years?  (6 per year times 14 years = 84?)

The majority of D3 Pollsters say that MUC's winning the Stagg Bowl is a foregone conclusion.  That means that MUC is on the banner for another year and will get front page coverage the week of the Stagg.

I appreciate the ATN tour, but the probability that Capital will upset MUC that weekend is slim.  Give the coverage to 2 teams that have as many Stagg Bowls appearances in the last 2 years as MUC and have scheduled a great (and meaningful in-region) game.

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

No one from D3Football coming to the MUC vs. CU game on 10/28/06?

Why?  Are you predicting a Capital upset as MUC blows a 35 point halftime lead? 8)

Nope, just a matchup of two (Probable) Top 4 (or better) teams.

Okay, Capital might be a Top 4 that week.  Are they overcoming a 21-point deficit?

MUC has lost ONU O-N-E regular season game in the 21st century, and only two regular season games in the last 14 1/2 seasons.  There is no excitement in a 1:150 chance of MUC regular loss.  (How many Top 25 teams has MUC defeated in the last 14 1/2 years?  (6 per year times 14 years = 84?)

The majority of D3 Pollsters say that MUC's winning the Stagg Bowl is a foregone conclusion.  That means that MUC is on the banner for another year and will get front page coverage the week of the Stagg.

I appreciate the ATN tour, but the probability that Capital will upset MUC that weekend is slim.  Give the coverage to 2 teams that have as many Stagg Bowls appearances in the last 2 years as MUC and have scheduled a great (and meaningful in-region) game.

I didn't say you had to go, there are others that work for the site aren't there?  Most MUC fans (and those inside the program from what has been posted) thought that Capital gave MUC the best game last year (second meeting).  This will be the game of the year in the OAC and possibly the region in the regular season.

But, I digress.  We'll just wait for the normal playoff visit we receive from Pat each November (or Early December). 

[crusader26]

No one from D3Football coming to the MUC vs. CU game on 10/28/06?

Why?  Are you predicting a Capital upset as MUC blows a 35 point halftime lead? 8)

Nope, just a matchup of two (Probable) Top 4 (or better) teams.

Okay, Capital might be a Top 4 that week.  Are they overcoming a 21-point deficit?

MUC has lost ONU O-N-E regular season game in the 21st century, and only two regular season games in the last 14 1/2 seasons.  There is no excitement in a 1:150 chance of MUC regular loss.  (How many Top 25 teams has MUC defeated in the last 14 1/2 years?  (6 per year times 14 years = 84?)

The majority of D3 Pollsters say that MUC's winning the Stagg Bowl is a foregone conclusion.  That means that MUC is on the banner for another year and will get front page coverage the week of the Stagg.

I appreciate the ATN tour, but the probability that Capital will upset MUC that weekend is slim.  Give the coverage to 2 teams that have as many Stagg Bowls appearances in the last 2 years as MUC and have scheduled a great (and meaningful in-region) game.

I didn't say you had to go, there are others that work for the site aren't there?  Most MUC fans (and those inside the program from what has been posted) thought that Capital gave MUC the best game last year (second meeting).  This will be the game of the year in the OAC and possibly the region in the regular season.

But, I digress.  We'll just wait for the normal playoff visit we receive from Pat each November (or Early December). 

I am happy this game is not being hyped up across the country.  The last time it was this hyped was when Cap went to MUC in 2003, as both teams were 6-0.  Cap lost 35-7, then lost the following week to BW 40-22 and ended with an 8-2 record.  Cap needs to worry about this weekend against ONU, then follow up with cross-town rival Otterbein.  MUC gets scary good when the game becomes hyped, maybe it is the black jerseys they bring out??