Around the Nation board

[kickerdad]

Goodness gracious, great balls of monkey grease...........Sept 1 needs to get here fast, because right now this heat wave has everyone talking crazy.

[K-Mack]

Mmmmm...squash.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2932885

I think I read this article once before, except it was about Lake Forest handball.

[K-Mack]

Updated with your suggestions from Page 50 and added some games I've thought of to the original list. Still giving this thought and looking for ideas.

Should probably rename it the ATN "Games to go to" Watch List

OK,
Here's a rough list of games to watch that Pat and Gordon and I came up with when I thought that was going to be a component of the USAT preview. It ended up being taken out, but it functions really well as the GAMES ATN MIGHT GO TO STARTER LIST.

Now is the time to campaign for your team's big matchup. Also, in all seriousness, D3football.com staff does accept kind offers of generosity that will make travelling to your team's game easier. We aren't necessarily looking for donations (your support of Kickoff '07 will do) but advice on the best way to travel/eat/stay/tailgate/catch the game is always appreciated.

IDEAS (games in bold are likely commitments so far)

Sept. 1 (Thurs. 4 games, Fri. 6 games)
UW-La Crosse at Hardin-Simmons
Rowan at Christopher Newport
Gallaudet at St. Vincent (someone's gotta win!)
Ithaca at Lycoming
N.C. Wesleyan at Wesley

Sept. 8
Christopher Newport at UMHB
Springfield at Union
Redlands at Whitworth (blame Pat)

Sept. 15
Hardin-Simmons at Linfield
Rowan at Wilkes (doubleheader with Wesley at Widener Fri. night)
Carnegie Mellon at Hobart

Sept. 22 (Fri. 21st Widener at Rowan, back-to-back Fridays)
SJF at Ithaca
RPI at Hobart

Sept. 29 (Friday the 28th: Montclair St. at TCNJ)
UW-Whitewater at UW-La Crosse
Huntingdon at Wesley
Baldwin-Wallace at John Carroll

Oct. 6 (Oct. 5 TCNJ at Rowan, back-to-back Fridays)
UMHB at Hardin-Simmons b/w ETBU at McMurry
Trinity (Tex.) at DePauw
St. Olaf at St. John's
St. Norbert at Monmouth
Wheaton at North Central
Redlands at Occidental
Becker at Gallaudet (see Gallaudet-St. Vincent comment)

Oct. 13

Oct. 20
St. John Fisher at Springfield

Oct. 27
UMHB at UW-Whitewater
St. Thomas at St. John's
Ithaca at Springfield
Trinity (Tex.) at Millsaps (second consec. trip to Jackson)
Alfred at Hobart

Nov. 3
Linfield at Whitworth
Hobart at Union
Monmouth at Knox (rivalry)

Nov. 10
Amherst at Williams
Wabash at DePauw
Cortland State at Ithaca
Hampden-Sydney at Randolph-Macon
RPI at Union (Dutchman's Shoes)
Moravian at Muhlenberg
Cornell at Coe
Franklin at Hanover
Wesleyan at Trinity(?)
also:
Central at Wartburg
St. John's at Bethel
Baldwin-Wallace at Capital
Wilkes at Widener?
W&L at Carnegie-Mellon?
NEFC Title Game

This is still a very incomplete list. Your (honest) suggestions are appreciated.

Always looking for night games (Fri or Sat) that we can package with an afternoon kickoff on a doubleheader trip.

Will eventually do a closer examination for those.

Also, there are some games that look interesting that aren't on this list which could quickly become relevant if both teams play well.

[frank uible]

Keith: The 9/8 Sprinfield at Union game occurs at 7:00 while the Endicott at RPI game is scheduled to be played on the same date at 1:00.

[frank uible]

Also on 9/8 Augustana at Baldwin Wallace at 2:00 and Denison at CWRU at 7:00 and on 10/6 Kalamazoo at Tri-State at 1:00 and Olivet at Adrian at 7:00.

[frank uible]

On 9/22 Macalester at Chicago at 1:00 and Hope at Wheaton at 8:00. Those times are probably EDST.

[tmerton]

Other games at Saint John's you might consider:

9/1 - Marietta - first time meeting I believe
9/22 - Concordia - always a good game

[DutchFan2004]

K-Mack,

Not sure about this but if you wanted to do the two for like you did Coe/Wartburg, Central Cornell last year the only thing that lines up for the Dutch is Simpson and that is Sept 1.  Simpson plays Concordia WI at Simpson and St Thomas is at Pella.  Indianola and Pella are about 30-40 minutes apart depending on your taste for driving and how many officers are on the road.  You can take four lane all the way between the two.  Not the most direct route but 65 mph all the way legally.  Both Kick off times are 1 PM.  You could do two halves like last year.  That is the best I was able to come up with for the Dutch if you want to do a two for. 

[Knightstalker]

I have a good NJAC double header for Oct 13.  TCNJ at WPU at 1:00 and then Kean at MSU at 6:00, both games are homecoming games.

[DutchFan2004]

K-Mack that date looks better after seeing the preseason rankings.  You can see on top 10 team and one receiving votes for the top 25 all in one day and see two other teams as well 

[K-Mack]

I appreciate you all doing the dirty work, I swear I was going to look at the schedule as soon as I stop putting out Kickoff fires. +1 karma for everyone.

In response to some of the suggestions, I would definitely try to avoid games kicking off at the same time. Part of it last year on the IIAC trip was the rainy conditions, but I really didn't feel like I got a great feel for the strength of the four teams I saw that day. Part of it was getting to Wartburg-Coe in the third quarter, then going on air with the local station, then basically Wartburg was kneeling and that was it. I got to see the game, but I didn't get to watch it (or the other way around) if that makes any sense.

I'm doing one of those in Abilene this year, courtesy of McMurry, and I've seen partial games before and gotten a lot out of it, but it's definitely preferable to see as many full games as possible.

Of course, as I say all that, I've become intrigued by the possibility of an all-driving tripleheader opening weekend.

The NJAC and Widener have a lot of Friday nights, so the Delaware Valley, especially with it being a day's drive to a lot of other conferences, could get some package-deal attention this year. Kean-Montclair sounds interesting. Chicago's a great place for doubleheader options, Cleveland can work and I think the Michigan idea is interesting. And Upstate NY too.

Thanks again for your help and your interest in my travels.

[DutchFan2004]

You are welcome.  Love to have you come and see Central play any time you can.  Just thought you could see more teams play.  I know games may or may not pan out depending on the given Saturday.  The game may or may not be decided in a short time or take till that final quarter.  It can be a tale of two halves as well.  I know in the Hope game at Central last year it was.  Hope was 13-3 at half and it was a 24-13 final.  Which half would you get to see to form your opinion?  That is a tuff way to form opinions about teams.  I totally understand what you are saying.  Just thought it was a possibility for you to see.  Thanks for all you do for D3.

[theoriginalupstate]

K-Mack how about an upstate double header in the rochester area.

September 15th

1:00 Cortland at Brockport: A classic state school battle between juiced up physical education teachers.

7:00 Rochester at St. John Fisher: Some might call this the "Courage Bowl" that benefits Camp Good Days and Special Times, I call it the Battle for the Golden Garbage Plate.  There are usually between 5000-7000 people there at this game and has a great student atmosphere with Yellowjacket fans being a hop skip and a jump away. 

['gro]

K-Mack how about an upstate double header in the rochester area.

September 15th

1:00 Cortland at Brockport: A classic state school battle between juiced up physical education teachers.

7:00 Rochester at St. John Fisher: Some might call this the "Courage Bowl" that benefits Camp Good Days and Special Times, I call it the Battle for the Golden Garbage Plate.  There are usually between 5000-7000 people there at this game and has a great student atmosphere with Yellowjacket fans being a hop skip and a jump away. 

that's an interesting doubleheader... 2 in-state matchups, 4.5 conferences!

Cortland (NJAC) vs. Brockport (ACFC)
St. John Fisher (E8) vs. Rochester (LL/part time UAA)

[theoriginalupstate]

K-Mack how about an upstate double header in the rochester area.

September 15th

1:00 Cortland at Brockport: A classic state school battle between juiced up physical education teachers.

7:00 Rochester at St. John Fisher: Some might call this the "Courage Bowl" that benefits Camp Good Days and Special Times, I call it the Battle for the Golden Garbage Plate.  There are usually between 5000-7000 people there at this game and has a great student atmosphere with Yellowjacket fans being a hop skip and a jump away. 

that's an interesting doubleheader... 2 in-state matchups, 4.5 conferences!

Cortland (NJAC) vs. Brockport (ACFC)
St. John Fisher (E8) vs. Rochester (LL/part time UAA)

Not only in state match ups, but 3 of the 4 teams are located in Monroe county.  Plus K-Mack can have the pleasure of trying out a garbage plate....