FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[NCF]

North Park has started camp with 97 players. Compared to the cast of thousands at schools such as Carthage and Adrian, 97 doesn't sound like a lot. It's definitely smaller than the 115 or so with which the Vikings started camp last year. This is because the Park has not brought in a huge freshman class in terms of numbers. But the key thing is that retention, which has always been NPU football's biggest bete noire, was very good. Most of last year's players came back this year, particularly the players who saw playing time last season. So Scott Pethtel and his staff will be able to bank upon a commodity which NPU football has very rarely possessed: Experience.

97 players is not bad. And you can't beat having experienced players in the fold, especially at QB.

While a good and experienced QB can often be the biggest difference maker on a football team, its important to remember that he is just 1 of 11 players (1 of 22 if you count the separate defensive unit). Accordingly, if a team has significant holes at several other positions, they likely won't be able to be deemed a "successful" (substitute another word of your choosing) team. For instance, a certain local team with what has been called a "franchise" QB, has not been highly successful due to the fact they have had a porous offensive line, no fast/skillful wide outs, a weak pass rush, and consequent soft secondary coverage, not to mention a GM who didn't know a good 1st round draft choice from a hole in the ground.
As someone said, it takes a village, not just a QB.      

Hahahaha-DaBears!

[oldnuthin]

old---

The question, of course, is can any of them play. Especially, at a high enough level necessary to challenge for CCIW conference leadership or, initially, even a 1st division finish. Never the less, the ability to land 70 recruits is commendable.

High numbers of recruits seems to be a theme throughout the MU athletic dept. as they have also brought in a large basketball recruiting class for the upcoming season. This is likely due, in large part, to the opportunity to play meaningful minutes early in a recruit's collegiate career.

No doubt the opportunity to play meaningful minutes is a draw to go to Millikin. Time will tell if they can play, I think it shows a renewed commitment from the AD, and the administration, that has not been there for quite awhile. It also shows how hard the new staff is working, in my opinion.

As for basketball, all I know is they can only go up 

[dlippiel]

North Park has started camp with 97 players. Compared to the cast of thousands at schools such as Carthage and Adrian, 97 doesn't sound like a lot. It's definitely smaller than the 115 or so with which the Vikings started camp last year. This is because the Park has not brought in a huge freshman class in terms of numbers. But the key thing is that retention, which has always been NPU football's biggest bete noire, was very good. Most of last year's players came back this year, particularly the players who saw playing time last season. So Scott Pethtel and his staff will be able to bank upon a commodity which NPU football has very rarely possessed: Experience.

97 players is not bad. And you can't beat having experienced players in the fold, especially at QB.

While a good and experienced QB can often be the biggest difference maker on a football team, its important to remember that he is just 1 of 11 players (1 of 22 if you count the separate defensive unit). Accordingly, if a team has significant holes at several other positions, they likely won't be able to be deemed a "successful" (substitute another word of your choosing) team. For instance, a certain local team with what has been called a "franchise" QB, has not been highly successful due to the fact they have had a porous offensive line, no fast/skillful wide outs, a weak pass rush, and consequent soft secondary coverage, not to mention a GM who didn't know a good 1st round draft choice from a hole in the ground.
As someone said, it takes a village, not just a QB.      

Hahahaha-DaBears!

See Jason Boltus from a couple years back. He was the QB at Hartwick...or should dlip say team Boltus. Kid was un****ingreal. It was a story of him, a receiver he turned into the Eucharist, and the rest of the team. Boltus and his disciple could only do so much.

[NCF]

North Park has started camp with 97 players. Compared to the cast of thousands at schools such as Carthage and Adrian, 97 doesn't sound like a lot. It's definitely smaller than the 115 or so with which the Vikings started camp last year. This is because the Park has not brought in a huge freshman class in terms of numbers. But the key thing is that retention, which has always been NPU football's biggest bete noire, was very good. Most of last year's players came back this year, particularly the players who saw playing time last season. So Scott Pethtel and his staff will be able to bank upon a commodity which NPU football has very rarely possessed: Experience.

97 players is not bad. And you can't beat having experienced players in the fold, especially at QB.

While a good and experienced QB can often be the biggest difference maker on a football team, its important to remember that he is just 1 of 11 players (1 of 22 if you count the separate defensive unit). Accordingly, if a team has significant holes at several other positions, they likely won't be able to be deemed a "successful" (substitute another word of your choosing) team. For instance, a certain local team with what has been called a "franchise" QB, has not been highly successful due to the fact they have had a porous offensive line, no fast/skillful wide outs, a weak pass rush, and consequent soft secondary coverage, not to mention a GM who didn't know a good 1st round draft choice from a hole in the ground.
As someone said, it takes a village, not just a QB.      

Hahahaha-DaBears!

See Jason Boltus from a couple years back. He was the QB at Hartwick...or should dlip say team Boltus. Kid was un****ingreal. It was a story of him, a receiver he turned into the Eucharist, and the rest of the team. Boltus and his disciple could only do so much.

dlip posting is a work of art!:)

[AndOne]

But maybe dlip had a few too many ****tails before dlip told us what dlip should have said!     

[NCF]

But maybe dlip had a few too many ****tails before dlip told us what dlip should have said!     

newcardfan thinks thats what makes dlip so entertaining:)

[badgerwarhawk]

North Park has started camp with 97 players. Compared to the cast of thousands at schools such as Carthage and Adrian, 97 doesn't sound like a lot. It's definitely smaller than the 115 or so with which the Vikings started camp last year. This is because the Park has not brought in a huge freshman class in terms of numbers. But the key thing is that retention, which has always been NPU football's biggest bete noire, was very good. Most of last year's players came back this year, particularly the players who saw playing time last season. So Scott Pethtel and his staff will be able to bank upon a commodity which NPU football has very rarely possessed: Experience.

97 is a good number.  I think WIAC rosters are limited to 100, so you are right around that mark.

Experience is a big thing.  Hopefully they'll be competitive in the non-conference portion of their schedule, and in the conference schedule too.

I think 100 is just about right for all rosters.

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.   

[Pat Coleman]

North Park has started camp with 97 players. Compared to the cast of thousands at schools such as Carthage and Adrian, 97 doesn't sound like a lot. It's definitely smaller than the 115 or so with whithe Vikings started camp last year. This is because the Park has not brought in a huge freshman class in terms of numbers. But the key thing is that retention, which has always been NPU football's biggest bete noire, was very good. Most of last year's players came back this year, particularly the players who saw playing time last season. So Scott Pethtel and his staff will be able to bank upon a commodity which NPU football has very rarely possessed: Experience.

97 is a good number.  I think WIAC rosters are limited to 100, so you are right around that mark.

Experience is a big thing.  Hopefully they'll be competitive in the non-conference portion of their schedule, and in the conference schedule too.

I think 100 is just about right for all rosters.

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.

We publish all the preseason roster sizes in Kickoff!

[SaintsFAN]

We publish all the preseason roster sizes in Kickoff!

Never heard of it.. is this new?

[wally_wabash]

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.

This is kind of confusing.  The roster limit is 100, but you can apparently practice with well over that.  Is there a deadline where you have to have trimmed it down to 100 or can you practice with as many as you want all year but can only dress 100 for games? 

[02 Warhawk]

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.

This is kind of confusing.  The roster limit is 100, but you can apparently practice with well over that.  Is there a deadline where you have to have trimmed it down to 100 or can you practice with as many as you want all year but can only dress 100 for games? 

136 players are trying out for the team at UWW. So that means 36 of them will be cut between now and 8/31, I believe. So by the start of the season, and going forward, UWW (and the rest of the WIAC) will have 100 players to work with.

[wally_wabash]

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.

This is kind of confusing.  The roster limit is 100, but you can apparently practice with well over that.  Is there a deadline where you have to have trimmed it down to 100 or can you practice with as many as you want all year but can only dress 100 for games? 

136 players are trying out for the team at UWW. So that means 36 of them will be cut between now and 8/31, I believe. So by the start of the season, and going forward, UWW (and the rest of the WIAC) will have 100 players to work with.

Thanks for the clarification.  One other question...do they get to replace injured players with players that got cut on or before 8/31 or are the 100 that get picked to be on the team it for the year? 

[02 Warhawk]

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.

This is kind of confusing.  The roster limit is 100, but you can apparently practice with well over that.  Is there a deadline where you have to have trimmed it down to 100 or can you practice with as many as you want all year but can only dress 100 for games? 

136 players are trying out for the team at UWW. So that means 36 of them will be cut between now and 8/31, I believe. So by the start of the season, and going forward, UWW (and the rest of the WIAC) will have 100 players to work with.

Thanks for the clarification.  One other question...do they get to replace injured players with players that got cut on or before 8/31 or are the 100 that get picked to be on the team it for the year?

Sorry, I left one part out. Like a lot of DIII schools, UWW has a JV team...So if someone gets injured I'm sure some freshman from the JV team will take his roster spot.

Now what I'm not sure on (maybe badgerwarhawk can clarify), is if those 100 players consist of JV players or not.

[02 Warhawk]

Also, I'll be in town (Lombard) visiting my family the weekend of 9/1. A few of us are heading over to Naperville for the game. I'm really looking foward to it, I haven't been there since the UWW game a couple of seasons ago. There's been a lot of talk on how much UWL has improved since last season, but I still think NCC will run away with this one.

However, I'm curious to see if they can hang with NCC for a few quarters.

[badgerwarhawk]

The final WIAC program's roster is limited to 100 by conference rule.  WIAC programs average around 120-140 to start fall practice.  It's hard to tell though because none of them publish preseason rosters.  WW started fall practice with 136.

This is kind of confusing.  The roster limit is 100, but you can apparently practice with well over that.  Is there a deadline where you have to have trimmed it down to 100 or can you practice with as many as you want all year but can only dress 100 for games? 

136 players are trying out for the team at UWW. So that means 36 of them will be cut between now and 8/31, I believe. So by the start of the season, and going forward, UWW (and the rest of the WIAC) will have 100 players to work with.

Thanks for the clarification.  One other question...do they get to replace injured players with players that got cut on or before 8/31 or are the 100 that get picked to be on the team it for the year?

Sorry, I left one part out. Like a lot of DIII schools, UWW has a JV team...So if somone gets injured I'm sure some freshman from the JV team will take his roster spot.

Now what I'm not sure on (maybe badgerwarhawk can clarify), is if those 100 players consist of JV players or not.

The JV players are included in the 100 player roster limit.  There is no separate JV roster.  JV players are essentially roster players who don't see much, if any, action in varsity level games.  Most are players who do not make the traveling roster which is limited to 50some.   Because grayshirts, players who don't make the final roster, are not permitted to practice or be involved in team activities they don't make up any part of the JV team.  Essentially they are just students.  If a player is injured and unable to participate your roster is down to 99.  You can't add to the roster after it is submitted to the conference commissioner's office.