FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[CardinalAlum]

Congrats to another former Titan Mike Murray as the new head football coach at Elmhurst University.

I like this hire. Mike knows the CCIW as well as anyone and he is defensive minded. I have heard mixed opinions on his personality, though I have personally never met him. I know his defenses caused a lot of pain in the CCIW over many years (IWU and NCC).  If he can get players (a big if) I think he will do a good job. Very solid football mind.

I will echo USee on this. Elmhurst did well. Mike is a good coach, recruiter and person.

[D O.C.]

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO THE CHAMPIONS

[lmitzel]

Saw this morning that old friend Andrew Kamienski signed with the Saarland Hurricanes of the German Football League.

[cardinaldad]

Great news! I have been wondering when and where he would end up! Good luck!

[USee]

Saw this morning that old friend Andrew Kamienski signed with the Saarland Hurricanes of the German Football League.

They also signed Kyle King, UMHB QB https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=863321651290794&set=pb.100028389027177.-2207520000.   

[lmitzel]

NCC will be celebrating the Stagg Bowl champs at halftime of tomorrow's men's basketball game against Elmhurst. Tip is scheduled for 4:15, so the ceremony will probably be around 5:00, give or take.

[The Third Division]

Despite not tweeting about it for some reason, North Central has their 2023 schedule up with their lone non conference opponent being NAIA squad Roosevelt University.

2023 Battle of the Little Brass Bell is at Wheaton on Sept. 30 while last year's 3rd place conference squad (two time isthmus bowl participant and loser to UW-river falls) is home on Oct. 21.

How much of NCC's '22 sqauad is returning? Who's gonna be NCC's starting running back this season? Or is luke lehnen just gonna run the ball all by himself while the offense assumes the role of having 2 fullbacks?

[Gregory Sager]

Despite not tweeting about it for some reason, North Central has their 2023 schedule up with their lone non conference opponent being NAIA squad Roosevelt University.

Roosevelt is technically NAIA for the next school year, but it is actively transitioning now to D2. What difference that will make in next autumn's Lakers football roster, one can only speculate.

[lmitzel]

How much of NCC's '22 sqauad is returning? Who's gonna be NCC's starting running back this season? Or is luke lehnen just gonna run the ball all by himself while the offense assumes the role of having 2 fullbacks?

Pretty good chunk of this past year's team comes back. I don't remember the exact numbers but there weren't a ton of seniors throughout the whole roster. D-line probably loses the most at a glance.

My early bet at RB will be a mix of Joe Sacco and Jordan Chisum. They got a fair amount of reps in mop-up duty this past year (and Sacco returned kicks this past year).

[USee]

Peyton Thorne, SR QB at Michigan State and son of former NCC HC Jeff Thorne, has entered the transfer portal and will be a graduate transfer, eligible immediately. It's late in the process for transfers so my guess is that Thorne already has a destination worked out.

Wheaton is looking for a new QB!

[The Third Division]

Or he can go to north central and make like lehnen feel really bad.

[WUPHF]

Inspired by the MIAA basketball discussion...

UChicago has a Fall 2023 schedule posted and their one non-conference game will be played at home against Claremont Mudd Scripps.

Unfortunately, the Founders Day trophy game with Washington University is not on the schedule.  The two teams have played almost 40 games going back to 1906.

In my limited experience working with student-athletes, the rivalry with Chicago was a big deal and probably bigger than with most other programs at Washington University.

I only know one player well enough to ask about the state of the rivalry and I will ask if I see him at commencement, but to the "biggest rival" question, what will he say?  River Falls?

[Gregory Sager]

If I was a Wash U fan, I would use this to its fullest advantage on those occasions in other sports in which the Bears will actually play the U of C.

After all, this can easily be spun as a case of the Maroons ducking Wash U on the high-profile stage of the gridiron. Evading your sworn rival like that is fuel for scorn and the heaping of abuse. This could be an unexpected means to ratchet up the rivalry; Wash U fans accusing the Maroons of being too afraid to play them in football anymore, and Chicago fans, required by the iron bonds of conference affiliation in most sports to have to share space with Bears fans in a sporting venue, forced to come up with some sort of riposte to the accusation.

Sometimes the sweetest victory is when your opponent runs away without a fight ... because you get to hold it over his head when you inevitably cross paths the next time.

[WUPHF]

Admittedly, I have no idea why the game was not scheduled this season, but one might assume it was a decision by Chicago as the new coaching staff had no prior connections to the UAA.

I do agree on the everything else you said.

I do hope they get it scheduled again sooner or later.

[Ccrfer]

You are a year late with your disappointment.

Bears opened the 2022 season with Hendrix.  Maroons with Concordia Chicago. 

Inspired by the MIAA basketball discussion...

UChicago has a Fall 2023 schedule posted and their one non-conference game will be played at home against Claremont Mudd Scripps.

Unfortunately, the Founders Day trophy game with Washington University is not on the schedule.  The two teams have played almost 40 games going back to 1906.

In my limited experience working with student-athletes, the rivalry with Chicago was a big deal and probably bigger than with most other programs at Washington University.

I only know one player well enough to ask about the state of the rivalry and I will ask if I see him at commencement, but to the "biggest rival" question, what will he say?  River Falls?