FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Trin9-0]

The Trinity Tim Kiely also played football for the Bants his freshman year.

[Trin9-0]

Article on Trin freshman Ben Sherry:

http://www.townonline.com/wayland/sports/x117549565

[Trin9-0]

I was curious about what states NESCAC schools get their recruits from and decided to do a little research. In case you're interested:

Amherst:
(75) 20 states

MA   23   31%
NJ   8   11%
NY   8   11%
MD   7   9%
CT   5   7%
FL   3   4%
OH   3   4%
CA   2   3%
CO   2   3%
MO   2   3%
PA   2   3%
WI   2   3%
GA   1   1%
IL   1   1%
MN   1   1%
NH   1   1%
SC   1   1%
TX   1   1%
VA   1   1%
WV   1   1%

Bates:
(74) 13 states

MA   45   60%
NH   8   11%
ME   7   9%
IL   4   5%
NJ   3   4%
NY   2   3%
FL   1   1%
MD   1   1%
MN   1   1%
NC   1   1%
OH   1   1%
RI   1   1%
VT   1   1%

Bowdoin:
(55) 16 states

MA   27   49%
NJ   4   7%
PA   4   7%
NH   3   5%
CA   2   4%
CT   2   4%
FL   2   4%
ME   2   4%
TX   2   4%
IL   1   2%
MI   1   2%
MO   1   2%
NY   1   2%
RI   1   2%
SC   1   2%
WA   1   2%

Colby:
(74) 15 states

MA   18   24%
CT   11   15%
ME   9   12%
NH   8   11%
NY   8   11%
MD   5   7%
RI   4   5%
FL   2   3%
PA   2   3%
VT   2   3%
CA   1   1%
IL   1   1%
MO   1   1%
OH   1   1%
VA   1   1%

Hamilton:
(57) 12 states

NY   20   35%
CT   10   18%
MA   9   16%
NJ   6   11%
IL   2   4%
NH   2   4%
PA   2   4%
VT   2   4%
FL   1   2%
MD   1   2%
OR   1   2%
VA   1   2%

Middlebury:
(75) 21 states, 1 provence

MA   13   17%
CT   12   16%
NJ   11   15%
NY   6   8%
CA   4   5%
VT   4   5%
IL   3   4%
ME   3   4%
PA   3   4%
MD   2   3%
MI   2   3%
MN   2   3%
CO   1   1%
FL   1   1%
IA   1   1%
NC   1   1%
OR   1   1%
RI   1   1%
TX   1   1%
WV   1   1%
WY   1   1%
*CAN   1   1%

Trinity:
(75) 12 states   

CT   23   31%
MA   20   27%
NJ   7   9%
NY   6   8%
MD   5   7%
PA   5   7%
CA   3   4%
FL   2   3%
GA   1   1%
MO   1   1%
OH   1   1%
RI   1   1%

Tufts:
(75) 17 states

MA   42   56%
CT   8   11%
NY   5   7%
CA   2   3%
FL   2   3%
ME   2   3%
NJ   2   3%
PA   2   3%
VA   2   3%
GA   1   1%
ID   1   1%
IL   1   1%
LA   1   1%
MN   1   1%
NM   1   1%
OR   1   1%
VT   1   1%

Wesleyan:
(75) 14 states

MA   18   24%
NJ   15   20%
CT   12   16%
NY   10   13%
VT   5   7%
CA   3   4%
PA   3   4%
MD   2   3%
TX   2   3%
CO   1   1%
RI   1   1%
VA   1   1%
WA   1   1%
WV   1   1%

Williams:
(87) 20 states

MA   24   28%
NY   12   14%
CT   11   13%
NJ   10   11%
PA   5   6%
CA   4   5%
MD   3   3%
OH   3   3%
VA   3   3%
NH   2   2%
AL   1   1%
AR   1   1%
FL   1   1%
IL   1   1%
IN   1   1%
MI   1   1%
MO   1   1%
TN   1   1%
VT   1   1%
WI   1   1%

All data was taken from the rosters listed on each school's website (most are from 2006) Williams lists 87 players (including 29 incoming freshmen) obviously their numbers will be much different once they have a 75 man roster.

A few things I found interesting:

60% of Bates 56% of Tufts and 49% of Bowdoin players are from Mass. Maybe they need to expand their recruiting?

Of the 204 players on the CBB rosters only 18 are from the state of Maine. It's hard to win when you can't rely on in-state recruiting.

The only non Maine team that doesn't have the majority of their player from in-state is Middlebury with only 4 from VT.

Middlebury has the most diverse roster; their highest percentage of players from a single state is 17% (MA) and they are represented by 21 different states and 1 Canadian provence.

Trinity and Hamilton have the fewest number of states represented with 12 (and Hamilton has 18 fewer players than Trinity).

20% of the Wesleyan roster is made up of players from New Jersey.

33% of all NESCAC football players are from Massachusetts.

[Col. Partridge]

How much time did that take you?

That tells me MA is over-recruited and sun belt states with a lot of academically qualified kids who played better HS football are under-represented.  I'm thinking CA, FL and TX specifically, where NESCAC-caliber HS players often go to local large D-I schools and hang up the cleats.  I'm not sure how you convince them to come to schools they've probably never heard of...

The weather and questionable-looking coeds probably don't help.  I'm also surprised there aren't more PA kids after Swarthmore dropped football.

[BTEXPRESS]

Trin  Thank you for doing that research. I never considered Mass to be a great football state compared to Ca, Tx, Oh, Pa etc. But when you look at the NESAC, Mass in right in the heart of all the schools driving wise, so I guess it is easier to recruit. I always thought the NESAC schools recruited from all over the country like the Ivies. Your research has disproved that theory.

[Pat Coleman]

I always thought the NESCAC schools recruited from all over the country like the Ivies. Your research has disproved that theory.

I think it proves the theory -- there aren't many Division III conferences who have so many schools that have players from their roster from 15 states. Yes, they draw more locally, but that is the nature of non-scholarship football unless you're the Merchant Marine or Coast Guard Academy.

[Trin9-0]

How much time did that take you?

That tells me MA is over-recruited and sun belt states with a lot of academically qualified kids who played better HS football are under-represented.  I'm thinking CA, FL and TX specifically, where NESCAC-caliber HS players often go to local large D-I schools and hang up the cleats.  I'm not sure how you convince them to come to schools they've probably never heard of...

The weather and questionable-looking coeds probably don't help.  I'm also surprised there aren't more PA kids after Swarthmore dropped football.

It didn't take as long as you might expect (thanks to Excel) but it still took longer than anyone should ever consider NESCAC football recruiting in relation to state. 

If you look at last years 1st and 2nd All-NESCAC teams you'll see that 35.6% come from Massachusetts. This correlates well to their 33.1% total representation.

Similarly:

New Jersey makes up 9.1% of the total and 10.2% of the All -Conference team.
New York makes up 10.8% of the total and 8.5% of the All -Conference team.
Pennsylvania makes up 3.9% of the total and 3.4% of the All-Conference team.

One area that may be under-recruited is Connecticut who makes up 13% of the NESCAC but 32.2% of last seasons All Conference team.

Trin  Thank you for doing that research. I never considered Mass to be a great football state compared to Ca, Tx, Oh, Pa etc. But when you look at the NESAC, Mass in right in the heart of all the schools driving wise, so I guess it is easier to recruit. I always thought the NESAC schools recruited from all over the country like the Ivies. Your research has disproved that theory.

NESCAC schools do recruit all over the country, however they are limited not only by NCAA rules, but also in terms of resources available. Add to it the fact that most players outside of New England have never heard of any NESCAC schools and you end up with a low representation outside of the Northeast.

I have to agree with Pat though. I think for D-III, having 36 states represented in the NESCAC is pretty impressive.

[BTEXPRESS]

Pat & Trin: I stand corrected, I guess I was initially looking at it from a different angle, but to have kids from 36 different states is impressive.

[nescac1]

That is interesting, well done.  One reason New England, and in particular Massachusetts, is so heavily represented is because of the high concentration of prep schools in those areas.  Prep schools are fertile recruiting ground for NESCAC schools for a number of reason: the kids usually have strong academic backgrounds, often have money (NESCAC tuitions are not cheap), and the NESCAC schools are all very well known at every prep / private school in the northeast.   I guarantee that there are a higher percentage of private school, and more pointedly prep school, alums at NESCAC schools than any other D-III conference. 

Even though there are a lot of qualified kids who may be more talented in other parts of the country, it takes a lot more legwork to find them, whereas a kid from BB&N or Exeter is more of a known quantity (and NESCAC is more of a known quantity for them).  Indeed, a lot of NESCAC alums teach and coach at northeast private schools, so that creates an even stronger tie.  As long as there is an enormous concentration of prep schools staffed by NESCAC alums in the northeast, I imagine there won't be significant changes to the NESCAC recruiting base. 

[Garnet]

A quick look at the 2006 Union roster:

11 states

NY-40
MA-17
CT-16
NJ-11
FL-9
VT-2
ME-1
LA-1
PA-1
GA-1
WA-1

There are 101 on the roster so I missed one.  Probably NY

[frank uible]

Does one get scoreboard points for geographic diversity on the roster?

[Col. Partridge]

Of course not.  Steve Spurrier rarely recruited outside of the state of Florida when he coached the Gators, and he did OK.  But I think an opportunity exists for NESCAC schools to attract talent from areas where HS football is still a big deal and the population and income trends are favorable (since DIII ain't free), instead of going back to the New England well.  Especially for the schools who haven't done much with the talent they've been getting from that well.

[JQV]

Of course not.  Steve Spurrier rarely recruited outside of the state of Florida when he coached the Gators, and he did OK.  But I think an opportunity exists for NESCAC schools to attract talent from areas where HS football is still a big deal and the population and income trends are favorable (since DIII ain't free), instead of going back to the New England well.  Especially for the schools who haven't done much with the talent they've been getting from that well.

Staying in Florida for players is a little different than staying in Massachussetts or Connecticut for players...don't you think?  Florida has enough talent to supply UF, FSU, and UM with some left over to sprinkle around the Big East, Big Ten, and Pac 10.

[Col. Partridge]

I was being ironic.  I believe UConn has more players from FL than any other state on its roster.

[Trin9-0]

Does one get scoreboard points for geographic diversity on the roster?

No one suggested that, and as I stated Trinity is the least regionally diverse team in the NESCAC and they've done well recently. But as the good Capt. said it wouldn't hurt a team like Bates who gets 60% of their roster from one state and hasn't won many games recently to make more of an effort to tap into the talent in other places.