FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[gridiron]

I like your optimism Amh63 regarding revisiting the age-old length of season issue--and you have an interesting theory as the catalyst for making it happen.  I'd personally love to see two 8 and 0 teams to put an additional spotlight on the issue. 

Unfortunately, I do agree with Frank that it is not at all likely.  Bummer for sure.  There really are only a handful of reasons why the schools have not/would not agree to a nine game schedule, and most of them are really just BS excuses.

1. "A ninth game would adversely affect players academically, which is the real reason they are in college."  Hmmm, and the Ivy League plays a ten game schedule.  Since the NESCAC schools decidedly attempt to model themselves after the Ivies in most every regard academically AND athletically, why not add one more game which is STILL fewer than the Ivies play?

2.  "A ninth game would necessitate starting training camp one week earlier with resulting additional expenses."  Not at all.  Two possible solutions.  One would be to have the players report the same time and simply extend the season on the back end by one week.  Games would still be finished the weekend before Thanksgiving, and since there are no playoffs anyway, there is no pressure complete the season early.  Alternatively, kick the season off with the first game one week earlier.  Players could still report on the current date, but to accommodate NCAA rules the preseason scrimmage in which teams currently participate would need to be eliminated.

3.  "Eight games have worked fine for the past 75 years or so, so why change."  Yeah right, and helmets and facemasks didn't always exist, so why wear them now?

The real reason(s)?  These college presidents (like most elitist college presidents) do not like being told what to do by anyone.  I suspect some may also not really enjoy/embrace the football programs, perhaps due to concessions required in the admissions process, or other unspoken biases. 

The only "true" negative associated with extending the season by one game would be the added expense of that one particular game.  Since I'm pretty certain gate receipts don't cover expenses, travel, officials, etc. associated with the game would be extra.  I don't know what that expense would be, but it would certainly appear to be worth it to simply facilitate each team in the league playing each other once.

[amh63]

Gridiron....good points all!
The key one is the attitude of the Presidents.   I do not know when the last vote on the subject of nine games was taken.....and what it takes to have a change....does a majority in favor do it?
That is why I look at the changeover of presidents in the recent past and in the near future as a positive thing....in part because I do not know what schools were/ are against  a nine game schedule.
Amherst's new prez, I believe supports football as she did in Wisconsin and the fact that she grew up with brothers who became coaches.  Wesleyan has put more emphasis on sports recently since they see it as a vehicle to generate financial/ endownment growth.  Even though Conn.College does not have a team, it gets a vote....therefore, a change there could be good.  Like Tuft's new Prez who seems to support sports and came in after the completion of a campaign completion, Conn's new prez will be after a campaign completion.   Bate's new prez is a Williams grad and should support sports.  There is also the fact that Hamilton has joined the conference again in all sports.
On the subject of expenses, that is truly a " red Herring" excuse.  In the past five years or more, Amherst has not bothered to collect fees for football games...even for Homecoming.  In sports like basketball, games are generally free at most schools, I believe.  I do know that the cardinals still charge for Homecoming.
Colby and Bowdoin as well as Tufts have improved their facilities injust the last few years.
In short, I believe the winds are blowing in the correct way/direction. 
Oh yes, Williams and Amherst will have new football/sport facilities. Soon , as will Middlebury(new field house ).

[frank uible]

The winds of change may be blowing, but in the subject context the general instincts of the NESCAC administrations, however composed, lead to the conclusion that change will happen at a glacial rate at best or, more likely, not at all.

[amh63]

 Will add another log to the subject of increasing the football season....Trinity announced on July 8 that it is setting up a search for a new President!   Guess that 10 years is about the max length for a prez these days....maybe a time for Trinity to start a Capital Campaign....their athletic facilities need to be upgraded...pointed out by a Trinity supporter....though they did add a hockey facility recently.

[D3MAFAN]

The winds of change may be blowing, but in the subject context the general instincts of the NESCAC administrations, however composed, lead to the conclusion that change will happen at a glacial rate at best or, more likely, not at all.

With global warming, we may have a chance.

[AUPepBand]

FWIW, Pep had a recent random and pleasant exchange with a v.p. from Williams College, whose son was taking a look at Alfred University, likely one of many college campuses he's visiting.

[amh63]

AUPEPBAND....always hard to stay home to go to school; even harder when a parent works there.  Must be an astute person to visit your school.

[Panthernation]

NESCAC Pre-season All Americans:

USA Football Network (http://www.usafbn.com/d3fb.htm):

1st Team
QB Mac Foote (Middlebury)
RB Evan Bunker (Trinity)
DB Andrew Kukesh (Bates)
2nd Team
PK Charlie Donahue (Bates)
3rd Team
RB Mike Budness (Trinity)
RB James Stanell (Hamilton)
LB Griffin Cardew (Bowdoin)
4th Team
WR Jake O'Malley (Amherst)
LB Danny Chun (Amherst)
DB Chris Kim (Williams)
DB Jake Bussani (Wesleyan)
Honorable Mentions
RB Ben Crick (Trinity)
WR Zach Donnarumma (Bowdoin)
WR Joe Jensen (Hamilton)
OL Liam O'Neil (Bates)
DL Clarence Johnson (Bowdoin
LB Tom Szymanski (Trinity)
DB Jason Buco (Colby)
PK Joe Mallock (Williams)

Lindy's Sports (http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/jhop/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/lindysd3fbpreview13.pdf):

1st Team
QB Mac Foote (Middlebury)
DB Andrew Kukesh (Bates)
2nd Team
RB Evan Bunker (Trinity)

[nescac1]

Thanks for posting, Panthernation.  As always, I am not sure how anyone can compare NESCAC football players to any other conference.  I have exactly zero idea of how Mac Foote would stack up, nationally.  But in all events, it is pretty darn impressive to be named to not one but two pre-seasson first team all-American teams.  And I think he will go down as the best QB in recent NESCAC history, at the very least.  And given his pedigree I'd guess (but it is purely a guess) that he'd be an impact player on most D-3 squads.  Frank U. might have more insight as he has watched more D-3 football than most here ...

From Williams, I think that Tom Cabarle and Alex Scyocurka (if he finally stays healthy) are both headed for huge junior years, and James Howe is headed for a big sophomore year.  Other than that, I'm not sure the Ephs have any potentially nationally-elite talent, unless someone emerges who did not see the field much last year.  I'm most curious to hear for Williams if there are any rumblings of an ugrade, either via improvement by the two returning QB's or a new contender, at the QB slot.  Without that, and with Hartwell gone (although still plenty of good WR's on the roster, just no one who is elite), teams are going to dare Williams to pass on virtually every down.  The Ephs have enough talent to get back to a more typical 6-2 type record, but not without a lot more production out of the QB slot ...

Some of the predictions below are pretty interesting.  I'd be pretty shocked if Wesleyan went 8-0 this year ... I think the Cards are still a year away from contending for the title given who Trinity and Midd both bring back.  Middlebury and Trinity, in some order, appear to be the class of NESCAC right now, with Wesleyan, Amherst, and Williams right behind them, probably in that order. 

[D3MAFAN]

NESCAC Pre-season All Americans:

USA Football Network (http://www.usafbn.com/d3fb.htm):

1st Team
QB Mac Foote (Middlebury)
RB Evan Bunker (Trinity)
DB Andrew Kukesh (Bates)
2nd Team
PK Charlie Donahue (Bates)
3rd Team
RB Mike Budness (Trinity)
RB James Stanell (Hamilton)
LB Griffin Cardew (Bowdoin)
4th Team
WR Jake O'Malley (Amherst)
LB Danny Chun (Amherst)
DB Chris Kim (Williams)
DB Jake Bussani (Wesleyan)
Honorable Mentions
RB Ben Crick (Trinity)
WR Zach Donnarumma (Bowdoin)
WR Joe Jensen (Hamilton)
OL Liam O'Neil (Bates)
DL Clarence Johnson (Bowdoin
LB Tom Szymanski (Trinity)
DB Jason Buco (Colby)
PK Joe Mallock (Williams)

Lindy's Sports (http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/jhop/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/lindysd3fbpreview13.pdf):

1st Team
QB Mac Foote (Middlebury)
DB Andrew Kukesh (Bates)
2nd Team
RB Evan Bunker (Trinity)

Never seen this many all-americans in my life from one conference, more like everyone whom starts is an all-american. Lindy's more credible.

[nescac1]

D3MAFAN, click on the USA link -- the "1st team" alone has loads of guys at each position.  Lindy's is a more typical / traditional all-American squad, and hence the NESCAC representation is more realistic. 

[amh63]

Panthernation's post pointed out to me the talent that is on the Bates' team.  It also made me notice that Amherst's last game with the Bobcats was in 2011.  It used to be that Amherst would open the season with either Bates or Hamilton.  It seems that for the this coming season, Amherst will play Hamilton again...on the road this year.   Somehow, I missed the fact that the " rotation" was altered.  Guess, the schedule among the leaders are not the same in the run towards the conference title.  It always will be with an 8 game season!   My grip here is like the grip by Coach Miles of LSU at the SEC media "circus" this week.
When did the schedule change start?   Guess I have been oblivious to it.  That explains why I have not noticed Bates' rise other than they have given Williams a challenge.

[frank uible]

What are the processes by which these all- America teams are selected? It is suspected that they are haphazard, superficial and grossly full of bias to say the very least.

[Panthernation]

What are the processes by which these all- America teams are selected? It is suspected that they are haphazard, superficial and grossly full of bias to say the very least.

They definitely are. Nobody has the resources or interest to make a thorough and internally consistent ranking at this level. There are 3,000+ returning starters from which to choose and talent evaluation in football is hard enough when dozens of scouts work together year-round on it, so publications like these can't be taken very seriously. Both do seem to fairly depict the stars of the NESCAC though, and if they do that for every conference, that's valuable to a degree.

[frank uible]

But from this correspondent's perspective only a minute degree.