FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[gridiron]

Only been following NESCAC football closely for a few years but have noticed significant differences in spectator attendance for the away teams especially. 

Would be interested to see if my observations match with others.  Which teams "travel well" and which don't, from a spectator perspective?

[maineman]

http://www.wesleyan.edu/athletics/football/link-resources/poll.html

2013 NEW ENGLAND DIVISION III FOOTBALL POLL


Week #2 - 9/23/13
Rank    Team    Record    (First-Place Votes)    Points    Last Week's Rank
1    Springfield
   3-0    (12)    198    1
2
   Trinity
   1-0    (6)    181    2
3    Framingham St.
   2-1    (2)
   122    4
4
   Middlebury
   1-0    
   102    7
5    MIT
   2-0    
   97    5
6
   Western Connecticut
   2-0    (1)
   86    10
7    Amherst
   1-0         84    9
8
   Bridgewater St.
   2-1         76    ARV
9    Salve Regina
   1-1         72    6
10    Wesleyan
   1-0         53    ARV
Also Receiving Votes (to be listed a team must receive at least one percent of the available points and appear on at least two ballots):  Mass. Maritime (51), Colby (13).

[Trin9-0]

Lest any Trinity or Amherst lovers think that these NESCAC teams can compete with the Ivy League teams.......Dartmouth, a middle of the pack Ivy team,  defeated Butler on Saturday.  Butler had defeated the #10 (Wittenberg) and #13 (Franklin)  D3 teams in the two previous weeks.

NESCAC football is good football and there are a few great players on these teams.  Let's leave it at that.

I don't recall any posters (at least recently) suggesting the top NESCAC programs would compete with the Ivies.

I'm in full agreement with the common sense suggestion of a complete 9 game NESCAC football schedule. I watched my first ever Coast Guard Academy game this past weekend. I don't think the Coasties could compete with Trinity, Wesleyan or even Tufts for that matter but in speaking with the CGA alumni they'd love to resume their in-state rivalry with the Bants and Cards. Oh well.

[AlDavis]

Don Best Sports

Wesleyan       - 24 1/2
Hamilton          54

Colby                 49
Middlebury       - 14 1/2

Bowdoin              46
Amherst             - 13 1/2

Tufts                   52 1/2
Bates                 - 23

Williams                51
Trinity                 - 17 1/2

[amh63]

Trinity8-0...CGA cannot compete with Tufts?   Harsh! .  Unless Iamhugh can provide comments on the jumbos otherwise.  Did watch some of the game in Middletown...nice video feed. 
ALDavis ...as much as I understand such spreads,  they appear good ones.
I believe Amherst will improve offensively this week at home.  New center needs to settle in and the offensive line play should be better.  Bowdoin has played Amherst close the past few seasons.
Looked over the stats of the Polar Bears battle with the Panthers.  As much as stats can reveal...the two sacks of Foote stands out and the safety.  Offensive line needs to step up quickly for Midd.  Any poster inputs?  Did I miss a Panthernation post here?
My bad...miss read the stats...two picks by Bowdoin on Foote...not sacks.

[iamhuge]

Lest any Trinity or Amherst lovers think that these NESCAC teams can compete with the Ivy League teams.......Dartmouth, a middle of the pack Ivy team,  defeated Butler on Saturday.  Butler had defeated the #10 (Wittenberg) and #13 (Franklin)  D3 teams in the two previous weeks.

NESCAC football is good football and there are a few great players on these teams.  Let's leave it at that.

I don't recall any posters (at least recently) suggesting the top NESCAC programs would compete with the Ivies.

I'm in full agreement with the common sense suggestion of a complete 9 game NESCAC football schedule. I watched my first ever Coast Guard Academy game this past weekend. I don't think the Coasties could compete with Trinity, Wesleyan or even Tufts for that matter but in speaking with the CGA alumni they'd love to resume their in-state rivalry with the Bants and Cards. Oh well.

Let's just say I've had several (actually many) of these conversations in the past from former NESCAC players who seemed to think that they were right up there with the Ivy League talentwise.

[iamhuge]

Trinity8-0...CGA cannot compete with Tufts?   Harsh! .  Unless Iamhugh can provide comments on the jumbos otherwise.  Did watch some of the game in Middletown...nice video feed. 
ALDavis ...as much as I understand such spreads,  they appear good ones.
I believe Amherst will improve offensively this week at home.  New center needs to settle in and the offensive line play should be better.  Bowdoin has played Amherst close the past few seasons.
Looked over the stats of the Polar Bears battle with the Panthers.  As much as stats can reveal...the two sacks of Foote stands out and the safety.  Offensive line needs to step up quickly for Midd.  Any poster inputs?  Did I miss a Panthernation post here?

I think the 9th game vs. NESCAC is a must.  The 10th game will be great to have.  Only way to settle this is on the field.

[Jonny Utah]

Lest any Trinity or Amherst lovers think that these NESCAC teams can compete with the Ivy League teams.......Dartmouth, a middle of the pack Ivy team,  defeated Butler on Saturday.  Butler had defeated the #10 (Wittenberg) and #13 (Franklin)  D3 teams in the two previous weeks.

NESCAC football is good football and there are a few great players on these teams.  Let's leave it at that.

I don't recall any posters (at least recently) suggesting the top NESCAC programs would compete with the Ivies.

I'm in full agreement with the common sense suggestion of a complete 9 game NESCAC football schedule. I watched my first ever Coast Guard Academy game this past weekend. I don't think the Coasties could compete with Trinity, Wesleyan or even Tufts for that matter but in speaking with the CGA alumni they'd love to resume their in-state rivalry with the Bants and Cards. Oh well.

Let's just say I've had several (actually many) of these conversations in the past from former NESCAC players who seemed to think that they were right up there with the Ivy League talentwise.

20 years ago the top d3 team could give the bottom Ivy league team a game.  Today I do not think that would be the case.

[Knightstalker]

Lest any Trinity or Amherst lovers think that these NESCAC teams can compete with the Ivy League teams.......Dartmouth, a middle of the pack Ivy team,  defeated Butler on Saturday.  Butler had defeated the #10 (Wittenberg) and #13 (Franklin)  D3 teams in the two previous weeks.

NESCAC football is good football and there are a few great players on these teams.  Let's leave it at that.

I don't recall any posters (at least recently) suggesting the top NESCAC programs would compete with the Ivies.

I'm in full agreement with the common sense suggestion of a complete 9 game NESCAC football schedule. I watched my first ever Coast Guard Academy game this past weekend. I don't think the Coasties could compete with Trinity, Wesleyan or even Tufts for that matter but in speaking with the CGA alumni they'd love to resume their in-state rivalry with the Bants and Cards. Oh well.

Let's just say I've had several (actually many) of these conversations in the past from former NESCAC players who seemed to think that they were right up there with the Ivy League talentwise.

20 years ago the top d3 team could give the bottom Ivy league team a game.  Today I do not think that would be the case.

I am not so sure about that, does Columbia still have a football team?

[ExTartanPlayer]

Lest any Trinity or Amherst lovers think that these NESCAC teams can compete with the Ivy League teams.......Dartmouth, a middle of the pack Ivy team,  defeated Butler on Saturday.  Butler had defeated the #10 (Wittenberg) and #13 (Franklin)  D3 teams in the two previous weeks.

NESCAC football is good football and there are a few great players on these teams.  Let's leave it at that.

I don't recall any posters (at least recently) suggesting the top NESCAC programs would compete with the Ivies.

I'm in full agreement with the common sense suggestion of a complete 9 game NESCAC football schedule. I watched my first ever Coast Guard Academy game this past weekend. I don't think the Coasties could compete with Trinity, Wesleyan or even Tufts for that matter but in speaking with the CGA alumni they'd love to resume their in-state rivalry with the Bants and Cards. Oh well.

Let's just say I've had several (actually many) of these conversations in the past from former NESCAC players who seemed to think that they were right up there with the Ivy League talentwise.

I know of one NESCAC player who was recruited by Alabama, Minnesota, and a host of other powerhouses

Seriously, if you've had those conversations, that's all well and good, but I don't think anyone here is under the delusion that NESCAC (or the majority of D3) football teams would compete with the Ivy (or the rest of FCS).  Much like the occasional FCS-over-FBS upset can happen, I suspect that a few very powerful Division III teams would be able to compete in single games against the lower-middle tier of FCS programs, including the Ivy.  Whether they could do so for an entire schedule is questionable, but if you don't think Mount Union, Whitewater, UMHB and their ilk would be relatively competitive in a single game against middle-of-the-road FCS teams, I think you're underestimating those top D3 programs.  Sure they'd get their doors blown off sometimes (like Witt did against Butler), but they also might hold their own once in a while (like Franklin did against Butler).

[amh63]

Though I feel the Ivy vs CAC football topic is a waste of the intellectual talents of the posters here, I will add some comments.
I do believe the conference schools compete with the ivies for talented students and student athletes in many sports.  In football, there are a few players on each CAC teams that could play on a Ivy team.
While visiting my daughter in the Ithaca area, I have attended several Yale vs. Cornell games.  Neither schools, IMO, play a particular high level of football.  Actually, I believe Yale is in a rebuilding stage with a new coach.  While sitting on the Yale side, I chatted with Yale folks about squad size, traveling squad size, JV games, etc.
Last Friday, during a homecoming event...free fireworks show, I found out that Cornell was playing Bucknell this year at Homecoming.  I believe the Patriot League teams shoot for the post season.  Therefore in my mind, their talent level maybe higher...recruiting edge?...than in the Ivies.
Anyway, it was a game to start at 3pm and therefore to be played in the rain.  Surprisingly, I believe Cornell crushed The Bisons.  Do not know anything about the prospects of either team's season.
Guess one cannot judge teams by their season's length or edge in recruiting. 

[gridiron]

NESCAC vs Ivy football:

No NESCAC team can compete with any Ivy team on the field.  Not sure anyone would suggest otherwise.

While there are some players in the NESCAC who could be on Ivy teams, there are not likely any that could play regularly (start) and virtually none that could have major impact.

The fact is the NESCAC is a great place for players who are strong academically and athletically and want to increase their chances of getting on the field.

I do believe the overall quality of football talent in the NESCAC is high--similar to the quality of the players in the Ivy that don't see much playing time.  So in that sense, it would be accurate to say that some NESCAC players could be on Ivy teams.

What I believe is a much more accurate statement, is that there are many Ivy benchwarmers who might be much better off playing football in the NESCAC.

[amh63]

Knight....Good question!  A point to you.  Not  a trick question....des anyone know the last time Brown won a Ivy title?
Gridiron...good thoughts!  A point to you too.

[frank uible]

Brown tied with Harvard at the top of the Ivy League standings in 2008 (but beat Harvard that year head-to-head) and won the title outright in 2005.

[toad22]

Brown football has been pretty good in the last few years.