FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[gridiron]

Lumbercat--while personal in nature, on the absence this season of the Justin Ciero from the Colby roster is for reasons different from those not on the Trinity roster this season.

[lumbercat]

Grid-

Your post is not totally clear but I think I get what you are trying to say.....Ciero left Colby voluntarily the same way LaSpada left Bates. 

On a different note, expectations in Hartford are that Sonny Puzzo will be back at Trinity without elaborating on details. I believe we are on the same page.

However, it can be tough to miss a year....things change and different players come in and develop their own chemistry which could make Sonny's return a challenge...he may have his work cut out for him with this new kid from NJ they are bringing in, not to mention Foye and dark horse Jardine.

It's about winning at Trinity and those that deliver will be on the field- no free rides, they run a tight ship which is commendable but maybe a bit different from some of their NESCAC peers.

[gridiron]

Lumbercat--sorry for the confusion, but, yes, we are on the same page.

As a result, the Bantams and Mules will open against each other both with new QBs.

Agreed that missing a season and returning the following year can be very difficult especially with others hungry to earn a starting job.  Will be interesting to watch.

[amh63]

Team info slowly available.............Bates has a preview on its website.   Colby has its roster listed.  However, no listing yet of height or weight or position.  By the jersey number one can deduce/guess position. 
Am thankful for what is available......too lazy to see if Colby has the roster limit.  Today is a new day and hope abounds.

[amh63]

Forgot something.  Noticed on Twitter wrt to the pix of the new Amherst uniforms, a link to a Bates fan with a hash tag...beatAmherst.  Not being social media smart, could not get to any particular site wrt to Bates' school spirit.  Like school spirit and wish there were more posters from Maine, Tufts, Hamilton, etc to chat with.
Anyway, I have concerns with Bates.  Remember when I attended a Bates game on Pratt field, and see Bates students arrive for the game after shopping in town....more interested in meeting up with Amherst friends, etc.   Bates now has a good football program.  Amherst opens with Bates this year...rotation thing.  Expect a tough contest.  Heck, Bates beat Williams the past few season soundly.
Got the feeling that Bates has circle their game with Amherst....hope Amherst coaches are working hard to prepare the "troops".  Tough schedule ahead...Wes and Midd away...and Bates vice Hamilton for an opener.  At Hamilton, last year...Amherst struggled IMO.  Was there.

Going up to the Ithaca area early this year....still debating on attending the Ithaca Bombers opening game...first D3 game of the season for me.  Losing debate with my wife.

[ITH radio]

Although Kickoff mentions a Tufts QB transferred to UofR, it sounds like he decided to stay put based on an interview we had today in getting ready for our 9/3 preseason show.

[lumbercat]

ITH radio-
Some confusion here- it was the former Colby QB that was confirmed to be transferring to UR--don't believe any Tufts QB was involved in transfer to UR.
Respected poster on this board, Gridiron, confirmed that Ciero was transferring to UR and Kickoff preview for UR subsequently confirmed this but Ciero still not listed on UR roster.........assume this is just an SID screwup but your post leaves me wondering.

[amh63]

Williams new football/sports complex is nearing completion as show in a series of pix on Instagram....Ephs website. 
Football stands only on one side!  Interesting.  Stands painted in purple and gold.  Nice touch.
Kickers can use the the tall smoke stack to line up kicks on the south side goal post!  The functional use of the Beannie structure on top of the press box is for filming the action.  Nice.
The stands seem to be set back from the field sidelines so as to lose the advantage of having no track lanes, IMO.  Lumbercat...your thoughts.
All in all...looking forward to viewing it ""live" next year.   Knocking on your door Frank U.!
A pix of Amherst players with helmets is the only indication of practice is underway...Instagram pix.
Pretty quiet on the news front elsewhere.  Bates does have its roster up.

[nescac1]

Amh63, I believe there will be small visitor stands on the other side of the field (at least, that is what the plans showed), I imagine that just hasn't been completed yet.  Still a few weeks to go ... looks like some punch list work and landscaping / hardscaping still to be completed, as well, but clearly it is nearly done and looking good.  The stands have to be set back from the field to some degree to accomodate the team, benches, and coaches ... but still a very different visual perspective from also having the eight-lane track in the way, as was the case at the old Weston complex.  From the look of the pictures, it seems like this field will be used for lacrosse as well -- I thought the other field (inside the track) was going to be used for lacrosse, but maybe that will only be used for field hockey.  I'm glad they kept the historic grandstand and of course the historic Weston Gate.  The action will now be much closer to Spring Street which I think will enhance the overall experience.  My only concern is, where will tailgating be???  Perhaps the expanded parking area between the field and golf course? 

[lumbercat]

Amh63-

Williams seating setup is not set back at all. After the requisite space for the sideline/bench area the stands look to to be as close as possible. Drop a track in there behind the bench and the stands move back quite a bit.

Photos can be deceiving and they are still finishing the project but, on first brush, the Amherst facility looks to be a bit more elaborate with the nice brick work but the jury is still out until in-person inspections take place this fall.

Frank U will don his Purple and Gold letterman's sweater and handle the Weston Field tour if you will do the same at Pratt.

Red Auerbach, when negotiating one of Bill Russell's contracts made it known that he was paying Russell one dollar more than rival Wilt Chamberlin was getting at the time-----the Williams-Amherst rivalry no doubt extends to these respective stadium projects--I am anxious to see where the Ephs spend that final dollar to trump the Jeff's.

The thing that baffles me about both projects, as nice as they are, is how small the seating capacity is- I think Amherst has only about 1,500 on the home side and Williams looks about the same. I know attendance for some games is below NESCAC average at both schools.......but you better get there real early for "The Game"!
Especially at Amherst  where those who are stuck standing in the end zone will be in a different area code. The inclusion of the track moves the sideline stands back quite a bit but it makes standing in the end zone outside the track a joke .....a la Bowdoin and Tufts.

My bet is that when these deficiencies hit Wall Street, sooner or later, a couple more anonymous gifts will come in from Eph/Jeff alums who have been to a game at D3 RPI.

Another 5 or 6 mil would probably do it to expand seating at both facilities enough to give more of the old Jeff's and Ephs a seat at "The Game".  I am not talking about the Away side of each field which seats the first 500 fortunate arrivals......

My opinion only, from afar, but with the extensive gifts both of the institutions received why not give the generous donors a place to sit?

[amh63]

Lumbercat....you are correct in many of your comments...up to a point.  Amherst athletic fans at Amherst were  told to get the funds up front including feasibility studies....do not interfere with other fundraising areas ,etc.  About a dozen fans put up the 16.5 million for the project and it was to be completed in a year.  Do not know the final cost but an issue came up....a 100 year old tree....needed to be moved  less than 50 feet...cost about a 100 grand.  main donor gave the ok and the tree is still alive, I believe.
Williams facilities is costing over 20 million...so they spent more for two fields.  Amherst wants to add a press box to the field hockey field, etc.  So the upgrades continue.
Both schools have other major projects to seek funding for....Amherst is looking for about 250 million for a new science complex...and they are building new replacement dorms.  It is never ending these days.  Strange and sad in a way. In the case of Amherst whose endownment should reach 2 Billion in Fy2014...it still is a push.  I am in the middle of it in a small way...for my Class.
WSJ had an article that major football schools are losing its student fans at the games.  Prime reason is the rising cost of student tickets...for their seating areas.
At least for Amherst...there are no cost for tickets.  Programs were free at Homecoming last year.  I was not happy to pay for a program at Wes. .  Food was free after the game at homecoming....and during the halftime period last year.   Maybe that is the reason for the time change for the Williams game!  Avoid feeding the Williams fans.

[muleshoe]

ITH radio-
Some confusion here- it was the former Colby QB that was confirmed to be transferring to UR--don't believe any Tufts QB was involved in transfer to UR.
Respected poster on this board, Gridiron, confirmed that Ciero was transferring to UR and Kickoff preview for UR subsequently confirmed this but Ciero still not listed on UR roster.........assume this is just an SID screwup but your post leaves me wondering.

First time posting on the board. I heard from many mules that Ciero transferred to UofR, but he is not in their team picture or on the roster. Does he have to sit out a year for transferring?

Nonetheless, the Mules are very high on Harrington and Ecke as a viable replacement to Ciero at QB. Having the best two WRs (Duncklee and Joseph) in the league will help whoever starts for them. High hopes for the squad in Waterville this year.

[nescac1]

Lumbercat, disagree about the need for more seating at Williams and Amherst.  You can't build a stadium based on seating for a game that occurs once every other year.  And the 1000 fans that typically attend a game would look kind of ridiculous in an 8000 fan capacity facility. 

At least for the Williams stands, I imagine a huge group of folks will prefer to line the fence around the field and watch (as in the past) from both endzones and the sidelines.  Plus a pretty good crew (VIPs -- looks kind of like a luxury box?) will be watching from the balcony in the new building overlooking the end-zone.  If you actually are interested in watching the game, it's never a problem to get a seat even for Williams-Amherst football (basketball is a different story) so long as you are seated before kick-off.  Even when announced attendance is 8000 people, a huge number of those never really leave the tailgate area.  The stands on both sides will end up packed, but again, getting a seat has never been a problem for me at either Amherst or Williams. 

[quicksilver]

ITH radio-
Some confusion here- it was the former Colby QB that was confirmed to be transferring to UR--don't believe any Tufts QB was involved in transfer to UR.
Respected poster on this board, Gridiron, confirmed that Ciero was transferring to UR and Kickoff preview for UR subsequently confirmed this but Ciero still not listed on UR roster.........assume this is just an SID screwup but your post leaves me wondering.

First time posting on the board. I heard from many mules that Ciero transferred to UofR, but he is not in their team picture or on the roster. Does he have to sit out a year for transferring?

....

You can play right away if you are a d3 to D3 transfer as long as you were in good standing at the school out of which you transferred or the school into which you are transferring is not a member of a conference that limits transfer eligibility.

[Mr. Ypsi]

quicksilver is correct about transfers within a division.  Transfers down (up?) from d1 to d2 or d3, or d2 to d3, can play immediately.  Transfers up (down?) from d3 to d2 or d1, or d2 to d1, (e.g., Duncan Robinson from Williams to Michigan) must sit a year.  (They can practice with the team, but cannot suit up.)