FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Nescacman]

Wesleyan has a nice pipeline going to UNH! 

I feel like for various reasons it's gotten harder to find information on recruits, but here are a few guys who are committed to Williams for next year.  The team seems pretty deep with young talent at LB, DB, and TE/H-Back.  The Ephs lose a few contributing receivers and Forth from the interior line could use at least one impact player on each unit, but the really big losses are at TB, PK, and DL (a unit where I really like the returning guys but there are only five of them in total returning with a ton of dudes graduating). Plus, the Ephs are potentially still searching for an answer at QB and could certainly use another competitive player at that position. 

Here is who I've seen firmly committed so far:

Matthew Harsfield - 6'4 280 OL, Dexter Southfield
Jake Palm - 6'1 195 DB, Reading High
Daven Bailey, 6'4 185 WR/S, Kennett High
Will Axon, 6'5 235 DL, Porter-Gaud (South Carolina)
Jakari Morgan, 5'10 175 LB, King School (CT)
William Kramer, 6'0 165 K/P, Delbarton
Lucas Cardinale, 6'2 180 DB, Delbarton
Jackson Tucker, 6'0 218 LB, St. John's Prep
Connor Acheson, 5'9 190 DB, Andover

In that group, some more intriguing talent is added to already deep DB core, there is a potential starter at PK, and a DE who should be in the mix right away at a thin position.  Hopefully some of the guys who aren't yet public include some early impact players in the offensive backfield as well as some more depth on both lines. 

The Ephs will soon be announcing their 6 Class of 2029 QB recruits. Sorry N1, we couldn't help ourselves... 

[nescac1]

If they can get six Owen Johansen's, I'm good with it!

[Nescacman]

If they can get six Owen Johansen's, I'm good with it!

Touche...or how about one Bobby Maimaron?!? 

[Garnet]

 The Ivy League has agreed to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, starting with the 2025 season. The league had long ended its season at the end of the regular season. Marks a distinct shift for Ivy League football, which can now play for national title.

The genesis of the idea for the Ivy League to play in FCS playoffs came via a proposal from Ivy League student athletes. The proposal from the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was approved Tuesday by a vote of the Ivy League Council of Presidents. - Pete Thamel ESPN

will NESCAC do the same?

[Nescacman]

The Ivy League has agreed to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, starting with the 2025 season. The league had long ended its season at the end of the regular season. Marks a distinct shift for Ivy League football, which can now play for national title.

The genesis of the idea for the Ivy League to play in FCS playoffs came via a proposal from Ivy League student athletes. The proposal from the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was approved Tuesday by a vote of the Ivy League Council of Presidents. - Pete Thamel ESPN

will NESCAC do the same?

Our belief, as previously stated, is that the NESCAC will commence their participation in the D3 Play-offs in 2026. Finally...

[muleshoe]

The Ivy League has agreed to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, starting with the 2025 season. The league had long ended its season at the end of the regular season. Marks a distinct shift for Ivy League football, which can now play for national title.

The genesis of the idea for the Ivy League to play in FCS playoffs came via a proposal from Ivy League student athletes. The proposal from the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was approved Tuesday by a vote of the Ivy League Council of Presidents. - Pete Thamel ESPN

will NESCAC do the same?

Our belief, as previously stated, is that the NESCAC will commence their participation in the D3 Play-offs in 2026. Finally...

Very exciting news! Feels like this is going to move forward sooner rather than later.

Do we also think there will be an appetite to add a 10th non-conference game as well? Don't think it's a requirement to get a team into the playoff as an AQ or at-large but have always though it would be great for the teams and conference. I believe most other D3 teams play a 10-game schedule.

[Pat Coleman]

It is definitely not a requirement but it would help prepare your teams -- not just from the standpoint of getting to see anyone else play ever, but also just from the perspective of getting your student-athletes the same number of reps as everyone else.

[DagarmanSpartan]

I just saw the news about the Ivy League on ESPN.  Good news.  Hopefully the NESCAC will follow suit at the Division 3 level.

It makes no sense that MIT, Johns Hopkins, and UAA schools can participate in the d3 playoffs, but NESCAC schools can't.

Academics should have nothing to do with it.

[Charlie]

The Ivy League has agreed to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, starting with the 2025 season. The league had long ended its season at the end of the regular season. Marks a distinct shift for Ivy League football, which can now play for national title.

The genesis of the idea for the Ivy League to play in FCS playoffs came via a proposal from Ivy League student athletes. The proposal from the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was approved Tuesday by a vote of the Ivy League Council of Presidents. - Pete Thamel ESPN

will NESCAC do the same?

Our belief, as previously stated, is that the NESCAC will commence their participation in the D3 Play-offs in 2026. Finally...

Curious as to why wait for 2026 easily to implement for next year does not affect regular season they just start a week or two earlier. This would not affect school academic calendar just preseason dating. In addition only the winner of the league goes into playoffs to the best of my knowledge so why wait another year ?

[Pat Coleman]

The Ivy League has agreed to participate in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, starting with the 2025 season. The league had long ended its season at the end of the regular season. Marks a distinct shift for Ivy League football, which can now play for national title.

The genesis of the idea for the Ivy League to play in FCS playoffs came via a proposal from Ivy League student athletes. The proposal from the league's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) was approved Tuesday by a vote of the Ivy League Council of Presidents. - Pete Thamel ESPN

will NESCAC do the same?

Our belief, as previously stated, is that the NESCAC will commence their participation in the D3 Play-offs in 2026. Finally...

Curious as to why wait for 2026 easily to implement for next year does not affect regular season they just start a week or two earlier. This would not affect school academic calendar just preseason dating. In addition only the winner of the league goes into playoffs to the best of my knowledge so why wait another year ?

I think with 12 at-large bids available next year that a NESCAC team would be in a reasonable position to get one of them.

[DagarmanSpartan]

So, does this mean that the NESCAC champ could, in theory, get an at large bid NEXT year, and an auto bid after that?

Has the NESCAC blessed off on that?

[Pat Coleman]

So, does this mean that the NESCAC champ could, in theory, get an at large bid NEXT year, and an auto bid after that?

Has the NESCAC blessed off on that?

No, what I mean is that at whatever point the NESCAC chooses to enter the chat, that they might be able to send both a champ and a runner-up.

[Nescacman]

Our understanding is that the NESCAC Champ gets an auto-bid for the D3 play-offs (which, of course they turn down every year). So, Wesleyan would have been guaranteed a spot in the play-offs this year.

The question is would another NESCAC Team ever get a one of the at-large bids to the play-offs. Not sure that would happen very often unless the NESCAC schedule was expanded to 10 games and they played one out of league game. IF the NESCAC agrees to participate in the D3 play-offs, frankly, we don't see them adding a 10th game in the foreseeable future.

NM

[DagarmanSpartan]

Ah, I see.

So has the NESCAC affirmed that they'll allow their champ to participate?

[Pat Coleman]

Our understanding is that the NESCAC Champ gets an auto-bid for the D3 play-offs (which, of course they turn down every year). So, Wesleyan would have been guaranteed a spot in the play-offs this year.

The question is would another NESCAC Team ever get a one of the at-large bids to the play-offs. Not sure that would happen very often unless the NESCAC schedule was expanded to 10 games and they played one out of league game. IF the NESCAC agrees to participate in the D3 play-offs, frankly, we don't see them adding a 10th game in the foreseeable future.

NM

This year the NPI would have probably allowed a 1-loss runner-up to participate, but two losses are too many in a closed conference, most of the time.