FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Jonny Utah]

We spent a day at Bowdoin and all the coaches agreed that they would love to play a 9th game and it would probably take the place of the srimmage, however, no one was optimistic that it would happen anytime soon. The coaches did agree that many Nescac schools have lost many potential recruits over the years because of the eight game schedule.

I think playing in front of 87 fans or not making the playoffs might be an issue too for some of those schools.

[Trin9-0]

Football can start practice what - 3 weeks before the first game?  So would that mean you reported around Labor Day?  Was it earlier or the same time as the student body as a whole? 

If I remember correctly the athletes were on campus about a week and a half or 2 weeks before students. I don't remember exactly but looking at this calendar year as an example I would assume the athletes will report on either Monday the 20th or Tuesday the 21st of August.

Freshman students arrive the following Thursday the 30th and the remaining student body the following day on Friday the 31st. That would give the soccer/field hockey/etc teams 3 weeks practice before their 1st games on Sept. 8th and the football team 5 weeks of practice before their 1st game on Sept. 22nd.

I think playing in front of 87 fans or not making the playoffs might be an issue too for some of those schools.

I was under the impression that the NESCAC schools actually have a pretty good attendance as far as D3 football goes. I know Trinity always has a very good turn-out, comparatively, for their games.

[BTEXPRESS]

I might be wrong but I think Johhny was referring to 87 fans watching a scrimmage instead of an actual game

[Trin9-0]

2006 NESCAC football attendance rankings among all 229 D3 schools:

5th. Trinity
4,275 per game

6th. Williams
4,220

15th. Amherst
3,500

35th. Tufts
2,741

60th. Wesleyan
2,306

105th. Hamilton
1,721

107th. Middleburry
1,701

114. Colby
1,633

160th. Bates
1,171

174th. Bowdoin
1,024

The NESCAC was 5th in overall league attendance behind the MIAC, ASC, WIAC, and ODC.

[union89]

NESCAC football attendance rankings among all 229 D3 schools:

5th. Trinity
4,275 per game

6th. Williams
4,220

15th. Amherst
3,500

35th. Tufts
2,741

60th. Wesleyan
2,306

105th. Hamilton
1,721

107th. Middleburry
1,701

160th. Bates
1,171

174th. Bowdoin
1,024

Trin, very interesting.....where did you get those figures.  I'm not questioning you, just want to take an overall look at them myself.

[Trin9-0]

Trin, very interesting.....where did you get those figures.  I'm not questioning you, just want to take an overall look at them myself.

http://www.ncaa.org/stats/football/attendance/2006/2006_football_attendance.pdf

Enjoy!

[Col. Partridge]

They must want the soccer players to have the campus all to themselves (I believe the NESCAC soccer teams start their seasons a couple of weeks earlier than football - the weekend after Labor Day - which I suspect requires them to be on campus around mid-August).

When I was at Trinity all the fall sports teams reported on the same day. The game schedule for other sports (soccer, field hockey etc.) may begin earlier but the arrival date on campus was the same. Nothing against those sports but I don't think they require the same amount of schematic installation that football requires.

Football can start practice what - 3 weeks before the first game?  So would that mean you reported around Labor Day?  Was it earlier or the same time as the student body as a whole? 

At Wesleyan, all freshmen would report the last week of August (Pat's "First Day" date at Williams sounded about right).  I think we got our room keys and made sure our tuition was paid, and then we went to a football meeting with practice starting early the next morning.  So to answer your question, football players (and all other athletes) reported at the same time as all freshmen students, who were busy with a weeklong orientation crammed with thinkgs like etiquette in co-ed showers, dental dam instruction etc.  Classes would start about a week after athletic practices began.

Re: attendance figures.  I have no doubt that was what was published, but anyone who has been to a NESCAC game and then seen attendance figures in the paper the next day know those numbers are a figment of some intern's imagination.

[bant551]

Capt. Partridge... I'd guess that the figures are accurate insofar as Trinity and Williams are concerned.  Probably Amherst too.

Re: Amherst, my opinion is probably scewed, because the two years we played there I believe it was their homecoming, which might explain the large crowds.

I guess the fact that there are only 4 games, one of which is homecoming for all NESCAC teams, helps the average out.

But as far as Williams and Trinity, I do believe that those figures are accurate.  This is D-3, so everything is relative, but you have to take into account that 4,000+ isn't really all that many people, and when you look into the stands at Trin or Willy, 4,000+ seems like a very legitimate number.

[Col. Partridge]

Considering most schools (I believe) do not charge admission, there is no way to know for sure.   I think most of those numbers sound wildly optimistic.

[labart96]

There have been discussions about this on other boards/threads.  Typically these figures are estimates based on someone from the SID taking a look at the crowd and doing a "back of the envelope calculation". 

Total crapshoot.

[Pallos]

By expanding the season to a 9th game, the league might actually be hurt in terms of recruiting-- or at least retaining existing players. Over the past year, my son and I visited five NESCAC schools and had the chance to talk with many players and coaches. Most players and coaches we spoke with felt that the season bordered on being too long already. If extended, the league would risk losing the casual players who make up the majority the league, guys who just want to extend their careers in order to have fun, but not seriously compromise their studies or summer internships. We spoke with one player who said he was glad the season didn't begin any earlier because it would cut his, and many of his teammates', summer internships. Other players felt that the season was, if any anything, too long and mentioned that a number of teammates had dropped out of football because the time demands were just too great and simply disadvantaged them too much academically. Most players that we talked with believed that football was part of an enjoyable college experience but, that if it were extended, it would diminish their enjoyment and might lead to them quit football. I think many players in the NESCAC are drawn to the unique, fun-first approach of a league that has never taken itself too seriously. Let's not spoil this with non-sense about expanding the season, playoffs, etc.
 
   

[Pat Coleman]

Over the past year, my son and I visited five NESCAC schools and had the chance to talk with many players and coaches. Most players and coaches we spoke with felt that the season bordered on being too long already.

Sounds like NESCAC coach spin trying to keep a player from going to some of the other quality academic schools that also play normal 10-game schedules.

If extended, the league would risk losing the casual players who make up the majority the league, guys who just want to extend their careers in order to have fun, but not seriously compromise their studies or summer internships.

Don't know how many on this board would characterize their play as casual.

[Garnet]

What would NESCAC do if a member scheduled a non-conference game? Expel the member as it expelled Union many years ago for men's ice hockey recruiting violations?

Union was not expelled from the NESCAC.  The Trustees of Union College voted to terminate their membership.

[Trin9-0]

By expanding the season to a 9th game, the league might actually be hurt in terms of recruiting-- or at least retaining existing players. Over the past year, my son and I visited five NESCAC schools and had the chance to talk with many players and coaches. Most players and coaches we spoke with felt that the season bordered on being too long already. If extended, the league would risk losing the casual players who make up the majority the league, guys who just want to extend their careers in order to have fun, but not seriously compromise their studies or summer internships. We spoke with one player who said he was glad the season didn't begin any earlier because it would cut his, and many of his teammates', summer internships. Other players felt that the season was, if any anything, too long and mentioned that a number of teammates had dropped out of football because the time demands were just too great and simply disadvantaged them too much academically. Most players that we talked with believed that football was part of an enjoyable college experience but, that if it were extended, it would diminish their enjoyment and might lead to them quit football. I think many players in the NESCAC are drawn to the unique, fun-first approach of a league that has never taken itself too seriously. Let's not spoil this with non-sense about expanding the season, playoffs, etc.

The season wouldn't necessarily have to be made any longer if the scrimmage was changed to a game. The play on the field may be a little sloppy without the extra few days of practice (though I don't think it would make that much of a difference).

Sounds like NESCAC coach spin trying to keep a player from going to some of the other quality academic schools that also play normal 10-game schedules.

Now Pat, play nice... I think "more common" would be a better word than "normal" to describe the 10 game schedule. 

[Pat Coleman]

Now Pat, play nice... I think "more common" would be a better word than "normal" to describe the 10 game schedule. 

If you're trying to spin, sure. Let's see, 4.1% of the schools in Division III play eight-game schedules and they're all in this conference. Only one conference (SCIAC) still limits its teams to a nine-game schedule.

It's a fair assessment.