FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[MRMIKESMITH]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

[jmcozenlaw]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

Although I do wonder if it would have been an easy same ole, same ole...................rinse, wash and repeat if Frostburg wouldn't have moved up in class and if Wesley wouldn't have folded.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

Although I do wonder if it would have been an easy same ole, same ole...................rinse, wash and repeat if Frostburg wouldn't have moved up in class and if Wesley wouldn't have folded.

As for the teams you aforementioned, I do not care for them, those schools are no longer DIII and to wonder would be a pointless game in "The world will never know". But what I do know that we only can control what we can control and that's to continue to play good football and compete each and every week against some storied programs in the NJAC and continue to compete to win 1 game at a time that would eventually allow us to compete for a NJAC championship, which would then allow us to compete in DIII playoffs.

[CNU85]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

I'm sure the Purple Raiders will love the Rinse, wash, repeat 

[jmcozenlaw]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

I'm sure the Purple Raiders will love the Rinse, wash, repeat 

If Mount Union moved on.........I'm not sure a couple of seasons of winning the Mount Union-less conference could be called rinse, wash and repeat for John Carroll or Baldwin Wallace. It's like the guy who has no luck at the bar when it's packed with an equal amount of men and women.............but he happens to walk in a couple of times when the ratio is 20:1 in his favor........and he thinks his recent success is because of him. No silly, it's because your toughest competitors have moved on, aforementioned or not.

A DelVal and Stevenson-less MAC would be watered down.
A Wesley and Frostburg-less NJAC has been watered down.
A Mount Union and John Carroll-less OOC would be watered down.
The Centennial is a smidge less because of the departure of Susquehanna (although still left with Hopkins and Muhlenberg)

While true that you can only play who you play........and winning a conference does give you the shot to take your storied NJAC program on a national championship run.......as an example, Wilkes and Lycoming have a much better chance at a championship in the reconstituted Landmark, then they did in the MAC.

Who leaves a conference, in the NJAC's case, especially as good as Wesley was and Frostburg was getting before they decided to graduate up a level, can and does have an impact on the tier of schools that were under them.

No excuse for Salisbury this year given what I'm hearing around NJAC land. Running the table might get them two home games and a quarterfinal game at a Mount Union, North Central, UMHB!

That would be a hugely successful season.........and one that many inside the program are hoping for (injuries aside) and almost counting on.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

I'm sure the Purple Raiders will love the Rinse, wash, repeat 

E tu CNU85???

[CNU85]

Rowan is one week into camp. The team looks solid, should be an exciting season. For now, they are using all brown helmets in practice, curious to see what their game day uniforms will be.

Any news or updates from the other NJAC squads?

As always down Route 1/Route 13, same ole, same ole. Rinse, wash, and repeat  !

I'm sure the Purple Raiders will love the Rinse, wash, repeat 

E tu CNU85???

Hahaha!! We have along way to go before getting crushed in the playoffs again. The NJAC just isn't what it used to be.

[JT2]

Guess who lives in SW Ohio now. 

[CNU85]

In an effort to get some discussion on this board before the season kickoffs, tell us about your schools gameday environment.

Cost of ticket?
What does the tailgating scene look like?
Average attendance and what does that equal to in terms of capacity %?
Any special gameday traditions the school partakes in?
Any annual traditions the school partakes in? (example: bon fire before homecoming or rival game)

I stole this off the PAC board. I always like hearing about/seeing other venues/atmospheres

[CNU85]

In reference to my post below about game day...........

At CNU the atmosphere is electric on gameday. Especially family weekend and homecoming.

In the event that we get a night game there are usually fireworks at halftime. Tailgating is small but intense. A lot of partying.

We have a 200 member marching band, The Marching Captains and they have been in parades all over the world to include St. Patrick's Day parade in
Ireland.

We have large Cheer and Dance teams. There is now a VIP Deck in one of the end zones that's pretty cool. Beer is available on the Deck.
Attendance since the program started averages a little less than 4,000. The largest crowds get over 6,000. Capacity is listed at 4,200. In 2012 the average attendance was 4,728.

Ticket prices vary - reserved bleacher seats are $15. General Admission is $10. Reserved Seat Back is for season ticket holders and require donations. Students get in free.

One game day tradition that I love is the Marching Captains start out across campus and march through the campus and head straight to the tailgate parking lot where they entertain folks before heading into the stadium. The band sets up in the end zone next to the VIP Deck and they are vocal and loud during the game.

It's a fun time for sure. I can't wait for Sept 2.

Cheers y'all

[RowanPhan]

Sharing via the NJAC website. 

Salisbury Tabbed First in NJAC Football Preseason Poll - https://njacsports.com/news/2023/8/21/salisbury-tabbed-first-in-njac-football-preseason-poll.aspx

PITMAN, NJ – Four-time defending champion Salisbury has been voted as the preseason favorite to repeat as New Jersey Athletic Conference football champs, based on a vote of the league's seven head coaches. The Sea Gulls, ranked No. 25 in the D3football.com preseason poll, garnered six of the seven possible first place votes.

2022 runner-up Christopher Newport is predicted to finish second again. Rowan picked up a first place vote and comes in at No. 3, followed by Kean, dark horse selection TCNJ, Montclair State, and William Paterson.

[RowanPhan]

In reference to CNU85's post about game day...........

At Rowan the atmosphere is energetic and fun on gameday. Especially homecoming which is setup right outside the stadium.

Rowan has hosted several night games recently and are usually followed with fireworks.

I have noticed a small tailgating scene - especially the on the visiting side.

NEW in 2023, Rowan has a newly formed marching band, The Pride of the Profs. Coach Accorsi is very excited about the new marching band.

Rowan also has a large crew of Cheer and Dance teams.

The stadium is relatively simple with a single concession booth. I have seen food trucks to alleviate the long lines. In recent years, they opened a Beer Garden in partnership with a local brewery (the Bone Saw). This has been a popular addition.

I don't know the attendance numbers but I would say it hovers around 3000 on a good day.

Tickets are around $8.

Now that I live closer to Glassboro, I try to attend all the home games.

[CNU85]

In reference to CNU85's post about game day...........

At Rowan the atmosphere is energetic and fun on gameday. Especially homecoming which is setup right outside the stadium.

Rowan has hosted several night games recently and are usually followed with fireworks.

I have noticed a small tailgating scene - especially the on the visiting side.

NEW in 2023, Rowan has a newly formed marching band, The Pride of the Profs. Coach Accorsi is very excited about the new marching band.

Rowan also has a large crew of Cheer and Dance teams.

The stadium is relatively simple with a single concession booth. I have seen food trucks to alleviate the long lines. In recent years, they opened a Beer Garden in partnership with a local brewery (the Bone Saw). This has been a popular addition.

I don't know the attendance numbers but I would say it hovers around 3000 on a good day.

Tickets are around $8.

Now that I live closer to Glassboro, I try to attend all the home games.

I'm going to have to make a road trip soon! This sounds great. I remember the first time we played Rowan at CNU. Rowan came out of the locker room with a player playing the bagpipes. That was pretty cool.

[@d3jason]

In reference to CNU85's post about game day...........

At Rowan the atmosphere is energetic and fun on gameday. Especially homecoming which is setup right outside the stadium.

Rowan has hosted several night games recently and are usually followed with fireworks.

I have noticed a small tailgating scene - especially the on the visiting side.

NEW in 2023, Rowan has a newly formed marching band, The Pride of the Profs. Coach Accorsi is very excited about the new marching band.

Rowan also has a large crew of Cheer and Dance teams.

The stadium is relatively simple with a single concession booth. I have seen food trucks to alleviate the long lines. In recent years, they opened a Beer Garden in partnership with a local brewery (the Bone Saw). This has been a popular addition.

I don't know the attendance numbers but I would say it hovers around 3000 on a good day.

Tickets are around $8.

Now that I live closer to Glassboro, I try to attend all the home games.

I'm going to have to make a road trip soon! This sounds great. I remember the first time we played Rowan at CNU. Rowan came out of the locker room with a player playing the bagpipes. That was pretty cool.

Since I've been all of them, all be it, not in a couple of years, here is my ranking.

1. It's CNU, always well attended, band. Sorry to have missed the new deck.
2. I have to go with Salisbury, well attended, new facilities are top-notch.
3. Rowan, pushing for 2nd, you had me at "beer garden." (even though I didn't get to go in it). Stadium name always make me smile in a juvenile way. Nice that there is a band now.
4. TCNJ- Nicest of the remaining facilities though aging, used to see some decent crowds when they were winning back in the 90s. Would be neat to see them put it together again. It has been too long.
5. Kean, major improvement from the 90's when I battled a hornet nest while standing on top of the old press box.
6. Montclair State, not often well-attended for a historically tough team. Pressbox needs an upgrade. Big school should have better attendance.
7. William Paterson, once broadcast a game here from under a pop-up canopy on the visitor side next to their student radio. You would think a school that produced Dick Vitale and Kevin Burkhardt would treat their student broadcasters better. Never did get to do a game from inside the pressbox, but got a nice sunburn on the roof of it. Not well attended.

[CNU85]

Thanks Jason!

I remember the CNU radio guys talking about being in a tent somewhere with a poor vantage point. They were guessing at the yard line ball placement.