FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[Knightstalker]

Hmmm... best trash talking Rowan opponents (that JT's been in ear shot of):

1) Mount Union
2) TCNJ/Kean tie
3) Montclair
4) Cortland


And Rowan slings it as well as any opponent.  Guess its just part of the game now.

I can't say about MUC but I can agree with the others, and add in St. John Fisher, at least they used to in the mid 90's.  But NJCU talked trash too.

Spread it out to basketball and I would have to rate them
1. MSU
2. Ramapo/NJCU
3. Kean
4. Rowan/TCNJ/Stockton
the others aren't that bad.

[Warren Thompson]

Being in Texas, I should just become an MHB fan and be done with it!

Phil: Try as I might, I just can't see you as an MHB fan. That would be like Socrates doing TV commercials for hemlock.  

[phil]

...Trinity will have to improve if I'm going to jump on their bandwagon! Heck, TCNJ finished ahead of them in the final poll.  Please advise if I have other choices in this gulag.

[Pat Coleman]

Phil: Try as I might, I just can't see you as an MHB fan. That would be like Socrates doing TV commercials for hemlock.

Based on that long rivalry between UMHB and TCNJ?

[phil]

H A P P Y    B I R T H D A Y    P A T    C  L E M A N

[Warren Thompson]

Phil: Try as I might, I just can't see you as an MHB fan. That would be like Socrates doing TV commercials for hemlock.

Based on that long rivalry between UMHB and TCNJ?

Correct. They're undefeated v. each other .... 

[section13raiderfan]

I love how you guys think a little D3 Methodist university like MUC has the coaches travelling to various states to "mine the talent". LK cant even drive across town in Alliance to sit down with a local player to discuss attending MUC. Its against OAC  recruiting rules. The player can be invited to visit LK and MUC, but its up to the player to do the travelling. If it wernt for the internet and Ma Bell, MUC would be hard pressed to find out of state players. The truth is, due to playing in the Stagg Bowl on TV and sites such as this one online, most of the out of staters sought out MUC. It will be no different for UWW either. If SJF doesnt recruit better because they will play MUC for 2 years and possibly again in the playoffs, then they just arent trying hard enough. One thing to remember guys, MUC is in what is known as "The hotbed of highschool football" area of Ohio. It is NOT just a game around here. 100 + year football histories surround this area. Now due to their high profile, MUC is on all those undersized overachieving  highschoolers radar.  Success does indeed breed success.

[phil]

Section13...
I didn't make it up. The article I quoted was from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis - an article which Kehres and son participated in. Besides, whether coaches are dispatched to recruit Florida or not, I think the stat that really stood out for us was when we learned that the average MUC aid package makes the school less expensive to attend than any of the NJAC state schools.

Ohio high school football is certainly among the best in the country, but I think you picked the wrong room when it comes to talking football histories. While the Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders, Devils, Giants, Jets, Yankees, Mets, Flyers, Eagles, 76ers and Phillies tend to take center stage, we do have that Princeton/Rutgers thing that happened in 1867. 

[AUPepBand]

Out of respect for any pep bands in the NJAC, Pep is widely distributing the following message:

Pep would like to put to rest right here and right now any rumors that the Alfred University Pep Band was named "D3 Pep Band of the Year" for the 2007 season. To Pep's knowledge, no such recognition exists.

Pep has been approached by several persons in recent weeks who have congratulated Pep on the AU Pep Band's winning a "national award."

Pep would also like to state as a matter of fact that the band never was named "ECAC Pep Band of the Week," contrary to what one may have heard announced at an AU football game at Merrill Field. Once again, Pep is unaware of any means whereby pep bands earn honors during the football season.

It was all a hoax!

There, now Pep feels much better. Confession, indeed, is good for the soul.

Merry Christmas....and stay tuned!

On Saxon Warriors!

[JT]

There's a simple line between DII and DIII and that's athletic aid, and DIII don't offer it.  So I'm guessing that the phrase "right on the edge of DII recruiting" means convincing the guys that might get partial scholarship or attempt to walk on in hopes of some aid to go to a DIII school and receive need based aid (which in many cases is a good aid package).

Taken a step further, I don't know of any school that doesn't attempt to put together the best packaging possible based on the knowledge they have of an individual student's situation and potential schools to try to lure the student-athlete WITH THE RESOURCES THE SCHOOL IS ALLOWED TO OFFER.  D3 is pretty restricted in that category, but there are things that schools and coaches can do well inside the rules -- and LK's comments don't smell like anything but him playing by the set of rules he's been given.  Nobody has ever questioned MUC's packaging or recruiting from the best of my knowledge, and it's actually a positive that other schools want to see the success MUC has enjoyed over the last decade+.  Otherwise, everyone would be going 4-5, 5-5 or 5-4 at the end of each season based on no teams going the extra mile in recruiting.

Sec13:

Here is the article

http://www.startribune.com/sports/12270071.html

"I think all of us in Division III want to try and recruit the young men that Division II schools are considering offering a scholarship to," Kehres said. "I can't think of a guy who had a complete offer from Division II who didn't take it. But we want to be right on the edge of Division II recruiting."

Mount Union began mining Florida for talent several years ago. Kehres sends coaches to that state each spring to find players who were overlooked.

From MUC's website: "The average aid award is $15,650."

Rowan costs $26.5K for an out of state student and $19.3K for in state by comparison. Aid must be spread among 10,000 students.

Mount is $28K.  Roughly 20% of the male student body plays football.  Kehres is the AD too and has support from the Mount president etc., etc., Plus he's great coach.

If this were Texas Hold 'Em, Kehres begins almost every season getting dealt A-K catching two K's on the flop giving him three of a kind.  This year UWW was able to make to a full house on the river.

[phil]

Yup, my point exactly. Mine the talent from Ohio. Offer a private school education at a state school (or less) price. Toss in a few studs from out of state. Send a Harry & David gift pacage to the admissions office around the holidays for allowing such a disproportion of footballers among the student body (see Swarthmore). Gift a bottle of Chateau D'Yquem to the college President for allowing such a sweet setup...

...and then stand back and watch the best staff in DIII develop their team. Give Ferrari mechanics Ferrari parts and you'll likely get a Ferrari. I've never bought the "we're just a little Methodist DIII University", and I never will. Now if you want to say "we're just a little Methodist DIII University which derives its identity from the game of football - which we use as a window upon this entire institution", that, I'll buy.

[JT]

Also MUC's sticker price is relatively low in comparison other Ohio private schools.

[section13raiderfan]

[ I've never bought the "we're just a little Methodist DIII University", and I never will. Now if you want to say "we're just a little Methodist DIII University which derives its identity from the game of football - which we use as a window upon this entire institution", that, I'll buy.
[/quote]

You guys should go to www.mtunionfootball.com sometime and click the link named HISTORY. The first season for MUC was 1893. The first Stagg Bowl victory was in 1993. So as you can see there was a 100 year lean period before the current era of bounty. Somehow the Methodist Church found a way to keep the doors open before Espn made it easier. Absolutely the current run HAS the attention of the athletes who once would ask...Mount WHO?  And I admit that football has spread the name of the college, but it is far from merely a football factory. For the record Ohio is not highly rated nationally for college tuition afforability. New Jersey may be worse, but Ohio is not good either. The local economy isnt exactly great either. If it werent for financial assistance most private universities would have far less students. Its not a fair system but I dont blame anybody who can work it to their advantage. 

[kubiack78]

You guys should go to www.mtunionfootball.com sometime and click the link named HISTORY. The first season for MUC was 1893. The first Stagg Bowl victory was in 1993. So as you can see there was a 100 year lean period before the current era of bounty. 

Stagg didn't start til 1973... so only 20 yrs.   

[JT]

I know all about Ric.  He is one of the reasons that I started Rowanfootball.com.  We've even had a few beers in 2005.

Things have to align perfectly in order to beat Mount Union.  If Orihel didn't have a broken wrist and DE AA Brian Bond didn't tear his ACL late in 2005, I feel we beat Mount Union and then UWW in the Stagg.  In 2001, the Bridgewater clock game robbed Rowan of probably its best opportunity to beat Mount Union in the Stagg, and probably by St. John's 2003 proportions.

I hope we can play Mount Union again with all our major players and see what happens.