FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[bman]

The NJAC / MAC Challenge would make sense going forward from 2016 especially now with the completion of the Montclair/DelVal & Rowan/Widner home and home series in 2015. If you look at the Top 4-5 of each conference it makes sense. NJAC - Wesley, Montclair, Rowan, Salisbury and CNN then MAC - Widner, DelVal, Lycoming, Albright and Stevenson . It would make life a lot easier. Time will tell.

Rams, I'll have to look, but I don't recall a Widener/Montclair match-up...That would be great as well.  I did go to a Rowan/Montclair game more than a few years ago (at Rowan).  I think I met up with Dr XGSC and JT that day, but I definitely rooted for Montclair...

To be fair, XGSC is bigger than me (and I'm not small), and I was on his home turf....c'mon!
Rooting for Rowan to a Widener Alum, is like asking a Giants fan to root for the Eagles, or an Eagles fan to root for the Cowboys...aint gonna happen...

[bman]

Just a question since the thought just popped in my mind.  I recall having conversations related to roster restrictions in the NJAC.

I am assuming that this now applies to the new members.   Is this posing a problem? Will there be cuts? or is there already a roster restriction in place?
Appreciate thoughts on whether that hampers future recruiting etc...

Thoughts?

[Pat Coleman]

Just a question since the thought just popped in my mind.  I recall having conversations related to roster restrictions in the NJAC.

I am assuming that this now applies to the new members.   Is this posing a problem? Will there be cuts? or is there already a roster restriction in place?
Appreciate thoughts on whether that hampers future recruiting etc...

Thoughts?

The NJAC is raising the limit for football:
http://www.d3football.com/notables/2014/03/njac-goes-big-for-2015

[bman]

Just a question since the thought just popped in my mind.  I recall having conversations related to roster restrictions in the NJAC.

I am assuming that this now applies to the new members.   Is this posing a problem? Will there be cuts? or is there already a roster restriction in place?
Appreciate thoughts on whether that hampers future recruiting etc...

Thoughts?

The NJAC is raising the limit for football:
http://www.d3football.com/notables/2014/03/njac-goes-big-for-2015

Thanks Pat!  I recall reading this but somehow missed (or forgot ) the roster limit change...

[thewaterboy]

Went and saw a PIFL game this past Sunday between Lehigh Valley and Erie. Former Wesley QB Shane McSweeny played exceptionally well completing 67% of his passes, no turnovers, throwing 3 TDs and running 3 more. Other notable D3 guys for LV include Chindy Ako-Agugua (Frostburg), Paul Melicharek (Bridgewater St.), Chris Mayes (Wesley), and John Lavelle (Del Val). One D3 guy I noticed from Erie was Mason Espinosa (Ohio Wesleyan).

Really cool to see them back on the field, even if it is small and indoors.

[rams1102]

Went and saw a PIFL game this past Sunday between Lehigh Valley and Erie. Former Wesley QB Shane McSweeny played exceptionally well completing 67% of his passes, no turnovers, throwing 3 TDs and running 3 more. Other notable D3 guys for LV include Chindy Ako-Agugua (Frostburg), Paul Melicharek (Bridgewater St.), Chris Mayes (Wesley), and John Lavelle (Del Val). One D3 guy I noticed from Erie was Mason Espinosa (Ohio Wesleyan).

Really cool to see them back on the field, even if it is small and indoors.

Nice little up-date. Welcome to the NJAC Board. I hope we have some lively happenings this year. 

[Teamski]

Once again, it looks like Wesley is stuck with a 9 game season unless something changes.  Their posted schedule is up on D3football.com

9/12           at Frostburg State * •   12:00 PM   
9/19    vs. Christopher Newport * •   1:00 PM   
10/3      vs. Southern Virginia * •   1:00 PM   
10/10       at TCNJ * •   1:00 PM   
10/17   vs. Kean * •   1:00 PM   
10/24   vs. Rowan * •   1:00 PM   
10/31   at Montclair State * •   1:00 PM   
11/7           vs. Salisbury * •   12:00 PM   
11/14   at William Paterson * •   1:00 PM

What does a team have to do to get a tenth game!?  There is a lot of time before the season starts up, so perhaps Coach Drass can wrangle another game.  It will be awesome to revisit some teams that Wesley hasn't played against in some time with what I believe are some new opponents in TCNJ and William Patterson (although I could be wrong there without looking at past seasons).

-Ski

[jknezek]

Baby steps. When was the last time Wesley played 9 D3 games in one season?

[thewaterboy]

Nice to see @ Frostburg back on the schedule. The family always used to make the trek out there for a game when they were scheduled regularly. To answer jknezek's question, you have to go back to 2007 with NNA being the only non D3 opponent!

You would think someone would want to step up and play Wesley OOC. Although, it seems UWW also had trouble getting non-conference D3 games. I still wish the Wesley-UWW matchup could have happened. North Central has a shared open date with Wesley as well per footballscoop.com.

[CNU85]

The schedules may not be complete on D3football. As of this morning, the schedule for CNU shows only 8 games. the 2 missing games are conference games, too.

[Bombers798891]

You would think someone would want to step up and play Wesley OOC.

I think—and I hate to bring this up again—that the lack of parity in the sport hurts chances for these types of games. When only 3-4 teams have a realistic shot at a title, I think it's possible a lot more teams are setting their goals for a successful season much more modestly. Making the playoffs and winning a game in it might be a realistic ceiling for a lot of teams in D-III, and scheduling a team like Wesley is more likely to hurt you in that regard by cutting off a Pool C bid.

I mean, the benefits for playing these games are kind of these impossible-to-prove "It gets the team a taste of what it takes to compete against elite teams and better prepares them for tough games down the road" but I think it's an easier sell when you can lose that game and still be in a good position to capitalize on it.

[Pat Coleman]

Yes -- schools often don't complete their schedule until later in the spring, but we're going to go ahead and start displaying them anyway.

[CNU85]

Withe about 240 teams I can imagine that not everyone has their schedules final. A work in progress right now.

In the meantime, here is the link for CNU schedule.

http://www.cnusports.com/news/2015/4/3/FB_0403151724.aspx

[CNU85]

and CNU is on the road for both Salisbury and Wesley! and then add in a trip to Montclair St.

Yikes!!!

[Pat Coleman]

Thanks. They didn't have it when I asked on March 30 and they didn't send this to us.