FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[Ralph Turner]

With the travel distances involved, SVU becomes the Sul Ross State of the NJAC!  LOL!

[rams1102]

Should be interesting that the NJAC Members will need to find 3 OC games. This year will only be 2 due to the MAC Challenge. It will be interesting to fill a 10 game schedule. I think you need 7 teams for an AQ, Southern Virginia seems a stretch, but maybe ther are rumblings of others leaving the NJAC. Morrisville could be a candidate and even one day it could be Courtland. Maybe my thoughts of Wesley and Salisbury (I think they leave the Empire-soon, but could be way off) joining the NJAC was not such a stretch.

[jknezek]

Should be interesting that the NJAC Members will need to find 3 OC games. This year will only be 2 due to the MAC Challenge. It will be interesting to fill a 10 game schedule. I think you need 7 teams for an AQ, Southern Virginia seems a stretch, but maybe ther are rumblings of others leaving the NJAC. Morrisville could be a candidate and even one day it could be Courtland. Maybe my thoughts of Wesley and Salisbury (I think they leave the Empire-soon, but could be way off) joining the NJAC was not such a stretch.

Wesley will have issues with the roster limits. Salisbury and Frostburg might be more amenable. CNU is also a possibility with their football only status in the USAC kicking in, although that would be almost as bad a travel situation as SVU. A lot will depend on whether the CAC will eventually sponsor football.

CAC members currently playing football include (or will shortly include) Frostburg St., Salisbury, Wesley, CNU, and SVU. So they really only need 2 more for an AQ to come from Marymount, Mary Washington, St. Mary's (MD), York (PA), or Penn St Harrisburg. There are also some football playing schools in the Landmark Conference that could be a geographic possibility for the NJAC or CAC if they were to change conference affiliations. The Landmark has several football teams affiliated with other conferences including Catholic (ODAC), Juniata (Centennial), Moravian (Centennial), Susquehanna (Centennial), and Merchant Marine (Liberty League). Don't really see any of the Landmark schools as a good fit with the CAC or NJAC to be honest, but Catholic would probably be the best. Of course they left the CAC for the Landmark so there is already a stumbling block of some kind.

Just as a numbers puzzle, the Centennial has 10 members, so even 3 defections wouldn't cause an AQ problem and both the ODAC and LL each have 8 members, so losing a single member is ok. Be interesting to see how it continues to shake out.

I have to believe that the CAC is looking toward forming a football conference. CNU's movement from the USAC plus the invitations to the three recent conference additions (including SVU), puts them so close. Just looking at it objectively, Wesley needs a home and Salisbury, Frostburg and now SVU are just in ridiculous travel situations right now.

[rams1102]

Does anyone know if the NJAC will relax the 100 man roster limit? I think it would really stregnthen the conference.

[AUKaz00]

Alfred State will be in their NCAA probationary year in 2013-14, so two years after that they would count as a D3 school for conference considerations (and eligible for postseason play after two more years, I think).

[PBR...]

Does Rowan want Keeler back he is available....He got canned at Delaware...

[Jonny Utah]

Does Rowan want Keeler back he is available....He got canned at Delaware...

I saw that.  There has to be more to that story.  Football statistics/record wise, there doesn't seem to be any reason to fire Keeler.

[PBR...]

Does Rowan want Keeler back he is available....He got canned at Delaware...

I saw that.  There has to be more to that story.  Football statistics/record wise, there doesn't seem to be any reason to fire Keeler.

Yeah not sure Utes....New AD so maybe he wanted "his" guy as coach....also Delaware had missed the playoffs 4 out of last 5 years, so maybe the pressure was on...Or could be something else...who knows...Maybe the Keeler to coast guard academy rumors are true...

[Jonny Utah]

Does Rowan want Keeler back he is available....He got canned at Delaware...

I saw that.  There has to be more to that story.  Football statistics/record wise, there doesn't seem to be any reason to fire Keeler.

Yeah not sure Utes....New AD so maybe he wanted "his" guy as coach....also Delaware had missed the playoffs 4 out of last 5 years, so maybe the pressure was on...Or could be something else...who knows...Maybe the Keeler to coast guard academy rumors are true...

What are the Coast Guard Academy rumors?

Still, he went to the national championship game in 2010 and 2007 in one of the toughest leagues in the country.  Interesting either way.

[Jonny Utah]

I wonder if he was interviewing for other jobs or asked to.  There were rumors of him going to Pitt and other places higher up as well. 

[PBR...]

Does Rowan want Keeler back he is available....He got canned at Delaware...

I saw that.  There has to be more to that story.  Football statistics/record wise, there doesn't seem to be any reason to fire Keeler.

Yeah not sure Utes....New AD so maybe he wanted "his" guy as coach....also Delaware had missed the playoffs 4 out of last 5 years, so maybe the pressure was on...Or could be something else...who knows...Maybe the Keeler to coast guard academy rumors are true...

What are the Coast Guard Academy rumors?

Still, he went to the national championship game in 2010 and 2007 in one of the toughest leagues in the country.  Interesting either way.

no rumors of going to coast guard...just havin' some fun seeing if I can pull gro out of retirement...

[bman]

If I recall, Keeler and Zwaan were the finalists for the Delaware job...so curious if Zwaan opts to try again.
I thought that if Keeler did a good job, he would be in the running to step up into a bigger conference...
He started out doing what he did at Rowan...bringing everyone in that could transfer down from D1...and it worked, while he still had the base from Tubby Raymond...but I think that process (while being a great way to be super competitive at D3) doesn't always work at the higher levels...
I always felt he was a below average game day coach at Delaware, and to be honest, not many of the fans I speak to like him very much...maybe he pissed off a few key alumni...who knows...
I am curious to see who they bring in...

[augie77]

So glad D-III has a real playoff system.

[lewdogg11]

If I recall, Keeler and Zwaan were the finalists for the Delaware job...so curious if Zwaan opts to try again.
I thought that if Keeler did a good job, he would be in the running to step up into a bigger conference...
He started out doing what he did at Rowan...bringing everyone in that could transfer down from D1...and it worked, while he still had the base from Tubby Raymond...but I think that process (while being a great way to be super competitive at D3) doesn't always work at the higher levels...
I always felt he was a below average game day coach at Delaware, and to be honest, not many of the fans I speak to like him very much...maybe he pissed off a few key alumni...who knows...
I am curious to see who they bring in...

You think this dude might piss people off?  Come on now!



I always thought of him 'great coach, total douche'.

[bman]

I always thought of him 'great coach, total douche'.

I don't think of him as a great coach...

I am a local, and my wife is an alum...
I think he wins when he gets high profile FBS wash-outs that can dominate games, and he loses when he doesn't have them...plain and simple...IMO think that pattern was evident to the new AD...