FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

Wesley only lists 112 players on the roster now but its preseason roster is much larger.  The team had 137 players on the first day of game action in 2012 according to the data they submitted to the federal government.  It's fair to assume they had more than that when they started training camp.  And those are the numbers that matter financially because, even if 20-30 kids leave the team, they're already on the hook for at least one semester.

I always assumed the roster limit was to bring some element of parity between schools that can attract and support more players and and those that can't or don't want to. Roster size doesn't guarantee success but there's definitely a correlation between strong or improving programs and higher roster sizes.

In Kickoff, we list them as opening camp with 162 players in 2012.

[D3viewer]

EMPIRE 8 FOOTBALL RESHUFFLES

The Morrisville State football team will join the E8 as an affiliate member for the start of the 2015 season.
As previously announced, Cortland is also joining for the 2015 season.
Frostburg State and Salisbury State will leave the league at the end of the 2014 season for the New Jersey Athletic Conf., making the Empire 8 a New York-only conf.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Southern Virginia is a stop gap measure for the NJAC. Those schools aren't going to want to make that trip. Wesley, Salisbury or F'Berg are probably all preferable schools for the conference. I'll be very interested to hear where Wesley is landing in a conference. Strange they emailed they are going to one, but not which one. I wonder what other news has to drop before they announce.

Somewhat prophetic, no?

http://d3football.com/notables/2014/03/njac-goes-big-for-2015

"The New Jersey Athletic Conference is getting a lot bigger and a lot stronger in football in 2015, as Wesley, Salisbury, Christopher Newport and Frostburg State join the league, while Morrisville State moves to the Empire 8."

I like these moves a lot.  Someone else posted on the E8 board that the sumtotal of all this is a logical reshuffling of teams into conferences that make more sense, and I agree.  Good to see.

[TheOsprey]

Finally, the East will be able to hold their own bracket without the usual outsiders.  IMO both conferences should get a couple bids each year.  GO EAST!!

[wesleydad]

njac guys, this is great from my standpoint as a fan of wesley and them finally having a conference with an AQ.  How do you guys see it?  the moves make sense for both the njac and the e8.

[jknezek]

Fascinating:

"Football is a big driver of enrollment numbers for the two private schools in this league, Wesley and Southern Virginia. The NJAC's 100-man roster limit will be raised to include a 25-man developmental squad (junior varsity) to try to mitigate the effects of moving into the league."

A good compromise. Well done to both sides for making it happen.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Fascinating:

"Football is a big driver of enrollment numbers for the two private schools in this league, Wesley and Southern Virginia. The NJAC's 100-man roster limit will be raised to include a 25-man developmental squad (junior varsity) to try to mitigate the effects of moving into the league."

A good compromise. Well done to both sides for making it happen.

Ah, interesting.  So presumably Wesley will be able to stash most of their freshmen onto a JV squad with the provision that they just don't dress for varsity games?  I'm guessing that those guys will be allowed to practice, but just not to play in varsity games?  Sort of like redshirting those guys without the extra year of eligibility...I like it.  Curious - will all of the NJAC schools be permitted to use this option (the 25-man JV squad), or is this just a stopgap measure for Wesley and SV?

[jknezek]

Fascinating:

"Football is a big driver of enrollment numbers for the two private schools in this league, Wesley and Southern Virginia. The NJAC's 100-man roster limit will be raised to include a 25-man developmental squad (junior varsity) to try to mitigate the effects of moving into the league."

A good compromise. Well done to both sides for making it happen.

Ah, interesting.  So presumably Wesley will be able to stash most of their freshmen onto a JV squad with the provision that they just don't dress for varsity games?  I'm guessing that those guys will be allowed to practice, but just not to play in varsity games?  Sort of like redshirting those guys without the extra year of eligibility...I like it.  Curious - will all of the NJAC schools be permitted to use this option (the 25-man JV squad), or is this just a stopgap measure for Wesley and SV?

From the quote itself all of the NJAC will be able to do it. Wonder if they will start a JV league? Could really help even if only a few of the teams get involved. 4 or 5 JV games a year can really help prepare underclassmen.

[ExTartanPlayer]

Fascinating:

"Football is a big driver of enrollment numbers for the two private schools in this league, Wesley and Southern Virginia. The NJAC's 100-man roster limit will be raised to include a 25-man developmental squad (junior varsity) to try to mitigate the effects of moving into the league."

A good compromise. Well done to both sides for making it happen.

Ah, interesting.  So presumably Wesley will be able to stash most of their freshmen onto a JV squad with the provision that they just don't dress for varsity games?  I'm guessing that those guys will be allowed to practice, but just not to play in varsity games?  Sort of like redshirting those guys without the extra year of eligibility...I like it.  Curious - will all of the NJAC schools be permitted to use this option (the 25-man JV squad), or is this just a stopgap measure for Wesley and SV?

From the quote itself all of the NJAC will be able to do it. Wonder if they will start a JV league? Could really help even if only a few of the teams get involved. 4 or 5 JV games a year can really help prepare underclassmen.

Oh, I agree; my observational/anecdotal experience was that D3 schools lose some kids after their freshman season because many of them got bored sitting on the bench and scout team all year.  Now, maybe those are the kids who would have eventually quit anyway, but I'm sure having a few JV games would keep some of the freshmen more engaged in what can otherwise turn into a pretty miserable year of bench-warming and getting whacked by the starters in practice.  I would love to see more D3 schools playing a couple of real JV games, although I know budget, travel, time are all roadblocks to this.

What I'm not totally clear on, though, is that 25 players is obviously too small to be a full JV team, so I assumed that the designated "developmental squad" players would be dressing for and practicing with the team, just not allowed to dress for games (like I said, essentially redshirting them without preserving a year of eligibility).  I wonder if the players have to be designated at the start of the season (i.e. do the coaches have to submit 100 names at the start of the season as their active varsity roster, then they're allowed to have up to 25 more kids in the role I tried to describe just now?).

[jknezek]

Good question. 25 is certainly not enough, but I'm thinking you could supplement with part of the other 100. Few teams go 100 deep on game days. I don't know how it would work, but  the players are limited by NCAA rules to a certain number of games a year. That includes JV contests from my recollection. So if you used 80 kids during the season, which is probably a bit high for many teams, that would leave you with 45 more at least for JV games. Probably more since there are kids that wouldn't play games early in the season and could play JV contests but would probably drop toward that 45 as you used some of those kids in varsity games as injuries take their toll during the season.

Lots of teams have JV programs and work something along these lines. Huntingdon and Birmingham Southern both come to mind around here.

[wally_wabash]

Finally, the East will be able to hold their own bracket without the usual outsiders.   IMO both conferences should get a couple bids each year.  GO EAST!!

I don't think the tournament really works that way anymore.  Hasn't for quite some time actually. 

[CNU85]

Fascinating:

"Football is a big driver of enrollment numbers for the two private schools in this league, Wesley and Southern Virginia. The NJAC's 100-man roster limit will be raised to include a 25-man developmental squad (junior varsity) to try to mitigate the effects of moving into the league."

A good compromise. Well done to both sides for making it happen.

Ah, interesting.  So presumably Wesley will be able to stash most of their freshmen onto a JV squad with the provision that they just don't dress for varsity games?  I'm guessing that those guys will be allowed to practice, but just not to play in varsity games?  Sort of like redshirting those guys without the extra year of eligibility...I like it.  Curious - will all of the NJAC schools be permitted to use this option (the 25-man JV squad), or is this just a stopgap measure for Wesley and SV?

Hopefully not stop gap, as CNU regularly carries more than 100, and often more than 125 on the roster.

[Teamski]

I hope you guys got enough room for us in here!  We'll see you in 2015!   

-Ski

p.s.  I too hope that the 25 player JV squad is a permanent fixture!  We share CNU's plight.

[PA_wesleyfan]

Wesley has been playing JV games . They have in the past played some club teams and prep squads. usually 4 or 5 games

[redhawks]

Big time announcement for both leagues. The expansion of rosters for the NJAC was the right move because I don't think Wesley moves if the cap was still in place. For the 5 New Jersey schools I don't think any of them ever have 100 players (around 90 most of the time).

I see the NJAC being a safe bet for a 2 bid league every year starting in 2015. I see Wesley being the top team because they will continue their ways without having to change much. For William Paterson it will be tough for them since they are usually a 500 team but now have to lay much tougher competition.

The recruiting battles should grow more intense to see if the NJ schools can keep the talent home and not let it continue to go to Wesley and Salisbury. I also thinks that the NJ schools should expand their recruiting areas like Wesley and Salisbury have done over the years. Also should be interesting to see how the teams schedule their 1 out of conference game considering the higher quality of the conference schedule with the possibility of multiple top 25 match ups in one season..