FB: New Jersey Athletic Conference

[John McGraw]

According to the NJAC website:
"A Lions' win next week at Kean will give TCNJ the NJAC championship outright. A Kean victory will result in a split NJAC Championship between TCNJ and Cortland..."

Gotta love a conference that won't decide a championship based on head-to-head. By all means, split the title when one team has already beaten the other 30-0. It will be interesting to see if anybody from TCNJ is given a rest in advance of the playoffs — or will the outright NJAC championship be the #1 goal.

Rams1102, counting on Utica at this point would be like expecting your favorite NFL team to make the playoffs. I think it would be more likely that ARod would announce he's signing with the Yankees, firing Scott (show me the money) Boras(s), and donating his salary to charity for the duration of his career.

That's strange that you mention that Phil. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I can remember Cortland and Rowan finishing each with one loss in the NJAC standings a few years ago. Rowan had won the head-to-head and took the NJAC championship and the auto bid to the playoffs.

Cortland was calling itself the co-champions and there was an issue that they weren't co-champions - not sure if this was sour grapes from the Rowan people or if the conference had actually told them that that was incorrect.

I'm sure JT can help me out on this.

[phil]

The last time the NJAC listed co-champions in football was 1995—Rowan College and Trenton State College.

Of course, that's not to say the NJAC is the most consistent lot. You would think that if teams A and B finished the NJAC season tied, the powers that be would at least apply head-to-head as a tiebreaker before declaring co-champs.

[MSUBIRDGANG]

Another great win by Montclair yesterday racking up over 400 yards on offense against believe or not a pretty good Willy P team...all we can do is bring it to West Conn next week finishing the season at 8-2 hope a few things happen around the region and pray.... its def a tribute to the coaches and players in the NJAC when you look at the how high the level of competition is throughout the conference...do I think MSU deserves to go to the dance absolutely of course I am biased bc I am a former player but with the exception of the Cortland game when we just fell apart in the second half...The TCNJ game was an outstanding battle of two well balanced teams and could have easily went the other way if not for a few big plays...and we still have very impressive wins over Wesley, Wilkes, and Springfield..Ahhh has 3 teams ever made the playoffs from the same conference before?

Outstanding game by Ryan McCoach!!!! Wow!!!!!

[phil]

Yes, three NJAC teams have made it to the playoffs before. Unfortunately, it was in a sport where the players wear shorts.

[gordonmann]

The MAC does the co-champion thing, which I've always thought is sort of hollow.  It last happened in 2002 when King's and Widener finished with the same conference record.  The Monarchs overwhelmed Widener in the head-to-head meeting and there was little confusion who the real champion was. 

Now Widener has a more recent championship to celebrate.  But if they rest guys in a loss to Wilkes and Albright beats Del Val, it could happen again on Saturday.

[JT]

According to the NJAC website:
"A Lions' win next week at Kean will give TCNJ the NJAC championship outright. A Kean victory will result in a split NJAC Championship between TCNJ and Cortland..."

Gotta love a conference that won't decide a championship based on head-to-head. By all means, split the title when one team has already beaten the other 30-0. It will be interesting to see if anybody from TCNJ is given a rest in advance of the playoffs — or will the outright NJAC championship be the #1 goal.

Rams1102, counting on Utica at this point would be like expecting your favorite NFL team to make the playoffs. I think it would be more likely that ARod would announce he's signing with the Yankees, firing Scott (show me the money) Boras(s), and donating his salary to charity for the duration of his career.

That's strange that you mention that Phil. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I can remember Cortland and Rowan finishing each with one loss in the NJAC standings a few years ago. Rowan had won the head-to-head and took the NJAC championship and the auto bid to the playoffs.

Cortland was calling itself the co-champions and there was an issue that they weren't co-champions - not sure if this was sour grapes from the Rowan people or if the conference had actually told them that that was incorrect.

I'm sure JT can help me out on this.

The NJAC did away with co-champs for about 10 years.  This year they decided that ties would lead to co-champs.  TCNJ gets the autobid by virtue of their head-to-head wins.  Cortland was not in fact co-champs a few years ago.  I don't like the co-champs stuff.  Head-to-head tie breakers should decide both the pool A and NJAC title IMHO.

[Pat Coleman]

Actually, Phil, most conferences do this in football. Head-to-head and other tiebreakers are only used to determine who gets the automatic bid.

[Knightstalker]

It's Stoopit to have Co-Champs.

[PA_wesleyfan]

It's Stoopit to have Co-Champs.

The only reason I don't like head to head to decide a championship is that the team winning a head to head game had to lose to someone lower in the standings while before or after the head to head game.

[Jonny Utah]

It's Stoopit to have Co-Champs.

The only reason I don't like head to head to decide a championship is that the team winning a head to head game had to lose to someone lower in the standings while before or after the head to head game.

Its not perfect but it makes the most sense.

[PA_wesleyfan]

It's Stoopit to have Co-Champs.

The only reason I don't like head to head to decide a championship is that the team winning a head to head game had to lose to someone lower in the standings while before or after the head to head game.

Its not perfect but it makes the most sense.

I do agree that it does make sense for playoffs but
i just think the tying team deserves a prop too

[DanPadavona]

Utica has a football team?  8)

Not really.   

[DanPadavona]

The last time the NJAC listed co-champions in football was 1995—Rowan College and Trenton State College.

Of course, that's not to say the NJAC is the most consistent lot. You would think that if teams A and B finished the NJAC season tied, the powers that be would at least apply head-to-head as a tiebreaker before declaring co-champs.

Phil/JT -

The change in policy happened prior to this season.  Through 2006, head-to-head tiebreakers determined the NJAC Champion, as well as the NCAA tournament bid.

As of the 2007 NJAC season, head-to-head is only used to determine the NCAA AQ in the event of a tiebreaker. If Kean were to upset TCNJ, then TCNJ and Cortland would be recognized as co-champions of the NJAC.  But TCNJ would receive the NCAA AQ.

[MSUBIRDGANG]

wait....what has to happen Utica has to beat who??

[mandfense]

According to the NJAC website:
"A Lions' win next week at Kean will give TCNJ the NJAC championship outright. A Kean victory will result in a split NJAC Championship between TCNJ and Cortland..."

Gotta love a conference that won't decide a championship based on head-to-head. By all means, split the title when one team has already beaten the other 30-0.

The NNJIL in North Jersey doesn't decide a champion based on head to head either.  In 2 of the NNJIL divisions this year, despite 2 teams being tied and one having a head to head victory over the other, they're still co-champs.

I was on that 1995 Trenton State team and didn't even remember that we were co-champs with Rowan until you just reminded me, Phil.  That's probably because they beat us pretty good that year and they went dancing while we played in the ECACs.