FB: Empire 8

[AUPepBand]

+KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK You crack me up, Q!

[DanPadavona]

...Maybe somebody like West Conn, or if the MAC starts to lose members maybe convince Wilkes and/or Kings.  All conjecture, I really have no idea.  But for the first time, it sounds like the hope is real. -- Cortland Football

CF, I do not understand what you mean by "hope".  Hope for "what"?

Thanks

Hope for a SUNY based upstate football conference, or for an Empire 8 with Cortland as a member.  Don't get me wrong.  Cortland is very proud of its NJAC membership.  But from a travel/budget standpoint, it is a bit of stress.  It sure is for me! 

[Ralph Turner]

...Maybe somebody like West Conn, or if the MAC starts to lose members maybe convince Wilkes and/or Kings.  All conjecture, I really have no idea.  But for the first time, it sounds like the hope is real. -- Cortland Football

CF, I do not understand what you mean by "hope".  Hope for "what"?

Thanks

Hope for a SUNY based upstate football conference.

Thanks! 
I guess the public/private line has been drawn.  For now, we have not word as to whether the SUNYAC affiliates will leave the NJAC.

Might Cobleskill add football?  If they do, do they want to contend against Brock and Cort?

It looks like the remaining three programs to affiliate with the SUNYAC are in the future.

[sjfcards]

One team I thought of during the first few moments after hearing about Norwich leaving, that no one seems to be talking about is Lycoming. They already play IC consistently, and they are not a terrible drive for most E8 teams (no worse than Norwich was anyway). Any thoughts?

I just wish the conference would come out with who it is going to be, so we could all know and let the debating begin.

[DanPadavona]

I don't think they can come out with anything, because they don't know who it is going to be.  Lycoming would be a nice addition too.  Any competitive team taking Norwich's place would place the Empire 8 as the top conference in Eastern Region with no possible debate.  Probably one of the top 6 conferences in the country.

[superman57]

That would be an interesting debate...whose the best confernce in DIII, after last year I would have a hard time not putting the e8 in the top 5...I mean they did have 3 playoff teams...
I mean I would probably put the Wisconsin league #1, the OAC probablaly gets 2 just because of MUC, but what about everybody else

[DanPadavona]

Supe -

The OAC is definitely deeper than just MUC.  Capital would have won any Eastern region conference each of the last 3 years.  John Carroll, BW, and Ohio Northern are all pretty strong too.  The success of their teams (not just MUC) outside of conference and in the playoffs speaks for itself.

And yes, I agree the WIAC is the best conference by far from top to bottom.

The addition of Cortland or Lycoming would put the E8 into the conversation of Top 5 conferences, with the WIAC and OAC still clearly ahead as the top 2.  I like the ASC and MIAC quite a bit too, and the NJAC is going to be in the conversation if either Buffalo State rebuilds or Morrisville gets strong.

[Pat Coleman]

Those who have read Around the Nation or Kickoff already know how we rank the conferences in our most recent ranking.

http://www.d3football.com/columns/around-the-nation/2007-09-26/How+we+ranked+the+conferences

[superman57]

see, pat I was right I said E8 was top 5, and WIAC was 1 and OAC was 2....

CF, yes the rest of the OAC is strong, but they are strong because Mount is amazing... and no I don't think Capital would have hands down won any Eastern conference... I've only been to MUC, but from my experiances at MUC, and then also at places like Fisher and Ithaca...it is a different enviorment at the games... MUC was tame kind of quiet like enjoying a good tennis match at wimbeldon, Nothing wrong with that, but tame non the less... Meanwhile as I'm sure you can vouch for... it can be quite intimidating to go into the butterball...I mean the only two teams to win at the butterball are Cortland and Fisher...

[theoriginalupstate]

All this talk about Cortland joining has me very excited about the E8!  While its not a given just yet, the fact that the E8 has stepped over the line that the LL wont go near shows that this conference is serious about the level of competition that they want in their conference. 

I think Cortland is liking their chances of being the NJAC champ and getting that NCAA auto-bid the next couple of years and thats why they are putting it off for now.  It makes too much sense for them not to join.  Can you imagine how much bigger Cortaca would be with NCAA berths on the line year in and year out?  SJF vs Cortland would be a great game, unlike their meetings from the 90's.  Cortland vs AU would also be a great match up!

I hope it happens in the future!

[boobyhasgameyo]

Supe -

The OAC is definitely deeper than just MUC.  Capital would have won any Eastern region conference each of the last 3 years.  John Carroll, BW, and Ohio Northern are all pretty strong too.  The success of their teams (not just MUC) outside of conference and in the playoffs speaks for itself.

And yes, I agree the WIAC is the best conference by far from top to bottom.

The addition of Cortland or Lycoming would put the E8 into the conversation of Top 5 conferences, with the WIAC and OAC still clearly ahead as the top 2.  I like the ASC and MIAC quite a bit too, and the NJAC is going to be in the conversation if either Buffalo State rebuilds or Morrisville gets strong.

Also going to have to disagree there, I don't think it's a sure thing Capital would have won any Eastern Region conference the last 3 years.  I don't think the LL is a cake walk, and think about the E8 two years ago when Springfield was really good, Alfred and Ithaca were up to their normal winning ways and Fisher fielded a final 4 football team that faired pretty well against Mount Union as Capital did the week before when they were eliminated by them.  

[fisheralum91]

Stupid question that maybe has been covered- but has Fisher replaced Blaise yet?

[theoriginalupstate]

Stupid question that maybe has been covered- but has Fisher replaced Blaise yet?

Yeah Fox has replaced him.

St. John Fisher College has hired Mike Fox as the new defensive coordinator for its nationally-ranked football program.

Fox, a 2005 graduate of Fisher, was a four-year starter at Fisher and two-time All-American inside linebacker.  He set the Fisher single-season record with 151 tackles as a junior in 2003 and tallied 135 tackles in 2004, while helping guide the Cardinals to their first Empire 8 Conference title and the program's first trip to the NCAA Division III Championship.

For his career, Fox, a former All-Greater Rochester selection out of Caledonia-Mumford, ranks not only first at Fisher in career tackles, but his 478 career tackles rank fourth all-time in NCAA Division III.

After graduating with a degree in Communication/Journalism, Fox began his coaching career in 2005 as a junior varsity assistant.  In 2006, he was promoted to varsity inside linebacker coach and junior varsity defensive coordinator, a position he held for each of the last two seasons.

In his two seasons of coaching at the varsity level, Fisher has enjoyed immense success.   The Cardinals advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship playoffs for the second consecutive season in 2007, after a national semifinal (final four) appearance in 2006.  Fisher has allowed just 14.3 points, and 3.3 yards per rush to its opponents over the last two seasons, and has ranked among the national leaders in interceptions, turnover margin, and pass efficiency defense. 
"Mike has been a valuable asset to our program, both as a player and as a coach over the last seven seasons, and we're excited about having him as our defensive coordinator," says head coach Paul Vosburgh, who will enter his 18th season with the Cardinals this fall.  "Mike is a very positive and energetic individual with a great work-ethic and we think his traits will carry over to our fine young men."

[JQV]

Can you imagine how much bigger Cortaca would be with NCAA berths on the line year in and year out?

The Fisher matchup would be interesting but, this argument for Cortland is a non-starter for me for two reasons:

1) I am not sure Cortaca could get bigger than it is today.

2) For at least the last three or four years, a playoff berth has, in some sense, been on the line at Cortaca given the effect it can have on the winner's Pool B status.

Edit: Hey Tecmo, Lineback....how bout them Cubbies?

[fisheralum91]

Thanks upstate- figured it had been taken care of.
Rob had mentioned some good newbies coming into the program this year---any idea on who?