FB: Liberty League

[IC798891]

Do you need 10 games?

As recently as 2018, Hobart played 9 (Let us never forget the 8 game season in 2011, either)

[Pat Coleman]

Need 10, no. But you want to give your student-athletes the most competition opportunities possible and also give yourself the best chance to rack up good selection criteria.

[Oline89]

Yes, you absolutely neeed 10 games.  In fact I would argue that playing 10 legitimate games means more to the typical student athlete than the rare chance of playing in a playoff game.

[MRMIKESMITH]

Yes, you absolutely neeed 10 games.  In fact I would argue that playing 10 legitimate games means more to the typical student athlete than the rare chance of playing in a playoff game.

I agree, I think it is an absolute disservice for a school not to have 10 games unless its for health reason (i.e. not enough players). I know last year there were a few schools that indicated both health and funding as to the lack of a full game schedule. However, there are many cases where we complain about matchups like Mount vs. Defiance. Sometimes coaches don't want to demoralize their teams by taking a beating and would rather have another week of practice. Yet there are cases where administration may play a huge part (not speculating, just saying).

[stlawus]

I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel for content today, but being a Giants fan I was curious about Brian Daboll's stats against SLU and other LL teams (UCAA back then obviously) when he played for Rochester.  He only played 2 years as he had a neck injury late in his sophomore season, but he seemed to show up against the Scarlet and Brown.  As a freshman in 1994 he had 4 tackles, 8 tackle assists and an interception in a 40-27 win.  Against SLU in 1995 he had 1 tackle, 6 tackle assists and an interception in a 20-14 win.     

I was just a toddler then but my father always told me the 90s were a really rough era for SLU football, those stats seems to confirm it!

[Pat Coleman]

The 90s were also a big time for assisted tackles, before the NCAA stats office cracked down.

[unionpalooza]

Is the Liberty League in trouble? I read with interest and commented on a post by NED3Guy on the Region 1 board entitled, Northeast D3 Shuffle. He focuses not only on the ECFC and their impending loss of 2 teams but shuffles throughout New England and New York. What I commented needs to be repeated on the LL board. It's strictly conjecture and my opinion.

"There will surely be plenty of movement in the coming years. With the departure of Utica the E8 needs a team. The most likely would be Alfred St. or possibly Buffalo St. returning, or both . That would leave the LL lacking so Hilbert is a possibility but I've always thought Hartwick belongs in the LL.  That's been rehashed before and probably won't happen. The E8 has the pressing need for a team for 2023 but it's the LL that is more vulnerable.

If the ECFC dissolves Castleton St. would need a home. Might that be the LL? Geographically that would work...or would the LL have to look to elsewhere in New England. Springfield, once a LL member, or neighboring Western New England? Western Connecticut? WPI?  What's really needed is for a current LL school to start a football program. Clarkson had a team decades ago and currently has a club football team. It would be a natural rival for St. Lawrence as they are in all other sports. Skidmore has ever expanding successful sports programs. Could they add football? Vassar or Bard are LL members so? The answer may be the long discussed merger of the LL and the E8. That seems more and more likely."

Anybody have any thoughts?

Buff St makes no sense but for the current (but not future) need for a seventh team, so I wouldn't be surprised if they return to the E8 and the LL might just sit tight with a very coherent set of six teams, though OOC scheduling would get tougher. 

[MRMIKESMITH]

Is the Liberty League in trouble? I read with interest and commented on a post by NED3Guy on the Region 1 board entitled, Northeast D3 Shuffle. He focuses not only on the ECFC and their impending loss of 2 teams but shuffles throughout New England and New York. What I commented needs to be repeated on the LL board. It's strictly conjecture and my opinion.

"There will surely be plenty of movement in the coming years. With the departure of Utica the E8 needs a team. The most likely would be Alfred St. or possibly Buffalo St. returning, or both . That would leave the LL lacking so Hilbert is a possibility but I've always thought Hartwick belongs in the LL.  That's been rehashed before and probably won't happen. The E8 has the pressing need for a team for 2023 but it's the LL that is more vulnerable.

If the ECFC dissolves Castleton St. would need a home. Might that be the LL? Geographically that would work...or would the LL have to look to elsewhere in New England. Springfield, once a LL member, or neighboring Western New England? Western Connecticut? WPI?  What's really needed is for a current LL school to start a football program. Clarkson had a team decades ago and currently has a club football team. It would be a natural rival for St. Lawrence as they are in all other sports. Skidmore has ever expanding successful sports programs. Could they add football? Vassar or Bard are LL members so? The answer may be the long discussed merger of the LL and the E8. That seems more and more likely."

Anybody have any thoughts?

Buff St makes no sense but for the current (but not future) need for a seventh team, so I wouldn't be surprised if they return to the E8 and the LL might just sit tight with a very coherent set of six teams, though OOC scheduling would get tougher.

With so many teams in NY and surrounding areas. When has LL/E8 team(s) struggled to fill out schedule?

[Jonny Utah]

Is the Liberty League in trouble? I read with interest and commented on a post by NED3Guy on the Region 1 board entitled, Northeast D3 Shuffle. He focuses not only on the ECFC and their impending loss of 2 teams but shuffles throughout New England and New York. What I commented needs to be repeated on the LL board. It's strictly conjecture and my opinion.

"There will surely be plenty of movement in the coming years. With the departure of Utica the E8 needs a team. The most likely would be Alfred St. or possibly Buffalo St. returning, or both . That would leave the LL lacking so Hilbert is a possibility but I've always thought Hartwick belongs in the LL.  That's been rehashed before and probably won't happen. The E8 has the pressing need for a team for 2023 but it's the LL that is more vulnerable.

If the ECFC dissolves Castleton St. would need a home. Might that be the LL? Geographically that would work...or would the LL have to look to elsewhere in New England. Springfield, once a LL member, or neighboring Western New England? Western Connecticut? WPI?  What's really needed is for a current LL school to start a football program. Clarkson had a team decades ago and currently has a club football team. It would be a natural rival for St. Lawrence as they are in all other sports. Skidmore has ever expanding successful sports programs. Could they add football? Vassar or Bard are LL members so? The answer may be the long discussed merger of the LL and the E8. That seems more and more likely."

Anybody have any thoughts?

Buff St makes no sense but for the current (but not future) need for a seventh team, so I wouldn't be surprised if they return to the E8 and the LL might just sit tight with a very coherent set of six teams, though OOC scheduling would get tougher.

With so many teams in NY and surrounding areas. When has LL/E8 team(s) struggled to fill out schedule?

Never.

But people on here always love to bring it up for some reason.  I can see a situation were if large conferences started to combine to 11 teams and there were no OCC games allowed for those teams, but we aren't there yet and we were never there before. 

[UfanBill]

The D3Football.com Preseason Top 25 is out. https://www.d3football.com/top25/2022/preseason ...

The Liberty League is well represented with Ithaca #17, RPI #20 and Hobart #23 listed in the Top 25....Union also received votes which would place them at #31. The Dutchmen are reloading at many key positions but I'm optimistic they'll surprise. St.Lawrence also will be formidable following a strong 2021 finish. Opening week is just 38 days away 

[unionpalooza]

The D3Football.com Preseason Top 25 is out. https://www.d3football.com/top25/2022/preseason ...

The Liberty League is well represented with Ithaca #17, RPI #20 and Hobart #23 listed in the Top 25....Union also received votes which would place them at #31. The Dutchmen are reloading at many key positions but I'm optimistic they'll surprise. St.Lawrence also will be formidable following a strong 2021 finish. Opening week is just 38 days away

Good bulletin board material for the Dutchman here, being left out and behind three LL peers.  Many of their best seniors are returning for the extra year (Ross, Irabor, Driscoll, St. Pierre, etc.) so I'm not sure why the lack of preseason love, but it'll be fun watching them play with a chip on their shoulder. 

[stlawus]

League should be strong this year.  Even Rochester looked better than years past last season.   The Saints lose a lot up front offensively which will be hard to replace, but there are some physically massive underclassmen that will be slotting in this season.   The Saints QB was named one of the captains for this upcoming season as a sophomore, the youngest captain in quite some time.   That's one position they've been steady at for the last decade, so I'm hoping he takes another leap forward.  Would like to see a winning season, but the rest of the league is loaded.  Saints should have beat RPI last year so they can hang with the upper echelon of the league, but it's going to be tough!  Here's to a great season for all LL squads.

[IC798891]

So last year, we saw a 2-loss IC with a .613 SOS number left out of the playoffs, in large part because the powers in charge of the regional rankings placed them behind a 9-1, .493 SOS Hopkins (this is not a complaint, just a rehash).

This year, with the following OOC games on the docket:

#1 vs. #4
#1 vs. #11
#4 vs. #5
#5 vs. #18
#8 vs. #9

A lot of very good teams are going to be picking up an OOC loss. This opens the door for those teams to be looking at two loss seasons once conference play starts. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the regional rankings later in the year

[Bartman]

The preseason polls are interesting and the LL has been ranked fairly (IMO) in the bottom portion of the top 25, but all of the D3.com ranked LL teams have a number of holes to fill. No reason to think Union should not be ranked as well( just hoping to reduce the locker message board incentive for their exclusion .) Last year was unbelievably competitive. Hobart was the only team that beat RPI by blocking an extra point and lost to Union(@Union) in OT and lost to Ithaca(@ Ithaca) as the clock ran down on the final drive. All exciting games, especially after I refreshed my aging memory with  YOUTUBE . This year Hobart plays Ithaca early at the BOZ and welcomes Union at home as well. I hope RPI allows fans back ?? I'm hearing that the Bart coaches are happy with 35+ First Years , many of whom will be called upon to contribute significantly and are looking for continued growth from some great veterans off a strong 9-2 season. Ball Control with 2 of the better RB's in D3 , experienced leadership at QB , replenishing some of the OT and WR positions, along with another well coached swarming defense will be the keys. This season will be a dogfight again for the LL title among the top four but don't count out an improving SLU and Rochester squads who are looking for some upsets. I can't wait for the season to start at the Boz the evening of 9/2 against the Saxon Warriors!!!   

[IC798891]

The LL is its usual jumble of teams in the high teens/RV range.

IC could have beaten RPI
Union could have beaten RPI
Hobart could have beaten Ithaca and Union
RPI could have beaten Hobart

Impossible to really tell any of them apart.