Small Colleges Starting Football

[Pat Coleman]

I think Catholic enjoys its relationship with the ODAC but you never know when the Landmark Conference could pick up enough other teams to make football viable there. (Already Juniata, Merchant Marine, Moravian and Susquehanna in the league.)

I wonder if there's a resistance on the part of non-football schools, which are a big part of the ODAC, to do things that help football only.

[Ralph Turner]

Tom Haley's Around the Northeast column

New trophy game

Castleton State president David Wolk told the first gathering of the new football booster club at Sabby's Pasta House that the game with state rival Norwich will be a trophy game. The teams meet Nov. 7, 2009, in Castleton's inaugural football season.

"If anyone knows anyone who has an old, rusty sap bucket..." Wolk said.

AmCats getting ready

Anna Maria College also launches football in 2009 and its first game will be at Castleton on Sept. 5 in the new Spartan Stadium now under construction.

Anna Maria also has a new facility under construction.

"It is going well. It could be completed by Thanksgiving," Anna Maria coach Marc Klaiman said.

Castleton and Anna Maria will both be members of the new North Atlantic Conference, although Anna Maria will not be an official member until 2010.

It will be an unusual event Sept. 5 when the AmCats and Spartans play their first ever game against one another. Coach Rich Alercio said there will be some special festivities surrounding the game with the teams likely honored at a banquet.

"Players on both teams will be part of history that day," he said.

[ADL70]

New NAIA program in metro Cleveland, Notre Dame College.

http://www.notredamecollege.edu/athletics/index.htm

[Ralph Turner]

UNC-Charlotte is adding football in 2013, but the table in the NCAA story mentions other "D1" schools that have added football such as Gallaudet, Birmingham-Southern and St Scholastica  (sic). 



Thanks to cwru70 for the proofreading.

[ADL70]

UNC

[HSCTiger74]

When someone does leave and the ODAC suddenly needs Shenandoah, is Shenandoah still going to be looking to get in?

Just wondering what (if anything) you may have heard. It seems to me that the ODAC's Va. football schools have been playing forever, going back to the old Mason-Dixon Conference and beyond, and even played Catholic and Guilford on occasion. I don't see any of them leaving unless there is a really major shakeup in conference alignments.

[HSCTiger74]

Since my previous post, another thought has occurred to me ... is it really in the best interest of the ODAC to increase the number of football-playing members?
There are constant references on the various boards to strength of schedule and how it impacts a team's selection or seeding for the postseason. By playing only six conference games there is flexibility in scheduling for the other four, and it seems like a perfect opportunity to beef up that strength of schedule if a school desires to. I know that some conferences (the OAC comes to mind) have little or no such flexibility because of their size, and it can hurt them when Pool C bids are made. Also, it would give the schools a chance to put their names "out there"  in areas where they may not be quite as well known, thereby broadening their recruiting opportunities. The expense involved is always going to be a major factor, of course, but I would love to see our members play teams from leagues like the Empire 8, NJAC, Liberty League, or the midwestern conferences if it could be worked out.

[Ralph Turner]

Tiger, as currently configured, the (ODAC) non-conference games that would count South Region games and teams from Administrative Region #3 (e.g., OH, IN, MI, KY, TN, AR, LA, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC and VA).

I think that the real challenge that occurs in most conferences is having enough teams to fill out the schedule economically.  These schools need to philosophical, academic, economical and geographical matches.

The SCAC is geographically diverse but mission consistent.  They have grown to 12 schools of which 10 will be football-playing schools.

The OAC has 10 members, all of whom play football.  The conference added Wilmington in July 2000.  (Page 2 of OAC Media Guide.)

I think that the major force in maintaining conferences as we see them now is the access to the playoffs thru the Pool System.  It certainly is fair, and having enough Pool C bids makes the playoffs great!

I am confident that the ODAC will maintain the Pool A bid, with affiliates if necessary.  Any schools adding football in the ODAC will do so to meet the mission that the school has set forth.

As an outsider, looking into the ODAC, I agree with your assessment that 7 is an excellent number of schools, if you can find non-conference games.  (The WIAC can't at 8 teams.)  I just wonder when Roanoke or Randolph, etc.,  add football in the name of gender balancing and enrollment management.

Now earning a Pool C bid means that two of your schools are going 9-1, at least.   

[Warren Thompson]

Ralph:

Have you picked up any vibrations that Concordia of Texas might be initiating football in the near future?

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph:

Have you picked up any vibrations that Concordia of Texas might be initiating football in the near future?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Warren! 

Their new campus is a big success.  They are playing some athletic events on non-university sites, including most baseball games at Austin ISD's Nelson Field, which is just northeast of the old campus.

I think that they will be considering football by fall 2011, just my guess.  I think that they want to grow the school, and football will help.  (Just my guess.)

[Mr. Ypsi]

Ralph, doesn't Texas have a law that schools without football cannot be accredited?

[Ralph Turner]

Ralph, doesn't Texas have a law that schools without football cannot be accredited?

I kid my cousin's son, a graduate of Texas A&M, that the Aggies are in danger of losing theirs!

A recent headline asked, "Is Texas A&M the new Baylor?" 

[Kira & Jaxon's Dad]

I know that some conferences (the OAC comes to mind) have little or no such flexibility because of their size, and it can hurt them when Pool C bids are made.

The second place team in the OAC (with a 9-1 record) hasn't had too much trouble getting Pool C bids in the recent past:

2008: Otterbein
2007: Capital
2006: Capital
2005: Capital
2004: None
2003: BW
2002: JCU
2001: None
2000: JCU
1999: ONU

In 2003 and 2001 the second place team in the OAC was 8-2, thus didn't garner a Pool C Bid.

[HSCTiger74]

Tiger, as currently configured, the (ODAC) non-conference games that would count South Region games and teams from Administrative Region #3 (e.g., OH, IN, MI, KY, TN, AR, LA, MS, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC and VA).

I agree with your assessment that 7 is an excellent number of schools, if you can find non-conference games.  (The WIAC can't at 8 teams.) 

As to point 1, would it therefore be better to schedule a Ferrum or Shenandoah rather than a (presumably) tougher Cortland or Whitewater, assuming those matchups could even be made?

As to point 2, is that because of the different circumstances of public vs private schools, or just because the WIAC is so good that other schools don't want to schedule an almost certain loss?

[HSCTiger74]

I know that some conferences (the OAC comes to mind) have little or no such flexibility because of their size, and it can hurt them when Pool C bids are made.

The second place team in the OAC (with a 9-1 record) hasn't had too much trouble getting Pool C bids in the recent past

KD ... sorry, I wasn't trying to impugn the OAC. I just used them as an example of scheduling inflexibility because I knew off the top of my head that there were ten teams in the conference, leaving only one available non-conference game.