FB: Old Dominion Athletic Conference

[allsky7]

Tiger
No hotel in Greensboro I use.  Go back to Raleigh, Nice Hyatt. Maybe I did not use a hotel in the 99-2003 because I kept being tossed from the games

Alright ABNRGR, what did you do to get tossed from a D3 football game?  I thought I was obnoxious and loud, but I haven't been tossed out...yet.

    Hey abnrgr....hopefully, you didn't get tossed  for a major infraction like a spilling the beer penalty or a roughing the grill call?  Both of those infractions are loss of down and disqualification from the parking lot.  Oh,were you talking about the actual game? 

[CNU85]

I hope he didn't spill Steve!!

[frenjr]

I played during the same time down at EHC (1997-1999), here are some thoughts

CUA

RB Anthony Notarfranceso was an absolute load. 

E&H
RB: Oliver Jordan was an incredibly elusive runner for D3 football. His game when I was a sophomore vs Washington & Jefferson was something I will remember for the rest of my life. They just could not get a hand on him. Andy Stanley would have been something special if he had not torn up his knee, and in 98 he still finished 2nd in the conference on one good leg. Ernest Cheatham and the DRS could have probably started at RB for any team in the conference at that time except for Catholic.

QB: Aaron Brand was awful, single handedly costed us the ODAC title outright in 97. I loved playing with Tommy Crigger. Aaron Fuller at WR made both of them look good often.

OL: Mikey Hughes was terrific before he tore up his shoulder. Kevin Rogers was without parralell, and while he never got credit, I always considered Frank Hailey to be one of the best "thinking men" O linemen in the conference

DL: Jamie Harless was dominant... just ungodly. While Mike Kasnove, Chris Barbour, Earl Jefferson were all damn good players... Harless was above and beyond. Probably the best defensive player in the conference along with Chuck Davis.

LB: Loved Larry Arwood, but John Caramody was the best LB I played with. The guy looked nothing like a football player (tall, skinney), but he was terrific.

DB: I did not play with T Nelson, but Peedee Peterson was a special talent. Best DB in the conference IMO


Randolph Macon: The other elite program at the time. Like I said earlier, Chuck Davis was an absolute animal. Chappell was a great QB, and Michael Becker was awful tough on all those screens, but he was not a down field threat. Go back and look at the YPC. Tim Armoska was an animal. All hustle, all the time

Guilford: I can still hear the Junior Lord chants

Hampden Sydney was a non entity back then, and all I remember about W&L was the cowbells and them managing to let us back in the game in 98 when they had a 20-6 lead late in the 4th quarter. Batcheller was the most talented QB in the conference, but he had no weapons. Nice guy though.

Bridewater: They were really down when I started in the program, but Lutz gave us fits while they rebuilt the program. They had a DE that was tough, but I can't remember his name.

[hasanova]

Hasa

I'll be in Greensboro with my family on the 22nd for the Guilford vs. HSC game. What hotel should I stay in ?

I think this could be one of the best match ups in the ODAC this year. I'm  looking forward to revisiting your campus  as I have not been to Guilford since 1976. At the time, your campus was appealing and I assume it has done nothing but improve over the years.

Any info you can offer regarding hotels would be greatly appreciated.

Hey, tfa.  Sorry for the delay in my response - I've been on a 3-day business trip sans email.  Greensboro has a lot of hotel options, but since I live here, I just drive by them. 

If you want to stay in a first-class hotel with all the amenities (read "expensive"), the O. Henry Hotel at the Friendly Center is great.  I've eaten in their restaurant, the Green Valley Grill, and picked up visiting business travelers there many times.  It's an easy 5 miles from campus.

If you are on a more modest budget, I'd look for a Hampton Inn or similar hotel.  You can find every chain imaginable near the intersections of Hwy 68/I-40, Wendover Avenue/I-40 or High Point Rd/I-40.  There is also a nice Hilton in the downtown area.

Guilford is in northwest Greensboro, so the west, northwest and southwest sides of town are closer.  Some of the hotels in the east and southeast are more "questionable" and will increase your travel time.   If you see one you like, send me an email and I'll give you a heads up on a case by case basis. 

Thanks for the kudos on the campus.  It is a beautiful campus and, in my opinion, looks better than ever.  Since the HSC game is a night game, be sure to arrive in time to take a walking tour.  Give me a shout ahead of time and I'd be glad to meet you.

[ValleyWolf]

 We visited many campuses this past year.  The head coach sold the program, not the facilities. But, the facilities were compared, and if the head coach had not been such a good salesman, they would have inpacted the decision.

[Jacketlawyer]

All I have to say is that the pictures of the upgrades for Hampden-Sydney's stadium has me positively GREEN with envy.

GREEN.

[hasanova]

All I have to say is that the pictures of the upgrades for Hampden-Sydney's stadium has me positively GREEN with envy.

GREEN.

They do look nice, don't they?  I have to say what's happening at HSC is a step above what's happening at Guilford, but I'm very pleased that both schools have done significant upgrades.  It's something I'd like to see all across the ODAC.

At Guilford, for example, the current President (since 2002) came to us from Bowdoin in Maine.  He's bringing a NESCAC philosophy to beautification of the campus and I like it.  He knows what I've always felt to be true - alumni are apt to donate even more to their alma mater if the campus is beautiful and well-kept .... and the sports teams are competitive!   

[hasanova]

I know a lot of you are interested in the overall health of ODAC colleges far beyond the reach of just football, so I've included this excerpt from a Guilford "state of the college" meeting held August 14, just before the start of the college's 171st academic year:

"When classes begin Aug. 20, Guilford expects a total headcount of approximately 2,600 students, including more than 1,400 traditional-age students, approximately 1,100 adult students and 95 high school students in The Early College at Guilford. The official headcount will be reported Oct. 1.

Guilford anticipates enrolling its largest first-year traditional-age class in history, with approximately 450 emerging from a record pool of 3,492 applicants. It is the fourth consecutive first-year class exceeding 400, and the acceptance rate is less than 60 percent for the second straight year. Included among the first years are 24 Hispanic students, representing 5 percent of the first year class and a record number for a single year. Residence Halls are at capacity with approximately 1,100 housed, or 76 percent of the traditional population."

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

We visited many campuses this past year.  The head coach sold the program, not the facilities. But, the facilities were compared, and if the head coach had not been such a good salesman, they would have inpacted the decision.

That's great to hear!!

When I asked Coach Clark this past summer about recruiting, I brought up the facilities issue.  I asked if he thought a bigger/better press box really made a difference in a recruit's mind.  I remember him saying something like "Absolutely, but we really push the fact that we've won 10 playoff games, five conference titles, etc..."

In other words, to recruits and their parents, winning - or the potential to win - means a lot more than a pretty place for coaches and media (and big donors, in some cases) to watch the game.

[Llamaguy]

We visited many campuses this past year.  The head coach sold the program, not the facilities. But, the facilities were compared, and if the head coach had not been such a good salesman, they would have inpacted the decision.

Hopefully after looking back on it in 4 years your son will be happy with winning games over having a really nice weightroom to lift in everyday.

[Pat Coleman]

We visited many campuses this past year.  The head coach sold the program, not the facilities. But, the facilities were compared, and if the head coach had not been such a good salesman, they would have inpacted the decision.

That's great to hear!!

When I asked Coach Clark this past summer about recruiting, I brought up the facilities issue.  I asked if he thought a bigger/better press box really made a difference in a recruit's mind.  I remember him saying something like "Absolutely, but we really push the fact that we've won 10 playoff games, five conference titles, etc..."

In other words, to recruits and their parents, winning - or the potential to win - means a lot more than a pretty place for coaches and media (and big donors, in some cases) to watch the game.

Actually, Matt, in other words, Bridgewater hopes that winning or the potential to win means a lot more. That should be the case when competing against schools with similar facilities. I wonder what will happen as the facilities gap widens.

[@d3jason]

I played during the same time down at EHC (1997-1999), here are some thoughts

CUA

RB Anthony Notarfranceso was an absolute load. 

E&H
RB: Oliver Jordan was an incredibly elusive runner for D3 football. His game when I was a sophomore vs Washington & Jefferson was something I will remember for the rest of my life. They just could not get a hand on him. Andy Stanley would have been something special if he had not torn up his knee, and in 98 he still finished 2nd in the conference on one good leg. Ernest Cheatham and the DRS could have probably started at RB for any team in the conference at that time except for Catholic.

QB: Aaron Brand was awful, single handedly costed us the ODAC title outright in 97. I loved playing with Tommy Crigger. Aaron Fuller at WR made both of them look good often.

OL: Mikey Hughes was terrific before he tore up his shoulder. Kevin Rogers was without parralell, and while he never got credit, I always considered Frank Hailey to be one of the best "thinking men" O linemen in the conference

DL: Jamie Harless was dominant... just ungodly. While Mike Kasnove, Chris Barbour, Earl Jefferson were all damn good players... Harless was above and beyond. Probably the best defensive player in the conference along with Chuck Davis.

LB: Loved Larry Arwood, but John Caramody was the best LB I played with. The guy looked nothing like a football player (tall, skinney), but he was terrific.

DB: I did not play with T Nelson, but Peedee Peterson was a special talent. Best DB in the conference IMO


Randolph Macon: The other elite program at the time. Like I said earlier, Chuck Davis was an absolute animal. Chappell was a great QB, and Michael Becker was awful tough on all those screens, but he was not a down field threat. Go back and look at the YPC. Tim Armoska was an animal. All hustle, all the time

Guilford: I can still hear the Junior Lord chants

Hampden Sydney was a non entity back then, and all I remember about W&L was the cowbells and them managing to let us back in the game in 98 when they had a 20-6 lead late in the 4th quarter. Batcheller was the most talented QB in the conference, but he had no weapons. Nice guy though.

Bridewater: They were really down when I started in the program, but Lutz gave us fits while they rebuilt the program. They had a DE that was tough, but I can't remember his name.

I thought linebacker Jeff Anderson was pretty impressive for HS during the mid 90's.

[allsky7]

We visited many campuses this past year.  The head coach sold the program, not the facilities. But, the facilities were compared, and if the head coach had not been such a good salesman, they would have inpacted the decision.

Hopefully after looking back on it in 4 years your son will be happy with winning games over having a really nice weightroom to lift in everyday.

     Why can't you have both? If you are winning, then alums, prez, etc. should be in the mood to donate/spend some cabbage.  You know, like find another Funkhouser for football. (or I guess I should say athletics) Just find the bread and I know a dude that can hook you up with top shelf equipment.

[CNU85]

     cabbage.             Funkhouser

and he wonders why kickers get picked on!! 

[Matt Barnhart (kid)]

We visited many campuses this past year.  The head coach sold the program, not the facilities. But, the facilities were compared, and if the head coach had not been such a good salesman, they would have inpacted the decision.

That's great to hear!!

When I asked Coach Clark this past summer about recruiting, I brought up the facilities issue.  I asked if he thought a bigger/better press box really made a difference in a recruit's mind.  I remember him saying something like "Absolutely, but we really push the fact that we've won 10 playoff games, five conference titles, etc..."

In other words, to recruits and their parents, winning - or the potential to win - means a lot more than a pretty place for coaches and media (and big donors, in some cases) to watch the game.

Actually, Matt, in other words, Bridgewater hopes that winning or the potential to win means a lot more. That should be the case when competing against schools with similar facilities.

Isn't it tougher to recruit against "we've won 39 of the last 42 conference games," than it is "look at this three-million dollar press box we just built."

Clearly both show a commitment to succeed.  But one is succeeding, the other is trying to.

I wonder what will happen as the facilities gap widens.

That's already happened in the USAC.  Shenandoah only had one decent year, while CNU certainly hasn't run away with the league.  Yet both have stadiums that H-SC and GC still envy.

Sure, at some point, Bridgewater will fall back to being an average (or *gasp* worse) conference team.  I doubt the main reason will be because everyone has built better facilities.  It'll be more related to Coach Clark, and others on his staff, leaving.  We saw that happen with Coach Colbert's departure after 2006.