Division III football rivalries

[K-Mack]

I think I've heard that in a couple rivalries. Not sure those early records were very well kept.

What a crappy year for ESPN to pick Williams (5-2) and Amherst (4-3).

Those two are usually in the title mix alongside Trinity (Conn.)

I guess there was nowhere they wanted to be this week. Interested to hear why D3 suddenly interested them.

[labart96]

For what it's worth Hobart will be playing the U of Rahchacha for the 100th time (series dates back to 1892 with the Jackets holding a slight 45-47-7 edge in the 99 previous meetings).

Funny thing is that eventhough this is Hobart's oldest active "rivalry", I would place Union above UofR in the rivalry category. 

[Mr. Ypsi]

I think I've heard that in a couple rivalries. Not sure those early records were very well kept.

What a crappy year for ESPN to pick Williams (5-2) and Amherst (4-3).

Those two are usually in the title mix alongside Trinity (Conn.)

I guess there was nowhere they wanted to be this week. Interested to hear why D3 suddenly interested them.

With all due respect to the NESCAC in other sports, can they even really be said to be in d3 for football?  Spurning the playoffs is one thing; playing NO non-conference games seems to me to turn it into glorified intramurals.

As to why Amherst-Williams: why does Harvard-Yale get an annual national broadcast virtually a century after either played big-time football?  Answer: check the college affiliation (or 'wanna-be' affiliation ) of the top execs, sponsors, and 'most desired' customers of same.

[frank uible]

If anyone cares, Ivy League football teams received national major college rankings during the 1950s - that's less than 60 years ago..

[Mr. Ypsi]

If anyone cares, Ivy League football teams received national major college rankings during the 1950s - that's less than 60 years ago..

My bad - I thought it was more like the 20s.  I should have said "more than half a century ago" to be safe!

[usee]

If anyone cares, Ivy League football teams received national major college rankings during the 1950s - that's less than 60 years ago..

My bad - I thought it was more like the 20s.  I should have said "more than half a century ago" to be safe!

Ypsi, you could have just said "back when I was in college". 

[wally_wabash]

I think I've heard that in a couple rivalries. Not sure those early records were very well kept.

What a crappy year for ESPN to pick Williams (5-2) and Amherst (4-3).

Those two are usually in the title mix alongside Trinity (Conn.)

I guess there was nowhere they wanted to be this week. Interested to hear why D3 suddenly interested them.

I say let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.  I hope this starts a precedent where the worldwide leader takes their signature college football program to a D-III rivalry once a year (one is enough...I'm not too greedy). 

[K-Mack]

I think I've heard that in a couple rivalries. Not sure those early records were very well kept.

What a crappy year for ESPN to pick Williams (5-2) and Amherst (4-3).

Those two are usually in the title mix alongside Trinity (Conn.)

I guess there was nowhere they wanted to be this week. Interested to hear why D3 suddenly interested them.

I say let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.  I hope this starts a precedent where the worldwide leader takes their signature college football program to a D-III rivalry once a year (one is enough...I'm not too greedy). 

Gee, I wonder who might be next up to bat ...

I've got an open mind, but I'm not going to get too excited about someone who very rarely shows any interest suddenly showing some. Given that there's I-AA and II and NAIA, I don't even know if one D3 a year is a reasonable expectation. Could just as likely be a one-time thing, which is well and good, but if we go back to being virtually ignored after Sunday, then we have to keep it in proper perspective. I don't want to be the "Hey Chester, whaddya want to do today, Chester" dog from the cartoons anytime someone with a camera comes calling.

I've got a take on it in ATN ... which will be out today. I promise.

[runyr]

I think I've heard that in a couple rivalries. Not sure those early records were very well kept.

What a crappy year for ESPN to pick Williams (5-2) and Amherst (4-3).

Those two are usually in the title mix alongside Trinity (Conn.)

I guess there was nowhere they wanted to be this week. Interested to hear why D3 suddenly interested them.

I say let's not look a gift horse in the mouth.  I hope this starts a precedent where the worldwide leader takes their signature college football program to a D-III rivalry once a year (one is enough...I'm not too greedy). 

How about nationwide Rep & Dem presidential nominees' teams? 
With Giuliani and Clinton you'd have two D3 schools, but no football.  They'd have to choose something like women's volleyball:
Manhattan College vs Wellesley College

[Danimal814]

The past two years the Bell rivalry has taken a hit.  Last year the security was so strong that Wabash students were prevented from rushing their own field until the football team came over and undid the gates.  The people who crossed early were arrested.  This year the game only has 8000 tickets which has really created a ticket crunch here at Wabash (tickets selling for 25-50 dollars on E-bay).  I really wish we'd get more tickets and let us actually be college students.  Also this year the Monon Keg Game, the rugby game between Wabash and Depauw should have security.  Usually this game is full of a lot of taunting and a lot of just misses with giant fights between the two schools.  It usually involves Wabash Sphinx club holding off both sides to avoid a giant Melee.  Further more, Depauw banned their anti-Wabash shirt this year (although Wabash has 5).  Despite this, I'd still say the best rivalry in sports.  BTW, Dannies if you read this the bell is on the chapel steps until 11AM Saturday morning.  Come and get it.  The bell will remain here.

If the words of the late Mike Bachner '70, "The Monon Bell game may only be one day a year, but we hate Depauw the other 364 days."

Final word, besides partying with the Depauw football manager last year after the game, we also had a few Franklin girls come and they said the hatred and atmosphere was a lot more intense here. 

[smedindy]

I think you can have a good healthy hate without drunken lunacy and fisticuffs.

[wally_wabash]

Danimal, I don't know if you were at the games in '96 and '98, but what happened after those games really can't happen again.  I believe there were murmurs of putting the game on hold...I don't know how close that ever came to happening (I would guess that one more incident like the '96 and '98 incidents probably would have turned the volume way up on that conversation), but the fact that it was even being whispered about is plenty serious. 

I'll agree that DPU should up the limit on the number of tickets they're selling as Wabash has done over the last three games in C'ville, but it's their house so we pretty much have to play by their rules.  I expected Wabash's allotment of tickets to sell out well before they actually did...people had over two weeks to get their hands on tickets.  More tickets would help, but these games sell out every single year so people really ought to be tuned in to the fact that they can't wait until Wednesday of Bell Week to find a ticket. 

[redswarm81]

What a crappy year for ESPN to pick Williams (5-2) and Amherst (4-3).

I guess there was nowhere they wanted to be this week. Interested to hear why D3 suddenly interested them.

With all due respect to the NESCAC in other sports, can they even really be said to be in d3 for football?  Spurning the playoffs is one thing; playing NO non-conference games seems to me to turn it into glorified intramurals.

I don't understand why I seem to be the only one who thinks of the phrase "academics before athletics" when he thinks about NCAA Division III.   With all due respect to you, Dr. Ypsi, your post seems to imply that D3 stands for post season playoffs uber alles.

The NESCAC comprises the most prestigious academic institutions outside of Division 1 schools (and let's face it, they are academically more prestigious than all but a few Division 1 schools). Regarding non-conference games, are there any NCAA Division III membership rules related to non-conference scheduling, or for that matter, are there any NCAA Division III membership rules related to conferences (other than for playoff purposes)?  If there are, I'd like to talk to some conference commissioners, and ask them why they don't suggest that the NCAA mind its own business with respect to individual colleges voluntarily aligning themselves in conferences.  In other words, it seems to me that your complaint about non-conference scheduling is irrelevant to d3.

NESCAC member schools choose not to participate in the d3 football playoffs, as the NCAA Division III membership rules permit, I'm willing to bet.  So their refusal to participate in a national football playoff isn't a violation of their Division III membership, is it?

I suspect that everything else about NESCAC intercollegiate athletics complies with the requirements of NCAA Division III membership.  Are you suggesting then, that NCAA Division III member schools should be required to participate in national playoffs?

[Pat Coleman]

I actually read Mr. Ypsi's post and he said it's one thing to spurn the playoffs but something else entirely to play no non-conference games.

Some reading before spewing rhetoric might help you, redswarm.

[Mr. Ypsi]

I actually read Mr. Ypsi's post and he said it's one thing to spurn the playoffs but something else entirely to play no non-conference games.

Some reading before spewing rhetoric might help you, redswarm.

So much for playing the academic card!

[I suspect the UAA may have some other issues with his post as well.]