East Region Fan Poll

[Nescacman]

NESCACMAN here from the "NESCAC Board"....please don't be too harsh on us, although we played in the NESCAC, we were recruited by Union and have a very close bond to that school (we were even in Philly to see them win the Frozen 4....#rolldutchmen!):

A few points that may or may not be of interest:

1. The NESCAC isn't just competitive in other D3 sports, one could certainly argue that it is the best D3 sports conference in the country. 5 of the top 14 teams in last years Leerfield Cup were members of the NESCAC (Williams, Middlebury, Tufts, Amherst, Wesleyan). Bowdoin was 18th.

https://nacda.com/documents/2019/6/11//DIIIJune12Overallupdate.pdf?id=3667

2. NESCAC Presidents will never agree to participate in the D3 football play-offs until the Ivy League Presidents agree to participate in the FCS play-offs. Just the way it is.

3. We don't know how NESCAC football would do in 2019 against the upper echelon of D3, but several of the "better" programs in the 'CAC field JV teams that play the better non-NESCAC JV programs in New England. We know for certain that the NESCAC JV teams hold their own and often win. Not a great point of reference, but it is something.

4. If the 'CAC Presidents ever did allow their football teams to play in the play-offs, I can guarantee that they would give the ADs the tools necessary to be successful (directly or though Alumni donations). That would include larger rosters. We would be first in line to write a check.

Hope that is helpful...

Interesting post, Nescacman, +K.
I actually don't have a problem with NESCAC football not participating in playoffs, like I said, makes winning the league title, which is achievable, very important. This is especially true given how top heavy this era of DIII football is, and how uneven the resources and commitment is even in the Top 25.
But since the league title is all that matters, I do wish that like the Ivy's, NESCAC would play some OOC games against other non-NESCAC teams. I'm sure playing Lafayette, Holy Cross, Georgetown, Colgate, etc, is good for the Ivy programs, and i'm sure the players and fans enjoy the different teams.

Back in the day....until there was an "official" league championship in football, NESCAC teams played one out of conference Rivalry game each year. Wes played Coast Guard, Middlebury played Norwich, Hamilton and Williams played Union, etc. That ended in the '90's.

Unless the NESCAC adds a 10th game, which I doubt will happen, they will just play round robin against themselves...

[UfanBill]

Thanks for adding your input Nescacman. Maybe others from your board will also contribute. One thing though...I see your current karma is way slanted to the negative. You must ruffle the feathers of the old guard of the NESCAC. What are you, some kind of "rabble-rouser"? +k for that

[Ice Bear]

NESCACMAN here from the "NESCAC Board"....please don't be too harsh on us, although we played in the NESCAC, we were recruited by Union and have a very close bond to that school (we were even in Philly to see them win the Frozen 4....#rolldutchmen!):

A few points that may or may not be of interest:

1. The NESCAC isn't just competitive in other D3 sports, one could certainly argue that it is the best D3 sports conference in the country. 5 of the top 14 teams in last years Leerfield Cup were members of the NESCAC (Williams, Middlebury, Tufts, Amherst, Wesleyan). Bowdoin was 18th.

https://nacda.com/documents/2019/6/11//DIIIJune12Overallupdate.pdf?id=3667

2. NESCAC Presidents will never agree to participate in the D3 football play-offs until the Ivy League Presidents agree to participate in the FCS play-offs. Just the way it is.

3. We don't know how NESCAC football would do in 2019 against the upper echelon of D3, but several of the "better" programs in the 'CAC field JV teams that play the better non-NESCAC JV programs in New England. We know for certain that the NESCAC JV teams hold their own and often win. Not a great point of reference, but it is something.

4. If the 'CAC Presidents ever did allow their football teams to play in the play-offs, I can guarantee that they would give the ADs the tools necessary to be successful (directly or though Alumni donations). That would include larger rosters. We would be first in line to write a check.

Hope that is helpful...

Ice Bear says +k for a very solid post. Ice digs on the Cac. Ice considered Bowdoin (he often wonders how it would have been there) and loved the feel of that campus, the Middlebury campus, and Hamilton. With that being said he is fairly certain his ass would have been thrown out of Brunswick Maine in a very short time.

Again, all good thoughts here and Ice just kind of wishes the Cac teams would play one or two OOC games during the regular season. He also agrees with Doid that the league championship being the primary focus is cool. Ice remembers the Ephs playing U in FB and regularly defeating his beloved Dutchmen...that is until Mr. Bagnoli took the reins and shortly there after the Ephs were no where to be found lol  .

[middhoops]

For what it's worth, I've never met a nescac fan who would not vastly prefer to play out of conference games.  Here in Vermont, Middlebury played Norwich in what was annually THE game of the year.  We old guys miss that event, badly.  Would we trade the Bates game for Norwich?  Hell, yeah!

nescacman is right about any future change, unfortunately.  The presidents of conference schools do not want football culture to dominate in any way.
Given the developing storyline of head injuries and the fall off in high school boys participation in football, etc., some believe that football may be approaching its last days in the conference.

[Machiavelli]

For what it's worth, I've never met a nescac fan who would not vastly prefer to play out of conference games.  Here in Vermont, Middlebury played Norwich in what was annually THE game of the year.  We old guys miss that event, badly.  Would we trade the Bates game for Norwich?  Hell, yeah!

nescacman is right about any future change, unfortunately.  The presidents of conference schools do not want football culture to dominate in any way.
Given the developing storyline of head injuries and the fall off in high school boys participation in football, etc., some believe that football may be approaching its last days in the conference.

Has the NESCAC adopted the 'Jazz Hands' approach to clapping like the University of Oxford? Clapping certainly has it's triggers for me. I've been known to go way out of character when i'm participating in or surrounded by excessive clapping and/or celebration by shotgunning beers and headbutting my friends. Clapping is pure evil, as is football.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/oxford-students-vote-to-replace-clapping-with-silent-jazz-hands-w25dsspd0

[unionpalooza]

NESCACMAN here from the "NESCAC Board"....please don't be too harsh on us, although we played in the NESCAC, we were recruited by Union and have a very close bond to that school (we were even in Philly to see them win the Frozen 4....#rolldutchmen!):

A few points that may or may not be of interest:

1. The NESCAC isn't just competitive in other D3 sports, one could certainly argue that it is the best D3 sports conference in the country. 5 of the top 14 teams in last years Leerfield Cup were members of the NESCAC (Williams, Middlebury, Tufts, Amherst, Wesleyan). Bowdoin was 18th.

https://nacda.com/documents/2019/6/11//DIIIJune12Overallupdate.pdf?id=3667

2. NESCAC Presidents will never agree to participate in the D3 football play-offs until the Ivy League Presidents agree to participate in the FCS play-offs. Just the way it is.

3. We don't know how NESCAC football would do in 2019 against the upper echelon of D3, but several of the "better" programs in the 'CAC field JV teams that play the better non-NESCAC JV programs in New England. We know for certain that the NESCAC JV teams hold their own and often win. Not a great point of reference, but it is something.

4. If the 'CAC Presidents ever did allow their football teams to play in the play-offs, I can guarantee that they would give the ADs the tools necessary to be successful (directly or though Alumni donations). That would include larger rosters. We would be first in line to write a check.

Hope that is helpful...

Ice Bear says +k for a very solid post. Ice digs on the Cac. Ice considered Bowdoin (he often wonders how it would have been there) and loved the feel of that campus, the Middlebury campus, and Hamilton. With that being said he is fairly certain his ass would have been thrown out of Brunswick Maine in a very short time.

Again, all good thoughts here and Ice just kind of wishes the Cac teams would play one or two OOC games during the regular season. He also agrees with Doid that the league championship being the primary focus is cool. Ice remembers the Ephs playing U in FB and regularly defeating his beloved Dutchmen...that is until Mr. Bagnoli took the reins and shortly there after the Ephs were no where to be found lol  .

Indeed.  I remember fondly the very last Union-Nescac game in 1991.  A blowout win over Hamilton, and chippiest game I've ever seen live.  Hamilton scored in garbage time and taunted the Dutchmen, so Bagnoli put the first team back in and pasted them some more.  He was fun. 

That was a great team in 91.  Not as great as Ithaca, alas. 

[Nescacman]

Thanks for adding your input Nescacman. Maybe others from your board will also contribute. One thing though...I see your current karma is way slanted to the negative. You must ruffle the feathers of the old guard of the NESCAC. What are you, some kind of "rabble-rouser"? +k for that

We love ruffling feathers...especially feathers of certain alums that attended the NESCAC version of Alabama, Hartford State (aka Trinity College)...some might call us a troll on that board...

[Nescacman]

NESCACMAN here from the "NESCAC Board"....please don't be too harsh on us, although we played in the NESCAC, we were recruited by Union and have a very close bond to that school (we were even in Philly to see them win the Frozen 4....#rolldutchmen!):

A few points that may or may not be of interest:

1. The NESCAC isn't just competitive in other D3 sports, one could certainly argue that it is the best D3 sports conference in the country. 5 of the top 14 teams in last years Leerfield Cup were members of the NESCAC (Williams, Middlebury, Tufts, Amherst, Wesleyan). Bowdoin was 18th.

https://nacda.com/documents/2019/6/11//DIIIJune12Overallupdate.pdf?id=3667

2. NESCAC Presidents will never agree to participate in the D3 football play-offs until the Ivy League Presidents agree to participate in the FCS play-offs. Just the way it is.

3. We don't know how NESCAC football would do in 2019 against the upper echelon of D3, but several of the "better" programs in the 'CAC field JV teams that play the better non-NESCAC JV programs in New England. We know for certain that the NESCAC JV teams hold their own and often win. Not a great point of reference, but it is something.

4. If the 'CAC Presidents ever did allow their football teams to play in the play-offs, I can guarantee that they would give the ADs the tools necessary to be successful (directly or though Alumni donations). That would include larger rosters. We would be first in line to write a check.

Hope that is helpful...

Ice Bear says +k for a very solid post. Ice digs on the Cac. Ice considered Bowdoin (he often wonders how it would have been there) and loved the feel of that campus, the Middlebury campus, and Hamilton. With that being said he is fairly certain his ass would have been thrown out of Brunswick Maine in a very short time.

Again, all good thoughts here and Ice just kind of wishes the Cac teams would play one or two OOC games during the regular season. He also agrees with Doid that the league championship being the primary focus is cool. Ice remembers the Ephs playing U in FB and regularly defeating his beloved Dutchmen...that is until Mr. Bagnoli took the reins and shortly there after the Ephs were no where to be found lol  .

Indeed.  I remember fondly the very last Union-Nescac game in 1991.  A blowout win over Hamilton, and chippiest game I've ever seen live.  Hamilton scored in garbage time and taunted the Dutchmen, so Bagnoli put the first team back in and pasted them some more.  He was fun. 

That was a great team in 91.  Not as great as Ithaca, alas.

We were recruited by Coach Werth and Coach Bags.....loved them both but it came down to a NESCAC school and Cornell....of course Dad gave me the business when Union was playing in the Stagg Bowl and we were playing "intramural games" amongst ourselves....difference maker in our decision was being able to start as a freshman...worked out in football and life, although we stayed very close to the Dutchmen over the years since both Dad and siblings were alums...glad to see they are back...Dad is somewhere up there smiling right now... 

[ITH radio]

Our (a little too early) East Region rankings, plus picks of 11 key Wk 8 games:

https://www.facebook.com/D3Huddle/videos/1413540258802692/

[gordonmann]

As a Hartford State alum, that name always makes me smile.

[UfanBill]

For what it's worth, I've never met a nescac fan who would not vastly prefer to play out of conference games.  Here in Vermont, Middlebury played Norwich in what was annually THE game of the year.  We old guys miss that event, badly.  Would we trade the Bates game for Norwich?  Hell, yeah!

nescacman is right about any future change, unfortunately.  The presidents of conference schools do not want football culture to dominate in any way.
Given the developing storyline of head injuries and the fall off in high school boys participation in football, etc., some believe that football may be approaching its last days in the conference.

Has the NESCAC adopted the 'Jazz Hands' approach to clapping like the University of Oxford? Clapping certainly has it's triggers for me. I've been known to go way out of character when i'm participating in or surrounded by excessive clapping and/or celebration by shotgunning beers and headbutting my friends. Clapping is pure evil, as is football.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/oxford-students-vote-to-replace-clapping-with-silent-jazz-hands-w25dsspd0

A BIG +k Mach.

[UfanBill]

Indeed.  I remember fondly the very last Union-Nescac game in 1991.  A blowout win over Hamilton, and chippiest game I've ever seen live.  Hamilton scored in garbage time and taunted the Dutchmen, so Bagnoli put the first team back in and pasted them some more.  He was fun. 

That was a great team in 91.  Not as great as Ithaca, alas.

That Union team in 1991, led by QB Brett Russ, may have been their best ever. That same year Ithaca also had one of their best ever. Their first round playoff game at Butterfield is one I'll never forget. Russ had the Dutchmen offense humming that day against an excellent Bomber D but 2 plays were crucial. A Russ pass meant for a wide open receiver on a hitch route slipped right through the outstretched receiver's hands into the arms of a DB who took it back for a pick 6. Later with Union driving just seconds before halftime and out of time outs a Union receiver caught a pass on the 2 yard line near the sidelines and fought his way out of bounds. Russ called a huddle but not realizing the official had inexplicably signaled the clock to run, his hurried attempt to spike the ball was ruled after time expired. I was standing right there at about the 5 and couldn't believe what was happening. To me it was the wrong call, cost the Dutchmen points and a huge boost.  A spirited argument by Russ and coach Bagnoli was to no avail. Ithaca went on to win that game and later the National Championship.   

[Nescacman]

As a Hartford State alum, that name always makes me smile.

[Pat Coleman]

We love ruffling feathers...especially feathers of certain alums that attended the NESCAC version of Alabama, Hartford State (aka Trinity College)...some might call us a troll on that board...

Is uploading a 0K jpg supposed to help in that regard? 🤔

[Nescacman]

We love ruffling feathers...especially feathers of certain alums that attended the NESCAC version of Alabama, Hartford State (aka Trinity College)...some might call us a troll on that board...

Is uploading a 0K jpg supposed to help in that regard? 🤔

Is that better?