ECACs

[Bombers798891]

Couple interesting notes/changes:

1) Ithaca is now listed as not willing to host a game (still would play, but not host);

I know IC's Thanksgiving break starts that day. Attendance at IC games is always spotty at best, and with most students gone, that doesn't surprise me that Ithaca wouldn't want to play in an empty stadium.

Do most colleges get the full week off for Thanksgiving break? If so, that's yet another reason these bowl games are (usually) worthless.

[AUKaz00]

Do most colleges get the full week off for Thanksgiving break? If so, that's yet another reason these bowl games are (usually) worthless.

Most schools take Wednesday through Friday off to complete a full week of classes off with the complementing mini-break of a Monday and Tuesday in early October.  Ithaca is more of the exception to Thanksgiving breaks.

[Bombers798891]

Do most colleges get the full week off for Thanksgiving break? If so, that's yet another reason these bowl games are (usually) worthless.

Most schools take Wednesday through Friday off to complete a full week of classes off with the complementing mini-break of a Monday and Tuesday in early October.  Ithaca is more of the exception to Thanksgiving breaks.

Thought so. I know Ithaca got to the point years ago where there was a vicious cycle of students not showing up for class to extend their break, professors started not seeing the point in having the classes, and it sort of just turned into "Screw it. Take the week"

This is part of the reason I think  IC teams bail on ECACs. Remember, these are 18-21 year old kids, for whom football may not be the center of the world. If they're sitting there thinking, "Man, it's been a long season, everyone's going to be home anyway, I just kind of want to go on break rather than stick around and play another game," who can blame them? And if they think that, why should a coach insist they play? That's how you get kids who have checked out mentally.

[fulbakdad]

A couple years ago we went to the Springfield/Mount Ida ECAC game and was very surprised to find half empty stands.  Of the 3 games we went to watch that year it was the least attended game.

[Jonny Utah]

Frank, do you know the rationale for signing up but refusing a home game? Sounds odd to me. Wouldn't a school want to have the game at home to generate excitement and revenue? Or do D3 games cost the schools more than they bring in?

Some schools are on break, making the scenario tough in terms of having the staffing to host.  In the case of NCAAs, there is a minimal level of facilities threshold that some schools can't meet -- the ECACs have a lower threshold, but this would still be possible.  If I remember correctly back when Curry visited SJF in the Second Round years ago (I called the game for D3football.com), I ran into parents from Curry at a Thruway Rest Stop who told me the students had to vacate campus upon their return since the school was on break already.  This might be more common in the New England schools still.  Long story short, there are a few reasons that could cause this -- and I can't really pinpoint what the specifics are in this case without knowing more about Mt. Ida.

Yea I'm betting it has more to do with the staffing. 

Mt. Ida is a closed campus with one entrance that has a security guard at the gate who talks to every car that comes in.  I would assume that during break the staff at the school goes to their minimum level with no students, and yes, students are forced off campus during breaks at Mt. Ida.

[AUPepBand]

Okay, while most of the thoughts now are on the NCAA brackets, Pep is playing around with pairings for ECAC Bowl Games, with a glut of bowl-eligible teams to consider. Pep is NOT going so much by overall records as by each team's finish in its respective conferences because, quite frankly, that's the only way Pep can justify his Saxons getting another home game for 2012!

Based on the fact there are SO MANY eligible teams, let's assume the ECAC will arrange for FOUR bowl games. They could be as follows:

Buffalo State (6-4) at Springfield (7-3)
Castleton State (7-3) at Alfred (6-3)
Ithaca (6-4) at Bridgewater State (9-1)
St. John Fisher (7-3) at Endicott (8-2)

Now were it for Pep to decide, he'd throw in a fifth ECAC bowl game, just because there are so many teams in the mix and really deserving of a post-season bowl game.
Utica (6-4) at Norwich (7-2)

On Saxon Warriors!

[Frank Rossi]

Currently Declared ECAC North Teams
------------
Bridgewater State University 9-1 (7-1)
Endicott College 8-2 (6-2)
Norwich University 7-2 (4-2)
Castleton State College 7-3 (6-1)
Springfield College 7-3 (5-2)
St. John Fisher College 7-3 (4-3)
Alfred University 6-3 (5-2)
Curry College 6-4 (6-2)
Western New England University 6-4 (5-3)
Utica College 6-4 (4-3)
Buffalo State College 6-4 (4-3)
Ithaca College 6-4 (4-4)
Worcester State University 6-4 (4-4)
MIT 5-4 (4-4)
RPI 5-4 (3-4)

[AUPepBand]

Currently Declared ECAC North Teams
------------
Bridgewater State University 9-1 (7-1) NCAA one-round bound
Endicott College 8-2 (6-2)
Norwich University 7-2 (4-2)
Castleton State College 7-3 (6-1)
Springfield College 7-3 (5-2)
St. John Fisher College 7-3 (4-3)
Alfred University 6-3 (5-2)
Curry College 6-4 (6-2)
Western New England University 6-4 (5-3)
Utica College 6-4 (4-3)
Buffalo State College 6-4 (4-3)
Ithaca College 6-4 (4-4)
Worcester State University 6-4 (4-4)
MIT 5-4 (4-4)
RPI 5-4 (3-4)

Pep would like another home game for the Saxons, please?

[AUPepBand]

Okay, while most of the thoughts now are on the NCAA brackets, Pep is playing around with pairings for ECAC Bowl Games, with a glut of bowl-eligible teams to consider. Pep is NOT going so much by overall records as by each team's finish in its respective conferences because, quite frankly, that's the only way Pep can justify his Saxons getting another home game for 2012!

Based on the fact there are SO MANY eligible teams, let's assume the ECAC will arrange for FOUR bowl games. They could be as follows:

Buffalo State (6-4) at Springfield (7-3)
Castleton State (7-3) at Alfred (6-3)
Ithaca (6-4) at Bridgewater State (9-1) Norwich (7-2)
St. John Fisher (7-3) at Endicott (8-2)

On Saxon Warriors!

Anyone hear anything about ECACs yet?

[Upstate]

I thought they came out on Monday...

[AUPepBand]

I thought they came out on Monday...

Pep saw somewhere that the committee may meet Sunday night. In looking at ECAC website, it appears the committee meets "either Sunday night or Monday morning" with the selections to be posted on the ECAC website by 5 p.m. Monday.

Should the committee NOT add a fourth game, Pep is thinking (hoping) that the following are selected as contestants in the three bowl games:
Endicott (8-2)
Springfield (7-3)
Alfred (6-3)
Norwich (7-2)
St. John Fisher (7-3)
Castleton State (7-3)

with the following likely to join the fray in the event a fourth bowl game is added:
Buffalo State (6-4)
Ithaca (6-4)
Utica (6-4)
Western New England (6-4)
Curry (6-4)
Worcester State (6-4)

Guess Pep will just have to sleep on it.....

[@d3jason]

They are meeting tonight. They couldn't do anything until the NCAA bracket was revealed which we know wasn't until 6 pm. Think Muhlenberg is on that list too.

[AUPepBand]

They are meeting tonight. They couldn't do anything until the NCAA bracket was revealed which we know wasn't until 6 pm. Think Muhlenberg is on that list too.

Muhlenberg would be on the list for ECAC South bowl games.
Pep listed only the teams in contention for the North bowl games.

[@d3jason]

Ahh... My bad. I do know that they met tonight however

[fisheralum91]

Fisher set to host Castleton St on Sat!!!