North Coast Athletic Conference

[bigwheels77]

Wally-
  I went to Wabash back in the day. I say went, because I transferred. But rest assured, I am not a Danny.

I called it the "Harvard of the Midwest" because that is either what they were calling themselves when I was being recruited there, or it is what my friends who did attend said about the place and their mission or some crap.

anyway, I am a little disappointed that this hasn't inspired the conspiracy theorists. I am not in the loop enough to know my elbow from my you know what when it comes to the D-3 stuff anymore, all I know is what I read on here.

I can't believe there hasn't been any talk about Depauw joing the NCAC

[wally_wabash]

We've had quite the go 'round about DePauw to the NCAC on a couple of occasions, wheels.  I think that conversation peaked twice...once in April or May when the Earlham Word broke the news officially that Earlham was flirting with the HCAC and then again this September when the news broke that Earlham had officially applied for membership to the HCAC and that being accepted was really just a formality.  Nobody has been beating the DePauw to the NCAC drum harder or louder than this guy...I want it to happen in a big way.  The opportunity is certainly there...now it's just up to the league and DePauw to decide if it's something that they want to do.  From where I sit, it makes way too much sense for both parties to not do it, but the league isn't on a good streak of making much sense right now so who knows. 

And seriously, this tiebreak is just inane.  Using 6-7 year old records to break a tie?  MLB using the AS game to decide home field advantage in the Series looks genius by comparison. 

[D3_DPUFan]

To fans of the Monon Bell Classic and DIII football...the following was just posted on the Bring Game Day to the Monon Facebook page...


Now is the crucial time to make sure ESPN knows how much the two schools want gameday here. If you haven't already done so, please send your emails ASAP. If you've already sent one, send another. A decision will likely be made within the next 48 hours, so now is the time. Once again, here's how to do it:

1. Go to http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/contact?lang=EN&country=united states
2. Click that you have a comment about something on ESPN
3. Pick any cable service provider
4. Under Category, pick TV Studio Shows
5. Under Item, pick College Gameday
6. Under Topic, pick anything (I chose schedule, but it's whatever)

We at DePauw are currently working on petitioning Gameday producers and Bill Rasmussen himself in an attempt to make some headway. We need to keep a constant flow of emails headed into ESPN though. If every person in the group sent one more email though, it wouldn't be a problem.

[Schwami]

Given the NCAC's track record . . . can the NCAC do it right if DePauw becomes a member?  How can we confidently expect them to keep the Monon Bell game as the final game of the year, and how can we confidently expect them to come up with a scheduling system in which Wabash and DePauw do in fact play each other every year?

The use of cumulative records prior to 2005 to break a tie is idiotic.  At least Allegheny gets the AQ if they win out (Allegheny would also get the AQ under each of the next two tiebreakers, i.e., consecutive conference wins and Rose Bowl rule - either of which makes more sense than five year old power rankings).

[wally_wabash]

All fair concerns, Schwami.  Anything seems possible from the league office right now.  A couple of things that would seem to point in favor of things staying right with the Monon Bell game should DePauw join

- The league has allowed Wabash to keep DePauw in the week 11 slot even though the game is non-conference.  I'm not sure the league had to do that. 

- There would have to be a provision that says Wabash and DePauw play every year (AND that it counts for the league standings).  The Big Ten does this for certain teams, there's no reason why our league wouldn't be able to do this also. 

But again, who knows.  The executive director of the league doesn't even know what seasons are being used to potentially break a three way tie this year.  Anything is possible...and not in the euphoric, Kevin Garnett context of the phrase. 

[Wes Anderson]

By all accounts and rumors, at least a portion of DePauw coaches and athletic staff don't want to be a part of the NCAC.  Now, that isn't to say that the head football coach feels that way, because I have no idea what he thinks about it.  However, I do know that some of the coaches of the other sports don't want to do it. 

It's obviously a no-brainer for football, but I think some of the coaches of DePauw's other sports are pretty comfortable where they are in the SCAC and don't want to go messing with things and taking the Trinity's and Oglethorpe's off their schedule in certain sports.  I'm guessing that a couple of the women's sports aren't that interested in moving from one conference where your closest opponent is 5 hours away to one where your closest opponent is still 3 hours away and the competition isn't as good.

[smedindy]

Conference membership is more than about football, we must remember. It is the other sports and who a school wishes to associate itself. I can see athletically how some coaches may not want to leave the SCAC, however, DPU is a member of the GLCA, so I can see them wanting to align, potentially, with schools that are also part of that as well. Of course, that didn't stop Earlham from defecting


PS - Wheels, Wabash WAS called Harvard of the Midwest. In the 1800's. But still....

[Raider 68]

We've had quite the go 'round about DePauw to the NCAC on a couple of occasions, wheels.  I think that conversation peaked twice...once in April or May when the Earlham Word broke the news officially that Earlham was flirting with the HCAC and then again this September when the news broke that Earlham had officially applied for membership to the HCAC and that being accepted was really just a formality.  Nobody has been beating the DePauw to the NCAC drum harder or louder than this guy...I want it to happen in a big way.  The opportunity is certainly there...now it's just up to the league and DePauw to decide if it's something that they want to do.  From where I sit, it makes way too much sense for both parties to not do it, but the league isn't on a good streak of making much sense right now so who knows. 

And seriously, this tiebreak is just inane.  Using 6-7 year old records to break a tie?  MLB using the AS game to decide home field advantage in the Series looks genius by comparison. 

Wally,

If not DePaul, what school is the second choice if there is one?

[old wabash]

Conference membership is more than about football, we must remember. It is the other sports and who a school wishes to associate itself. I can see athletically how some coaches may not want to leave the SCAC, however, DPU is a member of the GLCA, so I can see them wanting to align, potentially, with schools that are also part of that as well. Of course, that didn't stop Earlham from defecting


PS - Wheels, Wabash WAS called Harvard of the Midwest. In the 1800's. But still....

i thought hah-vodd called itself the "wabash of the east"

[wally_wabash]

Wally,

If not DePaul, what school is the second choice if there is one?

I really don't have an answer, Raider.  DePauw is an obvious choice.  They fit academically and they are positively out of place in the SCAC...particularly since RHIT came to their senses and got back into the Heartland.  In the SCAC, DePauw is over 400 miles away from all but one of their conference opponents.  In the NCAC, DePauw would be within 400 miles of all but one of their conference opponents.  DePauw is never going to go back to the HCAC...that bridge was burned.  But now that the opportunity to get into league that makes some geographic sense AND is academically like-minded has presented itself, I think it's an easy call. 

But if not DePauw then I really don't know who else would come along to be team #10...if anybody.  John Carroll  and W&J have been mentioned in here as a possible member, but I don't really know why either of those schools would leave the leagues that they are in.  They seem to fit pretty well where they are.  If DePauw doesn't want in, then so be it.  The league can survive with 9 teams...and really, if the net result of all of this is that the NCAC loses Earlham and gains nobody, then I think it's a net positive for the NCAC with respect to athletic reputation (i.e. the conference rankings that are done by d3football.com).

[altor]

Wally,

If not DePaul, what school is the second choice if there is one?

Any other Big East school?  

[wally_wabash]

And just FYI, here's the info I gathered on distances between campuses for DePauw...comparing the distances between the SCAC and the NCAC for DPU.  Miles are from Greencastle to the noted institution:

Centre - 237 miles
Sewanee - 422
Rhodes - 433
Birmingham-Southern - 523
Hendrix - 576
Oglethorpe - 577
Millsaps - 640
Austin - 798
Colordao College - 1036
Southwestern - 1036
Trinity - 1142

Wabash - 30
Witt - 181
OWU - 246
Denison - 259
Kenyon - 280
Wooster - 320
Oberlin - 334
Hiram - 380
Allegheny - 454

[Raider 68]

Wally,

If not DePaul, what school is the second choice if there is one?

I really don't have an answer, Raider.  DePauw is an obvious choice.  They fit academically and they are positively out of place in the SCAC...particularly since RHIT came to their senses and got back into the Heartland.  In the SCAC, DePauw is over 400 miles away from all but one of their conference opponents.  In the NCAC, DePauw would be within 400 miles of all but one of their conference opponents.  DePauw is never going to go back to the HCAC...that bridge was burned.  But now that the opportunity to get into league that makes some geographic sense AND is academically like-minded has presented itself, I think it's an easy call. 

But if not DePauw then I really don't know who else would come along to be team #10...if anybody.  John Carroll  and W&J have been mentioned in here as a possible member, but I don't really know why either of those schools would leave the leagues that they are in.  They seem to fit pretty well where they are.  If DePauw doesn't want in, then so be it.  The league can survive with 9 teams...and really, if the net result of all of this is that the NCAC loses Earlham and gains nobody, then I think it's a net positive for the NCAC with respect to athletic reputation (i.e. the conference rankings that are done by d3football.com).

Wally,

If DePauw does not enter the NCAC, then with 9 teams, the league may be in a position to schedule other conference team in the geographic area, maybe even some from the OAC. A stronger non-conference team would
be far greater for the NCAC then a weaker conference member, I believe.

[wally_wabash]

I would love nothing more than for that to be the case, Raider, but the NCAC is tied up with the UAA in a scheduling agreement.  All of the NCAC schools are scheduling UAA schools for two games every year.  I have to believe that once the league office decides how many teams are going to be in the league, they'll get back to a 7-game conference schedule (it will be six conference games in 2010, but every team is playing another NCAC team in a game that counts as non-conference for some reason that makes no sense whatsoever).  So 7 conference games plus the two UAA games leaves just one game that is elective for everybody.  Unfortunately, I just don't think that your going to see much variety in the schedules of the NCAC teams in the near future...at least until this thing with the UAA goes away. 

I do believe Wooster has used their elective game to play B-W next year.  So there's one.  I know you Raider guys would love nothing more than to get Wooster on the schedule and beat them by 113 points, but I think you'll have to settle for rooting for B-W...I don't know that Wooster is getting any closer than that to MUC anytime soon.   

[BashDad]

To fans of the Monon Bell Classic and DIII football...the following was just posted on the Bring Game Day to the Monon Facebook page...


Now is the crucial time to make sure ESPN knows how much the two schools want gameday here. If you haven't already done so, please send your emails ASAP. If you've already sent one, send another. A decision will likely be made within the next 48 hours, so now is the time. Once again, here's how to do it:

1. Go to http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/contact?lang=EN&country=united states
2. Click that you have a comment about something on ESPN
3. Pick any cable service provider
4. Under Category, pick TV Studio Shows
5. Under Item, pick College Gameday
6. Under Topic, pick anything (I chose schedule, but it's whatever)

We at DePauw are currently working on petitioning Gameday producers and Bill Rasmussen himself in an attempt to make some headway. We need to keep a constant flow of emails headed into ESPN though. If every person in the group sent one more email though, it wouldn't be a problem.

This is awesome, Man. Thanks for the breakdown. I sent in a letter and would hope others would take the couple minutes to do the same. Can you post this on other boards in-region?