I have never been the the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN...but one of the days would like to get there. Does anyone know how well (or not so well) Division III football is represented there? Thanks for any knowledge...
I'm originially from South Bend, and my parents still live there. I went to the CFHoF about 10 years ago with my dad (also a Wabash grad), and we were both excited to hunt around for anything related to the D3 Indiana schools.
I don't remember what we specifically found -- or didn't find -- but I definitely remember that we came away disappointed.
That was a decade ago, and things could have changed. At the time, I wasn't there looking at the "big picture" of Division III (e.g. the Mount Unions, Rowans or St. John's' of the country), so there might have been stuff I overlooked.
When CFHOF was in Ohio, it featured a number of colleges from the pre-D3 (pre-1973) days, which are now D3 colleges.
Mount Union alum Jim Ballard was inducted earlier this year.
http://www2.muc.edu/athletics/athletics_archive/men_s_teams/football/2008_Season/jim_ballard_named_to_college_football_hall_of_fame.aspx
Quote from: hscoach on February 11, 2009, 01:38:59 PM
Mount Union alum Jim Ballard was inducted earlier this year.
http://www2.muc.edu/athletics/athletics_archive/men_s_teams/football/2008_Season/jim_ballard_named_to_college_football_hall_of_fame.aspx
Though some might argue that 2008 was last year. ;) :)
HSCoach is thinking in terms of "School Year" as this is the 2008-2009 Year. ;)
I believe they have a revolving display featuring the D-III national champion. A few years ago some cooleagues went to a game at Notre Dame and visited the CFBHofF and when they saw the Linfield gear and pics on display they took several pictures for me.
Several legendary coaches there from current D3 schools like Linfield, Pacific Lutheran, Central (IA), and Saint John's.
McMurry's Brad Rowland (http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=90147) was inducted in 2008.
I wonder if/when former McMurry player/ head coach and now Executive Director of the AFCA Grant Teaff will be inducted.
No Sam Mills. Too bad. He should be in both the College and NFL HOF.
Bob Reade (coach) and Lynn Thomsen (player) from Augustana College were both inducted in the late 1990's as a result of Augie's unprecendented run of national championships in the 1980's.
I've been invited to stop by when I am out that way, so I assume that means there's something for me (us) to see there, and report back to you all on.
Update on this thread.
Ahead of the Monon Bell game, I went to visit family in South Bend. Since the College Football Hall of Fame is counting down its departure from the city to head to greener pastures, I had to go back and see it one more time.
Looking at it for the first time at least a decade, I came away satisfied with the D3 representation.
There was a big display of Gagliardi Trophy winner Greg Micheli, including his jersey and other items. In the "national champions" display, D3 was given equal play with other divisions' title winners. And a big chunk of the background art consised of a super-sized photo of a celebratory Augustana squad, presumably from the 1980s.
Of course, MUC's Jim Ballard had a headshot in there, as did John Gagliardi, and the kiosks made it fairly easy to track down D3 players and coaches -- whether from the current D3 era or the pre-D3 era. There were a lot more teams represented than I expected. The walls thoughout the museum were laden with pennants and banners, and D3 teams were prominently intersperced throughout (Muhlenberg even had two banners up there).
Anyway, that's just my fresh perspective on the Hall. Like I said, I think they did right by D3. Of course I'd like to see more, but considering the public mentality, I was happy. :) Let's see how Atlanta steps up to the challenge...
Ryan,
It does sound as if D-III is well represented. When I visited the CFHOF about 5 years ago, they had a display of great college football rivalries that included the Monon Bell game (and one of the mini Monon Bell produced for the 100th game). Did they still have that display as well?
Quote from: Ryan Tipps on November 17, 2009, 11:43:02 PM
Update on this thread.
Ahead of the Monon Bell game, I went to visit family in South Bend. Since the College Football Hall of Fame is counting down its departure from the city to head to greener pastures, I had to go back and see it one more time.
Looking at it for the first time at least a decade, I came away satisfied with the D3 representation.
There was a big display of Gagliardi Trophy winner Greg Micheli, including his jersey and other items. In the "national champions" display, D3 was given equal play with other divisions' title winners. And a big chunk of the background art consised of a super-sized photo of a celebratory Augustana squad, presumably from the 1980s.
Of course, MUC's Jim Ballard had a headshot in there, as did John Gagliardi, and the kiosks made it fairly easy to track down D3 players and coaches -- whether from the current D3 era or the pre-D3 era. There were a lot more teams represented than I expected. The walls thoughout the museum were laden with pennants and banners, and D3 teams were prominently intersperced throughout (Muhlenberg even had two banners up there).
Anyway, that's just my fresh perspective on the Hall. Like I said, I think they did right by D3. Of course I'd like to see more, but considering the public mentality, I was happy. :) Let's see how Atlanta steps up to the challenge...
Pep was unaware of plans to move the College Football Hall of Fame. Pep had nominated Alfred (legendary)* Coach Alex Yunevich for induction and, to this day, his name remains on the ballot but, Pep surmises, the fact that his name starts with "Y" he's probably at the bottom of the ballot!
Pep's one and only visit to the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, IN was Sept. 1, 2001 when Pep was en route back from Des Moines, IA where he had flown to pick up the AU Pep Bandwagon (1992 Grand Caravan) that he had purchased "online". As posted elsewhere and more often than most posters care to read, the Bandwagon, with 317,325 miles, is still on the road and made the trip to Rochester for the Saxons' 31-28 win at St. John Fisher that has resulted in Alfred's gaining the NCAA AQ from the E8.
Pep was delighted to see D3 well represented in the Hall of Fame and gave due respect to longtime Ithaca College Coach Jim Butterfield....
Wasn't That Fun?It WAS fun! Pep will be interested in hearing more about a move of the Hall of Fame. Seemed like a good setup in South Bend but they could have used some room for expansion. Incidentally, Pep also got an "unofficial" tour of Notre Dame Stadium while in South Bend, IN that September Saturday in 2001...but that's another story.
On Saxon Warriors!
I moved to Atlanta from New York over the summer and finding out the College Football Hall of Fame is moving here was one of the better things I've learned (as opposed to people don't/can't walk around down here, traffic is horrible, it's not as warm in November as my wife who's from here sold to me, grain based groceries are often more expensive than NYC, etc.).
The bad thing is it will be near the world of Coke, which is maybe the worst museum I've ever been too.
Quote from: gobash83 on November 17, 2009, 11:59:14 PM
Ryan,
It does sound as if D-III is well represented. When I visited the CFHOF about 5 years ago, they had a display of great college football rivalries that included the Monon Bell game (and one of the mini Monon Bell produced for the 100th game). Did they still have that display as well?
OK, I deserve to be forced to wear red shorts and paint my leg green until next year's Monon Bell game for forgetting this! ::)
Yes, the Bell game is still included in the display of college football's great rivalries. That was a pretty cool display, all in all. The Amherst-Williams game is also represented there.
Quote from: AUPepBand on November 18, 2009, 06:00:27 AM
It WAS fun! Pep will be interested in hearing more about a move of the Hall of Fame. Seemed like a good setup in South Bend but they could have used some room for expansion. Incidentally, Pep also got an "unofficial" tour of Notre Dame Stadium while in South Bend, IN that September Saturday in 2001...but that's another story.
Structurally and in terms of location, it was a good setup in South Bend. However, there's been bad blood simmering there for a couple of years, and the Hall is leaving even before the bond on the building is paid off. The two entities had spats over promotions, and the Hall said the city just wasn't enough of a year-round draw to keep people coming in the doors. If it's not a Notre Dame home game weekend, then the Hall was empty.
I'm sorry to see it leaving the city I grew up in, but I do hope it finds success in Atlanta.
D3 members: Centre College's Bo McMillin (early '20's) and Teel Bruner (early '80's) are members of the HOF. Bo was a little before my time, but was the star player in Centre's historic upset of Harvard. Teel set several INT records as a safety and is now a physician in Idaho.