It's getting close to kickoff. The community is getting fired up about this game. I haven't seen the guest list yet for the suite, but I imagine the mayor will be there and possibly some dignitaries from Huntington Ingalls. I will find out when I get up there before the game.

And I was just doing some math....between the football team, marching band, cheer team and dance team, about 430 students will be on the field or sidelines. That's almost 10% of the student body. And it's a night game and post game fireworks are scheduled. It's going to be electric.

Nice Kickoff Luncheon today for CNU football and The Newport NEws Apprentice School.

Hundreds of people. The mayor. Keynote Speaker was NN native and former NFL QB Aaron Brooks.

Part of the luncheon was a video about the week before when 240 players and coaches from both schools fanned out to 22 locations across the city for community service.

If I was smart enough, or slowed down enough, I'd figure out how to post images on here.
It was good to see small college football being represented in a positive way.

Cheers!

Quote from: RowanPhan on August 15, 2026, 02:06:01 PM

Quote from: CNU85 on August 14, 2026, 01:41:11 PM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on August 14, 2026, 08:24:05 AMNice story in today's pennlive.com on former CNU QB Connor Barry, who transferred to Penn State for his final season of eligibility:  https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2026/08/why-penn-state-football-took-a-chance-on-a-division-iii-qb-it-doesnt-matter-the-level.html

If you encounter a paywall, try an incognito browser which was how I was able to read it. 

I wish only the best for him. A really good guy. Works hard. My only wish would be that he played one more year at CNU!! Next man up!

CNU85 - what's your CNU preview? Are the captains able to replace Barry?

Good question. Pena looked great at times, but he didn't have enough time in games to show what he can really do on a consistent pace. I think he will be really good. But Connor Barry was special. We have a freshman coming in that looks promising as well.

O-line and D-line look good. Looking at the 2 deep from the last game of last year, we only lost 1 guy on each side on the line. And we substitute quite a bit. So, I expect line play will be solid.

The only area that I'm interested in seeing is how Barry and Hart are replaced by a new QB and WR. That combo was deadly. Everything else should be the same or better.

It's going to be fun to watch.

Quote from: Ron Boerger on August 14, 2026, 08:24:05 AMNice story in today's pennlive.com on former CNU QB Connor Barry, who transferred to Penn State for his final season of eligibility:  https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2026/08/why-penn-state-football-took-a-chance-on-a-division-iii-qb-it-doesnt-matter-the-level.html

If you encounter a paywall, try an incognito browser which was how I was able to read it. 

I wish only the best for him. A really good guy. Works hard. My only wish would be that he played one more year at CNU!! Next man up!

The Apprentice School, as many of you know - but maybe not, is part of Newport News Shipyard which is now part of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Current employment is 26,000 (Traffic is crazy at 3:30!!!)  Enrollment in the Apprentice School means you are an employee. They start at $18/hr with complete benefits - medical, dental, 401k, PTO, etc. Pay increases as you progress. It typically takes 4-5 years to obtain an Associates Degree. 8 years for a more advanced field. Some earn as much as $30/hr by the time they graduate. And there is no tuition. And they get paid for time in the classroom.

NN Shipyard is the only place in the US that builds nuclear powered aircraft carriers. They also build submarines and a few other classes.

I know quite a few graduates, work with them. I've coached some in baseball along the way. The "kids" who are on athletic teams there are tough, disciplined. They work on the docks, head to class, study, and then practice with the team. I have much respect for these guys.

Quote from: The Third Division on August 07, 2026, 06:30:10 PM

Quote from: CNU85 on August 07, 2026, 03:33:15 PMAnchor Bowl

CNU will play cross town Apprentice School. in the inaugural Anchor Bowl.  This event is being built up in the community. Luncheons, former NFL QB and Newport News native Aaron Brooks is the keynote speaker. He went to a high school that was located on what is now part of the CNU campus. He's also Michael Vick's cousin.

I bought a table for 8 and will be speaking briefly about the QB Club. Should be a fun day. The game, Sept 5th will be sold out for sure. 7pm kickoff. Fireworks after the game. A great way to start the season.

Is this bowl happening because CNU couldn't find a d3 non conf opponent or because the schools actively wanted to play each other? This does not serve NPI at all.

Good question. I had the same question. And honestly, I don't know the answer. You're right, the NPI is not being served. However, if this raises the community awareness of both institutions, then perhaps the impact will be felt beyond the gridiron.  And with the state of D3 academics lately, that can't be a bad thing for CNU...I wouldn't think.

Adjuncts can, and often, bring real world experience into the classroom. Mainly I'm thinking business. That's why the AACSB allows generous adjunct % for accreditation.  I may be biased as I was an adjunct for 13 semesters and am currently the Chair of the Board of Advisors for the Luter School of Business at CNU. Adjuncts are necessary for various reasons. When I was an adjunct, I taught all levels, from courses aimed at business minors to 400 level Finance courses.  I guess it all depends on the institution.

Anchor Bowl

CNU will play cross town Apprentice School. in the inaugural Anchor Bowl.  This event is being built up in the community. Luncheons, former NFL QB and Newport News native Aaron Brooks is the keynote speaker. He went to a high school that was located on what is now part of the CNU campus. He's also Michael Vick's cousin.

I bought a table for 8 and will be speaking briefly about the QB Club. Should be a fun day. The game, Sept 5th will be sold out for sure. 7pm kickoff. Fireworks after the game. A great way to start the season.

CNU Assistant Coach

Interesting. Brandon Baker, former assistant at Guilford.

Looks like a good addition.

Quote from: FCGrizzliesGrad on November 20, 2023, 12:48:22 PMDidn't know where else to put this. Rex Ryan saying LA Chargers head coach Brandon Staley should "go back to division 3 football where he belongs". Staley was defensive line coach & special teams coach in 2009 at St Thomas and spent 2013 and 2015-16 at John Carroll as defensive coordinator & secondary coach

https://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=38943711

I mute Rex Ryan or change the channel. He absolutely has no business commenting on head coaches, or even football. His history is taking over teams that are decent, or ok, and tanking them, making them horrible.

2009 Took over the Jets. Decent team. First two years under Ryan (i.e the team he inherited) were the only 2 years in his entire career that he had a winning season. Then he finished out 4 more years of medicority at best, his last season finsihing 4-12.

2015 took over the Bills. Not a great team....decent. He was fired in his second year. After week 16. One game to go and they didn't even want him to finish the last game.

Overall record in 8 seasons.... 61-66. I bet he couldn't find a D3 school to hire him.

I have no idea why anyone thinks the moron is qualified to be a network commentator.

Quote from: jknezek on June 30, 2026, 05:15:48 PMI posted this on the SAA football board, but it probably fits better here.

Check out this realignment now. We can actually make some real regional conferences in the south if people want to make it make sense.

Start with how weird the SAA looks now. You've got Berry, Maryville, Oglethorpe, and Sewanee holding down a pretty simple 200 mile line on the east side. And then it turns into a disaster. Centre, Rhodes, Southwestern, Trinity.

If I was the 4 on the east side, I might try and pick up Huntingdon, Brevard, Covenant, LaGrange, Piedmont and Agnes Scott and make a conference that makes geographic sense. All eastern TN (yeah Brevard is NC, but it's right there), GA and AL. Farthest trip would be Brevard to Huntingdon? Less than 6 hours for teams that have some monsters in their current conferences. That gives you 6 for football and more than that in most other common sports.

It would free up Trinity and Southwestern to go back to the SCAC. Belhaven as well with Millsaps as a travel partner. Rhodes maybe as well? Making the SCAC a cherry conference and ending all the issues with poaching between the two Texas conferences.

That ends the SAA, basically, and we deal with the rest of the USA South, which is now all in NC and VA. Pull in Christopher Newport, who needs a home and now fits the footprint and was once a member, and Gallaudet, who needs a home, and you have 6 for football and more for most common sports.

Centre and Asbury are really the only two left out from the SAA, CCS, USA South, and SCAC. Given they are both in Kentucky, they'd probably need to sniff around the midwest for new homes. But there are a lot more conferences that direction and since Asbury doesn't need a football home that makes it easier for them. Centre is a well known and generally strong school in many sports, you'd think someone would be happy to take them on.

All of a sudden, the southern conferences actually start to make sense for D3.

Interesting. What about Mary Washington and Salisbury? Any thoughts for them?

This is a great hire! I was part of the process, having met each candidate for breakfast and offering my thoughts, opinions and being able to ask difficult questions and engage in lengthy dialogue. All Candidates were top notch!

Jarren is aproven leader and it came out sitting next to him over bacon and eggs. I'm excited for his future and for CNU.

Congrats Jarren!! We'll have a beer soon!



New CNU HC

Some more info

CNU Greek Village

Here is some info on what Greek Life looks like at CNU. I can't say how things impact other institutions, but at CNU Greek Life is integral to the student experience and involved in the community. We have 23 organizations involved.

CNU Greek Life

Quote from: WUPHF on June 12, 2026, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: CNU85 on June 12, 2026, 08:41:11 AMIndeed it is....no division is immune. Maryland is cutting $104 million between 2025-2027
Kansas - $32 million this year.
Oregon - staff cuts, non-essential travel ban.

In some cases, it is far crazier at the other levels as institutions layoff faculty and staff specifically to pay student athletes.

Optics are real. It's difficult to understand when you're the one being let go, and making a pittance compared to the NIL money an athlete is making. The reality is that if the NIL money isn't used properly, the athletes go elsewhere and suddenly revenue drops from athletics because nobody wants to watch sub 500 teams or purchase merhcandise, or donate large sums. That leads to even more cuts.

And the optics at D3 schools are also present. While NIL money usually isn't a factor, when schools cut staff, majors, minors, and don't cut athletics, it's a tough pill to swallow when you're packing your personal items.

At the d3 level, as you all know, athletic programs mean enrollment, and in some places, some sports are actually net positive when it comes to revenue vs cost.