Quote from: D3fanboy on Yesterday at 04:28:50 PM

Quote from: hazzben on December 15, 2025, 02:52:50 PMAlright UWRF, time to hold up your end of the bargain and get us to a North Central vs River Falls Stagg. With my Royals eliminated, this is what I'm rooting for.

Blaha's been a great story, and how the team has grown around him the last 10 years (I kid Fred, I kid!!  ). Seriously though, just feels like these two teams are supposed to put together a classic for us in Canton. So go put JHU on ice, get healthy, and take your shot.

how did your post about Dr Blaha being an old man get past the D3 comment police?  a Christmas miracle!  the same type of miracle needed for JHU to get to the Stagg Bowl

It's because hazzben isn't just posting to troll.

Quote from: RoyalsFan on Yesterday at 01:54:01 PM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on Yesterday at 09:07:04 AM

Quote from: RoyalsFan on Yesterday at 12:38:08 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on December 14, 2025, 10:02:55 PM

Quote from: RoyalsFan on December 14, 2025, 09:08:32 PM

Quote from: ncc_fan on December 14, 2025, 06:22:15 PMYes, NPI is now the only criterion used to select Pool C teams. As soon as the final game was played on Saturday of week 11 the NPI scores, Pool C teams, and positions of the top 4 seeds within the bracket were locked in.  The drama came in projecting the remainder of the bracket. I'm sure Pat discussed this in a podcast, but I don't know which one. You can see the final NPI ratings and the 13 Pool C teams determined thereby at D3 Datacast.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of how that works now.

Yes, discussed in a number of podcasts in the last two seasons.

Sorry, I don't listen to podcasts.

Well, we also referenced this when we wrote about our projected bracket each of the past two years. For example:
https://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2025/our-projected-bracket

Sorry to burst your bubble, but not everyone reads everything you put out. It just ins't that important to me. I asked a question and someone answered it, end of story.

OK. Well, you said you didn't listen to podcasts, and it made me go double-check to make sure we talked about it in print form. Think we have it covered.

Quote from: RoyalsFan on Yesterday at 12:38:08 AM

Quote from: Pat Coleman on December 14, 2025, 10:02:55 PM

Quote from: RoyalsFan on December 14, 2025, 09:08:32 PM

Quote from: ncc_fan on December 14, 2025, 06:22:15 PMYes, NPI is now the only criterion used to select Pool C teams. As soon as the final game was played on Saturday of week 11 the NPI scores, Pool C teams, and positions of the top 4 seeds within the bracket were locked in.  The drama came in projecting the remainder of the bracket. I'm sure Pat discussed this in a podcast, but I don't know which one. You can see the final NPI ratings and the 13 Pool C teams determined thereby at D3 Datacast.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of how that works now.

Yes, discussed in a number of podcasts in the last two seasons.

Sorry, I don't listen to podcasts.

Well, we also referenced this when we wrote about our projected bracket each of the past two years. For example:
https://www.d3football.com/playoffs/2025/our-projected-bracket

I don't remember where this falls in the Wingfield timeline, but the Toerper beef with Frank Rossi was in place by the time the Ithaca-North Central game took place in the 2022 quarterfinals.

I was not aware it was still persisting, but haven't talked to Frank much in the past 12 months.

Quote from: RoyalsFan on December 14, 2025, 09:08:32 PM

Quote from: ncc_fan on December 14, 2025, 06:22:15 PMYes, NPI is now the only criterion used to select Pool C teams. As soon as the final game was played on Saturday of week 11 the NPI scores, Pool C teams, and positions of the top 4 seeds within the bracket were locked in.  The drama came in projecting the remainder of the bracket. I'm sure Pat discussed this in a podcast, but I don't know which one. You can see the final NPI ratings and the 13 Pool C teams determined thereby at D3 Datacast.

Thanks, I wasn't aware of how that works now.

Yes, discussed in a number of podcasts in the last two seasons.

Quote from: USee on December 14, 2025, 02:45:41 PM

Quote from: RoyalsFan on December 14, 2025, 01:28:51 PM

Quote from: sju56321 on December 14, 2025, 11:45:39 AMWatching ncc and uwrf(twice) it is apparent that SJU needs to run the ball next year-get a RB or commit to who you have and run the darn ball. Interesting how both games were close-bethel game closer-at half and how ncc and uwrf pulled away. MIAC has work to do-schedule tough non-conference games.

Unfortunately that is a double edged sword when it comes to getting an at-large bid. Win/loss record seems to be more of a factor than strength of schedule when determining at-large bids. It is fine if you happen to win those non conference games, but if you lose them it really hurts IMO.

This is no longer true w NPI.  In fact it seems the tougher your non conf opponent the better your chances of an at large bid.  Take Wheaton. Last year they scheduled Oshkosh and lost. Finished 8-2 (w losses to NCC and UWO). Didn't get in. This year they replaced UWO w Mt Union. Same result. 8-2. Easily got in.  The reality is weaker non conference opponents hurt your NPI. You can actually lose a road game to a strong opponent and increase your NOI more than a home win against a weak team

Smart coaches still want to test their teams, regardless of what the NPI dials say this particular time around.

Quote from: awadelewis on December 12, 2025, 09:59:19 AM

Quote from: Ron Boerger on December 12, 2025, 09:02:16 AMI hope Coach Freitag will get the administrative support needed for a successful program. 

That's the rub, isn't it.  I had hoped that we had gotten past the "Just don't embarrass us" mentality that has kept our program mired in mediocrity for decades.

I wish Coach Freitag the best of luck as he's going to have a hard row to hoe. 

At least they hired someone who's ever coached in Division III this time.

Quote from: mikefln on December 11, 2025, 11:10:59 AMI am excited to see what St. Francis looks like as a D3 school.  You would assume the first year or two, they are strong and are amongst the top 3/4 teams. The question is how do they look year 3 and beyond. 

When are they eligible for D3 playoffs? 

The PAC needs them to be a tough team competing for the conference title, this conference cannot take another bottom dweller.

If all goes well, they will be eligible in the fall of 2028.

Quote from: IC798891 on December 11, 2025, 09:01:20 AMI mean, Flanagan was really good, but not the caliber of player these other QBs were.

He had ~3,000 yards, 29 TD and 10 INT

Barry had ~ 3,000 yards, 46 TD, 6 INT
Ehrlich had ~ 3,400 yards, 39 TD, 2 INT
Harvey has about ~ 3,400 yards, 39 TD, 4 INT

Yeah, different number of games, and I don't know when they did the voting, but these aren't especially close

Voting is done based on regular season stats, but it did take place between the second and third round games, so a voter could certainly be influenced.

In addition to those three, plus Flanagan, you have to think of Utica's Tyler Szalkowski and W&J's Kellan Stahl as All-Region quality as well. That's why I made reference of Flanagan specifically in our podcast (397) because I was looking at the tea leaves and it didn't seem like the odds were very high of him getting on this team.

Quote from: Raider 68 on December 10, 2025, 03:10:05 PMJust saw that Jason Candle is leaving Toledo for UMass and a new HC was announced. Apparently, Toledo did not want VK as a HC.
Hope he moves on from Toledo in a bigger assignment. Is he still a candidate for Nebraska DC?

UConn, thankfully, not UMass! UMass is the worst program in FBS and Bill Connelly's formula usually has UMass behind North Central in his rating system for all four-year college football programs.

VK is going to be DC at Syracuse.

Quote from: Gregory Sager on November 25, 2025, 04:37:54 PMGood grief, a 1999 college grad sending a kid off to college next year.

Tempus fugit.

I'm a 1994 grad and my youngest kid is a college junior.

I know this post is several days old but it was recently reported to moderator, without any explanation given.

If the question is because it shares info from behind a paywall -- I think FDF did a good job summarizing and citing the source and I would think it qualifies as fair use. If someone has a formal complaint, please email me. Thanks!

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on December 04, 2025, 09:23:07 AMFound this shared on a different thread: https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2025/11/calvin-university-to-reduce-125-of-faculty-positions-eliminate-multiple-programs.html

Since the full article is behind a paywall - here are some snippets that were shared:

QuoteCalvin University will reduce 12.5% of its faculty positions over the next two years, part of a restructuring that also includes the loss or consolidation of multiple academic programs.

Among the programs impacted are several language majors and minors, the journalism minor and the public health major and minor.

QuoteAmong the biggest changes is the 12.5% overall decrease in faculty positions, which was described as a combination of recommendations by multiple university task forces at work since the 2024-25 school year.

According to Calvin, most of the departures are voluntary and many were identified during budget planning that occurred last year.

Involuntary departures will amount to around 3% of the current full-time faculty workforce. Those impacted have been notified.

The other big change is a reduction of programs, including undergraduate majors and minors and graduate programs.

QuoteThe following undergraduate programs will be discontinued entirely:

    The French major and minor
    The German minor
    The journalism minor
    The public health major and minor
    The sociology major
    The therapeutic recreation major

In addition, Elzinga wrote that majors and concentrations in the university's Department of Geology, Geography and Environment will be consolidated from nine separate degrees into two majors with two concentrations apiece.

Other departments are revising offerings and workloads, or relocating, like the science education studies program moving into the School of Education.

Also included in Elzinga's communication were four graduate programs slated to be discontinued after a decision during the 2024-25 school year, including the data science, nursing, public administration and public health programs.

Zimmerman said the phase out will happen over time, with initial impacts beginning during the 2026-27 academic year.

Quote from: mucgrad06 on December 10, 2025, 12:37:12 PM

Quote from: D3fanboy on December 10, 2025, 12:20:55 PMMount Union K Ivan Maric has entered the transfer portal

where do you find the transfer portal information?

It's not accessible to folks like us -- typically people glean this info from people's social media posts, unless you have a person on the inside at a school willing to share info.

Sorry to see the news (and thanks to the heads-up from one member of this board) that Jeff Thorne has died.

I am glad I was able to catch up with him and chat at the Little Brass Bell game this year. We had a nice, long, off-the-record conversation during the third quarter. I hope he is at peace and that his family can find comfort.

Quote from: DuffMan on December 09, 2025, 12:58:10 PMI heard that Wayzata hired Derrin Lamker as their new head football coach.

That's a long commute to also coach Osseo.

(I mean, I know it's not, but still ...)