Quote from: Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan) on Today at 02:52:27 PM

Quote from: PauldingLightUP on Yesterday at 10:28:08 PMI *think* with the new exhibition rules the announced exhibition of NMU at UWSP October 24 will be an actual game open to the public?

Can anyone (Ryan, Pat) confirm?

Exhibitions are all up to the schools, I believe.  If you're doing a scrimmage (which, I think, can be three halves and doesn't have to follow all the official game rules) that has to be closed door.  I'm ignorant if the WIAC has their own specific rules governing these games.  As far as I know, there's no NCAA rule that would make exhibitions private.

Every scrimmage I've seen does indeed follow this protocol. The first two halves are basically regulation, often with the projected starters playing most of the first half, and with the second five or any regular rotation players playing most of the second. The third "half," often referred to as the JV half, is mainly for those players who are likely going to be outside the regular rotation. Many of these guys will not dress for varsity games those that do (players 11-15) will likely see only very minimal action during the season. I've see coaches agree on both 20 and 10 minute "3rd halves," sometimes with a running clock for either time period.
I'm sure others have observes the same.

Quote from: D3fanboy on Yesterday at 05:03:34 PM

Quote from: NCC2010 on Yesterday at 12:09:31 PMPreseason Top 25 poll posted https://www.d3football.com/top25/2026/preseason

1v2 and 3v5 week 1, pretty awesome start to the season!

If only one of those would move to a night game on a hot Labor Day weekend.  What a schedule!

With the high degree of probability of temps minimally being in the area of 75, and the fairly high chance of 90 degree weather, the first two games of each season would ideally be scheduled at night.

With specific regard to early season games at NCC in Naperville, I can personally attest to the fact that they can be brutally sizzling even on a 75-80 degree day let alone one with even higher temps. Beyond high temps alone, humidity can, of course, play a role. And this is compounded by the fact that the home stands at NCC face WEST, and there is absolutely no shade anywhere near the seating area. Sit there, facing directly into the sun, for 2 and a half or 3 hours even on a 75-80 degree day and hat or no hat, your brain is going to feel like it has just emerged from an oven and is ready to explode. And this is to say nothing about the danger the players face playing in oppressive conditions.

However, when the visiting team faces a 7 hour bus ride home, night games are basically impractical. And not a lot of D3 schools have the financial wherewithal to pay for hotel rooms for an entire football team and its coaching staff. So there often isn't much of a realistic chance to offer players and fans some relief when it comes to early season games, especially if they might be great early season non-conference matchups like Wheaton/Mount and NCC/Bethel. ☹️

Interesting that last year there were 40 vote-getters as opposed to 47-49 in other recent years.  Back at 47 this year.

Tough slate for Maryville with the addition of Macon for Week 3.  Hanover (Week 2) received 3 votes.  MC has played them a handful of times over the last decade or so and they seem to be a team on the rise each time we play.  No idea about Heidelberg, but it's fun to see a team from another region on the schedule for a second year in a row. 

My Scots have too many offensive question marks after Spring graduation for me.  Posted a few weeks ago about some of new quarterbacks on the roster.  A couple of the transfers have my interest.  Might try to get down to Murvul in August for a peek.

Quote from: PauldingLightUP on Yesterday at 10:28:08 PMI *think* with the new exhibition rules the announced exhibition of NMU at UWSP October 24 will be an actual game open to the public?

Can anyone (Ryan, Pat) confirm?

Exhibitions are all up to the schools, I believe.  If you're doing a scrimmage (which, I think, can be three halves and doesn't have to follow all the official game rules) that has to be closed door.  I'm ignorant if the WIAC has their own specific rules governing these games.  As far as I know, there's no NCAA rule that would make exhibitions private.

Quote from: ADL70 on July 19, 2026, 07:59:46 PMOverall, video quality was upped from 720 previous years, to 1080 for all sports.

I said that the Case Western Reserve broadcasts could not be improved as they were already among the best in Division III, referring to basketball and soccer, but I stand corrected.

The video quality boost is good for those who watch on a television, but I watch on a laptop so I did not notice.

Small FB update

I am hear UR is going to scrimmage a JC team this fall, prior to the first game. I know CU scrimmages Golden West of which is a real challenge give Golden West is a nationally ranked JC team, very big and fast. I have seen in person.
I think the Regals still scrimmage College of the Canyons. I know other used to scrimmage JCs. I think its a great opportunity

Quote from: jknezek on Today at 12:54:31 PMI tried to click on the link and couldn't understand why it took me nowhere until I realized I had previously blocked the "author" in the past. Probably because I consider it AI generated garbage that pervades the world these days.

It's College Soccer Truth.  In the past, I wouldn't consider them primarily AI-generated. I suspect they were old curmudgeons who were just learning AI at best. They usually offer heavily opinionated and know-it-all posts and are pretty biased against D3 or against any opinion that doesn't match their "truth."  That may be why you blocked them.  They posted recently that they are being taken over by a new group, though, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for a post like this. 

Quote from: Ron Boerger on Today at 11:09:53 AM

Quote from: Kuiper on Today at 10:04:32 AMThis list of top D3 soccer schools out there that have high academics is not without flaws, but it's a "good starting point." 

I can't really tell whether the list is focused more on strong academics or strong soccer and/or whether on success in men's or women's soccer.  Here are a few omissions from an academic perspective:

Pomona-Pitzer
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
Carnegie Mellon
Occidental
Brandeis
RPI
RIT
Grinnell
Babson
Whitman
Hamilton

Cal Poly Slo is D1 and shouldn't be there.

Not sure about Stevenson, either academically or soccer-wise.
I can't figure out what school logo they are using for Southwestern University, but SC wouldn't be right for them

I would not include Hardin-Simmons (90% acceptance) or UMHB (96%) in a list of academic high achievers.  And those aren't the Trinity(TX) or Emory logos - many if not all of these look like AI versions of the real thing. 

I think that social media account is run by some Texas college soccer coaches (women's mostly), which explains why they might have added them if it wasn't just AI.  I thought about highlighting those schools as not being like the others, but if they are listing schools that have high academics, strong soccer programs/facilities, or both, in either men's or women's, then you might include at least UMHB, if not H-S too, on the program/facilities.  UMHB's broader athletic facilities are certainly top notch for a D3, although by that measure a bunch of the Wisconsin state schools should be on the list too (By the way, Wisconsin La Crosse doesn't even have men's soccer, but it does have a good women's team).