FB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[GusD]

Are d3 football players getting paid to play on their teams? 

I was with a friend last night whose son could end up playing college ball, and he made the comment: "Even D3 players are getting 40-60k per year".  I'd think not.

Maybe at the NESCAC schools as a means of recouping the tuition money parents had to pay out for the kids prep school year(s)? 

Was your friend drinking last night? 

Old Fashioneds

Bingo!

[CarollFan]

Johns Hopkins going undefeated would also be close per Logan's NPI tool.  If Ithaca and Susquehanna both go 9-1 with their only loss to JH, JH's average NPI is 81.437.  IF NCC goes 10-0 and Bethel goes 9-1 and Wartburg 8-2 (assuming a loss to UWRF) they average out at 81.145.  Wheaton 10-0 the highest I can get their avg NPI to in his tool is 80.672.

https://hansenratings.github.io/2026%20Season%20Scenarios.html

Ithaca vs. Cortland last game of season might be of interest.
Susquehanna lost to JHU and CNU last year. Not sure what expectations are for CNU this year.

I'll add keep an eye on Bethel @ St. John's on 10/3. If Bethel loses, outside of possibly getting knocked out of the playoffs, how does that affect NCC's NPI? Who knows, every .001 on the NPI might matter.

[washdupcard]

Forgive the non-football comment, but on this solemn day of 9/11 just wanted to send a special note of remembrance regarding Wheaton College graduate Todd Beamer and his fellow passengers on Flight 93. May they all rest in peace, and their heroism will never be forgotten. The school has a special remembrance page and a moving tribute narrated by Wheaton's former football HC Mike Swider. Let's roll.

https://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2013/9/11/gen_0911133937.aspx

[AndrewB]

Are d3 football players getting paid to play on their teams? 

I was with a friend last night whose son could end up playing college ball, and he made the comment: "Even D3 players are getting 40-60k per year".  I'd think not.

I've always wondered about this. Could it be a "academic needs based scholarship" that just happens to go to some of the best football players on the team?  I believe that more "monetary incentive" are given than some might admit.  Straight out cash to players - No.  But a wealthy donor gives the school a scholarship fund, and gets a tax deduction.  Then the school selectively uses it for football players as a "academic grant" - Yes.

[MediaGuy]

Are d3 football players getting paid to play on their teams? 

I was with a friend last night whose son could end up playing college ball, and he made the comment: "Even D3 players are getting 40-60k per year".  I'd think not.

I've always wondered about this. Could it be a "academic needs based scholarship" that just happens to go to some of the best football players on the team?  I believe that more "monetary incentive" are given than some might admit.  Straight out cash to players - No.  But a wealthy donor gives the school a scholarship fund, and gets a tax deduction.  Then the school selectively uses it for football players as a "academic grant" - Yes.

https://duhawks.com/sports/2026/9/11/ncaa-infractions-case-fall-2026.aspx

Someone at Loras had the same idea...for now at least, the NCAA still has the will to enforce some rules

[Marmac]

We've discovered the formula for beating North Central: draw a holding call on every NCC possession. Early in the 2nd quarter, NCC has already been called for four offensive holding calls.

[NCC2010]

Well, that's a rough first half...

I'd say 50% of the shotgun snaps for NCC have been high or errant, literally ending 7 or so plays before they even started. Credit to Wartburg's front four, but the young offensive line is going through some definite growing pains, especially with the 4 holding calls added in.

On defense, other than the one long run that set up the first TD (which was horrible tackling), they've been playing solid. I don't think Wartburg's QB can throw past his first read.

I was going to say that going into halftime at 7-7, the offense just had to not lose the game, since I don't think Wartburg will move the ball much in the second half, but then Wilson threw a pick 6. I'm very interested to see if he bounces back. We saw in the Stagg Bowl and WashU games last year that he can tend to let his mistakes snowball.

[CarollFan]

Week 2 scores

NCC 26 Wartburg 20 (running game came alive 2nd half. Blocked xtra pt for 2)
Wheaton 45 Albion 3
IWU 45 Trine 35
Millikin 37 Luther 14
Elmhurst 28 Rockford 14
UWS 37 Augie 34 (Missed 37 yd FG for Augie at the end. Huge comeback just fell short)
UWEC 34  Carroll 17 (UWEC 17 pts on Carroll turnovers)
Olivet 43 NPU 41 2OT's

In top 25
Randolph Macon 28  JHU 21 (This is big)
HS 28 UWL 20 (UWL playoff hopes fading...0-2)
WashU 37 DePauw 27 (WashU introduces themselves to the NCAC.)
UWRF 38 Coe 6
UWP 59 Dubuque 0
MU 21 Grove City 17 (MU scores game winner with 12 seconds left. QB Maloney 2 TD's, 5 interceptions.)

[GusD]

FINAL

North Central 26
Wartburg      20

A come from behind victory for the Cardinals in which they dominated the second half. The margin of victory was primarily engineered by the defense coming to the rescue of the offense which kept tripping over themselves by committing one holding penalty after another. On the afternoon the Cardinals racked up 10 penalties for 103 yards. I'll let others analyze things more deeply and just say the Cards would make things a lot easier on themselves if the O line would change their majors from holding to blocking. Come playoff time, they can't expect to get very far if this pattern of play continues. Again, the defense led by Medina, Green, and Carleton was most impactful. Highlight play of the game may have been Ethan Groark's one-handed interception.

[NCC2010]

Observations from NCC's 26-20 win over Wartburg...

They benched the center at halftime and went with a freshman at center for the second half, so they are now starting a freshman at LG, C, and RT. Not sure how that bodes for the rest of the season. The kids will have to grow up very quickly, but the sophomore center basically became unplayable with how badly he was snapping the ball.

Penalties were super lopsided, with NCC having 10 for 103 yards to Wartburg's 1 for 10 yards...I will just leave it at that.

Wilson threw 2 picks, and by my count it could've easily been 4. Wartburg obviously has a good defense, but it was not his best showing. The offense looked better in the second half with the snaps being better, but I would not be shocked if UWRF beats Wartburg much more soundly next week.

Dawson Rud was an absolute stud at RB for Wartburg today. He basically made both TDs the NCC defense gave up happen on his own. On the first TD, he turned what should've been a 5 yard gain into a 50+ yard run by breaking 3 tackles. And then on the last TD drive, he had catches of 31 and 19 yards that were both dump offs over the middle where he broke multiple tackles to get huge gains.

Starting safety Brayden Garrigan and starting DE Troy Kashul both did not play today. Garrigan had a brace on his right knee and was dressed in pads but never entered the game. Kashul was not dressed. They will definitely need both back by the Wheaton game.

Also, on the huge 4th and goal stop from the 1 in the second quarter, none other than Cortez Jones was brought in at DT and helped stuff Wartburg on that play.

The offensive line will determine how deep this team goes into the playoffs, but they are asking a lot having 3 true freshman playing the majority of the snaps IMO.

[AndrewB]

We've discovered the formula for beating North Central: draw a holding call on every NCC possession. Early in the 2nd quarter, NCC has already been called for four offensive holding calls.

It's about time!!

[GusD]

We've discovered the formula for beating North Central: draw a holding call on every NCC possession. Early in the 2nd quarter, NCC has already been called for four offensive holding calls.

It's about time!!

😢 😥 😓

[CarollFan]

IWU @ Augie next week. Battle for 3rd place.

In today's Augie game their starting QB #10 Jimmy Makuh got hurt in the 4rth Q and didn't return.

The backup #11 David Finfer (Jr. out of Highland Park) came in and led Augie to 2 TD's, 2  two pt. conversions and the drive that led to the missed FG at the end of the game. I'd say that's some pretty good backing up.