FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[D3fanboy]

I doubt either John Carroll or Mount Union will play in the first round. They will both get a bye.

Yeah, Mount Union will definitely get paired with one of the pigtail winners and JCU (if 9-1) probably isn't in one of the pigtail games.  It's always possible that they could play early, but Mount Union and JCU are both within 500 miles of a ton of teams so it's easy to avoid- like there wouldn't be a reason to mis-seed JCU to make that happen just because they're close. 

but...can they send JCU to Alliance anyways?

[wally_wabash]

I doubt either John Carroll or Mount Union will play in the first round. They will both get a bye.

Yeah, Mount Union will definitely get paired with one of the pigtail winners and JCU (if 9-1) probably isn't in one of the pigtail games.  It's always possible that they could play early, but Mount Union and JCU are both within 500 miles of a ton of teams so it's easy to avoid- like there wouldn't be a reason to mis-seed JCU to make that happen just because they're close. 

but...can they send JCU to Alliance anyways?

They can, and they might.  It'll just most likely be a round of 16 or later game if it happens. 

[Crawford]

Thanks Pat for clarifying the playoff situation.  I had not realized they expanded the playoff field, I follow Wabash but apparently not close enough to the entire D3 football scene.  One of my dear monastic friends at Saint John's in Minnesota always says, when SJU eventually lose in the playoffs, "Good now they can get back to being students." I think that is where my focus is too.  Go Wabash, but may all these student athletes get a great education.

[Crawford]

Speaking of student athletes.  It was nice seeing the love the NCAC got in the new article: Ranking the conferences for 2025.  The NCAC jumped all the way to #12.  With WashU joining next year, the conference will not only have more quality football teams but strong academic possibilities too. Congratulations NCAC.