FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[Trin9-0]

Other Bowdoin teams manage to recruit and win. Why is football somehow incapable of doing the same?

There's probably a myriad of answers that go into this question but it's worth noting that it isn't a recent phenomenon. The last Polar Bear coach to have a career winning record was Nels Corey who led Bowdoin to a 22-20-1 record from 1959-'64. The program has had a grand total of 3 winning seasons since 1988. It's going to take much, much more than one good coaching hire to win games in Brunswick.

[lumbercat]

Someone earlier questioned the attraction of Head Coaching jobs at Hamilton and the CBB schools. Some more than others, but every NESCAC HC job is highly attractive in the D3 Football world and beyond.

When Bates did the last HC search there were over 150 applicants including several names that might be very surprising to all. The applicants included 2 UAA head coaches, 2 NFL assistants, a former 1A OC who secured a D1 FCS HC job in 2024,  his record to date is 25-8. Also at least 2 Ivy League coordinators, multiple positional coaches from the Ivies and Patriot League and more than a handful of NESCAC assistants.

Any NESCAC Football HC position is highly coveted overall in the Northeast and on a national basis. There will be no shortage of applicants for the Bowdoin and Colby jobs and any other future openings.

 

[Nescacman]

Hard to believe that in a week that there is a battle of unbeatens between Amherst and Hartford State with a NESCAC title and the league's AQ bid on the line (and another important game between Wes and Williams) and we are talking about Bowdoin College football, but this is the NESCAC so why not? ha-ha 

Through 7 games in 2026, Bowdoin College's all-time football record is 408 wins, 581 losses, and 44 ties, dating back to 1889. That equates to .416% winning percentage (with ties count as half a win).

How does Bowdoin compare with the rest of the NESCAC:

For a comparison of all ten schools, we calculated each team's cumulative record from 1992 through the completed 2025 season (the NESCAC began exclusively playing conference opponents in 1992, making this a useful measure of relative program success).

Rank    School                      Record (W--T)    Win %
1    Hartford State                  219-53-0            80.5%
2    Williams                        185-85-2            68.4%
3    Amherst                          178-93-1            65.6%
4    Middlebury                  173-99-0            63.6%
5    Wesleyan                  157-115-0            57.7%
T-6    Tufts                          121-150-1            44.7%
T-6    Colby                          121-150-1            44.7%
8    Bowdoin                          74-197-1            27.4%
9    Hamilton                  69-203-0            25.4%
10    Bates                          60-212-0            22.1%

-Bowdoin ranks 8th of the 10 NESCAC programs since 1992, ahead of only Hamilton and Bates.
-Bowdoin has won approximately one of every four conference games during that period.
-Hartford State 80.5% winning percentage is nearly three times Bowdoin's 27.4%.
-Bowdoin's recent results have been particularly difficult. From 2016 through 2025, the Polar Bears went 14-66, a 17.5% winning percentage.
-Bowdoin's strongest recent season was 2005, when it finished 6-2.

Our takeaway:

Historically, the Polars have struggled, but their difficulties have been particularly pronounced over the past several decades. Although Bates and Hamilton have worse records during the modern NESCAC era, the gap between Bowdoin and the conference's top five programs is substantial.

Here is a historical comparison of winning percentages for all 10 NESCAC football programs, through the 2025 season. The results are striking. Bowdoin has the lowest winning percentage in the NESCAC over the past 10 years, while Hartford State has been the conference's dominant program.

School                       Last 10 years    Last 20 years    Last 30 years    Last 50 years
Hartford State                   85.0%               84.4%            80.4%           77.0%
Wesleyan                         72.5%               62.5%            59.2%           55.5%
Middlebury                       70.0%              70.0%            65.0%           60.5%
Tufts                            62.5%              47.5%            46.3%           50.5%
Williams                         53.8%              57.5%            65.8%           65.5%
Amherst                          51.3%              66.3%            68.8%           62.3%
Colby                            37.5%              36.3%            41.3%           ~39–40%*
Hamilton                          28.8%              23.8%            22.1%            30.0%
Bates                             21.3%              26.3%            24.6%            26.9%
Bowdoin                           17.5%              25.6%            26.7%            31.6%
Teams are ranked by their most recent 10-year winning percentage. The periods are 2016–2025, 2006–2025, 1996–2025, and 1976–2025. The canceled 2020 season is excluded. Ties count as half a win. *Colby's 50-year figure is an estimate because its 1976–77 records could not be confirmed.

What stands out about Bowdoin?
-Last 10 years: 17.5%; 14 wins, 66 losses
-Last 20 years: 25.6%; 41 wins, 119 losses
-Last 50 years: 31.6%;125 wins, 272 losses, 3 ties

Three conclusions emerge:

1. Bowdoin's performance has deteriorated over time. Its 50-year winning percentage is 31.6%, compared with just 17.5% over the last decade.
2. Bowdoin ranks last over the past decade. Even Bates, the next-lowest program, has a winning percentage of 21.3%.
3. Wesleyan has undergone a major transformation. Its winning percentage has increased from 55.5% over 50 years to 72.5% over the last decade. Wesleyan now ranks second behind Hartford State.
4. For perspective, Hartford State has won 68 of its last 80 games, while Bowdoin has won just 14.

The NESCACMAN assessment:

The most concerning statistic for Bowdoin is not simply its historical losing record. It's that the program has performed substantially worse over the last decade than over its longer history. Bowdoin's 17.5% winning percentage translates to fewer than two victories per 10 games. By comparison, the NESCAC's top four programs over the same period; Hartford State, Wesleyan, Middlebury and Tufts have each won at least 62.5% of their games.

A revealing next comparison is Bowdoin's performance under each head coach over the last 50 years, including HCOF Hammer's tenure versus his predecessors. We think this demonstrates the program's longstanding challenges.

Bowdoin football: Head coach comparison, 1976–2025
Head coach                            Years included         Record (W–L–T)          Winning %
James Lentz                         1976–1983                       28–36                       43.8%
Howard Vandersea                    1984–1999                       46–79–3                     37.1%
Dave Caputi                         2000–2014                        35–85                      29.2%
J.B. Wells                          2015–2018                         3–31                       8.8%
B.J. Hammer                         2019–2025                        13–41                      24.1%
Bowdoin overall                     1976–2025                     125–272–3                     31.6%

Lentz's row includes only the 1976–1983 portion of his tenure. Hammer's row excludes 2026, which is still in progress.

Hammer's year-by-year record
Season    Wins    Losses
2019    0    9
2020    —    —
2021    1    8
2022    3    6
2023    4    5
2024    3    6
2025    2    7
Total    13    41

Hammer's best season was 2023, when Bowdoin finished 4–5 and won the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) championship.
 
What the HCOF comparison tells us:

1. Hammer improved on his immediate predecessor, but not on the longer-term standard.
His 24.1% winning percentage was substantially better than Wells's 8.8%. However, it remained below Caputi's 29.2% and well below Vandersea's 37.1%.
2. Bowdoin has not recorded a winning season since 2005. That year, Caputi led the Polars to a 6–2 record. Hammer came closest in 2023, finishing 4–5.
3. The 2026 season has been another setback. Bowdoin is 0–7 following its October 31 loss.

The NESCACMAN Bowdoin HCOF Assessment:

The numbers support two conclusions simultaneously:
1.    Hammer inherited a program that had reached a historic low under Wells and produced a measurable improvement.
2.    Nevertheless, 24.1% over six completed seasons is not a sustained turnaround, particularly compared with Bowdoin's earlier coaching eras.

Bowdoin's next HCOF will inherit a program that has gone more than two decades without a winning season. That history suggests the challenge extends beyond any single coach, involving recruiting, player development, institutional support and competitive positioning within the NESCAC.

The central question for Bowdoin's administration is whether a coaching change alone can reverse that history or whether the football program needs a broader institutional rebuilding strategy.

NM

[lumbercat]

I know a little about Nescacmans career exploits (but I don't want to see his portfolio numbers from this market today).
His post today put some old skills to work and it is pretty damn good.
He missed a few classes at Wesleyan like I did at Bates but at the end of the day a NESCAC diploma comes in damn handy as the years progress. 

[The Third Division]

I know a little about Nescacmans career exploits (but I don't want to see his portfolio numbers from this market today).
His post today put some old skills to work and it is pretty damn good.
He missed a few classes at Wesleyan like I did at Bates but at the end of the day a NESCAC diploma comes in damn handy as the years progress. 

Hard to believe that in a week that there is a battle of unbeatens between Amherst and Hartford State with a NESCAC title and the league's AQ bid on the line (and another important game between Wes and Williams) and we are talking about Bowdoin College football, but this is the NESCAC so why not? ha-ha 

Through 7 games in 2026, Bowdoin College's all-time football record is 408 wins, 581 losses, and 44 ties, dating back to 1889. That equates to .416% winning percentage (with ties count as half a win).

How does Bowdoin compare with the rest of the NESCAC:

For a comparison of all ten schools, we calculated each team's cumulative record from 1992 through the completed 2025 season (the NESCAC began exclusively playing conference opponents in 1992, making this a useful measure of relative program success).

Rank    School                      Record (W--T)    Win %
1    Hartford State                  219-53-0            80.5%
2    Williams                        185-85-2            68.4%
3    Amherst                          178-93-1            65.6%
4    Middlebury                  173-99-0            63.6%
5    Wesleyan                  157-115-0            57.7%
T-6    Tufts                          121-150-1            44.7%
T-6    Colby                          121-150-1            44.7%
8    Bowdoin                          74-197-1            27.4%
9    Hamilton                  69-203-0            25.4%
10    Bates                          60-212-0            22.1%

-Bowdoin ranks 8th of the 10 NESCAC programs since 1992, ahead of only Hamilton and Bates.
-Bowdoin has won approximately one of every four conference games during that period.
-Hartford State 80.5% winning percentage is nearly three times Bowdoin's 27.4%.
-Bowdoin's recent results have been particularly difficult. From 2016 through 2025, the Polar Bears went 14-66, a 17.5% winning percentage.
-Bowdoin's strongest recent season was 2005, when it finished 6-2.

Our takeaway:

Historically, the Polars have struggled, but their difficulties have been particularly pronounced over the past several decades. Although Bates and Hamilton have worse records during the modern NESCAC era, the gap between Bowdoin and the conference's top five programs is substantial.

Here is a historical comparison of winning percentages for all 10 NESCAC football programs, through the 2025 season. The results are striking. Bowdoin has the lowest winning percentage in the NESCAC over the past 10 years, while Hartford State has been the conference's dominant program.

School                       Last 10 years    Last 20 years    Last 30 years    Last 50 years
Hartford State                   85.0%               84.4%            80.4%           77.0%
Wesleyan                         72.5%               62.5%            59.2%           55.5%
Middlebury                       70.0%              70.0%            65.0%           60.5%
Tufts                            62.5%              47.5%            46.3%           50.5%
Williams                         53.8%              57.5%            65.8%           65.5%
Amherst                          51.3%              66.3%            68.8%           62.3%
Colby                            37.5%              36.3%            41.3%           ~39–40%*
Hamilton                          28.8%              23.8%            22.1%            30.0%
Bates                             21.3%              26.3%            24.6%            26.9%
Bowdoin                           17.5%              25.6%            26.7%            31.6%
Teams are ranked by their most recent 10-year winning percentage. The periods are 2016–2025, 2006–2025, 1996–2025, and 1976–2025. The canceled 2020 season is excluded. Ties count as half a win. *Colby's 50-year figure is an estimate because its 1976–77 records could not be confirmed.

What stands out about Bowdoin?
-Last 10 years: 17.5%; 14 wins, 66 losses
-Last 20 years: 25.6%; 41 wins, 119 losses
-Last 50 years: 31.6%;125 wins, 272 losses, 3 ties

Three conclusions emerge:

1. Bowdoin's performance has deteriorated over time. Its 50-year winning percentage is 31.6%, compared with just 17.5% over the last decade.
2. Bowdoin ranks last over the past decade. Even Bates, the next-lowest program, has a winning percentage of 21.3%.
3. Wesleyan has undergone a major transformation. Its winning percentage has increased from 55.5% over 50 years to 72.5% over the last decade. Wesleyan now ranks second behind Hartford State.
4. For perspective, Hartford State has won 68 of its last 80 games, while Bowdoin has won just 14.

The NESCACMAN assessment:

The most concerning statistic for Bowdoin is not simply its historical losing record. It's that the program has performed substantially worse over the last decade than over its longer history. Bowdoin's 17.5% winning percentage translates to fewer than two victories per 10 games. By comparison, the NESCAC's top four programs over the same period; Hartford State, Wesleyan, Middlebury and Tufts have each won at least 62.5% of their games.

A revealing next comparison is Bowdoin's performance under each head coach over the last 50 years, including HCOF Hammer's tenure versus his predecessors. We think this demonstrates the program's longstanding challenges.

Bowdoin football: Head coach comparison, 1976–2025
Head coach                            Years included         Record (W–L–T)          Winning %
James Lentz                         1976–1983                       28–36                       43.8%
Howard Vandersea                    1984–1999                       46–79–3                     37.1%
Dave Caputi                         2000–2014                        35–85                      29.2%
J.B. Wells                          2015–2018                         3–31                       8.8%
B.J. Hammer                         2019–2025                        13–41                      24.1%
Bowdoin overall                     1976–2025                     125–272–3                     31.6%

Lentz's row includes only the 1976–1983 portion of his tenure. Hammer's row excludes 2026, which is still in progress.

Hammer's year-by-year record
Season    Wins    Losses
2019    0    9
2020    —    —
2021    1    8
2022    3    6
2023    4    5
2024    3    6
2025    2    7
Total    13    41

Hammer's best season was 2023, when Bowdoin finished 4–5 and won the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin (CBB) championship.
 
What the HCOF comparison tells us:

1. Hammer improved on his immediate predecessor, but not on the longer-term standard.
His 24.1% winning percentage was substantially better than Wells's 8.8%. However, it remained below Caputi's 29.2% and well below Vandersea's 37.1%.
2. Bowdoin has not recorded a winning season since 2005. That year, Caputi led the Polars to a 6–2 record. Hammer came closest in 2023, finishing 4–5.
3. The 2026 season has been another setback. Bowdoin is 0–7 following its October 31 loss.

The NESCACMAN Bowdoin HCOF Assessment:

The numbers support two conclusions simultaneously:
1.    Hammer inherited a program that had reached a historic low under Wells and produced a measurable improvement.
2.    Nevertheless, 24.1% over six completed seasons is not a sustained turnaround, particularly compared with Bowdoin's earlier coaching eras.

Bowdoin's next HCOF will inherit a program that has gone more than two decades without a winning season. That history suggests the challenge extends beyond any single coach, involving recruiting, player development, institutional support and competitive positioning within the NESCAC.

The central question for Bowdoin's administration is whether a coaching change alone can reverse that history or whether the football program needs a broader institutional rebuilding strategy.

NM

next time i visit the northeast i'm buying a beer with you.

[Nescacman]

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast

Available Now! Available wherever you get your podcasts!

9 Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast S.3 Ep.8 (Special Guests: Tufts University RB Christian Shapiro, Amherst College Head Coach EJ Mills, and Author Dan Covell who is writing a book about the 2026 NESCAC season from the eyes of Hartford State).

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast is the first podcast of its kind in NESCAC history. Hosted by Chris Grace (play-by-play announcer for Wesleyan) and Dave Bagatelle (Wesleyan Alum and former player), our weekly show features coach and player interviews, game analysis, rankings, previews, and predictions.

The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts including YouTube, Facebook, Apple and Spotify. Search for "9 Weeks NESCAC"...the first and only podcast of its kind.

Thank you to our sponsors Sloane and Walsh, LLP, Gameday Sports, and Noank Village Boatyard.

If you have questions, feedback, ideas or are a player or a coach and would like to appear on our show, please email us at: 9weeksnescac@gmail.com

Follow us on X (aka Twitter): @nineweeksnescac
Follow us on Instagram: @nineweeksnescac
Facebook: Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast (https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EbgGxDZRd/)
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Spotify Podcasts: 9 Weeks Nescac
Apple Podcasts: 9 Weeks Nescac

Look for NESCACMAN's weekly predictions and point spreads at nescacfootballreport.com. The NESCAC Football report is a website dedicated to all things NESCAC football, including team previews, weekly game previews and power rankings and game recaps.  The site now provides its followers with NESCACMAN's weekly game lines and predicted scores.

[SpringSt7]

Regardless of your opinion's on nescacman, drawing the line because you feel the need to defend Aaron Kelton's "elite character", and I'm trying to be polite here, is laughable

[Nescacman]

2026 Week 8 NESCACMAN Picks

Welcome NESCAC 2026 Week #8 "in the league where they pay to play".

Our NESCAC game of the week is once again in Amherst, MA where the undefeated Amherst Lord Mammoths host the undefeated Hartford State Bantams. What's at stake: Amherst wins and they are 2026 NESCAC Champs and get the NESCAC slot in the D3 Football Championship Tourney. Hartford State wins and then our focus turns to the Turducken Bowl against Wesleyan in Week 9. Our "upset special" this week is Hamilton over Middlebury winning the Old Rocking Chair for the first time in the last 30 tries.

We went 5-0 picking winners last week and stand at 30-5 on the year.

Let's get to this week's games...

Williams College at Wesleyan University: Huge game in Middletown. Wesleyan needs to win out to have a shot at the NESCAC title and a bid to the NCAA D3 Football Tourney.  Williams will be trying to end Wesleyan's title hopes. Williams, meanwhile, is trying to win their first Little 3 title since 2021. Williams will have to win without their FY QB Drew Weiler who suffered what appeared to be a serious shoulder injury last week against HAM. Senior Drew Renzella will probably get the call at QB.  FY RB Jack Fabiano is coming off a monster game against HAM and is the reigning NESCAC OPOTW. Wesleyan is coming off their first shut-out since 2021. Wes is known for their offense but their defense has stepped up in recent weeks. They lead the league in time of possession. They will need to do a better job of protecting their QB as they are second to last in sacks allowed. Williams tends to put a lot of pressure on the QB. Williams wins if: They get Fabiano going, control the clock, keep Wesleyan's offense off the field and don't put pressure on Renzella to win the game for them through the air. Wesleyan wins if: They stop the Williams running game and force Renzella to throw. Williams is last in the NESCAC in passing and Wes leads the league in interceptions so even more reason they will run the ball. Williams secondary has been better but we think Wes will find success through the air. Must win game for Wesleyan. Wesleyan has had success against Williams in recent years winning 11 of the last 12 including the last 6 in Middletown. We think that success continues in Middletown in 2026 and they keep their title hopes alive.

Wesleyan 24 Williams 14
Point Spread: Wesleyan -10
Weather (courtesy of The Weather Channel): Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers in the afternoon. High near 65F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.

Hamilton College at Middlebury College: The "Old Rocking Chair" Classic. MID is riding a 29-game winning streak against the Conts last losing to HAM in 1995. We think that streak ends this year. Hamilton's offense leads the league in passing while MID's is last in passing defense so something will have to give. Meanwhile, HAM's defense is last in scoring and total defense. The MID FY receiving due on Hetherington and Angstreich have been very good. Hamilton wins if: QB Luke Kurzum continues to play at an OPOTY level and the HAM defense, which has played better recently led by a much-improved pass rush, contains MID's Moss, McClellan, and the FY receivers. MID wins if: They slow down the game, play ball control with their running game, and keep the ball away from HAM's offense. We think this game will be close and HAM pulls out the upset. Weather (rain) could be a factor.

Hamilton 31 Middlebury 28
Point Spread: Middlebury -7
Weather: Showers early, becoming a steady rain later in the day. High 52F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Bowdoin College at University of Bates (Lewiston Campus): Battle of the winless in Round 2 in the 2026 version of the C-B-B. This game is for parents and C-B-B aficionados ONLY. Bowdoin wins if: They get 2 TDs. Doubtful. UBates wins if: They have been close to a win all year. We think Jack Gilmour, who has been playing better for the Kitties as of late, steps up. UBates needs to do a better job protecting the ball; they are last in turnover differential. Bowdoin breaks the 2006 HAM offensive futility record, does not get a TD, and loses on the road in Lewiston.

UBates 13 Bowdoin 3
Point Spread: UBates -3
Weather: Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 51F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Tufts University at Colby College: Colby is coming off their first win in 2026 and Tufts lost a hard fought, close game vs. Amherst. RB Christian Shapiro is playing at a very high-level for Tufts after missing 2 games. Tufts and Colby's offense  and defense ranks are both very similar. Tufts wins if: They continue to take the ball away and be efficient in the red zone. They must stop Jack Nye, the Mules primary playmaker, and Colby's pass offense. Colby wins if: The show some semblance of a running game and the offense continues to improve. Weather could also be a factor in this game. We give Tufts the slight edge on the road.

Tufts 21 Colby 14
Point Spread:  Tufts -7
Weather: Rain showers in the morning becoming a steady light rain in the afternoon. High 51F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

NESCAC Game of the Week

Hartford State College at Amherst College: This series has been dominated by the Bants in recent years. We give Hartford State a 65% chance of winning Saturday's showdown between the NESCAC's two undefeated teams. This is another game where weather could be a factor. That favors Hartford State who leans more into their running game and their defense.

Why we are picking Hartford State:
1.    Dominant defense. Trinity leads the NESCAC in scoring defense (7.9 points allowed per game), total defense (216.9 yards allowed), and rushing defense (57.9 yards allowed).
2.    Seven consecutive victories over Amherst. Hartford State has outscored Amherst 225–60 during that streak, including last year's 14–7 victory.
3.    Superior rushing attack. Hartford State averages 4.2 yards per carry, the best in the conference. Amherst's defense, however, allows just 2.3 yards per carry. That matchup could decide the game.
4.    Championship experience. Hartford State "shared" the NESCAC championship in 2025 and has consistently performed well in big conference games.

Why Amherst could pull the upset:
1.    Amherst is undefeated for a reason. The Lord Mammoths have demonstrated remarkable resilience, including last week's 24–21 comeback victory over Tufts.
2.    Meanwhile, Hartford State barely escaped Middlebury last Saturday, winning 26–23. That raises questions about whether Trinity's defense is quite as formidable as its season averages suggest.
3.    Hartford State's place-kicking game has struggled. That could be important in a close game as we expect this one to be.

Our assessment:
Factor/Advantage
Offense: Hartford State
Defense: Hartford State
Specials: Even
Home-field advantage: Amherst
Recent head-to-head history: Hartford State
Momentum: Even
Coaching: Even
Weather: Hartford State
Big-game experience: Hartford State
X-Factor: Hooper (Hartford State)/Hill (Amherst)

Our prediction is that Hartford State wins 13-10. We expect a one-possession game decided in the final minutes. One important consideration: Amherst can clinch the NESCAC championship and NCAA playoff berth with a victory Saturday. Hartford State may still need to beat Wesleyan the following weekend even if they win (if Wes beats Williams). Bottom-line is both teams totally control their own destiny. Given Wesleyan's 6–1 record and its remaining games against Williams and Hartford State, we think the NESCAC championship race could get interesting. Amherst's game against Hartford State may be the most consequential NESCAC regular-season game in years.

Hartford State 13 Amherst 10
Point Spread: Hartford State -7
Weather: Rain showers in the morning will evolve into a steadier rain in the afternoon. High around 60F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.

Good luck to all the student-athletes and coaches this Saturday!

NESCACMAN's Track Record:
2026 Season: 30-5 (.857 winning percentage, through 7 weeks)
2025 Season: 32-13
2024 Season: 38-7
2023 Season: 31-14
2022 Season: 31-14
2021 Season: 33-12
2020 Season: 0-0 (COVID)
2019 Season: 33-12
2018 Season: 36-9
2017 Season: 35-10
2016 Season: 32-8
2015 Season: 30-10
2014 Season: 30-10
2013 Season: 32-8
Career: 423-132 (.762 winning percentage, 13 seasons)

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Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast

Available Now! Available wherever you get your podcasts!

9 Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast S.3 Ep.8 (Special Guests: Tufts University RB Christian Shapiro, Amherst College Head Coach EJ Mills, and Author Dan Covell who is writing a book about the 2026 NESCAC season from the eyes of Hartford State).

Nine Weeks: A NESCAC Football Podcast is the first podcast of its kind in NESCAC history. Hosted by Chris Grace (play-by-play announcer for Wesleyan) and Dave Bagatelle (Wesleyan Alum and former player), our weekly show features coach and player interviews, game analysis, rankings, previews, and predictions.

The podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts including YouTube, Facebook, Apple and Spotify. Search for "9 Weeks NESCAC"...the first and only podcast of its kind.

Thank you to our sponsors Sloane and Walsh, LLP, Gameday Sports, and Noank Village Boatyard.

If you have questions, feedback, ideas or are a player or a coach and would like to appear on our show, please email us at: 9weeksnescac@gmail.com

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Look for NESCACMAN's weekly predictions and point spreads at nescacfootballreport.com. The NESCAC Football report is a website dedicated to all things NESCAC football, including team previews, weekly game previews and power rankings and game recaps.  The site now provides its followers with NESCACMAN's weekly game lines and predicted scores.

[Brady12]

Nescacman impressive analysis of Bowdoin. I am curious if you have done an assessment as to who each school would play if they add a non conference game?  I wonder if the Maine schools would schedule weaker opponents for a win.  Would the likes of Trinity and Wesleyan travel to play a "power house?" Also I assume these games would all be played on the same week for scheduling but eventually I would like to see them spread out a bit throughout the season.

[Nescacman]

Nescacman impressive analysis of Bowdoin. I am curious if you have done an assessment as to who each school would play if they add a non conference game?  I wonder if the Maine schools would schedule weaker opponents for a win.  Would the likes of Trinity and Wesleyan travel to play a "power house?" Also I assume these games would all be played on the same week for scheduling but eventually I would like to see them spread out a bit throughout the season.

Brady, we have actually thought about it but we will reserve that post for the off-season. Of course, some schools have rivalries going back many years such as Norwich/Middlebury, Wes/Hartford State/Coast Guard, Williams/Union, etc. Some of those rivalries could be revived or we could create new rivalries such as Amherst/Springfield, Tufts/MIT, Wes/HS/Endicott, Hamilton/Ithaca, etc.

Much more to come on this topic. Let's all focus on this week's (excellent) slate of games...

NM

[Patrick Coleman]

I assume these games would all be played on the same week for scheduling but eventually I would like to see them spread out a bit throughout the season.

It would be fun to see non-conference games throughout the season but even if the NESCAC wanted to do that, they wouldn't have very many options. Very few conferences have open dates or non-conference dates beyond the first three weeks of the season.