CSN - Blogs - Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/blog.php?5-Chuck-B This is a news, opinion, and discussion service of the college football championship subdivision. en Sat, 25 May 2013 18:57:37 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.collegesportingnews.com/images/misc/rss.jpg CSN - Blogs - Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/blog.php?5-Chuck-B Week 3 FCS Picks (9/15/2011-9/17/2011) http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?166-Week-3-FCS-Picks-(9-15-2011-9-17-2011) Sat, 17 Sep 2011 14:37:53 GMT Once again, a pretty good week in a rough week to be picking FCS games. I went 18-8, only really getting burned on the biggest shocker of the... Once again, a pretty good week in a rough week to be picking FCS games.

I went 18-8, only really getting burned on the biggest shocker of the day (South Dakota over Eastern Washington) and going overaggressive on an FBS upset that very nearly happened (Central Arkansas lost to Louisiana Tech in OT).

More happily, I called Towson's "upset" over Villanova, Sacramento State's letdown againt Southern Utah, and even Duquesne's bounceback game vs. Dayton. Those were not gimmes by any stretch of the imagination.

That puts me at a lofty 53-15 for the year, or at about 78%. And I'm aiming to do even better this week.

[B][U]Interesting Games Outside the Top 25[/U][/B]
[B]Brown at Stony Brook. [I]Bears 35, Seawolves 29.[/I]
Harvard at Holy Cross. [I]Crimson 25, Crusaders 24.[/I]
Coastal Carolina at Georgia (FBS). [I]Dogs 70, Kitties 3.[/I]
Nicholls at Louisiana-Lafayette (FBS). [I]Colonels 28, Achin' Cajuns 24.[/I]
Jackson State at Southern. [I]Tigers 37, Jags 24.[/I]
South Dakota State at Cal Poly. [I]Jackrabbits 39, Mustangs 24.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Top 25[/U][/B]
[B]Rhode Island at (25) [I]UMass. Rams 31, Minutemen 24[/I].
Northwest Oklahoma State (D-II) at (23) South Dakota. [I] Wil. E. Coyotes 34, Run-Over Cowboys 16[/I].
Sioux Falls (D-II) at (22) McNeese State. [I]Cowboys 34, Blackfeet 10[/I].
(24) Sacramento State at Weber State. [I]Wildcats 35, Hornets 20[/I].
(21) South Carolina State at Indiana (FBS). [I]Hoosiers 35, Bulldogs 3[/I].
(19) Lehigh at Prnceton. [I]Mountain Hawks 28, Tigers 24[/I].
(18) Central Arkansas at Sam Houston State. [I]Bears 38, Bearkats 35[/I].
(17) Chattanooga at Eastern Kentucky. [I]Mocs 28, Colonels 17[/I].
Georgia State at (16) Jacksonville State. [I]Gamecocks 28, Panthers 10[/I].
(14) James Madison at (20) Liberty. [I]Flames 28, Dukes 10[/I].
(13) Stephen F. Austin at Baylor (FBS). [I]Bears 59, Lumberjacks 36[/I].
(10) Eastern Washington at (11) Montana. [I] Eagles 27, Griz 26[/I].
VMI at (9) Richmond. [I]Spiders 28, Keydets 6[/I].
Delaware State at (7) Delaware. [I]Blue Hens 27, Hornets 6[/I].
New Haven (D-II) at (5) William & Mary. [I]Tribe 28, Chargers 9[/I].
Minot State (D-II) at (4) Montana State. [I]Bobcats 28, Minots 24[/I].
Savannah State at (3) Appalachian State. [I] Mountaineers 63, Tigers 3[/I].[/B] ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?166-Week-3-FCS-Picks-(9-15-2011-9-17-2011) Week 2 FCS Picks, Part One (9/8/2011-9/10/2011) http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?161-Week-2-FCS-Picks-Part-One-(9-8-2011-9-10-2011) Sat, 10 Sep 2011 14:32:30 GMT I went 18-6 last Saturday, adding to my 17-1 to make for a nice 35-7 record to start out the year, or a torrid 83.3% success rate. Some of my... I went 18-6 last Saturday, adding to my 17-1 to make for a nice 35-7 record to start out the year, or a torrid 83.3% success rate.

Some of my flops were big ones - I missed the two big FBS upsets (picking Sacramento State to lose to Oregon State and Duke to lose to Richmond), while missing on a host of other FBS upsets that I went a little nuts with (Southeast Louisiana over Tulane? McNeese State over Kansas? James Madison over North Carolina?).

But some nice hits involved picking Dayton's upset over Robert Morris, almost picking the exact score in the Northern Iowa/Iowa State tilt, and picking a blowout in favor of Bethune-Cookman over Prairie View A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando, Florida.

Can I do it again? We'll see, with my picks below.

[B][U]Interesting Games Outside the Top 25[/U][/B]
[B]Duquesne at Dayton.[/B] The Flyers dumped Robert Morris this weekend - will they make it a clean sweep of the NEC this week? No.[B][I] Dandy Dukes 34, Flummoxed Flyers 16.[/I][/B]

[B]Jacksonville at Western Illinois.[/B] A "non-scholarship" team travelling to a "scholarship" school. A blowout for the home team, right? Hardly. [B][I]The Best Dolphins in the State of Florida 35, The Best Leathernecks in the State of Illinois 27.[/I][/B]

[B]Eastern Illinois at Northwestern (FBS).[/B] Will Bob Spoo finally get his win over an FBS school this time around? It will be close... but no. [B][I]Pat Fitzgeralds 34, Spoon-Fed Spoos 24. [/I][/B]

[B]Jackson State vs. Tennessee State[/B] (Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, TN). Why can't the Tigers - the Tennessee State ones, that is - beat the Mississippi Tigers in their home state? [B][I]No-Miss-Take Tigers 37, Mistak-Tenn Tigers 26[/I][/B].

[B]Morehouse (D-II) vs. Howard[/B] (Nation's Football Classic in Washington, DC). The inaugural Classic game at RFK stadium should be a fun time - but not for the FCS team. [B][I]More House Music 27, Less Howard 23[/I][/B].

[B]North Carolina Central vs. Central State (OH) (D-II)[/B] (Cleveland Classic in Cleveland, OH). Another great "Classic" game - buit in this one, the FCS team reigns supreme. [B][I] Eager Eagles 19, South Central Clevelandites 12[/I][/B].

[B][U]Top 25[/U][/B]
[B](23) South Carolina State at (24) Bethune-Cookman[/B]. The MEAC Championship? In Week 2? Hard to go against the Wildcats at home. [B][I]Wildcats 35, Bulldogs 28[/I][/B].

[B]Robert Morris at (21) Liberty.[/B] The Flames have been licking their chops looking for revenge for this loss last year, which likely kept them from the playoffs. They will not misstep here. [B][I] Flames 49, Colonials 16.
[/I][/B]
[B](20) Central Arkansas at Louisiana Tech (FBS)[/B]. The Bears are good. La Tech is not. Why not? [B][I]Bears 36, La Tech 29[/I][/B].

[B](19) Villanova at Towson[/B]. Upset alert! [B][I]Tigers 30, Wildcats 23[/I][/B].
[B]
(18) Sacramento State at Southern Utah[/B]. The Hornet's win at Oregon State last week was awesome, and historic. But they had better be ready for Southern Utah - it will be a harder game... that they won't win. [B][I]Thunderbirds 40, Hornets 29[/I][/B].

[B]Central Connecticut State at (17) James Madison[/B]. Mickey Matthews will likely be pleased with the grand re-opening of Bridgeforth stadium - because his Dukes will have won. [B][I] Dukes 35, Blue Devils 10[/I][/B].

[B](15) Southern Illinois at Ole Miss (FBS)[/B]. Twice in a row? No. [B][I] Rebs 35, Salukis 29[/I][/B].

[B](16) New Hampshire at (14) Lehigh[/B]. A "show-me" game for Lehigh, after getting creamed at Durham 31-10 last year. It should be a dandy. [B][I]Mountain Hawks 32, Wildcats 30.[/I][/B]

[B][I]Cal Poly at (13) Montana[/I][/B]. The Mustangs always play the Griz tough, and this game will be no exception. [B][I]Mustangs 35, Griz 33[/I][/B].

[B]Wagner at (11) Richmond[/B]. Is it just me, or is this "NEC On the Road" week? [B][I] Spinning Spiders 29, Wagged Wagner 13[/I][/B].

[B](10) Jacksonville State at (25) Chattanooga[/B]. The Gamecocks did not impress me this week, which makes this ripe for Chatty to run away with this as the home team. [B][I]Mocs 41, Gamecocks 17.[/I][/B]

[B](9) Wofford at Clemson (FBS)[/B]. Dinosaur bone meets bowl-bound Tigers. [B][I]FBS Tigers 37, Woofed Terriers 6.[/I][/B]

[B]St. Francis (PA) at (8) North Dakota State[/B]. Bison load up on cupcakes in the preseason before their real nine-game season starts. [B][I]Bison 49, Red Flash [/I][/B]6.

[B]West Chester (D-II) at (7) Delaware[/B]. Speaking of cupcakes... [B][I]Hens 30, Rear-Ended Rams 0.[/I][/B]

[B]UC Davis at (6) Montana State[/B]. Odd, that with all the history between Cal Poly and Montana, UC Davis and Montana State don't share the same type of thing. It won't begin, either, this week. [B][I]Bobcats 35, Aggies 10[/I][/B].
[B]
(5) William & Mary at VMI[/B]. The Tribe - can I call them that? - will not allow the Keydets to make this a game. [B][I] Tribal Tribe 44, Konked Keydets 16[/I][/B].

[B]North Carolina A&T at (4) Appalachian State[/B]. Aggies, meet Armanti. Wait, this isn't 2008? [B][I]Apps 56, Aggies [/I][/B]6.

[B](3) Northern Iowa at (12) Stephen F. Austin[/B]. Is the No. 3 team in the country the 1-0 team? No, that would be SFA, who dismantled a high school-caliber team 82-6 last weekend. Is the No. 12 team in the country 0-1? No, that would be UNI, who lost a heartbreaker to FBS Iowa State 21-20 last weekend. One team will be 2-0, and another will be 0-2 this weekend. [B][I]SFA 30, UNI 16[/I][/B].

[B]Tusculum (D-II) at (2) Georgia Southern[/B]. Tuscul-who? [B][I]Eagles 56, Tuscul-Them 3[/I][/B].

[B](1) Eastern Washington at South Dakota[/B]. The Coyotes' home opener comes against the defending national champs. Does it get any harder than that? [B][I]Eagles 47, Yotes 10.[/I][/B] ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?161-Week-2-FCS-Picks-Part-One-(9-8-2011-9-10-2011) Week 1 FCS Picks, Part Two (9/2/2011-9/3/2011) http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?155-Week-1-FCS-Picks-Part-Two-(9-2-2011-9-3-2011) Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:45:37 GMT I went a torrid 17-1 in picking the first 18 games of the season, including getting a squeaker by Northwestern State over Delta State (D-II), a... I went a torrid 17-1 in picking the first 18 games of the season, including getting a squeaker by Northwestern State over Delta State (D-II), a close, high-scoring win by Eastern Illinois over Illinois State, and a hard-fought win by UMass over Holy Cross.

The only game I got wrong was the only FCS over FBS upset I picked - New Hampshire, um, didn't quite give Toledo a game, losing big, 58-22.

Today, I pick the Friday games (which don't require a sentence), and selected Top 25 and Saturday games. Enjoy the picks - and hope I can keep up this victory percentage!

No need for a sentence on these:

[B]Friday:[/B]
[B][I]Georgia State 56, Clark Atlanta (NAIA) 6
Michigan State (FBS) 45, Youngstown State 14[/I][/B]

One-Sentence Picks:

[B]Saturday:
Key Non-Top 25 Matchups:[/B]
[B][U]Fordham at UConn (FBS)[/U][/B]. This will not be the blowout that some people think. [B][I]Horrified Huskies 31, Ram Tough Rams 28.
[/I][/B]
[B][U]Southeast Louisiana at Tulane (FBS)[/U][/B]. I smell an upset - this came oh-so-close to happening last year, but this year's the charm. [B][I]Lovable Lions 32, Green Wave Down the Toilet 26.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Dayton at Robert Morris[/U][/B]. Last year's NEC champions lost a hard-fought game to the Flyers last year - and Joe Walton's troops are going to fall yet again. [B][I] Ohio Menaces 23, Cuddly Colonials 16[/I][/B].
[B][U]
St Francis (PA) at Wagner[/U][/B]. Will the Red Flash be improved? Maybe, but not enough to pull the upset on Staten Island. [B][I]Twin Skyhawks 34, Not Enough Red Flash 20.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Albany at Colgate[/U][/B]. Raider RB Nate Eachus will be getting a headstart on his Payton Award campaign with 332 yards rushing, 3 rushing touchdowns, a two-point conversion, and a passing touchdown for good measure. [B][I]Ram Raiders 29, Done Danes 12[/I][/B].

[B][U]Alabama A&M at Hampton[/U][/B]. Call it the "mini MEAC/SWAC Challenge". The Bulldogs could be the team to beat in the SWAC... and the Pirates... well, thanks for playing. [B][I] Roll Bulldogs 30, Pummeled Pirates 21.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Eastern Kentucky at Kansas State (FBS)[/U][/B]. Do I pick too many of these upsets? Probably, but this one is a distinct possibility... Wait, did I see that starting quarterback T.J. Pryor is doubtful? [B][I]Lucky Circle K's 27, Unlucky Colonels 6.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Prairie View A&M vs. Bethune-Cookman[/U][/B] (MEAC/SWAC Challenge). Brain Jenkins' Wildcats avenge the pride of the MEAC on Sunday with a resounding win. It won't be close. [B][I] Jenkins Ain't Junk 42, Piledriven Panthers 17.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Top 25 Matchups:[/U][/B]
[B][U](23) Sacramento State at Oregon State (FBS)[/U][/B]. Ain't happening. [B][I]Busy Beavers 26, Humbled Hornets 13[/I][/B].
[B][U]
(22) Chattanooga at Nebraska (FBS).[/U][/B] Nope. [B][I] Hated Huskers 31, Moc-Luks 13.[/I][/B]

[B][U](21) Liberty at North Carolina State (FBS).[/U][/B] The Flames are stacked with quarterback Mike Brown and a host of great athletes. It won't make for the upset this time around - but it's going to be awful close. [B][I]Lone Wolves 21, Fanned Flames 20. [/I][/B]

[B][U](20) McNeese State at Kansas (FBS). [/U][/B] Did I see ten Jayhawks were supposed to play this Saturday? Against McNeese State? What is Turner Gill thinking? [B][I]Rope-a-Dopes 27, Jumbled Jayhawks 24.[/I][/B]

[B][U](17) Richmond at Duke (FBS).[/U][/B] Once upon a time, Duke was humbled by a CAA team. Unfortunately for the Spiders, they learned their lesson. [B][I] Dukes of Earl 30, Stomped Spiders 24.[/I][/B]
[B][U]
(16) Southern Illinois at Southeast Missouri State[/U][/B]. The SEMO Redhawks pulled off the major upset of the Salukis last year in Carbondale 24-21. This year, Southern Illinois repays the favor. [B][I] Psyched Salukis 34, Reddened Redhawks 28.[/I][/B]
[B][U]
(15) James Madison at North Carolina (FBS).[/U][/B] If Mickey Matthews wins, I'm sure a poster of Mickey with a slash through it will be posted in the ACC conference office, with the slogan: DO NOT SCHEDULE THIS MAN. Wait - is North Carolina starting an untested sophomore at quarterback? [B][I] Dukes of the ACC 27, Laughingstocks of the ACC 17.[/I][/B]

[B][U](13) Lehigh at Monmouth[/U][/B]. Why are all the ranked teams playing on the road? Seriously, I want to know. [B][I]Lovable Mountain Dwellers 31, UnderHawks 17.[/I][/B]

[B][U]Lafayette at (12) North Dakota State.[/U][/B] Finally - a ranked team at home! And a 2-9 team visiting the Bison! [B][I] Trampling Buffalos 31, Flattened Leopards 6.
[/I][/B]
[B][U](11) Montana at Tennessee (FBS).[/U][/B] Montana is good. Just not this good. [B][I]Kooky Knoxvillians 31, Better, But Not Great Yet, Griz 6.[/I][/B]

[B][U](8) Wofford at Presbyterian.[/U][/B] Head coach Mike Ayers will be schooling the youg FCS program this week in their place. [B][I]Dinosaur Bones 37, Home Schooled 6.[/I][/B]

[B][U](7) Northern Iowa at Iowa State (FBS).[/U][/B] It's going to be oh-so-close, but I think a team from Iowa is going to be humiliated losing a tight game to their Iowan rival. Yep, the Panthers will be devastated. [B][I] Trophies Suck 21, Losing to the Cyclones Sucks 20.[/I][/B]

[B][U](5) Delaware at Navy (FBS).[/U][/B] Not the right year for the Hens to upend the Mids. [B][I]Mid Men 35, Chicken Men 17.[/I][/B]

[B][U](4) William & Mary at Virginia (FBS)[/U][/B]. Know this: Virginia coach Mike London not only knows FCS (as a former Richmond coach and FCS National Champion). He knows head coach Jimmye Laycock, having faced him many times in the Oldest Rivalry in the South. [B][I] London Calling 34, Laycock's Not Answering 16.[/I][/B]

[B][U](3) Georgia Southern at Samford.[/U][/B] The Bulldogs will be no match for the Eagles' running back Robert Brown and the young, frightening Georgia Southern offense. [B][I]Enegretic Eagles 37, Sunk Samfordians 17.[/I][/B]

[B][U](2) Appalachian State at Virginia Tech (FBS).[/U][/B] The Hokies, you would think, would be ready for an FCS team, no? James Madison upended them last year, 21-16. It won't be easy, but Frank Beamer will not let his team be upended twice in a row against the FCS. His job depends on a win this weekend. [B]I]Hokey Hokies 35, Apt Apps 34.[/I][/B]

[B][U](1) Eastern Washington at Washington (FBS).[/U][/B] The Eagles are defending national champions, and they're awfully good. Unfortunately, they're going against the Huskies, who are better. [B][I]Purple George Washingtons 34, Red Wilbur Washingtons 16.[/I][/B] ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?155-Week-1-FCS-Picks-Part-Two-(9-2-2011-9-3-2011) Week 1 FCS Picks, Part One (9/1/2011) http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?151-Week-1-FCS-Picks-Part-One-(9-1-2011) Thu, 01 Sep 2011 21:20:33 GMT It's a brand new year, with no mistakes yet in it, as I undertake another vague attempt at entertaining, and informing with my FCS picks.

Tune in tomorrow for my picks over the weekend, but check out my picks for all the games involving FCS teams tonight.

No need for a sentence on these:

[B][I]Louisville (FBS) 56, Murray State 3
Morehead State 28, Kentucky Christian (NAIA) 17
(18) Stephen F. Austin 70, McMurry (NAIA) 5
Georgia Tech (FBS) 48, Western Carolina 13
Nicholls 56, Evangel (NAIA) 0
Rutgers (FBS) 32, North Carolina Central 0
South Alabama 30, West Alabama (D-II) 21
(19) Central Arkansas 37, Henderson State (D-II) 23[/I][/B]

One-Sentence Picks:

[B][U](24) South Carolina State at Central Michigan (FBS).[/U][/B] The Chippewas, who might be one of the better teams in the MAC this year, will get an early challenge from head coach Buddy Pough's gritty dogs, but will pull awa in the end. [I] Cheesy Chipsters 38, Bummed Bulldogs 21.[/I]

[B][U]UT Martin at (10) Jacksonville State.[/U][/B] I hate Week One conference matchups. (Why, OVC, why?) Hard to see Jack Crowe's Gamecocks laying an egg in Week one. [I]Cocky Crowes 35, Fictional Hawks 21.[/I]

[B][U]Delta State (D-II) at Northwestern State.[/U][/B] The Demons have a history of underachieving against D-II schools - they'll survive, just. [I]Lambda Demon Lambda 21, Delta Delta Delta 19.[/I]

[B][U](14) Villanova vs. Temple[/U][/B] (Mayor's Cup, Lincoln Financial Field). Last year, with WR Matt Szczur, this was a game - this year, with WR Norman White out, this game is a blowout. [I]Somewhat Wise Owls 34, Nipped Novians 12.[/I]

[B][U](9) New Hampshire at Toledo.[/U][/B] There couldn't be a more ripe pick for an FBS upset than this gem right here. [I]Wooly Wildcats 28, Rickety Rockets 17.[/I]

[B][U]Illinois State at Eastern Illinois.[/U][/B] The 100th meeting in this "Mid-America Classic", you have to believe that the ageless Bob Spoo will find a way to come out on top. [I]Spoo's Men 45, Redbird Roadkill, 38.[/I]

[B][U]UMass at Holy Cross.[/U][/B] The Minutemen are on their way to the FBS, soon, and while this will be a good battle for the first half Kevin Morris' squad should pull away late in the second. [I]Temple Fodder 31, Purple Mudders 23.[/I]

[B][U]Drake at North Dakota. [/U][/B] The Bulldogs should be battle-tested before entering Pioneer League play - and it's this spanking by North Dakota that will provide the testing. [I]Fightin' No-Names 47, Drake's Cakes 19.[/I]

[B][U](6) Montana State at Utah (FBS).[/U][/B] The Bobcats will win some games this year, but one of them won't be against the powerful Utes. [I]Two Utes 44, Eleven Bobkitties 17.[/I]

[B][U]UC Davis at Arizona State.[/U][/B] The Aggies have beaten Pac-10 teams before - they upended Stanford 20-13 in 2005, in one of the top FCS upsets of all time - but beating the Sun Devils in their place seems like too tall an order. [I]Sun Strokers 45, Burn Aggies, Burn 13.[/I] ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?151-Week-1-FCS-Picks-Part-One-(9-1-2011) Buy Tickets to Any Division I Football Championship Subdivision Game Online! http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?144-Buy-Tickets-to-Any-Division-I-Football-Championship-Subdivision-Game-Online! Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:52:14 GMT Did you know that, through the schedule page of the College Sporting News, there are links to buy tickets to almost any game featuring an FCS team? ... Did you know that, through the schedule page of the College Sporting News, there are links to buy tickets to almost any game featuring an FCS team?

Some FCS teams do not offer online ticketing for home games, but for those that do, CSN's weekly schedule pages are the only place where you can get links to every game to buy tickets online.

In addition to ticket information, there's also information about TV broadcasts, live stats, and audio and video links to games, if they're available.

Click on the links below for more information!

[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?473-2011-Season-Week-One-Schedule"]Week 1 - August 31st to September 5th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?474-2011-Season-Week-Two-Schedule"]Week 2 - September 6th to September 11th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?476-2011-Season-Week-Three-Schedule"]Week 3 - September 12th to September 18th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?477-2011-Season-Week-Four-Schedule"]Week 4 - September 19th to September 25th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?478-2011-Season-Week-Five-Schedule"]Week 5 - September 26th to October 2nd[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?479-2011-Season-Week-Six-Schedule"]Week 6 - October 3rd to October 9th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?482-2011-Season-Week-Seven-Schedule"]Week 7 - October 10th to October 16th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?483-2011-Season-Week-Eight-Schedule"]Week 8 - October 17th to October 23rd[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?484-2011-Season-Week-Nine-Schedule"]Week 9 - October 24th to October 30th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?496-2011-Season-Week-Ten-Schedule"]Week 10 - October 31st to November 6th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?497-2011-Season-Week-Eleven-Schedule"]Week 11 - November 7th to November 13th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?498-2011-Season-Week-Twelve-Schedule"]Week 12 - November 14th to November 20th[/URL]
[URL="http://www.collegesportingnews.com/content.php?501-2011-Season-Week-Thirteen-Schedule"]Week 13 - November 21st to November 27th[/URL] ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?144-Buy-Tickets-to-Any-Division-I-Football-Championship-Subdivision-Game-Online! <![CDATA[The Biggest Impact FCS UDFA's]]> http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?139-The-Biggest-Impact-FCS-UDFA-s Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:51:23 GMT With the end of the NFL Lockout and the ensuing mass signing of undrafted free agents afterwards, to me three signings of FCS players will have... With the end of the NFL Lockout and the ensuing mass signing of undrafted free agents afterwards, to me three signings of FCS players will have long-lasting impacts on the franchises in question.

[B]1. [I]CB T.J. Heath, Jacksonville State[/I] (Jacksonville Jaguars).[/B] The guy who called himself "Mr. All-American" at Jacksonville State may not have had as statistically dominant a senior year as his tools might suggest (6'0, a low speed of 4.40 in the 40 yard dash), but the Jaguars certainly were quite aware of the former Gamecock's junior campaign where he nabbed 6 interceptions and had 10 passes defensed. His speed and tools should translate well to the NFL, and he has the potential to be a starting corner sooner rather than later.

[B]2. [I]WR Tysson Poots, Southern Utah[/I] (Baltimore Ravens)[/B]. He's not a guy that will impress at the combine with his speed, but what's not in doubt is that the former Thunderbird can get open and catch passes. A strong, aggressive, tough slot receiver, Poots rated 4th in FCS last year in receiving yards (1,230 yards, 11 TDs) and can develop into a hard-ass slot receiver for the Ravens if they give the 6'2, 214 lb receiver a chance.

[B]3. [I]S Collin Zych, Harvard[/I] (Dallas Cowboys)[/B]. It figures that the only NFL team run by an Ivy Leaguer (Princetonian Jason Garrett) would nab the best player in the Ivy League in Zych. Though listed at 5'10, Collin's motor never stops running on the football field from the safety position, where he was the physical and emotional leader of the Crimson defense last year. The Cowboys got a guy that will help them on special teams at first - and may eventually find himself starting in the secondary. ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?139-The-Biggest-Impact-FCS-UDFA-s FCS Quarterfinals, New Hampshire @ Delaware, 12/10/2010 http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?126-FCS-Quarterfinals-New-Hampshire-Delaware-12-10-2010 Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:23:12 GMT Newark will play host Friday night on prime-time ESPN2 to another fantastic matchup of Northeast football as well, as New Hampshire returns to Tubby... Newark will play host Friday night on prime-time ESPN2 to another fantastic matchup of Northeast football as well, as New Hampshire returns to Tubby Raymond Field to face off against Delaware for the first time since quarterback Ricky Santos almost singlehandedly defeated Joe Flacco and the Blue Hens in a 52-49 shootout.

Through the quirks of CAA scheduling, New Hampshire have not played in Newark since 2006, and last played in 2007.
But through the magic of the playoffs, the league matchup that wasn't meant to be in the regular season will now be a do-or-die struggle for CAA supremacy.

New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell, a man as restrained as Keeler is outspoken, hinted that Decker might be the starter again this week. "

We'll figure that out as we go along," McDonnell said.

"Coming off a physical game against Bethune Cookman, you lose that extra day for healing for the Friday game," McDonnell added. "The only thing that helps us is that we see Delaware on tape all the time, and at this time of year you have a pretty good idea about what you want to do. We're excited to have an opportunity to play them, and on Friday night [on ESPN]."

Keeler also mentioned defense in the run-up to this Friday's game.

"If you look at New Hampshire, they have 33 sacks," Keeler said. "Like Lehigh last week, they're a totally different team now than they were at the beginning of the season."

Keeler gave special praise to the highly-respected McDonnell and his staff.

"I don't think anyone in the country does as good a job of coaching as those guys do," Keeler explained. "They have really good personnel, their defensive line is outstanding and they play with a lot of passion and a lot of speed. Cornerback Dino Vasso could be the best corner in the league."

The quest for the semis starts now, in frigid Newark, Delaware. ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?126-FCS-Quarterfinals-New-Hampshire-Delaware-12-10-2010 LIVE: Watching the FCS Playoff Selection Show http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?118-LIVE-Watching-the-FCS-Playoff-Selection-Show Sun, 21 Nov 2010 15:08:24 GMT [B]App Bracket
First Round[/B]
Western Illinois at Coastal Carolina
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 1 Appalachian State
Villanova at Stephen F. Austin

[B]Tribe Bracket
First Round[/B]
South Carolina State at Georgia Southern
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 2 William & Mary
Wofford at Jacksonville State

[B]Hen Bracket
First Round[/B]
Lehigh at Northern Iowa
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 3 Delaware
New Hampshire at Bethune-Cookman

[B]Bobcat Bracket
First Round[/B]
Robert Morris at North Dakota State
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 4 Montana State
Southeast Missouri State vs. No. 5 Eastern Washington ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?118-LIVE-Watching-the-FCS-Playoff-Selection-Show <![CDATA[Chuck's Stab At the 20-Team Field]]> http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?116-Chuck-s-Stab-At-the-20-Team-Field Sun, 21 Nov 2010 07:07:47 GMT Here's my thought as to who the 20-team field will be.

First, the seeds.

[B]Appalachian State[/B], despite losing to FBS Florida handily today, wins the No. 1 seed since Delaware could not hold on against Villanova in a 28-21 instant classic. (The win by the Wildcats, incidentally, puts them right into an at-large bid.)

[B]William & Mary[/B], CAA champions, are the No. 2, thanks to their resounding 41-3 win over Richmond.

[B]Montana State[/B] is the No. 3, thanks to their 21-16 win over Montana in the 110th "Brawl of the Wild".

And No. 4 belongs to [B]Stephen F. Austin[/B], whose convincing 36-13 victory for the "Chief Caddo" trophy also seems to have given the Lumberjacks a seed as well.

The No. 5 seed seems destined to be [B}Delaware[/B]'s, despite the loss today. As at-large teams go, two last-second defeats to top teams is an extremely strong resume, and a tiny bit better than the other teams in the field.

The at-large teams I'm picking to be:
[B]Delaware (9-2)
Eastern Washington (9-2)
Wofford (9-2)
New Hampshire (7-4)
Villanova (7-4)
Jacksonville State (9-2)
Georgia Southern (7-4)
Western Illinois (7-4)
South Carolina State (9-2)
Liberty (8-3)[/B]

It seems like [B]North Dakota State[/B] seems like the odd team out versus Liberty, my last team in. Why? I think it comes down to two things: both the Bison and Flames have an FBS win, and the Flames won their last game and only lost the autobid due to the fifth tiebreaker. I refuse to believe the NCAA will punish Liberty for doing their best to win their game handily - giving the autobid away to Coastal Carolina - to lose the playoffs on a tiebreaker.

In contrast, the Bison lost their last game against Missouri State and frankly don't have a quality win on their schedule.

With those teams, here's my stab at the brackets:

[B]Mountaineer Bracket
First Round[/B]
Robert Morris at Liberty
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 1 Appalachian State
Villanova at Northern Iowa

[B]Tribe Bracket
First Round[/B]
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina State
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 2 William & Mary
Wofford at Jacksonville State

[B]Bobcat Bracket
First Round[/B]
Western Illinois at Southeast Missouri State
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 3 Montana State
New Hampshire at Eastern Washington

[B]Lumberjack Bracket
First Round[/B]
Bethune-Cookman at Georgia Southern
[B]Second Round[/B]
First Round Winner vs. No. 4 Stephen F. Austin
Lehigh at No. 5 Delaware ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?116-Chuck-s-Stab-At-the-20-Team-Field Live Blog: Lehigh @ Holy Cross, 11/6/2010 http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?108-Live-Blog-Lehigh-Holy-Cross-11-6-2010 Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:37:18 GMT I'm here at Worcester, Mass to see Lehigh take on Holy Cross in a key Patriot League battle. Lehigh completely controls their own destiny in the Patriot League title race - a wn here would go a very lon way in securing at least a share of the Patriot League championship - their first since 2006. But defending champions Holy Cross won'g give it up without a fight - and a win here for them would put them in the driver's seat for the championship.

It's a brisk 45 degree up here in Worcester, but a perfect day for football. The rains that passed through here Thursday and Friday left no trace on the perfect grass field.

Kickoff to come! ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?108-Live-Blog-Lehigh-Holy-Cross-11-6-2010 Live Blog: Fordham at Lehigh http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?97-Live-Blog-Fordham-at-Lehigh Sat, 09 Oct 2010 16:57:33 GMT Reporting live from Murray Goodman Stadium, it's 2-2 Lehigh taking on 1-3 Fordham.

With 6:06 to play in the first half, Lehigh QB Chris Lum threw the ball over the middle to WR Ryan Spadola, who looked like he was down - but then rolled over tthe defender and waltzed into the end zone for the 12 yard TD run. XP good: Lehigh 7, Fordham 0.

Fordham WR David Moore got the handoff, lateraled to QB Blake Wayne, who heaved the ball to WR Jason Caldwell to get into Lehigh territory.

Fordham had a 3rd down in red zone - but Wayne juggled the snal, snap, and Lehigh LB Mike Groome flew in for the sack to make it 4th and 12 from the 15 yard line.

Fordham PK Patrick Murray nailed a 32 yard FG to make it Lehigh 7, Fordham 3 with 2:32 left in the first.

A Lehigh offensive drive didn't lead to much, and Fordham is driving at the Lehigh 25 on a3rd and 19 at the end of the first quarter.

*****

A questionable roughing the passer call on Lehigh LB Al Pierce - who led with his shoulder pad, but making somecantact with Fordham QB Blake Wayne's helmet - gives Fordham a 1st and goal from the Lehigh 9.

3rd and goal - WR Jay Livingston tried to leap over the top of the pile to get the touchdown, but Lehigh LB Mike Groome stood him up hard to deny him the TD.

4th and goal, Fordham head coach Tom Masella elects to go for it. QB Blake Wayne rolls right in what looks like an option play, but it breaks down and Wayne then has to roll left. He looks for an open receiver, but find nobody as Lehigh LB Devin Greene stuffs him for a loss. Turnover on downs.

A solid drive by Fordham, mostly through the air, ended in a nice 39 yard pass down the right side from QB Blake Wayne to WR David Moore where he beat his 1-on-1 coverage for the big-play touchdown. Murray's XP is good. Fordham 10, Lehigh 7, 6:08 left in the first half.

Lehigh responded with a 45 yard return on the kickoff by WR Craig Zurn, and marched right down the field, aided by a personal foul at the end of a 10 yard reception by Lehigh WR Jake Drwal. Then, QB Michael Colvin used the wildcat to convert a 6 yard touchdown run to cap off the drive. PK Jake Peery's extra point made the score Lehigh 14, Fordham 10.

A picture perfect day here at Murray Goodman stadium, blue skies and just a few clouds in the skies.

Fordham made a big drive in between the 20s, with some big pass plays to WR David Moore, but once they got inside the red zone - and converted a key 4th down to WR Patrick Miller - Fordham QB Blake Wayne fumbled a snap on first down, which kicked them out of field goal range. A last-second hail mary was batted down by Lehigh, making the tally Lehigh 14, Fordham 10 at halftime.

Lehigh LB Mike Groome, who made three big third down stops, including standing up Fordham on a goal line leap, was the big difference-maker in the half.

Should be an interesting game to unfold. Both teams have shown flashes of solid offense and defense, but have also shown a tendedncy to shoot themselves in the foot in key situations.

*****

Fordham gets the ball on the opening kickoff, and the drive stalls at midfield. 4th and 3, and Fordham lines up to punt. It's a fake! The ball gets hiked to 300 lb NG Justin Yancey, who rumbles forward for first down yardage. But - who else - LB Mike Groome and another backer hit Yancey in the hands, causing him to drop the ball. Lehigh FS John Venerio recovers!

Lehigh wastes no time takeing advantage. QB Chris Lum, rolling out and all day to throw, finds RB Zach Barket in the right side of the end zone, who leans out and drags his foot for the TD. Peery extra point good. Lehigh 21, Fordham 10, 10 minutes to play, 3rd quarter.

After an exchange of punts - and a 4th down and inches run by Lehigh stuffed by Fordham NG Justin Yancey - the Rams undergo an impressive drive, mixing receptions to TE Stephen Sketon and ending with a 2 yard TD run by RB Darryle Whiting. Murray's extra point is good, which seems to point to an interesting end of this game. Lehigh 21, Fordham 17, :52 left, 3rd quarter.

That's the end of the 3rd quarter, with Lehigh facing a 2nd and 9 deep in their end.

*****

The story of this 4th quarter has been Lehigh's 4th-down stops of Fordham's offense. Twice Masella went for it on 4th down, and the last one, with 3:42 left in the game, resulted in a ball tipped up by WR Jason Moore, which fell to the ground. Lehigh has the ball, and will try to hold on and win.

Lehigh missed a 39 yard attempt into the wind by PK KJake Peery, which would have given Lehigh a 7 point lead. Lehigh offense goes 3-and-out, Fordham gets the ball back with 3 minutes to play.

Lehigh's offense does nothing, and punts it away to Fordham.

Wayne finds TE Stephen Skelton for a pair of big receptions. A facemask call allows Fordham to set up shop, with a chance to win the game, with 2 minutes to play at the Lehigh 26.

1st down - Fordham runs, stuffed up the middle.

2nd down - reception for no gain, Lehigh's linebackers make sure to tackle him in bounds.

3rd down - Wayne can't find anybody, he throws it out-of-bounds.

4th down - the Lehigh crowd of about 5,000 all on their feet - and Wayne throws it left to Moore. But he trapped it! Incomplete!

Lehigh survives three drives in their territory to win the game. The stat of the game: Fordham went 0-for-6 on 4th down conversions, including three times in the 4th quarter that could have resulted in scores. ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?97-Live-Blog-Fordham-at-Lehigh Why A Building Means A Lot to Football History http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?61-Why-A-Building-Means-A-Lot-to-Football-History Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:51:46 GMT A year ago, Princeton thought it was doing a favor in moving the Fields Center and Community... A year ago, Princeton thought it was doing a favor in moving the Fields Center and Community House[URL="http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S25/32/26S67/index.xml?section=topstories"] to a brand-new building[/URL]:

[QUOTE]The new facility will enable the Fields Center to augment its educational and social programs, which focus on its priority areas of empowerment, understanding, social justice and leadership.

"Our goal is to provide a supportive environment outside of the classroom to help students become effective world leaders by learning about themselves and those who may be different from them," Clay said.

The center also will take advantage of its new gallery space to promote art that draws attention to social injustice, history and cultural awareness. Its proposed inaugural exhibit will feature work by Chicago artist and scholar Nnenna Okore that will highlight socio-economic disparities, sustainable development and environmental conservation in West Africa.[/QUOTE]

It sounds like a slam-dunk for the folks at Princeton: except for the inconvenient fact that the building they vacated and planned to demolish, 86 Olden Street, [URL="http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2010/03/10/25498/"]has a unique football history[/URL]:

[QUOTE]The fate of 86 Olden St. — the former site of the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality and Understanding — has recently become the subject of concern for some alumni who fear that the University will demolish the 19th-century building to make way for the future Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment.

Some are worried that the historic value of the former Osborn Clubhouse and Third World Center, which was renamed the Fields Center in 2002, will be lost if demolition plans go ahead.

Built in 1892 as the Osborn Clubhouse, the space was used for nearly 80 years as the home to the Princeton football team in what Maynard called the “golden age of Princeton intercollegiate sport.”

Maynard also noted the building’s historical significance, explaining that it “played an important role in the historic desegregation of the Ivy League.”

Future generations would want to visit a preserved 86 Olden St. to “see where Michelle Obama [’85] spent time on the campus [and] to see how the University was integrated,” he said.[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure of it's role in desegregation - though New Jersey was one of the first states to pass a law to desegregate their public school districts, seven years before Brown vs. Board of education - but the Osborn Clubhouse was where Princeton's national champions would have lived and trained, and also acted as a locker room for visiting teams as well. It seems like a shame that such an important piece of football history might be facing the wrecking ball. ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?61-Why-A-Building-Means-A-Lot-to-Football-History Top 10 Reasons Frisco Was Chosen over Chattanooga http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?55-Top-10-Reasons-Frisco-Was-Chosen-over-Chattanooga Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:46:26 GMT [ATTACH=CONFIG]62[/ATTACH]I couldn't resist: here's my (somewhat) tongue-in-cheek list as to why Frisco, Texas - a town without a FCS team to call home - won the bidding to become the home of the FCS National Championship game for the next three years.

10. After Chattanooga tripled their bid, the NCAA managed to negotiate free wings to go with their free one-topping pizzas for life from Pizza Hut.

9. Because the NCAA thought it was high time that "Tree City USA" got a postseason game.

8. This way, Dallas can at least crown [I][B]one[/B][/I] champion for the next three years, since it's not like the Cowboys, Stars or Mavericks are ever going to get it done.

7. The NCAA was reportedly unimpressed with the slogan "Amtrak-it to Chatty"!

6. Because J.R. told them to. (Which, ironically, was reportedly the slogan Frisco brought up with them to Indianapolis to make their pitch.)

5. The Cotton Bowl will need somewhere for the fans to go when they can't get scalped tickets to their non-championship game, and when they realize that a true champion is going to be crowned in Frisco they might just stay.

4. The NCAA thought it was better to issue the game to a place best known for being a [I]watering-hole[/I] for trans-continental railways than the [B]main railway hub[/B] after the civil war.

3. The IKEA in Frisco is just bigger - just like everything else in Texas.

2. This will do wonders for Dallas Baptist's bid to join the Sun Belt. (Of course, they'll have to start a [U]football team[/U] first.

And the No. 1 reason why Frisco is now the site of the 2010 FCS National Championship Game:

1. Big Tex needs something to do in between state fairs.

(Photo courtesy Dallas Observer).

:D
Attached Thumbnails
]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?55-Top-10-Reasons-Frisco-Was-Chosen-over-Chattanooga <![CDATA[Colgate Men "Don't Do Enough" Community Service?]]> http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?46-Colgate-Men-quot-Don-t-Do-Enough-quot-Community-Service Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:31:51 GMT Today I found myself reading a [URL="http://www.maroon-news.com/former-nfl-star-visits-colgate-offers-inspirational-message-1.1164952"]mostly positive report[/URL] by the [I]Colgate Maroon-News[/I] of a visit by former NFL RB Warwick Dunn to campus:

[QUOTE]At the start of the lecture, Dunn may have appeared as merely a successful athlete, but by the end, he had revealed himself to be not only an accomplished football player, but also a philanthropist who was motivated by the significant adversity he had overcome throughout his life. When Dunn was only 18, his mother, who was a police officer, was ambushed and murdered by armed robbers while escorting a businesswoman to make a night deposit. Not only did he lose whom he describes to be his “best friend” that day, but he also had to become the sole caregiver for his siblings, as his mother was a single parent.

Although Dunn was severely shaken by this incident, he was consequently moved by the situation to help others in need.

...

What resulted from this tragedy was his idea to start the organization “Homes for the Holidays,” which works to assist single parents become first-time homeowners. He was inspired to start such an organization because it had always been his mother’s dream to own a home. The organization is currently in its thirteenth year and has provided homes to 93 single parents.

And so, despite his success as a football player, Dunn emphasized that his propensity and desire to help others is what truly drives him.

“My life isn’t just about athletics,” Dunn said. “My life is really defined by how I handled the situation when I lost my mom. We will all have a moment where we define ourselves and make a decision about what to do with our lives, and I realized I was meant to help others.”[/QUOTE]

But it was a quote, down in the article, by Colgate assistant dean of multicultural affairs [B]Thomas Cruz-Soto[/B] that really caught my attention:

[QUOTE]“[B][I]Men at Colgate do not do enough community services and do not see the need to despite all the blessings that they have benefited from in order to receive a Colgate education. I believe hearing stories like Warrick Dunn’s can spark that interest in men and women to be more than just a star athlete or a straight A student, but to be a more complete man or women and give back to those in need.[/I][/B]”[/QUOTE]

Huh? I freely admit that the quote was a bit vague, not singling out any one sport, but it did seem to be targeted somewhat to athletes. Is it true that Colgate athletes don't do "enough" to help the community?

I can't speak for other Colgate teams, but I do know in the offseason last year Colgate athletes did do a couple of notable, underpublicized service projects that worthy of attention: [URL="http://www.gocolgateraiders.com/news/2009/2/24/FB_0224093137.aspx?path=football"]"Lift for Life"[/URL] and the [URL="http://www.gocolgateraiders.com/news/2009/4/2/FB_0402093204.aspx?path=football"]National Marrow Donor Program Registry[/URL] drive:

[QUOTE]Colgate football players are members of the Uplifting Athletes, Inc., an organization established to raise awareness for rare diseases. Other college football programs currently involved are Penn State, Ohio State and Maryland.

“It means the world to me and my family that the team would pick a disease that benefits my sister’s disease,” said Meyers, a senior quarterback. “It just shows you that a football team is truly a family, looking out for one another through the thick and the thin.”

“The football student-athletes at Colgate have been great to work with and have really embraced their ability to make a positive and lasting impact,” said Scott Shirley, Executive Director of Uplifting Athletes, Inc. “By choosing to benefit the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation, Colgate Football Uplifting Athletes is able to make the rare disease cause relevant to the team and make a significant impact with their efforts.”[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]The Colgate football team has joined Villanova and the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) in their effort to recruit 5,000 new members to the marrow registry.

Thousands of patients with leukemia and other life-threatening diseases depend on the NMDP Registry to find a match. Through the “Get in the Game, Save a Life” program, university faculty, staff and students and area residents can join the registry.

Donors with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds are especially critical as patients in need of a transplant are most likely to match someone of their own race or ethnicity.

The NMDP facilitates unrelated marrow and cord blood transplants as a single point of access for a long-standing collaborative network of national and international leading medical facilities in marrow and cord blood transplantation. The NMDP connects patients, doctors, donors, and researchers to the resources they need to help more people live longer and healthier lives. [/QUOTE]

I think it's pretty clear that there are a lot of Colgate football players that give back in the form of fundraisers at a bare minimum. Is Mr. Dunn's story inspiring? Absolutely. Is it a good idea for Colgate students to perform community service? Absolutely; I do the same thing around my community.

Could they do even more? Possibly. But I don't think it's fair to characterize Colgate athletes as "not doing enough", just based on the efforts that the football team has publicly available on their own website.. ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?46-Colgate-Men-quot-Don-t-Do-Enough-quot-Community-Service One Of These (Ancient) Eight Is Not Like The Others http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?43-One-Of-These-(Ancient)-Eight-Is-Not-Like-The-Others Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:58:12 GMT As the full extent of the cost crisis in higher education hits home, colleges and universities have to make extremely tough choices. Dartmouth... As the full extent of the cost crisis in higher education hits home, colleges and universities have to make extremely tough choices. Dartmouth College [URL="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/09/dartmouth"]recently made one this weekend[/URL] - one that affects all students currently attending the Hanover, NH college, but also the members of the football team:

[QUOTE]Dartmouth College announced Monday that it is restoring loans to the aid packages of students from families whose incomes exceed $75,000 -- ending a no-loans policy that was announced with much fanfare two years ago. Dartmouth will continue to exclude loans from the aid packages of those with smaller family incomes and will continue to be "need blind" in admissions, meaning that financial need will not be taken into consideration in admissions decisions.[/QUOTE]

Dartmouth followed Division III Williams in retracting their aid program. This "no-loans policy" - enacted two years ago by the richest university in the world, Harvard, with the rest of the Ivy League following suit in some form thereafter - amounts to, in effect, a "scholarship" to attend the school (provided you could make it through admissions, of course). This is one of the reasons that it has been somewhat comical to call the Ivy League "non scholarship" when a family income of $75,000 or less results in a four year education that is 100% paid for.

But Dartmouth's new president, Jim Jong Kim, felt that this aid program [URL="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9-Vs2WwDCdYg7NhIvQ8m3dbGRZQD9DP082O3"]could not stand at Dartmouth[/URL]:

[QUOTE]The Ivy League school said it will lay off about 76 staff as part of a plan to close a projected $100 million budget gap.

The Dartmouth board also approved a 4.6 percent increase in undergraduate tuition, room and board, and fees, raising the annual tab to $52,275 — the smallest increase in the past five years, officials said.

The school said it would increase its financial aid budget 10 percent to help offset the tuition increase. But one big part of the aid program will be cut: The plan to offer loan-free financial aid for students of all income levels beginning with the class entering in fall 2011.

"The simple reality is that we just can't afford that anymore," said Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim.[/QUOTE]

While it was very difficult to find critics of giving more free education to lower and middle class families, nevertheless [I]Inside Higher Ed[/I] managed to [URL="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/09/dartmouth"]find some people who evidently were against it[/URL], including one cringe-inducing way of looking at it:

[QUOTE]One expert on the financial aid strategies of top colleges, who asked not to be identified, said that when colleges see a Williams and a Dartmouth -- "two very strong institutions" -- pulling away from no-loans policies, others are likely to follow. He said that this might especially be the case for the private colleges that eliminated loans despite having smaller endowments (overall or per student) than Dartmouth and Williams.

This expert, echoing the comments of others after the Williams shift, said that from a broad policy perspective, the shift back to loans may be a good thing. "While going no loans was admirable for low-income students," who may have little family experience with borrowing and for whom the possibility of a loan might hinder them from applying, that's not the case for eliminating loans for the middle class, he said. For generations, there has been a philosophy about "sharing the costs" of higher education, with students among those sharing. So there is no reason, he said, to eliminate that responsibility for those who are unlikely to be discouraged from enrolling by reasonable loan requirements.[/QUOTE]

([I]Greeeaaat.[/I] If I'm the parent of a student at Dartmouth, who now has to spend a large hunk of my income towards college, I'll be able to comfort myself with the thought that for generations we've "shared the costs" of higher education. And if I still qualify for the full loan, I'll be able to take comfort in the fact that I have the loan because I have "little family experience with borrowing".)

Many of the discussions on the termination of this aid policy have focused , in my opinion, [URL="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/02/williams"]on the wrong things[/URL]:

[QUOTE]"Are the colleges prioritizing financial aid in the overall budget, and, within financial aid, are they prioritizing the students who are most needy?.... You need to look at the fine print."

...

[Macaaester College president Brian] Rosenberg has been critical of no loans, arguing that it ends up helping some students who don't need it. "Does it make sense to give no loans to someone who graduates and goes on to Morgan Stanley, when that person is perfectly capable of paying loans back?" he asked.[/QUOTE]

That's real misleading - making it sound like it's a choice between needy students and middle-class students when it comes to financial aid. The truth is at most high-academic NCAA institutions there is already very intense focus on needy students - but many do not make it past admissions, for fair and unfair reasons. To me, this is a cop-out: aid for middle class students and needy students does not need to be mutually exclusive.

As for Mr. Rosenberg's take on it - I'd like to own the crystal ball he uses if he can figure out which high school seniors are going to go on and work for Morgan Stanley so they can repay their student loans.

*****

While there evidently are larger issues that Dartmouth needs to deal with, this decision will reverberate through Ivy League and Patriot League athletics as well.

The first question has to be: how can Dartmouth compete with Harvard for athletes? Academically, they are going after the same type of kid: top of his class, etc. But Harvard has not, nor have any plans to, discontinue their aid policy where any kid who gets through admissions and whose family is making under $120,000 will get his education paid for. How can Dartmouth compete?

Put it this way: your family is making six figures. Dartmouth wants you to pay to play football in Hanover, but you have to pay to go there. Harvard does too, but they pay your whole way. Where is he likely to go? Dartmouth had a tough sales job going in, now it's immeasurably tougher - especially if all seven Ivy League schools keep their aid packages intact.

The other issue is how this change might affect the high-academic members of the Patriot League, some of whom offer similar aid programs. For example, Lafayette specifically did not end their aid program, but [URL="http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/02/02/williams"]did modify it slightly[/URL]:

[QUOTE]Lafayette College, for instance, with an endowment worth less than 40 percent of the value of the $1.4 billion fund at Williams, [B][I]recently considered ending its no loans policy[/I][/B], which applied only to families with incomes of up to $50,000. While that remains intact, the college raised the loan limit it pledged to students with family incomes of between $50,000 and $100,000 from $2,500 a year to $3,500 a year. (Both Lafayette and Williams are grandfathering in those who enrolled under the previous policies, so any changes will only affect future students.)[/QUOTE]

And, interestingly...

[QUOTE]There may also be an educational case to be made for modest borrowing. Robert J. Massa, vice president for communications at Lafayette and previously a senior official in enrollment and admissions at Dickinson College and Johns Hopkins University, said that there are definitely some low-income students for whom any loan may be a barrier to college. But largely, he said, "I think that when we have some skin in the game, we're more invested in whatever it is that we do. So from a philosophical point of view, I think it's important for colleges to ask: Should students be borrowing to finance some portion of their education?"[/QUOTE]

The other side of the debate:

[QUOTE]"If you believe that X is a good idea for non-rich students, you ought to believe that it is a good idea for rich students. If taking out loans is good for Sue, coming from a family of school teachers, then it is good from Sarah, coming from a family of investment bankers. Do the rich trustees of Williams make their children take out loans? Hah!" he wrote. He added that "making students take on debt causes them to make choices that are different, and generally less desirable, then the choices that would have otherwise made. By re-instituting loans, the Williams administration has demonstrated its priorities."[/QUOTE]

Clearly, there is a debate going on in higher education about whether or not kids should be "invested" in their education. In the world of the Ivy League, Patriot League and Pioneer Football League, the winner of that debate will also affect athletics, too. ]]> Chuck B. http://www.collegesportingnews.com/entry.php?43-One-Of-These-(Ancient)-Eight-Is-Not-Like-The-Others