OT - attend a D-III football game
D-III or whatever it is now called.
Last Saturday I attended, with spouse and son, the DePauw University v. Rose-Holman football game in Greencastle, Indiana. We had a ball.
First surprise - the stadium was about 3 blocks from the campus and parking was FREE. There was tailgating.
Second surprise - there were no ticket booths or admission charges - it was FREE! No assigned seats.
Third surprise - the concession stand was a food truck.
Fourth surprise - the football was very entertaining. Think high school football where every player is BIG.
So, do yourself a favor some non-M home game weekend and take in a D-III game. Thinks Hillsdale or Albion. You too might end up pleasantly surprised. Oh yes, DePauw won in a late-game comeback and an interception to seal the deal.
September 6th, 2022 at 10:28 AM ^
But if you don’t have to sit in a tiny assigned seat, pay $50 for parking, or stand in line for 30 minutes for a $10 Coke, is it really even a football game???
September 6th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
Don't forget the endless media timeouts. That's what really makes it football!
September 6th, 2022 at 1:27 PM ^
I attended a D-II basketball game not too long ago. I was budgeting about 2 hours for the game, but without media timeouts it was only about 1:15 or something like that.
September 6th, 2022 at 10:37 AM ^
I agree with this sentiment wholeheartedly.
My son is a first year o-lineman on a D3 team in the very competitive WIAC conference (think UW satellite schools, including recent powerhouse UW-Whitewater. 4 top 25 D3 teams currently in the conference). His home opener was an absolute blast. High level football played by student athletes who often don't have D1 measurables (although my son is a 300 pound freshman OG!), but still possess plenty of skill. And the environment was fantastic. My favorite part - after the game, parents and fans mingled with the team for 15-20 minutes outside of the stadium before they went to the locker room. Easy in, easy out. Cheap. No extended TV timeouts. Great football. What's not to love?
September 6th, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^
Boy am I glad that we never had to play UW-Whitewater when I was at Hope. They would have absolutely slaughtered us.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^
My son is a 5th year o-lineman at a WIAC school. Have had some great times at games over the past few years. Every place we have visited the fans and parents are always having a great time and you do not have to worry about the crap that goes on at "big time" stadiums. No batteries thrown at you - hello Madison. Car keyed - looking at you Columbus!
The level of talent in that conference, and most of D3, is quite impressive. Student athletes that love the sport and receive no athletic scholarships. Enjoy the season!
September 6th, 2022 at 10:40 AM ^
If you take the OP's good advice, don't wait too long. R-H and DePauw are probably fine, but many small private schools have bleak futures. The ROI just isn't there and an increasing number of people are realizing as much.
September 6th, 2022 at 1:25 PM ^
That may be true but small colleges may preserve football programs for other reasons. The two arguments I often hear are 1) it maintains good connections with alumni and therefore donors, and 2) it is a good way to recruit male students to schools that skew female. Where I work it seems like we bend over backward to accommodate athletics while finding new ways to trim support going to academics. No, I'm not bitter.
September 6th, 2022 at 1:42 PM ^
Those are good points, but I'm thinking the entire school might disappear. This has actually happened in a few cases and trends forecast more of the same. Again, I'm not concerned about schools at the level of DePauw, but the ones with less impressive reputations are threatened.
September 6th, 2022 at 1:46 PM ^
Ahh--that makes sense. I was thinking of the football programs specifically. Yes, it does seem like a bunch of small colleges are going under. Hoping my institution is on solid ground!
September 6th, 2022 at 10:51 AM ^
Go watch an MIAA game, for sure! (Hope, Albion, Kalamazoo, etc). However, Hillsdale is D-II, just fyi. They are definitely the size of a D-III school, though!
September 6th, 2022 at 10:56 AM ^
Nice touch to have Free Parking. Certainly more likely to draw people outside the campus and "friends and family" of the program to attend.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:22 AM ^
As a former D-III player, thank you!
September 6th, 2022 at 11:24 AM ^
The atmospheres are great! I played at Mount Union College for my first year out of high school and was teammates with Pierre Garcon his last year.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:33 AM ^
Nice! Pierre Garcon's junior year he had 126 yards and a TD in a 49-0 blowout against Hope College (2 years before my freshman year on the team at Hope).
September 7th, 2022 at 9:43 AM ^
It was unreal seeing him practice every day. Not to mention the NFL scouts he drew to our fall camp. He really was a super sweet and genuine human being. I couldn't have been happier for the success that he had in the NFL.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:46 AM ^
Going purely on achievement as a head coach, irrespective of division, long-time Mount Union HC Larry Kehres is the greatest head football coach in NCAA history. His record is mind-boggling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Kehres
September 6th, 2022 at 3:59 PM ^
I don't want to crap on the awesome D3 football thread (basketball is awesome too!), but some things need to be set straight on the records for Mount Union & Larry Kehres.
I grew up cheering for a team in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) which was a rival of Mount Union. Calling it a rival is being kind. Most years Mount Union couldn't compete with the top 2 teams in the conference. Then Larry gets hired.
Side note: My Dad worked at one of the OAC schools in an administrative roll. He was tightly connected with the leadership at all of those schools. It was common practice for those schools to "reserve' three to five "academic scholarships" for members of the football team (and 1-3 for basketball).
Larry gets hired and suddenly the number of football players on "academic scholarship" shoots up to 53. This goes on for a while. No one says anything because they all have their 3-5 exceptions. Eventually, some teams leave the OAC to play in conferences which are more aligned academically. Then Wisconsin Whitewater gets sick of losing to Mount Union and their "academic scholarships" for football players increase. For a decade, the D3 National Championship is primarily played between those two schools.
Now there are a handful of teams in D-3 that are doing the same thing while most are still operating on the 3-5 model.
Full disclosure, in addition to cheering for my Dad's school growing up, I wound up attending a D3 school with a rich tradition of athletic success in football and basketball. I played basketball, but I heard the stories from people around the conference.
This actually pisses me off more than what happens at the D1 level. In D3 all they have to play for is pride and winning. The NCAA can't even provide a fair playing field at that level. WHAT THE HELL DO THEY DO?!?!?!?!?!?!?
September 6th, 2022 at 7:03 PM ^
I'll take a guess your OAC team was Baldwin-Wallace? Grew up watching the old OAC, my dad was a long time professor at Wittenberg. Still the winningest D-III basketball program and usually pretty darn good in football too.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:52 PM ^
Go Tigers!
Can’t stand the Yellow Jackets.
I’m guessing our families may know each other.
September 7th, 2022 at 9:41 AM ^
Larry recruited me but I don't have any warm feelings towards him. I saw him on a number of occasions berate injured players for being injured. He once threatened to kick them out of their dorms during two-a-days if they didn't "get right" and suit up.
It was crazy though how many kids we had come in with my class from Florida. I would estimate at least 25. We had 13 incoming freshman running backs alone my freshman year.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:57 PM ^
True blue’s response nailed it RE: Mount Union. They’ve been the Bama/Georgia of D3. In more ways than one.
Played against them, and it wasn’t cool that they got away with it. But like TB in TX said, the NCAA did nothing to stop it. Guess it’s not illegal if the governing body allows it to happen… right? Ugh.
September 7th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
He ran a very tight ship and was definitely "The Man" on campus.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:27 AM ^
DePauw is my Alma Mater! My wife went to Michigan and taking her to her first D3 game was a definite shock to her. Free Parking? Tickets? Seats?
Most Saturdays in the fall I spent going to the tailgate in the AM, and depending on when Michigan played went back to the fraternity house or stayed and watched a half. No game was sacred except for the Monon Bell game (DePauw vs. Wabash) which has hate rivaling Michigan/Ohio State. Please stop throwing eggs at me.
Son thinking of attending DePauw? I loved it so so so damn much.
September 6th, 2022 at 7:05 PM ^
My daughter is a sophomore at DePauw. Did not follow her old man to UM! Ha!
September 6th, 2022 at 11:39 AM ^
You forgot how easy it is to cheer on student-athletes who are playing primarily for their love of the game.
I LOVE Michigan football, but I find myself longing for a very different college football experience than the one being offered through large programs. This may be the answer.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^
it IS the answer. i submit that so-called "lower-level" football is completely compatible with the goals and notion of higher education. D1 / B1G is not, and never will be, ever again.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:44 AM ^
D-III Cross Country and Track.... best job ever... Chain Gang for the home football games.... Wartburg
September 6th, 2022 at 1:03 PM ^
Wartburg also has some of the best Athletic facilities you will find for a DIII/NAIA/D2 school as well. We currently know 4 kids attending Wartburg and playing sports, women's softball, women's cross country, and 2 men's soccer.
We toured and enjoyed our visit to Wartburg very much as we looked at it as an option for my boy's for soccer, but chose to stay local (no room and board for twins) and help be a part of rebuilding a soccer program.
I'll also add since we're on the lower than D1 topic that NAIA level soccer (Heart of America Conference), is extremely competitive as well... pro-tip, Athletic and Academic scholarship opportunities at NAIA level help make undergrad extremely reasonable.
September 6th, 2022 at 11:57 AM ^
good football is good football no matter the level. a game between two good high school teams is every bit as entertaining as a game between two good pro teams. i don't need 300-pounders that can run a 4.6 40 to think it's good football. the point is competition, discipline, and enthusiasm.
and not to turn this sideways, but that's part of the reason i love going to the women's hoops games. good hoops is good hoops, male or female.
September 6th, 2022 at 12:44 PM ^
Love D3 sports! My son played D3 baseball, graduated last year. His team went to the NCAA's his entire tenure there, and it was super fun to watch. The difference between D1 and D3 baseball was size and speed. The game was the same. Don't know if football translates in the same way.
September 6th, 2022 at 1:27 PM ^
I am a former DII player at Saginaw Valley in the 1970's. There is also a lot of good GLIAC football out there. Ferris, Grand Valley, Saginaw, Wayne State, etc.