More On The Playoffs

BGA Overtime posted a story last night with reaction from Dartmouth coach Sammy McCorkle to the Ivy League's decision to allow its teams to play in the FCS championship tournament. The story is available to everyone on BGA OT HERE.

Given the Ivy League's 10-games-in-10-weeks schedule, I asked the Big Green coach if he thought the time had come for the conference to join others in the FCS by filtering a bye week into the schedule. Here's his response, lightly edited for clarity:

I think that might be something we, as a league, need to consider because it is a bit of a grind going straight through 13, 14 games. That's something, calendar-wise, for the league and for each school to figure out how it will work. Do we start earlier? Or do you put one in the middle? It's something we're going to have to continue to discuss to figure out what works best for all eight schools.

Although the Ivy League begins its football season later than any other FCS conference, that isn't the case for all sports. Dartmouth’s women’s soccer team kicked off the 2024 season with an exhibition game on August 18, followed by its first official game on August 23. In contrast, the football season didn’t start until September 21, nearly a full month later. Sure, football would have to start camp earlier, but it is doable.

Green Alert Take: Pushing the start of the season up by a week would be beneficial for two reasons. First, it would enhance player well-being by allowing an extra week for rest and recovery during the season. And second, it would give the Ivies more flexibility in nonconference scheduling against teams that by late in September are largely into conference play.

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WCAX TV, the CBS affiliate in Burlington, Vt., has a report on the Ivy League rescinding the playoff ban with thoughts from McCorkle HERE

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The local Valley News writes about the playoffs with thoughts from graduating quarterback Jackson Proctor, one of the players instrumental in making it happen. Find that story HERE.

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The Associated Press has a story about the playoff development HERE.

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Dartmouth junior offensive tackle Delby Lemieux has been named to the Football Central All-America second team. Columbia defensive back Hayden McDonald was the lone Ivy Leaguer to be named to the first team. Joining Lemieux on the second team were Penn running back Malachi Hosley and Harvard wide receiver Cooper Barkate.

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Lemieux also has been named to the Division I FCS All-ECAC team. He's joined on the team (featuring schools from Virginia through the northeast) by:

Penn RB Malachi Hosley
Yale WR David Pantelis
Harvard WR  Cooper Barkate
Harvard OL Mike Entwistle
Penn DB Shiloh Means
Penn P Albert Jang
Harvard RS Scott Woods II

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EXTRA POINT
I hooked a timer up to one of our strings of outdoor lights yesterday that should turn them on at sunset and off six hours later. I wasn't sure the timer was set properly because I didn't install it until well after sunrise, and the prospect of heading down the driveway to pull the plug on the lights late at night was not appealing. That being the case, it was a "whew" moment when they shut off by themselves. Now we'll have to see if they turn on automagically tonight at sunset.;-)

In The News

From a New York Times story about the Ivy League heading to the FCS playoffs next year (LINK):

“I think it’s long overdue,” said Sian Beilock, the president of Dartmouth College. “I was struck by how football is the only sport that didn’t have access to a postseason playoff.”

And . . .

Ivy League schools also have been forced to reconsider the place of athletics at their institutions because college athletics overall have been transforming into more of a professional enterprise.

The league’s best men’s basketball players are doing what was once unthinkable: transferring to other schools, giving up an Ivy League education in exchange for six-figure paydays from the booster-run collectives that the Ivies have eschewed. In March, the Dartmouth men’s basketball team voted to unionize, a move that was granted by the National Labor Relations Board that the school is contesting.

“The reason change is happening is there’s so much change around,” said Jackson Proctor, a quarterback at Dartmouth who is a member of the conference’s student-athlete advisory committee. “People in the higher positions realize it’s probably time to change with what’s going on in the world today.”

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Dartmouth defensive lineman Josiah Green is headed to Duke as a grad transfer. Find a press release announcing his signing HERE.

A Duke Wire posting notes that Green is following a well-worn path (LINK):

Green won’t be the first Ivy Leaguer to join Duke through the transfer portal. Just this past season, former Princeton linebacker Ozzie Nicholas led the Blue Devils with 89 total tackles. The program also brought in Harvard grads Scott Elliott and Anthony Nelson ahead of the 2023 season, and both of them started six games that year.

Former Dartmouth linebacker Joe Heffernan was also on the 2023 Duke roster, as were Penn grad Ben Hoitink and Brown grad Hayes Sutton.

Thank you for everything @DartmouthFTBL !

Time for the Next Chapter! 🔵 @DukeFOOTBALL @GinfanteMT @reevesg55 @farrellportal pic.twitter.com/4Oaxv5FC7h

— JOSIAH GREEN (@thejgreenery) December 18, 2024

And more from the transfer world . . .

In addition to Green and Jackson Proctor, who will play next year at Northern Illinois, offensive lineman Hayden Bozich of Brown is headed to UConn, OL Mike Entwistle of Harvard is going to UMass and defensive tackle Alvin Gulley of Yale is on his way to join Proctor at NIU. Expect more FBS signings and a slew of former Ivy Leaguers finding new homes at the FCS level.

Green Alert Take: Is it time for the Ivy League to consider allowing its grads to finish their careers as graduate students at their own schools?

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Former Dartmouth defensive lineman Ejeke Adele, fresh from winning the Bushnell Cup and earning an offer to grad transfer to Rice, has been named a third-team All-American by Stats Perform, the bible of the FCS. Find a Dartmouth story HERE.

Adele is joined on the third team by Penn running back Malachi Hosley, Harvard wide receiver Cooper Barkate and Columbia  defensive back Hayden McDonald. Find all three All-America teams in the Stats Perform story HERE.

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When New Hampshire announced its 2025 schedule yesterday we learned the Wildcats will play their annual FBS game at Ball State one week before their opener at Dartmouth on Sept. 20.

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EXTRA POINT
A few years ago my sister gave us Christmas window candles that work on AA batteries, and turn on and off automagically. I'm not going to say those things are among the greatest inventions known to mankind, but anyone who every had to wrangle up enough extension cords and then wander the house turning the old-style candles on and off has to know they are in the ballpark. ;-)

YES!

A new chapter to a storied tradition is here. 🌿🏈 pic.twitter.com/Mkrpug5JzO

— Ivy League (@IvyLeague) December 18, 2024

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From a Dartmouth release (LINK):

"I'm excited for our players, the Dartmouth football program, and the Ivy League to have the opportunity to compete in the FCS playoffs," said Sammy McCorkle. "I look forward to our League showcasing its talent and appreciate all of the effort made by the Ivy League Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Ivy League office, Athletic Directors and Presidents – especially Sian Beilock and Mike Harrity – in making this a reality for all of us." 

Finally – Ivies Playoff Bound Per Report

 Stop the presses . . .

From (what is left of) Sports Illustrated (LINK):

The proposal came forward via a group of Ivy League student-athletes. The Ivy League's Student-Athletes Advisory Committee's (SAAC) proposal was formally approved on Tuesday by a vote of the Ivy League Council of Presidents.

For Ivy League football players, it's long overdue. For the rest of college football? It's a victory for the sport that these teams will now once again be eligible to compete for a national championship.

From HERO Sports (LINK):

A storied Ivy League team or two in the 24-team bracket would add some depth and more intrigue to the FCS postseason. The top-heavy national title picture may not change, although some past Ivy League teams may have been good enough for a quarterfinal run.

And . . .

The Ivy League had typically played a 10-game season, playing three non-conference games and starting their season a few weeks later than the rest of the FCS. This fall, for example, their first games were on Sept. 21. Changes to their regular-season scheduling format are to be determined. 

Green Alert Take: HERO makes a good point. As long as there's change in the air, the Ivy League really ought to consider moving its schedule up a week and adding a bye week. It would help both in scheduling and for the health of the players.

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2 @AP All-America’s@ChrisCorbo3 @DelbyLemieux

🔗: https://t.co/sHvh6kPwCO#TheWoods #GoBigGreen pic.twitter.com/Vv6ELInjNx

— Dartmouth Football (@DartmouthFTBL) December 18, 2024

Find a story headlined Corbo and Lemieux Named AP Honorable Mention All-Americans HERE. 

Other Ivy Leaguers earning honorable mention honors per the Associated Press:

Columbia – DB Hayden McDonald

Cornell – TE Ryder Kurtz

Harvard  – WR Cooper Barkate

Yale – DB Abu Kamara

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EXTRA POINT

I have to admit a 7:30 a.m. dentist appointment is not my favorite way to start a day. But getting home this morning and learning the news that the Ivy League has finally decided to do the right thing by football certainly brought a smile.

Coming And Going

To the list of Dartmouth recruits add the name of Charlie Prior, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker/safety from the powerhouse Loyola Academy program in the Chicago suburbs. Prior had reported offers from Penn, San Diego and Butler, but chose instead to play under Don Dobes, who has a history of bringing in outstanding linebackers from Chicagoland.

Prior was a Chicago Catholic League All-Conference selection and helped Loyola win its third consecutive state title this fall.

Committed.🌲🌲@AllenTrieu @Coach_McCorkle @coach_dobes @Loyola_FB pic.twitter.com/Hlgva8yHyL

— Charlie Prior (@CharliePrior18) December 17, 2024

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In case you missed it yesterday, find the story on Ejeke Adele winning the Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League's defensive player of the year HERE and watch him hear his named announced below:

Added a chapter to his story today. 🌿🏈 https://t.co/6n1iZuV2q4 pic.twitter.com/1LeJM1JsfF

— Ivy League (@IvyLeague) December 17, 2024

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Graduating Dartmouth quarterback Jackson Proctor is headed to the only team to defeat Notre Dame this fall:

NEW HUSKIE ALERT🚨✍🏼 NSD2️⃣5️⃣

Our newest field general under center @jacksonlproctor is coming from Dartmouth College and is from Kent, WA!! Welcome to the Pack Jackson‼️#HU2KIE5 | #TheHardWay 🤘🏽🐾 pic.twitter.com/DnkYKS7CVq

— NIU Football (@NIU_Football) December 16, 2024

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John Paul Flores, who played offensive line at Virginia, Louisville and Liberty after graduating from Dartmouth, is headed to the College Gridiron Showcase. (LINK)

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HERO Sports has a story headlined, How Will The House Settlement Impact FCS Scholarship Limits ?(LINK)

Green Alert Take: While the Ivies obviously don't have athletic scholarships per se, everyone they play outside of the Pioneer Football League does. Maybe you can make sense of what it means. ;-)

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Kudos to the University of Vermont for winning the NCAA men's Division I soccer national championship last night with an overtime victory against Marshall in the College Cup. The "Cinderella" Catamounts came into the playoffs unseeded and proceeded to beat seeds 2, 3, 7 and 13 to claim a title the title. While UVM has won the NCAA skiing championship in the past, this is its first natty in a sport with a championship contest. (LINK)

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EXTRA POINT

You probably know that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is based on a children's book written by Dartmouth alum Robert L. May, Class of 1926. But did you know that, "the most famous reindeer of all" was almost named Reginald? Find the story HERE.

Adele Wins Defensive Bushnell

Ejeke Adele becomes the 10th Dartmouth player to earn the award (one presented 1970-2010, offense and defensive presented 2011-on).

1970 – QB Jim Chasey (Co)

1978 – QB Buddy Teevens

1990 – RB Shon Page

1991 – RB Al Rosier

1992 – QB Jay Fiedler

2010 – RB Nick Schiweger (Co)

2016 – LB Folarin Oriomolade

2018 – DB Isaiah Swann

2019 – LB Jack Traynor

Dartmouth release

Ivy League Release

Big Day In The Big Apple

Dartmouth senior lineman Ejeke Adele is one of three finalists for the Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League defensive player of the year, which will be presented today in New York City. Joining Adele are Columbia senior defensive back Hayden McDonald and Harvard junior DB Ty Bartum.

The finalists for the Bushnell offensive award are Cornell senior quarterback Jameson Wang, Harvard junior wide receiver Cooper Barkate and Penn sophomore running back Malachi Hosley.

The finalists were announced in an Ivy League release HERE.

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Description from a YouTube video featuring Dartmouth strong safety Harrison Keith, who intends to become a two-sport Big Green athlete by joining the lacrosse team this spring:

In this interview we talk about mindset, training, trusting the process, and faith as Harrison gives us the process from being an undersized sophomore football player with huge goals and ambitions to accomplishing every single one of his goals and now at Dartmouth College where he is a safety, getting playing time on a dominant back to back ivy league championship winning team.

The 6-foot, 200-pound safety from Fairfield, Conn., and Choate recorded 10 tackles, with one for a loss, and one pass breakup in nine games this fall. Find his Dartmouth football bio HERE. 

In the video Keith has this to say about his second sport:

"... (L)acrosse has been a huge part of my life going back to when I was really young. I knew it was something I wanted to consider in college, but obviously went to Dartmouth for football originally.

"So I wanted to settle in with the team freshman year, kind of make my mark, earn my spot on special teams or whatever it be. And I was able to do that. Had a great year this past year, this fall.

"And so decided lacrosse was something I did want to pick back up. I'm really excited and excited for what the future holds and seeing how we can handle two sports in college."

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The SI High School Roundup site for New Hampshire has a poll headlined Who should be the 2024 New Hampshire High School Football Offensive Player of the Year? From the poll, in which you can vote (LINK):

PAUL BINDER, OL, Londonderry 

Binder is a 6-foot-7, 290-pound tackle who allowed Londonderry to have one of the state’s top rushing attacks. He started in 30 games during his high school career and will play for Dartmouth College next season.

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Headline in a story on The Roost, a BGA-like entity covering Rice University athletics: Rice Football 2024 Defensive Newcomer: Charlie Looes. From the story about the grad transfer. defensive lineman from Dartmouth (LINK):

Often times it’s hard for a team to know exactly what they’re getting when they sign a player out of the Transfer Portal. Getting the kind of season they got from Looes is a deal worth taking every time. If you’re only getting a guy for one year he needs to show up and show out, something Looes did with flare.

Looes would bookend his season on South Main with a sack in his first and last game, playing a meaningful role in a Senior Day win that assuredly meant so much to him and a host of Rice football veterans that played their final game in the season finale against South Florida. Like those seniors, Looes did all he could to send this team out on a high note and his efforts were rewarded.

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An updated NCAA story headlined Making sense of FCS conference realignment lists football programs changing divisions since 2022 (LINK):

New to the FCS Since 2022
Texas A&M-Commerce
Lindenwood
Stonehill
West Georgia
Mercyhurst
Texas-Rio Grande Valley

Moving From the FCS to the FBS since 2022
James Madison
Jacksonville State
Sam Houston
Kennesaw State
Delaware
Missouri State

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EXTRA POINT
Hopped in my car the other day and up came a warning about the possibility of the road being icy. Duh.

Nice

When I'm reading or just relaxing, I sometimes put YouTube on the TV and have it playing classical music or smooth jazz. The videos feature slides of bookstores or cafes or reading rooms, the seashore or peaceful countrysides and the lie.

Someone has taken that idea and adapted it to Dartmouth. From the video description: 

Whether you are a current student yearning for The Stacks, an alumnus waiting for the next HoCo, or just a friend of Dartmouth interested in Big Green, I hope this study video can provide you the authentic Dartmouth experience.

There are slides of Dartmouth Hall at Dusk, Tower Room, Sanborn, The Stacks, the Orozco Mural Room, Rauner and more.

Enjoy! 

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Go figure.

Earlier this morning I came across a story headlined:

BREAKING: Bill Belichick’s First Portal Offer is an Interesting One

The story started this way:

With Bill Belichick now in charge of North Carolina, the focus quickly changed to how he will tackle the currently open transfer portal. Would he first offer a left tackle, a speedy wide receiver or one of the top available quarterbacks? The answer was a resounding no, as North Carolina’s first offer with Coach Belichick in charge went to Penn running back Malachi Hosley.

This is not the P4 top-level talent many assumed Coach Belichick would target, but by no means should this be a complete surprise. Since entering the portal on December 9 th , Hosley has picked up offers from Houston, James Madison, Virginia, Cincinnati, Old Dominion, Costal Carolina, Western Kentucky, USF, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and now North Carolina.

Interesting, huh? Here's something else that's interesting: Since I stumbled across the story the page has been replaced with one one that says, "404 Error. We can't find the page you requested!"

As of this writing, the same story is still available HERE (although no promises about how long it will stay up).

Green Alert Take: Any chance that Belichick or someone at UNC was tipped off about a story he didn't like and had it removed? Inquiring minds want to know. 

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EXTRA POINT
First, an admission. I freely admit I am not a foodie. Far from it, if I'm going to be honest. Applebee's menu is fancy enough for me.

That said, last night That Certain Nittany Lion '16 and I took Mrs. BGA out for dinner to celebrate her birthday at a place a little north of here. It's nothing fancy, but we'd been there shortly after they opened and the food was pretty good – when we finally got it. True story, it took more than a half hour to put in our order, and I'd guess 90 minutes to be served. But we were with friends, the conversation was flowing, and we all took the delay in good humor, knowing that they were just starting out.

That was last spring, and we figured by now they had the kinks worked out, so we headed back up there.

This time the service was prompt and the food showed up quickly. That's the good news. The bad new is the food really wasn't very good and mine, at least, was barely warm on our second visit.

I don't think there will be a third.