About Homecoming

Offensive line coach Cyril Brockmeier puts his charges through their paces Friday.

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Roar Lions Roar, the excellent Columbia football blog, has a note about the Lions being Dartmouth's Homecoming opponent next fall. Now, we all look at the schedules when they come out and think the same thing: They picked this or that opponent for Homecoming so they can get a win. That may be the case at some schools, but not at Dartmouth.

Believe it or not, Homecoming is not decided by the Dartmouth football coach or the Dartmouth football program. It's not even decided within the Dartmouth athletic department. The word on which game will be Homecoming comes from "upstreet," the colloquialism used by some in athletics to describe the college administration. That they don't have a real say in the choice has been a bone of contention for some around the athletic department over the years.

Frankly, the alumni I've spoken to have been disappointed whenever Columbia was the Homecoming opponent. If they are coming a long distance, they'd much rather see Dartmouth play Harvard, or perhaps Yale, games they really want to win for bragging rights around the watercooler. But in another of those bizarre quirks of the Dartmouth schedule, Harvard and Yale are both on the road one year and both at home the next.

The Manchester Union Leader takes a look at UNH and quarterback Ricky Santos after the loss of Chicago-bound David Ball.

When Drew Gilpin Faust takes over at Harvard on July 1, half of the Ivy League presidents will be women according to this AP story. With Josie Harper the athletic director at Dartmouth and Dianne Murphy the AD at Columbia, the "old boys" Ivy League, in some regards, is becoming a thing of the past.

William F. Buckley Jr., tosses in an aside about the Dartmouth trustee election at the very end of this column about the high cost of a college education.

It's off to the Green-White scrimmage shortly. Check Green Alert premium later today for a story, statistics (including on the defensive side if a certain Hanover High freshman helps out as she promised) and the announcement of captains. I'll also be writing a quick blurb for the Dartmouth sports information site as my way of saying thanks for all the help they give me over the year.