A Vote For The Playoffs

Whether the writer led him there or Bob Ceplikas led the writer there doesn't matter. What matters is it took only four paragraphs for Ceplikas, who will be the interim athletic director at Dartmouth next year, to win the hearts of Ivy League football fans everywhere. In a story with the Daily Dartmouth, Ceplikas said (the italics are mine):

“I certainly intend to be an aggressive advocate for our student-athletes, and I’ve agreed for many years that it would be a good idea to have our Ivy football teams eligible for the NCAA playoffs. But I also know and respect that ultimately the presidents have the final call, so I’ll be very interested to see what Dr. Kim’s feelings are.”

A couple of other football-related take-outs from the story:

(Ceplikas) said that the athletic department is currently investigating possible changes to the Dartmouth football team’s schedule, which could include the removal of the team’s traditional in-state rivalry game versus the University of New Hampshire.

“Brian Austin, who oversees all of our varsity programs, has been working very hard on potential modifications to our football schedule,” Ceplikas said. “We’re hoping to have something to announce within the next few weeks.”

Green Alert Take: Don't be surprised if the "something" is the cancellation of the 2010 Dartmouth-UNH game. The game for the coming fall is set.

Also from the story ...

After the disappointing 2008 campaign, Ceplikas said he still retains faith in the Dartmouth football program and confidence in head coach Buddy Teevens ‘79.

“I honestly believe that the foundation is being very soundly built right now for a winning program,” he said.

According to Ceplikas, a winning season for Dartmouth football will be contingent on the gradual growth of Teevens’ latest recruiting classes, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines.

Showing that he and Teeven are on the same page, Ceplikas went on to stress the importance of making sure players are "bigger and stronger." If there's a mantra around the football offices and Floren Varsity House these days, that would be it. Bigger and Stronger.

Wondering what caused the Dartmouth football team to stumble so badly for the past decade? Perhaps a West Coast blogger had something to do with it. He writes of his recruitment in the late '90s (and excuse the language):

Dartmouth rather impolitely informed me to not bother applying for regular admission after I told the coaches I wanted to keep my options open and not declare early admission. (Bastards have sucked ever since. I'd like to think I cosmically had something to do with it.)

A former Dartmouth foe from Holy Cross got into it with Adam "Pacman" Jones during filming of something called, "Pros vs. Joes." Find a note here.

Former UNH offensive coordinator Chip Kelly could be the head coach at Oregon any day now. Or perhaps not any day now. Either way, he'll be the Ducks' coach at some point. From a story in the Portland Tribune about current head coach Mike Bellotti mulling the timing of his move to athletic director:

When Bellotti steps aside, Kelly is contracted — under very lucrative terms — to take Bellotti’s place.

“This whole idea was mine,” Bellotti says. “Chip Kelly would be the head coach at Syracuse or Mississippi State or several other places if we hadn’t moved on this.

“I recognize some unique attributes in Chip. If there’s a guy I want to take my place, it’s him. He is extremely talented and has the necessary dedication and command and foresight and is thinking football 24/7/365. All of our coaches do, but his is a passion and dedication that surpasses many. I’m excited about that.”

Speaking of UNH, there's a story in the Manchester Union Leader about the ways college athletic departments are handling the economic downturn. Give UNH AD Marty Scarano credit. The story says that while he sends his football team out to play mercenary games that will help the bottom line, he does draw the line somewhere. From the story:

The UNH football and men's basketball teams have been asked in recent years to play "guarantee" games, for which they receive a fee to go in and play an opponent. The team receives a portion of the money; the rest goes toward the department's bottom line.

The football team, for instance, will receive $300,000 to play at Ball State in September and $400,000 to play at Pittsburgh in 2010.

Oklahoma had been pursuing UNH for a game this coming fall, and recently agreed to pay $500,000 to Idaho State for a game.

UNH declined the overtures.

Smart move.