Yes, this article is technically late. Hopefully, the FCS recap/precap makes up for it, right? (That said, I now expect to fall a day behind either tomorrow or Wednesday. Please forgive.)
The next conference on our tour is a two-year old football-only Division III league consisting primarily of teams that have been only been playing for a few years, the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference.
Members: Anna Maria Amcats, Becker Hawks, Castleton State Spartans, Gallaudet Bison, Husson Eagles, Mount Ida Mustangs, Norwich Cadets, and SUNY-Maritime Privateers.
The ECFC does not yet have a Pool A bid, having only been formed in 2009 (which means this article’s going to be very short). Norwich ran the table last year to capture the inaugural title, but was not selected for the D-III Playoffs. The conference was 10-18 in non-conference play last season.
TIDBITS:
Anna Maria started their program only last year, going 0-9 as a provisional member of the conference (games did not count toward conference standings). They count this year, and they’re currently 0-7, and thus still waiting for their first win ever. They’ve gotten pretty good at scoring points, though, so if they can just muster some defense, that losing streak may end.
Becker began their program in 2005, competing as an independent for four years before joining the ECFC. They’ve only won one game as a conference member (1-16 overall, 1-9 conference), and that was against Anna Maria last month. In their brief history, the Hawks are 5-47.
Castleton State also started their program last season, but have already had considerably more success than Anna Maria. They went 3-6 in their initial campaign, winning one conference game; they’re 3-3/3-1 this year. Overall, the program’s record is 6-9/4-6, quite respectable for a fledgling outfit.
Gallaudet, which if you’re unaware is the de facto national university for hearing impaired students, has one of the longer football histories in the conference, although the school has repeatedly gone back and forth between offering the sport and banishing it to club level. The school’s football team is famous for devising signaling methods to call plays, for obvious reasons. The current incarnation of the varsity program has been in existence since 2007, and has accumulated an overall record of 11-22. They tied for second last year with a 4-2 conference mark, but are only 1-3 this season. (However, they still have games against Becker and Anna Maria, so they may yet finish over .500 again.)
Husson started their program in 2006. They’ve been very successful, with winning campaigns their first three years, and an overall record of 24-21 (18-17 since joining D-III in 2007). They’re not doing well this year, however, at 1-6/1-3, their sole win being over Anna Maria.
Mount Ida is another member of the class of 2006; they’ve been mostly mediocre, compiling a record of 20-26. They finished tied for second last year at 4-2, and are currently 3-1 in conference.
Norwich, the nation’s oldest private military college and the birthplace of ROTC, has the most storied history in the conference, having fielded a team since 1893. They were members of the Empire 8 before joining the ECFC, and the now-defunct Freedom Football League before that. Despite their history, they haven’t been big winners; as far as I can determine, last year’s ECFC title was their first ever.
SUNY Maritime had two brief forays into varsity football in the 1980s, participating in D-III in 1985 and 1987-88 as independents. They had a 2-20 record in those years before cancelling their season midway through the 1988 campaign. They relaunched in 2006, and spent three years as an independent before joining the ECFC. The overall record for the modern program is 20-23, but they’re 7-0 this year.