Category Archives: college football

August 23, 2013 · 12:02 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON 2013 KICKS OFF TONIGHT

Rocky Mountain CollegeIt’s the most wonderful time of the year! The 2013 college football season kicks off tonight in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog! Tonight at 8pm Eastern Time the ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE BATTLIN’ BEARS from the Frontier Conference host the JAMESTOWN COLLEGE JIMMIES from the North Star Conference.

This matchup in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) is the only game tonight but Saturday will see a full slate of gridiron action. THREE new colleges add football teams this year in the NAIA – the WARNER UNIVERSITY ROYALS, the REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES and the OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY BISON (technically relaunching football after stopping it in 1940).

In 2014 even more NAIA institutions will add football: the SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE, the COLLEGE OF IDAHO COYOTES and Continue reading →

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August 20, 2013 · 11:03 pm

D2 FOOTBALL: BALLADEER’S BLOG’S PRESEASON TOP 25

The college football season in the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog will kick off this Friday, August 23rd. Previously I presented my Top 25’s for the NAIA, D3 and NJCAA.

Minnesota State Mavericks1. MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS      ###      2. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS (Defending Champions)      ###      3. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS      ###      4. WEST TEXAS A&M BUFFALOES      ###      5. MISSOURI WESTERN GRIFFONS      ###      6. CSU-PUEBLO THUNDERWOLVES      ###     

Shippensburg Red Raiders7. SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY RED RAIDERS      ###      8. GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS      ###      9. INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PENNSYLVANIA CRIMSON HAWKS      ###      10. WINSTON-SALEM STATE RAMS      ###      11. Continue reading →

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August 17, 2013 · 4:16 pm

D3 COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BALLADEER’S BLOG’S PRESEASON TOP 25

With the college football season set to kick off on Friday August 23rd in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog here is my preseason Top 25 for NCAA Division 3. Previously I presented my Top 25 for the NAIA and NJCAA.

Mount Union Purple Raiders1. UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS (Defending Champions)      ###      2. UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR CRUSADERS      ###      3. UNIVERSITY OF SAINT THOMAS TOMMIES (2012 Runners-Up)      ###      4. LINFIELD COLLEGE WILDCATS      ###     

Oshkosh Titans5. UW-OSHKOSH TITANS      ###      6. HOBART COLLEGE STATESMEN      ###      7. UW-WHITEWATER WARHAWKS      ###      8. Continue reading →

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August 15, 2013 · 10:49 pm

NJCAA COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BALLADEER’S BLOG’S PRESEASON TOP 25

On Friday August 23rd the 2013 college football season will kick off in the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog. Here is a look at my preseason Top 25 for the NJCAA.  

Navarro College1. NAVARRO COLLEGE BULLDOGS      ###      2. SNOW COLLEGE BADGERS      ###      3. IOWA WESTERN REIVERS (Defending Champions)     ###      4. HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS      ###      5. MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST BULLDOGS      ###      6. BUTLER (KS) GRIZZLIES      ###     

ASA College7. ASA COLLEGE AVENGERS      ###      8. KILGORE COLLEGE RANGERS      9. EAST MISSISSIPPI LIONS      ###      10. ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE MATADORS      ###      11. COFFEYVILLE RED RAVENS      ###      12. Continue reading →

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August 14, 2013 · 9:15 pm

NAIA COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BALLADEER’S BLOG’S PRESEASON TOP 25

Friday, August 23rd is when the divisions of college football covered here at Balladeer’s Blog will kick off the 2013 season. Take a peek at my Preseason Top 25 for the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics).

Marian U Knights helmet1. MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS (defending champions)    ###    2. MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS    ###    3. SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS    ###    4. MISSOURI VALLEY COLLEGE VIKINGS    ###    5. GEORGETOWN COLLEGE (KY) TIGERS    ###    6. SAINT FRANCIS (IN) COUGARS    ###    7. MONTANA TECH OREDIGGERS    ###   

Cumberlands_KY8. UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS    ###    9. SAINT AMBROSE UNIVERSITY FIGHTING BEES    ###    10. MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS    ###    11.  Continue reading →

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June 22, 2013 · 3:37 pm

ASA COLLEGE AVENGER MOVES ON TO THE NFL

Avengers

Avengers

The ASA College Avengers football team has only been around for a handful of years but last year made their first Bowl appearance and now they’ve already gotten their first player into the NFL!

Gilbert Pena, standout defensive lineman for the Avengers, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the storied Green Bay Packers franchise. Pena is a Yonkers, NY native and delayed the start of his college career by 4 years to care for his mother as she battled cancer.

Gilbert was an impact player for Head Coach Dennis Orlando’s ASA College team and earned all-conference honors after a Continue reading →

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December 26, 2012 · 5:18 pm

NAIA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS DEFEAT THE NCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

Marian University KnightsThe votes are all in for the 3rd edition of Balladeer’s Bowl in which my readers get to vote on who would win if the NAIA college football champs played the NCAA Division 3 football champs. D3 needed a Joe Namath moment for this 3rd go-round but none materialized as the NAIA champs made it 3 Balladeer’s Bowl victories in a row.

The MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS came in as the NAIA title holders with the storied MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS carrying the banner of D3 football. 263 voters felt the Knights would defeat the Purple Raiders with just 212 voting for Mt Union. D3 can take solace from the fact that this was the most votes their team has gotten thus far in this hypothetical matchup. 

Here’s a look at the winners and losers of all 3 Balladeer’s Bowl games:

Balladeer’s Bowl 3: MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS defeated the Mount Union Purple Raiders

Balladeer’s Bowl 2: Continue reading →

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December 20, 2012 · 9:04 pm

BALLADEER’S BOWL 3: NAIA FOOTBALL CHAMPS VS THE NCAA CHAMPS

Marian U Knights helmetMount Union Purple RaidersBalladeer’s Blog regularly chronicles the intense gridiron rivalry between the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) and the NCAA Division 3. Each year I allow my readers to vote in Balladeer’s Bowl about who would win if the NAIA champions played D3’s title winners. This year that means the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS from the NAIA and the MOUNT UNION PURPLE RAIDERS from D3. Will it be 3 victories in a row for the NAIA team? As always, to avoid multiple votes by the same people you can cast your vote by emailing me at Continue reading →

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December 18, 2012 · 12:26 am

2012 COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

The college football season in the divisions covered by Balladeer’s Blog has come to a close. Here’s one final round of congratulations to the champions of those six divisions.

Marian U Knights helmetNAIA

(National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics)

Champions: MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS

Runners-up: Morningside College Mustangs

2011 Champions – St Xavier University Cougars

Greenville College PanthersNCCAA

(National Christian College Athletic Association)

Champions: GREENVILLE COLLEGE PANTHERS

Runners-up: Northwestern (MN) College Eagles

2011 Champions – Campbellsville University Tigers

Valdosta_StNCAA Division 2

(National Collegiate Athletic Association)

Champions: VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY BLAZERS

Runners-up: Continue reading →

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December 13, 2012 · 12:05 am

COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES: DECEMBER 13TH, 14TH AND 15TH

Three down and three to go! That is, three of the divisions of college football covered by Balladeer’s Blog already have crowned their 2012 champions leaving just three more title games to go! Those games will be played today tomorrow and Saturday.

*** NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP ***

Marian_INTHERE’S NO PLACE LIKE ROME – Rome, GA was the site of tonight’s (Dec 13th) heart-stopping NAIA championship game between the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS and the MORNINGSIDE COLLEGE MUSTANGS. For the bulk of the game the Mustangs seemed to be in control, leading 14-7 after 1 quarter, 14-10 at halftime and 20-10 to start the 4th quarter. A missed extra point in the 3rd quarter came back to haunt Morningside when the Knights outscored them 17-7 in the 4th to tie the game at 27 all. A 26 yard field goal in Overtime won the game for Marian, giving them their very first national championship in football. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MARIAN KNIGHTS!

*** D2 CHAMPIONSHIP ***

Valdosta_StTHE HUBRIS BOWL – The NCAA D2 championship game on the 15th saw the final game of the 2012 college football season for the divisions covered here at Balladeer’s Blog. The VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY BLAZERS took on the WINSTON- SALEM STATE RAMS for the title. The Rams had hubristically bragged about having the superior athletes in this matchup, but those athletes couldn’t stop the Blazers, couldn’t catch the Continue reading →

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