Did the NEC Eliminate the Football Scholarship Limit?

The short answer here is: we still don’t know. But we’re a little closer to determining exactly what one school is doing from a scholarship perspective.

We recently obtained documentation of Central Connecticut State’s athletic scholarships from 2023-24 and 2024-25. The hypothesis was this: if the scholarship limit was removed, we might see a noticeable uptick in Central Connecticut’s athletic scholarship offerings.

Before we continue, I need to emphasize something: These are certainly NOT the correct numbers. If you feel there’s anything in here that reflects negatively on CCSU, you need to look again. Law prevents the complete numbers from being shared, and it’s a good thing for privacy.

There are two problems with my approach, although I maintain that it is the best such approach we have.

1. In the NEC, there are only two public schools, and just one currently plays football. That’s Central Connecticut State. We’re able to get records from them, but none of the other schools, which means our sample size is limited to one public school. Definitely not the full picture.

2. Due to laws preventing identification, any demographic group receiving less than 10 scholarships as a whole is not counted among our totals we received. Hypothetically, if several groups all had 9 scholarships, our totals could be off. And not by a little.

Still, with no other way to obtain data and no other schools to compare it to, let’s work with what we have.

In 2023-24, Central Connecticut awarded a known 157 athletic scholarships to men and 109 to women. That doesn’t mean there’s a large disparity- as you’ll see in a moment, I don’t think there is one- but it does highlight the issues we have with identifying numbers with existing laws.

In 2024-25, there’s what I believe to be a much more accurate number of women athletic scholarships up to 150. At the same time, athletic scholarships for men remained at 158 known.

It’s possible that there was an uptick in scholarships for football that isn’t clearly shown in the data. The problem is that we don’t have a breakdown by sport and we can never have precise numbers due to existing laws.

It’s just a guess, but my suspicion is that the original reports of the scholarship limit being removed is probably accurate, but regardless of a “hard” limit, schools in the NEC are for the most part not going to increase how many scholarships are available for football.

Again, with 7/8 schools in the league being private, we’ll never get hard scholarship numbers- at least, not anytime soon. It’s something we’ll continue to work on, but to be honest it’s not a high priority for me.

I just don’t think that having an exact number changes my earlier sentiments on a soft limit being self-imposed by every school. And if that’s the case, it’s not something I recommend losing sleep over.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 10: Hawks 2-UP

Credit: Daniela Bedoya

I think we implied heavily that chaos was coming to the NEC soon.

That delivery was made on Saturday.

Wagner nearly upset CCSU the week prior at home and followed up the near miss with an upset of a heavily favored Duquesne team that looked safe heading into Staten Island. Had Wagner managed to beat CCSU and Duquesne, the title picture in the conference would be looking both different and completely unexpected. We liked Wagner to win a few league games this season, but knocking off Duquesne was not on our schedule. Maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised. We knew the Seahawks were as talented as they’d been under Coach Masella heading into the season. They just seemed to be close, but not quite there on the rebuild yet.

Despite Wagner flipping the table, we’re actually still where we were last week in many ways. If Duquesne or CCSU win out, they get to hang the banner and go to the FCS Playoffs. There’s paths for almost everyone at this point, except for Saint Francis. The Red Flash are officially eliminated from the playoffs and an outright championship (still a path to win a share, but not the tiebreaker) in their final year of Division I competition. Stonehill- the other Hawk team in the league- has the best shot outside of the top 2 teams after a big win of their own over Mercyhurst, and not an insane path to do it- win out, and have CCSU beat Duquesne.

1. Central Connecticut State

   Unsurprisingly, the Blue Devils default here even though they were idle this past week. They’re taking on a rejuvenated LIU team that spent a week at the top of these rankings already this season. With the injury bug hopefully in the rearview mirror, look for the Sharks to give CCSU a very good game here and challenge for this spot. Wagner’s defense gave CCSU some fits last week and QB Brady Olson uncharacteristically turned the ball over. He’s been so careful with possession this season. A chance to refocus and not put more miles on Elijah Howard will have the Blue Devils ready to go again.

2. Duquesne

   I like to punish teams a little more than this for losses, but as of right now it doesn’t feel right putting Wagner in 2nd place and the Dukes have beaten Stonehill, so I can’t drop them lower than this for right now. There were probably two areas that the Dukes can correct in this bye week to ensure that a loss like this doesn’t happen again. First, the Dukes had special teams miscues all day, from a botched fake punt and then a difficult sequence late in the game where they actually recovered a muffed punt, but after a 3 and out had two consecutive pre-snap penalties (one on a kick that was good), pushing them back 10 yards and turning a makeable field goal into a miss. Second, the Dukes could not stop Wagner on the ground. They’ve got a handful of good backs on Staten Island led by Andre Hines, but the Dukes could not find a way to contain the Seahawks on the ground- particularly late in the 4th when it mattered the most. The Dukes will get right and their goals are still in front of them.

3. Stonehill

   The Skyhawks catapult back up after a wire to wire win over Mercyhurst. The offense was able to finish their drives, which has been the biggest issue for the Skyhawks to this point, and the defense kept Mercyhurst at bay for most of the game. QB Jack O’Connell looked like a rushing threat for the first time all season, and he threw for 2 TDs when he wasn’t moving the chains on the ground. Stonehill will welcome in Robert Morris this weekend and every game is now vital to their postseason chances. I like Stonehill here to continue making a run up the standings in the league and to keep things interesting heading into a huge November 8th showdown with Central Connecticut State.

4. Long Island

   Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, the Sharks are officially back. Luca Stanzani was a shoo-in for offensive player of the week, and while New Haven has had some struggles against NEC teams this season, any time you have guys lined up on the opposite side of the field it’s hard to be responsible for 5 touchdowns. We’ve got a good one with lots of chaos potential this Saturday as the Sharks are riding a wave back into contention.

5. Wagner

   The Seahawks beat Duquesne this week and were competitive with CCSU last week, but I want to see it end with a victory one more time before we put them in the top half of the rankings. Andre Hines is looking like one of the best backs in the league right now and Jack Stevens had an efficient day with the football. Defensively, the Seahawks kept Duquesne out of the end zone and offensively the Dukes were run over by a powerful running game. The Seahawks may just have found their winning combination.

6. Mercyhurst

   Mercyhurst has lost the previous two games two teams that we expected to be among the best in the league during the preseason. The Lakers had a lot of magic early on, but now they have to regroup. Proving you’re for real isn’t always starting out the season fast and competing in games no one expects you to. Once the target is on your back and you slip up, how you respond is key. It’s also one of those life skills that sports teaches you better than anywhere else.

7. Robert Morris

   Robert Morris beat Saint Francis in the final edition of a long-running Pennsylvania rivalry game behind the motor of Ethan Shine. The RB ran for 123 yards against a stout Red Flash defense and while the game was competitive late, the Colonials took the lead at half time and never relented again. QB Zach Tanner looked healthy again, too, with 2 TDs to 0 INT. The matchup against Stonehill this week will tell us if the Colonials are truly on the upswing.

8. New Haven

   New Haven is approaching the end of their season but has already finished out their NEC slate at 0-3 following the loss to LIU this past week. New Haven started quickly again- this has become their trademark- but were unable to hold on and once the Sharks took back the lead they didn’t let up. The Chargers were hit hard in the transfer portal and suffered from the injury bug, but the win against Albany alone has made this season something of a success in the transition.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash are the first team truly in conference (New Haven competes as an independent) that are eliminated from NEC Championship contention and the FCS Playoffs. While the Red Flash do technically have a narrow path to a shared championship, the tiebreakers do not work in their favor and they are unable to advance their season past Stonehill on November 22nd, which we can now officially say is the final Division I football game in Saint Francis history.

Seahawks Stun Dukes, 24-13

Courtesy Wagner Athletics

We’ve been talking about how #NECHAOS was on its way with so much chalk to this point in the season. The mathematicians would gasp, but this kind of chalk just felt like it couldn’t last forever.

But now, you’d better brace yourself. #NECHAOS is coming, and it’s from the man who basically introduced me to the concept. Coach Masella once said, “The NEC is a funny thing.” Today, it’s no laughing matter for Duquesne.

The Dukes came out flat, allowing a long Wagner touchdown and despite answering with a touchdown of their own and a Joey Isabella hurdle and score that looked like it could have hyped up anyone, another long Wagner drive ending in a field goal and a botched fake punt leading to a sudden change touchdown let the Seahawks head into the half with a 10 point lead. A near disaster fumble on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Duquesne, saving the situation from even becoming worse. Was this the trap game the Dukes were trying to remain cognizant of?

It sure looked like it.

The second half saw Duquesne’s defense step up, but a golden opportunity after a Wagner fumble in their own red zone with the Dukes under 4 ended in disaster, with a 3 and out and two consecutive penalties- a delay of game and a false start- leaving Wagner with the football. Special teams miscues might have been Duquesne’s undoing, with the missed field goal, a missed extra point, and the aforementioned fake punt undoubtedly swinging the game to a large extent. 

From there, it was all Wagner. The running game spearheaded by Andre Hines couldn’t be stopped, and some more self-inflicted errors from the Dukes led to an eventual Wagner touchdown and a 24-13 score.

It’s a sour taste to head into a bye week with.

Duquesne can take some comfort. They still control their own destiny in the NEC. Win out, and they’re in the FCS playoffs. In that context, nothing has really changed and they got it out of their system early. Riddell was able to complete passes, if not get into the end zone with frequency, with a line of 21/30, 1 TD, and 1 INT.  Ness Davis ran for 60 on 13. Isabella caught 7 passes with a touchdown. The main ingredients are still there on offense. With a week to get healthy and get right the season is anything but over for the Dukes.

Wagner has found a winning combination that they first hinted at last week against Central Connecticut State. Andre Hines was good for 90 yards on the ground and a touchdown, while Jack Stevens (surprisingly in at quarterback instead of Jordan Barton) ran for a touchdown and threw for one on a very efficient 10 of 13, if only for 62 yards.

In the end, Wagner was able to drain the clock, control the ball, and play effective defense. They ran at will with 249 rushing yards and repeatedly were able to deny a Duquesne team that had scored 28 points in the first quarter 2 weeks ago and 14 in the first quarter last week. This week, the Dukes could only muster 13 all game.

Wagner just ground out the biggest upset of the NEC season so far. I can’t wait to see how they close out the year.

Duquesne at Wagner Preview 10/25/25

The Dukes are heading to Staten Island this week to take on a Wagner squad that almost knocked off Central Connecticut State last Saturday. The Seahawks had a chance to win the game late with an accurate field goal kicker in the red zone, but threw an end zone interception to knock themselves out of scoring range. The Dukes, meanwhile, are coming off of a road trip to Erie that saw them knock off fellow unbeaten conference foe Mercyhurst.

Trap Game

Let’s call it what it is- this is a talented Wagner squad that can play with anybody. Their record is what it is, but with their backs against the wall they’ll be as hungry for a win as any team in the league. The Dukes hit an emotional high last week with a win against Mercyhurst in a terrific atmosphere under the lights.

In the biz, we call these “trap games.”

Wagner has shown the makings of a strong offense that just hasn’t put it together yet. Time is running out to get it straightened out this seaon, but the piees are excellent. Brady Anderson is as good of an OL anchor as you can ask for. Jordan Barton has improved throughout the season and looks like he’s taken hold of the starting QB job. Andre Hines is a wrecking ball out of the backfield. There’s definnitely talent here.

Sometimes it just takes more than that for everything to fall into place. But more often than not, given time and enough talent, it does.

The Seahawks are due for a game where the offense gets rolling. There’s every chance that it happens in this one.

Three Headed Monster

The Dukes have Ty Riddell, Joey Isabella, and the likely offensive rookie of the year in Ryan Petras. They can sling the rock just fine.

Of course, they can pound the rock, too, and they’ve got a lot of options to do it.

We knew heading into the year that Taj Butts was going to be a problem for opposing defenses, and that Solomon was the second half of a dynamic duo. After JaMario Clements left for Wake Forest, though, the Dukes added Ness Davis. There are a lot of good running backs in this league. Elijah Howard, Brian Trobel, the aforementioned Andre Hines… there’s not shortage. But Davis has looked right up there with them. I don’t envy voters (or myself) for havintg to come up with a first team list that only includes two running backs. It’s hard to see any scenario where Davis gets snubbed, though.

Prediction

From conversations I’ve had, the Dukes began this week well aware that there’s a high that comes off of an emotional win. The physical edge and desire to impose their will that they had against Mercyhurst will be hard to replicate. You just can’t do that week after week; there’s a reason why performances like that, when they occur, are so special.

In any case, there’s been an effort to make sure everyone on the Bluff understands that this is the kind of setting that makes let-down games. Knowing is half the battle, and I don’t think the Dukes will be coming out flat. Look for Wagner to continue to evolve offensively, but the edge rushers for Duquesne will be able to limit Barton’s time to throw. The scrambble drill will be important for the Wagner offense, which is usually not ideal for executing a gameplan.

Dukes win.

“It’s Genuinely a Great Atmosphere” - Mercyhurst Target Kamari Pittman on Gameday in Erie

Let’s get the obvious part out of the way first- it didn’t go Mercyhurst’s way on Saturday against Duquesne.

But the game was a big moment for the Lakers, and West Bloomfield, MI DL Kamari “Tank” Pittman was one of the Lakers targets who was able to see the in-state clash under the lights up close. West Bloomfield, by the way, are also known as the Lakers, so at least there’s the familiarity there.

We checked in with Pittman early in the week leading up to the visit, but by the time we hit Thursday, everything was just a little bit bigger, when Pittman received an official offer from Mercyhurst to play football in Erie at the Division I level. With the offer in hand, Pittman had the chance to see Saxon Stadium as a place where he might play some day. He felt welcomed there immediately.

“Leading up to the game the coaching staff introduced themselves and after they provided us a campus tour,” Pittman told NEC Blitz. “While getting closer to kickoff Coach Burke and the rest of the staff made me feel welcomed by speaking and introducing themselves personally.”

During the pregame period, he had a chance to see the way the Lakers warmed up through drills- as well as the coaching he’d be getting. “You can see the intensity as well as the love for the game with not just the players but the coaches as well with them motivating the guys and helping correct them,” he said. “The student section is here early and seems to have a ton of energy with them hyping up the players while doing the drills!”

The Lakers students had packed the stadium early, and there was more than just a country music concert from an alum at stake here. Lakers fans were there to talk football. “The fans were great when it came to communicating with them speaking and treating me like I was apart of their actual family, so honestly I feel as it was a great community and place to be,” Pittman said.

While the game didn’t go the way Lakers fans, players, and coaches wanted, that didn’t stop the coaches from keeping it going all game, something that impressed Pittman. “It was a great atmosphere, though, with the coaching staff showing their commitment to the team as well as winning due to the fact that they kept the same high energy from start to finish no matter the score!”

At this point early in the process, Pittman is still evaluating his offers. We’ll keep our eyes open to see if he’ll be joining the NEC next season.

“I Am 10000% Committed to Wagner.” Inside an Official Visit on Grymes Hill with OL Alexander Citrullo

Jacksonville, FL offensive lineman Alexander Citrullo might not have been born here in the Northeast, but he’s intent on making it his home anyway. The Wagner commit for 2026 (one of two that we’ve tracked down) was on hand for the NEC Sports Instant Classic (TM) between Central Connecticut State and the Seahawks this past Saturday. What he saw only reaffirmed what he already knew- that Grymes Hill was the place for him to play his college ball.

So what’s an official visit like in the NEC?

I think most of us on the outside have always wanted to follow a recruit on an official visit. Unfortunately, my eligibility is looking pretty expired, but what we got this past weekend from Citrullo is probably the next best thing. I’ve always been curious about how Coach Masella and the staff at Wagner do so well recruiting Florida, so hearing it from a commit who’s excited to get up to NYC in January was the best way to do it.

Citrullo flew in on Friday morning and was given a tour of the campus on Staten Island. After that, he got the kind of red carpet treatment we only dream about in media (I am usually elated when I get a Diet Mountain Dew). “[We had] lunch at the dining hall with several coaches including Coach Sino and Coach Czelusniak. Then went over to the field to watch the JV game and met the school president and the athletic director,” Citrullo said. “My whole family met with Coach Masella and had a great talk. Stayed for practice and team meetings and even went over some pass protection with Coach Sino.”

It’s been a long time since I’ve made it back out to New York City from out here in the western frontiers of the NEC, but whenever I do I’ve got a list of pizza places to hit up. One of those is Denino’s Pizza on Staten Island.

Imagine going from Florida pizza to Staten Island pizza in the span of a weekend. You’d commit, too.

That was the setting for dinner on Friday night, along with several coaches and player host James Aldridge.

On Saturday, Citrullo attended the homecoming festivities on the beautiful campus of Wagner College. Homecoming for Wagner football is kind of an interesting concept, too, because the head coach of the program is an alum and one of the greats for the Seahawks. It’s definitely a compelling argument that it could be a place any prospective recruit could want to return to, too. But like anywhere else, the central activity on Homecoming is, ultimately, football.

“[I had] on field access for pregame and truly felt like I was already part of the team,” Citrullo said. “After the game I got to hang out with some of the team in Manhattan. I felt like I was home. I am looking forward to being here in January.”

On Sunday, New York City was allowed to be the primary recruiter, along with New York State legend Dinosaur BBQ. I’ve got to ask Syracuse, NY school Le Moyne if they use the famed Empire State staple in their pitches, too.

And as far as the football game went, we’ve already mentioned the overtime thriller was an instant classic. Experiencing it as a recruit was apparently a lot like watching it as media. Citrullo told us, “The game was great. It didn’t end the way we wanted, but it was a great game. The fumble recovery for a touchdown was great and reminded me of Devin Lloyd from the Jags against the Chiefs.”

Jaguars? In this climate?

You can take the Jaguars fan out of Florida, but… well, we’ll see what happens with four years up north where he belongs.

NEC Blitz Adds Camden White to Mercyhurst Football Radio Team

Former Laker stalwart Camden White will be joining us at color commentary for our first radio broadcast on 11/22/25.

White was an NFL draft prospect in the 2025 class. He was invited to the Buffalo Bills team combine and was one of the standout players in the first Division I team for Mercyhurst. As a graduate student, White was good for 34 tackles and 3.5 sacks. We covered his journey as he sought out a pro day to compete at.

White will add playing experience and expertise to the Lakers radio broadcast team. He played in last season’s Mercyhurst at Central Connecticut State game. He notched 2 tackles in the contest, a Blue Devils win.

Today, White resides in Erie and is training the next generation of great defensive linemen and linebackers at DLB Elite.

“We're Gonna Play a Big Game Every Week”: Business as Usual for Duquesne in Big Win

It had to be asked, and it was.

There was a lot of hype for the Lakers heading into Saturday’s contest. Mercyhurst was an official 2-0 with an unofficial win over New Haven. The Lakers had gone out to play Sacramento State, Youngstown State, and Montana State, and come out of the gauntlet looking competitive in each game. Mercyhurst had a chance at a big moment in Erie, and they made sure to create it.

The athletic department staff did a tremendous job. There was a pre-game concert from country musician and alum Garett Owen. A white out. A press conference early in the week. Some of the biggest names in FCS football were talking about this game in the days leading up to it.

But was there anything about this game that made Duquesne want to send a message?

Coach Schmitt noticed the atmosphere, but he didn’t care. His team didn’t, either. “We’re gonna play a big game every week,” Coach Schmitt said.

“This was a big game, both teams, 2-0, but we came in, and we're just gonna play our football. And I'm really proud of our guys for executing it that way. Just dialing in and not worrying about all the peripheral stuff. There was a concert before the game and all this… We just were focused on the football game. I'm really proud of our kids, because they go to work during the week, and that's what they play for.”

I still have to wonder, though, if there was just a little bit of extra sauce on Duquesne’s game on Saturday.

When you have to look too closely for something, it probably isn’t there. In terms of extraneous “bad blood” prior to the matchup between the Lakers and the Dukes, that’s probably true. You’d have to look close. It was a white out, and the Dukes wore their white jersey and white pants. Unless there was some kind of refusal from the Dukes to wear color during the white out… but again, you’re looking too hard. Way too hard.

There was some talk earlier in the week that this could develop into a rivalry. I think that this is the case now more than ever before. It wasn’t a tight contest, but that isn’t how hatred builds up, either.

That score of 37-0 doesn’t lie. There is a positive aspect to it, though. Ironic though it may be, a score like that only gives incentive to improve, not to find moral victories. An outcome like that is one that the Lakers are going to have to sit with for a year. Every time they look at Duquesne’s name, they’ll remember that score. Some of them are going to be listening to the game when they work out during the offseason. If you want to remember what it looks like when a team is a step ahead of you, that’s the game to replay. Every single player on the Lakers wants to be a champion. They want to compete. You’ve now seen what it takes to be a championship level program in the NEC. Each one of them wants it, and there is no better way to motivate yourself than to see what it takes to get to it.

So there’s hatred if you’re the Lakers, or at least every opportunity to develop it. The Dukes don’t have that incentive right now.

But what I did see from Duquesne on the field looked aggressive. The Dukes were playing hard, of course, but the first drive was an imposition of will. They made it clear early that they had the ability to control the clock and sustain a long, methodical, physical drive. That physicality was evident on defense throughout the night. Clearly evident. The Dukes had an edge that was just about the ideal in football: well within the rules, but playing with great physicality and assertiveness. It was beautiful, physical football, part of what makes the game so great in the first place.

Ultimately, well, football fans want to see rivalries. I want to see new ones develop in the NEC. I’m almost certainly just grasping at straws because there is nothing better than two programs who just can’t stand each other.

That’s my nature, and at least I can recognize it.

If there was any directive to send a message, no one’s telling. As Coach Schmitt said, “The last thing I said to them in the team meeting was have fun.”

If you were a Duke, it was probably fun for you.

If you weren’t, let this one eat at you and get back up for next year. There’s a lot of football to be played between these two teams, and I can’t wait.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 9: #NECHAOS

We came so close to a massive upset in Week 8, but we’ll have to hold on just a little bit longer to see one of those this season.

Wagner jumped out to a 14-0 lead but couldn’t hold on, falling behind in the 3rd quarter to CCSU before Wagner was able to tie it back up at 17. The Seahawks were driving deep in Blue Devil territory and time was running out before they made the mistake of throwing Chris Jean’s way. Like you’d expect if you watched him as often as I do, he pulled off the interception and the threat was abolished. The possession would go back and forth, but Wagner fell in the first overtime and CCSU escaped.

So close. But we’ll have to wait one more week for another crack at #NECHAOS.

1. Duquesne

   The Dukes looked like they wanted to send a message to Mercyhurst in the 2nd meeting of what sure looked like two teams that could establish a rivalry. The first drive saw Duquesne take 6 minutes off the clock over 10 plays, but after that there was plenty of aggression from the defense. I’m a journalist, but I try not to look for angles that aren’t there. But for all the world, it really looked like there was some kind of message that the Dukes wanted to send to the Lakers. That’s how you get rivalries, and I’m looking forward to seeing more from these two. The Dukes will get Wagner next week after a heartbreaker on Staten Island.

2. CCSU

   The Blue Devils got into a knock-down, drag-out fight with the Wagner Seahawks but yet again were able to emerge from a tight game with a win. There’s some amount of variance in how you perform in these scenarios, but less than the stats nerds would say. CCSU clearly knows how to perform and how to close out tight games. This is a team that knows how to win, even when it isn’t their best day. They’ll host a rejuvenated LIU after a bye next week, so they will need every ounce of that knowledge and willpower to stay undefeated.

3. Mercyhurst

   The Lakers weren’t able to compete with the Dukes yet, but they earned a night game and the big game feel that this one had. It’s now up to them to get it back. They’ll get to stay in Erie to recover, but there’s no rest as they’ll welcome in a tough Stonehill team who’ll be ready to bounce back after two big losses. After this, the Lakers will travel to Loretto, where they’ll have to work to get right again. Saint Francis has a stout defense and this might be tighter than you’d guess.

4. Stonehill

   The Skyhawks finished their nonconference slate at Yale where they lost handily to the Ivy League squad. It’s not relevant to conference standings, so they’ll just have to flush it and move on against Mercyhurst. The Lakers defense is scary, though, so it’ll take a big effort for Stonehill to get on the scoreboard, which is something they’ve struggled with as of late.

5. LIU

   I think LIU probably has their mojo back now that they’ve got their quarterback position healthy again. Stanzani helped lead the Sharks past Robert Morris and aside from one big play from the Colonials it wasn’t really ever in doubt. They game against CCSU in two weeks is going to be the highlight of the slate, and it’ll tell us everything about the Sharks that matters. Specifically, if Stanzani has brought them back. First, though, they’ll finish out New Haven’s unofficial non-conference slate.

6. Wagner

   The Seahawks played CCSU tight, but the Blue Devils are so familiar in these settings and unfortunately Staten Island’s team couldn’t hang on. Barton seems to have really secured the quarterback role for Wagner, and he showed some flashes of stepping up in big play situations against the Blue Devils. Wagner is playing Duquesne next, so he’ll have to make the most out of those flashes and turn it into a full-fledged blaze.

7. New Haven

   The Chargers were idle. They’ll travel to Long Island to meet a Sharks team that is looking healthy. Not the best time to go up against LIU. Zaon Laney will redshirt for the remainder of this season but we expect him back next year.

8. RMU

   The Colonials were still unable to get much going offensively and aside from one big splash weren’t able to do much against the Sharks. The defense is there, but Bobby Mo just hasn’t put together their best game yet. Against Saint Francis, the stakes will be high to end the storied rivalry on the highest note possible.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash were idle but have not yet won this season. They’ll play longtime rival Robert Morris in Loretto for the last time this Saturday.

Stonehill Locks Down 4th OL Commit, Kaiden Knox

Stonehill has been on a hot streak with linemen lately, and that only continued last week when they secured a commitment from 6’5”, 300 lb OT Kaiden Knox from North Schuykill, PA. Sources close to the program have confirmed to NEC Blitz that Knox was a priority recruit for the Skyhawks, which makes this commitment a big win for the program. There’s sometimes an idea that recruiting is a lot like playing roulette, and that higher ranked guys are more likely to hit. Don’t fall for that. It’s definitely true that star ratings correlate to reaching the pros, but when a program designates a player as a priority, it’s a careful evaluation that the player meets what they’re specifically looking for at the position for what the position coach, coordinator, and head coach all want to do. It’s got a whole lot more homework to it than roulette ever had.

We had the opportunity to speak with Knox following his commitment to the Skyhawks. His recruitment began in a sort of atypical way.

“Coach Berardelli gave me a call to check in and asked how I was doing and how summer workouts were going. I told him things were going great,” Knox told us. “Then he said, ‘I don’t usually do this, but you’re the first person I’m offering just off a phone call.’”

That had to be some impressive game film. Well, you decide:

The offer was a big deal for Knox, but actually heading into Shovel Town is what sealed the deal.

“I went up for a game day visit and ended up staying overnight for my official visit. The game day atmosphere was incredible. The fans, the energy, the players, everything stood out,” Knox said. “After the game, they took my mom and me to a hotel and then out to dinner with some of the players. I got to hang out with them for a couple of hours, which was awesome.”

So the atmosphere at Stonehill for a big conference win against LIU was on point, and the relationships with the players made Knox feel like it was somewhere that he could be. But visiting the football facilities and speaking with Coach Gardner was the sugar on top.

“The next day, I went back to the facility and talked with [Coach Gardner]. A few days later, I decided to commit. I really liked the facilities, the school, and the overall vibe.”

Knox pointed to Coach Dylan Berardelli as someone he developed a strong relationship over the recruitment process.

Kaiden Knox is the 7th Stonehill commit and the 4th who plays OL as at least one of his positions.

In Depth Look: Chicago State’s New Member Agreement to Join the NEC

Recently, we were able to obtain a copy of the New Member Agreement between Chicago State and the NEC. This document is from way back in Deccember of 2023 when the Cougars agreed to join. So it’s old news, I suppose.

But just because it’s old news doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not worthwhile to talk about. For one thing, I haven’t previously seen the nitty gritty details of the contract discussed. And for another, we’ve obviously been talking a little bit about the prospects of Chi State going from the NEC to the OVC. Our opinion? Not happening.

Our opinion isn’t based purely on conjecture. Some of it is from a deep read of this very contract, and so let’s talk about the in depth details that are worth knowing about the terms between the NEC and Chicago State.

Membership Terms

This looks to be pretty standard stuff. Chi State agrees to provide the documentation that proves it is meeting conference obligations, will put all of their teams in the NEC for sports sponsored by the league, and will actually meet obligations. This is in the Conference Code, which I do not have a copy of.

Intellectual Property

This section is an agreement that Chicago State and the NEC will mutually announce that Chicago State is joining the NEC. Additionally, the NEC can use Chicago State’s name, logos, and brand identities without paying a fee.

Representations and Warranties

An interesting note in this section is that outstanding obligations to the former conference is a requirement here. I was unaware that this was something that would be necessary- in the days of big exit fees, it would seem to me that sometimes a large fee might take some time to repay. It does also mention the importance of the school being able to meet the transition obligations, which I suspect is in reference to the transition from Division II to Division I, but I can’t confirm this.

Sorry. I’m not a lawyer.

It also requires that the president of a university is able to enter into the agreement, Chicago State is an associate member in any other conference in good standing, and that there is no agreement preventing Chicago State from meeting obligations.

Payments

We’ve all been waiting for this. Payments are the juicy part, after all.

Unfortunately, this is one of the sections that is somewhat censored. But there’s still some good information here. Remember, most of this contract- if not all- is likely very similar to the ones any new addition would have signed.

The NEC will reimburse either half or a blacked out flat fee of any associate membership exit fees. (I had long been told that the NEC was willing to reimburse RMU to get them to leave the OVC-Big South, and this seemingly confirms that). It appears this is considered the Signing Bonus.

If, however, Chicago State leaves within 10 years of joining, it will have to pay back said signing bonus. This is in addition to fees for entering the conference (blacked out) and an exit fee. There are two fees outlined: one for within the first four years in the conference, and one within the first ten years. These are blacked out, but we can assume the four year fee is higher.

Chicago State pays annual dues to be in the conference, and there is a separate additional football dues. Chicago State gets revenue distribution as outlined by the NCAA.

Given the known fees, can Chicago State really leave for the OVC? I guess it depends on what’s blacked out.

Termination

Chicago State has the right to leave the conference as outlined by the Conference Bylaws (we don’t have a copy of this). They’ll pay the termination fees as outlined (the NEC will not recoup expenses unless the association is long term) and the fee is not considered a penalty, which I suspect is a legal consideration of some kind. If the Entry Fee is not yet paid off, it is due immediately upon termination of membership.

Miscellaneous

This agreement takes place in New Jersey and any lawsuits must be heard there. This (along with the Conference Code) embodies the entire understanding between the NEC and Chicago State. The agreement is binding, even if there is leadership changes. A signed facsimile is still binding. There’s a clause about defending the conference in the event of a withdrawal from another league, but this does not apply to Chicago State.

Exhibit A

If Chicago State discontinue a sport sponsored by the conference, a financial penalty is assessed. Chicago State needs to reach average operating budgets for all conference sports by 2026-27. Chicago State agrees to get the Front Row equipment, an instant replay system, and at least 3 LED scorers tables for the basketball court.

Again, I am not a lawyer, but that’s the contract as I understand it.

NEC Blitz to Broadcast Mercyhurst Football, Baseball via Internet Radio

WALDEMEER PARK - We promised to work diligently to bring Mercyhurst sports to the fans in Erie and throughout the northeast in new ways. Thanks to Mercyhurst University’s unparalleled effort, Mercyhurst football and baseball is coming to internet radio through NECBlitz.

NECBlitz’s internet radio network will seek to provide an alternative experience to fans. You’ll hear expert commentary from the people most invested in the programs. We’ll continue to provide the high quality written coverage for football that you’ve come to expect while adding another dimension for us to promote sports in the northeast and the scholarship athletes that make it great.

NEC Blitz's first radio presentation of Mercyhurst football will be 11/22 at Central Connecticut State. The radio coverage will continue with select baseball games throughout 2026 and football coverage continuing into the 2026 season.

NECBlitz publisher AJ Mayowski said, “There are two things that are definitively true about NEC Blitz. The first is that our passion lies in NEC Football. The second is that our connection with the city of Erie is unsurpassed. By entering into this partnership with Mercyhurst University, we can safely say that we’ve only improved on what was already a perfect combination.”

With this addition, NECBlitz has partnered with academic institutions to bring baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, and now football to new frontiers. “We’ve got our dream team for each and every sport we plan to cover in this academic year. Now comes the hard part- proving that we belong and that we add unique value to another facet of sports in our region. I have never been more excited to meet a challenge in my life,” said Mayowski.

The Lakers finished 15-15 in NEC play in 2025.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 8: Game of the Century of the Week in Erie

It’s an old trope in college football.

But tropes are tradition, after all, and the best parts of our sport always seem to come from the past. You have a poll because there’s been a poll for 100 years; you call games “bowls” because it’s been that way for 100 years; you let Rutgers play because they’ve been doing it for so long that you can’t even ignore them anymore.

But one of the best tropes (and therefore, traditions) in college football is that when #1 plays #2 in-season, you call it the Game of the Century. In the NEC, our schools aren’t usually ranked even when they clearly deserve to be (i.e., Duquesne) and so we fall back on these power rankings to describe if a matchup is big or not in the NEC. In this case… it’s almost a game of the century. We’re seeing #1 head a couple of hours north to Erie, where Mercyhurst comes in at #3. A quick word on this.

I identify culturally as a Yinzer (look it up if you’re unfamiliar with the term!). It is also tradition amongst Yinzers to take a trip a couple of hours north to Lake Erie. You immediately go to Presque Isle (unless you stop at Waldameer Park instead). After you arrive, you go to the beach your family has always gone to. It doesn’t matter if one has less people on it; you have a pre-assigned beach from birth. Mine is Budny Beach. You hang out there, maybe walk a bit, throw popcorn at a seagull, and then before you go home you stop at Sara’s for food. I know one of my bosses on FCSNation is from South Carolina, so to Kevin: Sara’s is basically Cook-Out, except there’s only one, and you can’t have two corndogs as a side. In any case, it’s just part of growing up that you do these things.

Which is a long way of saying that Duquesne is making the trip north to Erie, and this should not be considered a road game so much as the typical migration pattern of the Wild Yinzer. They will be used to this at Duquesne.

1. Duquesne

   Duquesne hosted Saint Francis in the 51st and final meeting between the two long-time rivals. It’s said that in 1976, the Saint Francis head coach (who was also a priest; college football is the best) prayed for fumbles during the game. Inexplicably, Duquesne could no longer hold onto the ball and the Red Flash won. It’s a great story, but none of it happened this time around, and the Red Flash offense was back to only scoring a single touchdown while the defense could not keep the Dukes out of the end zone. At this point, no one in the league has looked able to hang with the Dukes. This is your reminder that Duquesne was very competitive with top 10 Lehigh, yet are not ranked

2. Central Connecticut State

   CCSU hit the road and met Robert Morris in Moon Township. The game was evenly balanced, with two offensive scores apiece, but special teams miscues for the Colonials and a pick six put CCSU in front with a final score of 24-12. The Blue Devils defense looked solid, but the offensive side of the ball is where you should be paying attention. Brady Olson still has just one interception on the year (12-1 ratio of TDs to INTs) and Elijah Howard ran for over 100 yards, having reached midseason form just as the Blue Devils hit the heart of conference play. CCSU is not the most talented team in the league, but they’re close, and they never beat themselves. You can win a lot of games playing just like that.

3. Mercyhurst

   The Lake Show continued their run with a 19-7 win over the Wagner Seahawks behind backup QB Alex Gevaudan. Gevaudan, who I believe earned his scholarship in the offseason, performed admirably in Adam Urena’s stead, but Brian Trobel was the star here with 190 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs. We liked Trobel heading into the season and had him as probably the third best back in the league, but after the first two running backs in the league, it felt like there was a logjam that anyone could have emerged from in the NEC. Don’t call it a logjam anymore. If the season ended today, Trobel and Elijah Howard would be the two first teamers. The Lakers now host Duquesne in the biggest game in October, and one that may very well determine who gets to hang up a championship banner. It might not have playoff implications, though, as Mercyhurst is ineligible for the FCS playoff.

4. Stonehill

   Stonehill heads to New Haven next week… to play Yale, who also shares the city with the New Haven Chargers. This is a non-conference game. Stonehill can impress a lot of people with a win here. The Skyhawks were idle last week.

5. Long Island

   LIU was idle last week. Hopefully, it was a chance to get healthy, as they return to league play hosting Robert Morris. Ever since the Eastern Michigan win, we haven’t known what to make of the Sharks. A win against Bobby Mo would go a long way towards righting the ship. Of interest in this one is which two quarterbacks play.

6. New Haven

   Points were in the street in the town of New Haven, as the Chargers blasted Division III WestConn 69-0. The Chargers were supposed to win this one going away, and they did that. AJ Duffy threw for 4 TDs but wasn’t recognized as one of the 5 stars, likely because of the level of competition. They’re now off this week and will return to unofficial NEC play against Long Island the following week.

7. Wagner

   I wish Wagner and New Haven were playing this season. They feel so on par with each other, but you never do know until you see it. We’ll have to wait until 2026. The Seahawks were unable to do much offensively against a stout Mercyhurst defense despite playing Jordan Barton and Jack Stevens. Wagner falls to 1-5 (0-1) but has a big chance with Central Connecticut State up next. If the Seahawks are going to turn around this season, it has to start right here.

8. Robert Morris

   The Colonials weren’t able to keep pace with Central Connecticut State despite having as many offensive touchdowns as the Blue Devils. Unfortunately, we saw another quarterback change for the Colonials after a big hit. Wolfe came in and delivered some good balls and had some great chemistry with big tight end Chaz Middleton- maybe the best tight end in the NEC this year- but the Colonials seemed to keep falling short of reaching the red zone until it was too late. They’ll go up against LIU next. The pieces are there for the Colonials- the defense looked good on Saturday and Middleton and running backs Ethan Shine and Donta Whack are talented. They’ve just got to put them together on Saturdays.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash only could post one touchdown in a loss to their rival Duquesne that was over before halftime. A week off will do the Frankies good before they face their other big rival in Robert Morris at home in Loretto- again, for the last time.

Game Notes: CCSU at RMU, 2nd Half

Once again, it’s not in my nature to ask, but tips through the button on the bottom right are always appreciated. We’re bringing radio in limited quantities this academic year and expanding it greatly next season, and that isn’t easy. The more you help, the more I can do- I promise.

CCSU is taking a 14-0 lead into the half. Certainly not insurmountable. It’s been one of those games where CCSU looks a little better and has moved the ball better than RMU, but they haven’t really been able to capitalize and we’re still in a tight ballgame. RMU will receive the kick.

Drive 1: RMU gets the ball after a touchback. A read option led to an accidental knee down to start the half, but a deep throw from Panteck to Middletown to the sideline gets them to the 40. Following that, a pick six on the screen pass puts CCSU up 21-0. There’s that opportunistic CCSU defense- two years in a row.

Drive 2: Touchback. RMU has to start it now if they’re going to comeback in this game. The first run from scrimmage is a hit out of bounds. RMU is already at midfield. RMU gets close on a safety valve pass to Donta Whack but the Colonials will have to punt.

Drive 3: CCSU from their own 13. Incomplete on another verts route down the sideline- a play both teams have liked today- and then Howard gets 5 on the read option. Interesting shift from RMU to Olson’s side- they recognized on the DL what was coming- but Howard cut away from the shift in response and won that battle. A first down on a short pass gets them to first down, where the Colonials defense has continued to get tougher to move the ball on. Another incompletion and the RMU pass defense has never looked better. A little mid screen to the TE doesn’t get more than a yard and CCSU will have to punt.

Drive 4: A huge hit on the punt, but RMU holds on to start at the 33. Incompletions follow and the Colonials need to punt again. The punt goes out of bounds and CCSU will start at the 31.

Drive 5: Elijah Howard starts off with a monster 26 yard run that saw him power through the Colonials defense. He’s closing in on 100 today and looks like he’s back at his midseason form. On a 3rd and 10 with a 5 wide set Olson runs a draw for 9 and the Blue Devils will go for it. Illegal motion, but with an incomplete pass RMU starts at the 35.

Drive 6: Holding on the first play negates a solid 5 yard gain for Donta Whack. A pass on second down will get the Colonials back to 2nd and 11, but this time Whack can’t get anything going. The RMU OL has looked excellent at times today, but they’re not dominating in this game. An excellent pass across the middle on a diving catch to Middleton who has been quietly having an excellent game. Panteck is sacked on the next play after attempting a scramble and again the OL didn’t look big on their play. Richard Ransom has a catch and run down the far sideline but steps out at the 38. That was inches from the big play the Colonials needed. A deep pass is completed- well out of bounds and Middleton is down.

Ethan Shine gets the Colonials into the Brewer Airport Toyota Red Zone for the first time today (19 yard line). Incompletions follow after a short gain and on 4th and 7 RMU misses the field goal. 21-0, CCSU.

Drive 7: At the 20, CCSU misses on a pass with a fair amount of pressure and we go into the 4th quarter. On the first play, Olson took a shot on a sack. The Blue Devils have to punt. It’s a great return negated by a running into the kicker. Rekick gets RMU to start at the CCSU 48.

Drive 8: Middleton just unable to pull in a tough pass to start the drive. Panteck somehow avoids the rush and gets a 2 yard drive out of what should have been a big sack. That’ll go on his film. He took a shot at the end of it and goes down. Jake Wolf comes in and hits Middleton on a deep ball and Middleton is down again. RMU is in the red zone at the 9 yard line. On 3rd and 6 the Central Connecticut fans get loud and the Colonials stay on for 4th down. This will get reviewed- called out of bounds on the field. Looks like a TD. Touchdown.

Drive 9: RMU recovers the onside kick and Wolf is in at QB. He gets 8 on the read option- hands off the next one, and the RMU OL is getting push again for the first down. The next play is a deep shot to Chas Middleton and Wolf is looking great. It’s completed and roughing the passer goes on top of it, and suddenly RMU is at the 7 yard line. Donta Whack takes it in and we’re looking at a two point conversion. Wolf has to throw it out of the back of the end zone and it’s still a two score game, 21-12 CCSU.

Drive 10: CCSU muffs a midrange kick and manages to recover. They’ll start at their own 37. Howard takes the ball twice- CCSU is bleeding out the clock, which I admit is my favorite strategy in football- and with an 18 yard gain goes over 100 for the day. Olson on a QB keeper after that, and the RMU defense is finally showing some signs of crumbling. As of right now , both offenses have scored 2 touchdowns. Special teams and a pick six are the real difference here. Howard carries the ball and is looking unstoppable with another big gainer and CCSU is in the red zone. A TD here is probably back breaking.

Donovan Marcus is in now and we’re at 3rd and 10 with the game bleeding past the 5:00 mark. another incompletion and it’s decision time for the Blue Devils. Hennessy comes on the field and drills the kick. 24-12, Blue Devils. I’m not sure RMU has 24 points in them today.

Drive 11: RMU starting at the 32. They get a swing pass to start but the clock is ticking fast. Wolf hits a big throw to Carter on the run and just behind the sticks. The Colonials aren’t ready to give this one up as we approach the 3 minute mark. Another pass to Carter on the sideline and we’ve found a good connection for the Colonials here. They go to the well a 3rd time and the Blue Devils nearly get an interception out of it. A scramble out of bounds gets the Colonials to the 30, but we aren’t in the 2 minute warning yet and the Colonials have got to get moving. False start on the next play.

4th and 11 and this is the game. RMU just gets the first down pending the spot but it looked like a false start. This one will go to replay as they’re marked short.

Game Notes: CCSU at RMU, 1st Half

We’'ll be providing live thoughts here to avoid flooding the Twitterverse. Not a bad turnout for CCSU fans. Saw a few very filled tailgates. I feel bad asking about this, but if you enjoy what we’re doing today, you can always buy me a coffee with the button in the bottom right of this page. (RMU provides me with free diet Mountain Dew; I don’t necessarily need it for today). But that kind of stuff is always appreciated, and it really does help to keep me coming on-site.

I guess moving forward, the Northeast Conference won’t be on these trophies.

—-

CCSU will receive t he kickoff. RMU won the toss and deferred. Definitely a big first series for the Colonials. They’ve been good in the first quarter all season defensively, but the weather favors the better offense, which has been CCSU so far this season.

Drive - 1: CCSU finds weak spots in the middle on the first 2 players but Marsh Jr. unable to hang on on the 2nd pass. Looks like an intentional strategy. The swing pass on the next play is big and the Blue Devils are past the 50 already. The Blue Devils are moving quickly. Working horizontal now. Olson with the scramble up the gut next play and we’ve got 3rd and 4 for a big stop chance for the Colonials. 4th and 4, CCSU stays on the field and overthrows. The Colonials bend but don’t break.

Drive 2: Cooper Panteck at QB. Big first throw as he underthrows just a little to perfectly place a deep ball and we’re on the CCSU side of the field. On 3rd down, Panteck has to throw the ball away and the Colonials punt.

Drive 3: High snap leads to a sack on play 1 for CCSU. If RMU is going to win this game, they’ll probably need a few of these plays to go their way. CCSU has to punt here and RMU starts at the Blue Devils 44.

Drive 4: RMU with a good gain from Donta Whack- UMass transfer, just like Brady Olson- for 5 yards on a play where RMU’s front looked spectacular. Panteck throws a pick, though, and that CCSU defense just keeps getting turnovers.

Drive 5: Near the 50 (good field position for everyone today), Olson fires another strike over the middle before Elijah Howard finally gets involved on a short gain. Marsh Jr. with a good 2nd yard gain and 3rd and 3 for CCSU to extend the drive although we’re in 4 down territory here. Howard catches a dink and dunk and stepped out of bounds before he could really get shifty. First down. Read option, Olson gets a yard and gets hit hard, but gets up fast and delivers a bomb next play to Wadley. Touchdown and CCSU is up 7-0 with 5:07 to go in the first. That was for 34 yards.

Drive 6: RMU had a shot to break a good one on the kickoff but just got tripped up. Their own dink and dunk attempt went for no gain and on a 3rd and 5 there’s an overthrow and the Colonials will punt again. CCSU should have good field position here.

Drive 7: CCSU starts modestly and on a 3rd and 5 Olson is just a little behind Ricky Ortega, but the former QB makes a great play on it and the drive continues into RMU territory. The Blue Devils are having some trouble on the run, but there’s not seeming to be any overarching strategy on the passing game- they’re doing just fine throwing to several areas of the field and it doesn’t seem to be middle only or going horizontal on the Colonials to gas them. Another bomb results in pass interference and CCSU is on the 29. Now Howard makes a few men miss, gets shifty, and this time Howard is having no trouble running. 14-0, CCSU.

Drive 8: Quarter ends and RMU gets to midfield. Donta Whack is looking good and RMU seems to have the OL to compete here, if they can sustain drives. Lots of good push up front and you have to give the Colonials the edge from an OL standpoint. On a 3rd and 1, read option for Panteck goes for a big run but the holding penalty sends them back. It’s still a first down but a shorter gain to the 39. As a runner, he’s looked good already. and he’s shown the ability to make big passes.

On the next two plays, Whack isn’t able to find room up the middle as CCSU gets stout up front. Panteck gets hit for a sack on 3rd down by #13 and #9 (!!!) and the Colonials have to punt on 4th and 17. A great punt and the Colonials down them at the 5. Running into the Kicker is declined.

Drive 9: Olson opens it up trying to get a lot of the yards back down the sideline. RMU looked a little early but not enough to draw the flag. Donovan Marcus is in this drive. A pass down the opposite sideline goes incomplete, but there’s an unsportsmanlike penalty after the play as there was a little too much chatter and CCSU retains possession. Another pass interference on the next play gives CCSU 15 more and the discipline has to be better here. Elijah Howard gets the ball and goes outside to the 27 yard line. Those penalties killed the Colonials. They had a real chance for great field position here. On a 3rd down, It appears there’s a TD deep but OPI should bring it back… only there’s a roughing the passer also, and two personal fouls and I’m watching the referees actually consult a rulebook on the field. Replay 3rd down. Marcus gets a few yards and CCSU will punt here. A very strange drive. RMU starts on the 6th after a punt.

Drive 10: Still looking solid on the run game. Ethan Shine now moving the pile. The offensive line really does look pretty solid for the Colonials even to the outside. Kai Holloway gets a first down on a out route and we’re close to midfield again. The teams have really kind of lived in the middle of the field. Jet sweep gets a first down and Ethan Shine gets a pancake (let’s remember here for my benefit- about 2:35 in the half). At the 2 minute wardning RMU gets to Kai Holloway again in the middle of the field and we’re closing in on field goal range. The Colonials get to the 24 on the next pass. You can really hear the Central fans here. 1:12 remaining; 4th and 9 after another one of those underthrows just doesn’t connect this time, and now the field goal unit comes out. No good- Doink.

Drive 11: 2 minute drill time. They get a big pass down the middle of the field (34 yard line). An 11 yard out gets a first down, but another dropped snap leads to the 3rd timeout being used by CCSU. On the 17, they’ll attempt to get to the end zone. A short pass gets them to the 10 and CCSU’s Hennesy will attempt from the 17 (ball spotted on the 10). RMU attempts to put Hennessy on ice. The kick is up and no good. 14-0, halftime.

Is Brady Olson the Best Quarterback in the NEC?

Heading into the season, the battle for best quarterback in the NEC was a two man race. Now that race has expanded a little, but the leader in the clubhouse was probably not one we saw coming.

Brady Olson isn’t a new figure to the NEC or college football. The Massachusetts product (and transfer, for that matter) has been playing in Division I since 2021. With that kind of backlog of games to look through, you can forgive us all for thinking that Olson kind of was who he was at this point.

In 2024, he was okay. I wish I knew a better way to describe his performance. He threw for 17 touchdowns to 12 interceptions and 51.1% accuracy. The key to CCSU’s offense was obviously Elijah Howard, and the offensive line that the Blue Devils sported last year would have led you to believe that Olson had the best possible conditions in 2024- and with that, he threw just a handful more touchdowns than interceptions. The addition of Donovan Wadley this year might help him a little, sure, but you can’t call him a game manager with those interception numbers. He’s adding just a little more than he’s taking away.

Enter 2025.

Through 6 games, he’s looked like a legitimate contender for offensive player of the year. Olson has done a whole lot more than throw touchdowns. He’s done that- he’s at 11 so far- but the real key to his improvement has been how well he’s done taking care of the ball. Again, Olson has played 6 games, including one against an FBS team. Despite that, he has thrown just one interception. One.

To me, ball security is paramount in quarterbacks. You can win the game, even with a low yards per play, if you don’t beat yourself. A punt isn’t a winning play, but it isn’t always a losing one. Not compared to desperation interceptions or fumbles from extending a play too long. So Olson has that box checked, and certainly has improved his performance from last season in that regard. But he’s done so much more than that.

Olson is now throwing 59.6%- a big jump from 51.1%. That’s an extra completion for every 10 throws. If that seems small to you, think get back to me after the next 3rd and 7 your team misses. Every little bit helps, and that’s a big jump. He’s been more accurate, but he’s not throwing for less yardage or taking strictly checkdown throws. There’s no indication at all that Olson’s been more careful with the ball by making high percentage, low upside throws. Quite the opposite, in fact. He’s taken his yards per game from 172.2 to 213. It’s not that he’s just throwing more, either. His yards per attempt has gone up a full yard from last year, too. Compare him across the board in college football, and you’ll see even more reasons for excitement. 21 quarterbacks have thrown for 1200 passing yards so far this season. Only Olson has thrown just one interception. It’s not a fluke, and it’s not something with a small sample size- obviously, on that last point. How can you play 6 games, throw 1200 yards, 11 TDs, and even argue that there’s a small sample size?

You can’t.

The cumulative statistics are great, but they’re not the whole story. This past Saturday against Sacred Heart, Olson accounted for five touchdowns. Five. He ran for one (including the 4th quarter one to put CCSU in the lead), threw for four (including the first play overtime touchdown pass), and, again, never put CCSU in a position where they could beat themselves. He’s no longer a decent player, someone we can refer to as “okay” but not in the conversation with the top quarterbacks in the league. He was serviceable. But that performance was not “serviceable.” It was not someone who doesn’t beat themselves. Olson had a running back that ran for 100 yards, but in the 4th quarter and overtime, he sure looked like someone who could- and did- put the team on his back. He refused to lose to Sacred Heart and to have a third last minute game slip through. The fire was evident after his late rushing touchdown as he headed towards the sidelines. He would not go off the field a late loser again. Olson willed the Blue Devils across the finish line. What a performance.

Coach Lechtenberg pointed out to us that what Olson achieved with that performance was the most important stat at all. “I've always asked him, how do you evaluate quarterbacks if not by winning? And he continues to prove that he can do that,” Lechtenberg said. “The thing about Brady, he's the same guy every week, whether he's playing great or playing good or whatever. He continues to play. We started three true freshmen on the O-line last week, and he didn't blink an eye. Whether things are going good or bad, he's the same person, and that's what I can appreciate about him. He's a competitor. He gives us a chance every week to win games, and I really appreciate that.”

We’re six games in. Not all of the answers are here yet. They haven’t named the first team QB yet.

But if Olson keeps playing at this level, you can’t make an argument for anyone else.

GAME PREVIEW: Central Connecticut at Robert Morris

Robert Morris has a new lease on life. It’s conference play now, and the winner of the NEC goes to the playoffs. That’s it. So flush away the tight loss to Dayton, the opener at West Virginia, and last

On Saturday, the first place Blue Devils (1-0) travel to Moon Township to tale on the Colonials, who will be opening up conference play. We had the chance to speak with Coach Lechtenberg prior to leaving New Britain for the unfriendly confines of Joe Walton Stadium. We’ll be on site on Saturday and will have the chance to speak to Coach Clark postgame.

When we asked Coach Lechtenberg about the evolution his team had taken- particularly in the aftermath of going from a pair of close losses with Merrimack and Dartmouth to then winning a close game against Sacred Heart- he told us “The evolution is we're trying to win close, tough games. Both of those were very hard-fought games. We've had a lot of hard-fought games, some that went our way and some that didn't. We understand that's just part of the process, and college football every week is a hard job. So as a young team, we're trying to continue to mature, continue to be tough enough to find a way to win these close games, and we expect to be no different this week.”

So we’re probably looking at another tight contest from Cardiac Connecticut State University. This is a team that plays tight games. They played them all last year and this season hasn’t looked too different. Coach spoke about the physicality that RMU brings and how this is likely going to lead to another game of football the way we like it in the Northeast- the kind where toughness wins. “On both sides of the ball, they're a big, athletic, and physical group,” Lechtenberg said. “We're going to have to have a physical and tough football team because we know they're going to be physical.”

Offensively, while the Colonials haven’t been able to avoid playing multiple quarterbacks, there’s a lot to like. “We expect their starter to be back and to play well. He can throw it. They've got good receivers. Their backs are bigger, physical running backs, so we're going to have to tackle well because they do run hard with a big O-line.”

And if this one goes down to the wire- it always seems to for CCSU- there’s a maturing process the team is going through. They’ve let up some late touchdowns, but last week seemed to be a turning point when they stopped a talented Sacred Heart QB from being able to score in overtime on a 4th down stop. To Coach Lechtenberg, it’s the confidence and t he experience of doing it that’s key to develop, because the playmakers are there. “I just think we have to continue to develop confidence because making those plays in clutch situations is all about confidence and believing you can do it,” Lechtenberg told us. “We've got a lot of guys that haven't played a lot of football, so the fact that we were able to make a play at the end and get it done, hopefully that breeds confidence for our guys because that's really what we're trying to do. We have enough guys that can make those plays. We just got to perform and get it done.”

Early indications are good football weather, so if you’re in the area, you should not miss this rematch of the best game all season in the NEC.

Could Chicago State Join the OVC?

A question has come up several times with the possible impending (or, by the time you read this, present) OVC exodus. Could Chicago State move to the league to replace them? It’s more complicated than you might think.

There’s a lot of smoke coming that the OVC is losing up to 3 members to the UAC. I’m unable to independently confirm any of these reports- not surprising, since, you know, I’m not exactly plugged in anywhere outside of the Northeast.

But while Chicago State ist he geographic outlier in the NEC, it fits exactly in the OVC’s footprint. With the conference apparently on the brink of being raided, the question has been raised:

Is the OVC fighting for survival? If so, how does it survive?

Fans have constructed many realignment scenarios (that’s what you do when you watch college sports in 2025) and plenty of them involve the Cougars. We’ll take a bit of a closer look to see how tenable the idea is.

Financials

Per documents obtained by NECBlitz, there is an undisclosed financial penalty for leaving the league. It’s in two tiers, with a school paying more money to leave in the first 4 years and a smaller penalty if they stay 4 years but leave within the first 10 yearas. While the exact financial numbers are not known, it appears clear that there is a mechanism in place to keep programs in the Northeast Conference for at least 10 seasons, with stiffer penalties if a school leaves prior to spending four years in the league. This number makes sense. The league has historically added from the Division II ranks, and this four year period corresponds to the traditiional reclassification period. This period is now as little as three years provided certain metrics are met (Stonehill did so most recently in the NEC).

It’s not outside of the realm of possibility for a conference (such as the OVC) to pay an exit fee to a member if it were a matter of survival, although I’m not very familiar with the financial burden this might place on a conference. Unfortunately, we’re not aware of the actual numbers or scope of the financial penalty. Predicting the future is conjecture, but the very existence of an increased penalty within 4 years of joining the conference suggests that it should serve as at least a deterrent to conference realignment.

My guess is that this stipulation is likely present for any school joining the NEC, but I can’t prove that and don’t know for sure. As it pertains to Chicago State, though, there would certainly be an exit fee.

If donor money were required to be raised by Chicago State to change leagues, it would be a tough sell. The OVC might be preferred by fans and donors of Chicago State football, but with an ongoing donation drive to set up Division I football, it might be splitting the pool. That’s probably not a good thing for the Cougars now or in any kind of near future.

Level of Competition

Chicago State has found a pretty good fit for its teams in the NEC. When they played independent schedules, they often had to face high level competition and their performance suffered accordingly. They had a good volleyball team in 2023, but until they joined the NEC in 2024, they had no real hope of competing in the NCAA tournament. Upon joining the league, they were able to do just that. The dream season was probably the biggest moment in Chicago State Athletics history. Would this exist in the OVC?

Maybe, maybe not. But there’s no denying that Chicago State has found a league they can compete in in the NEC.

The rise of a football program for the Cougars may additionally provide some reason to hesitate to make a move. If the Big South-OVC continues to exist, the Cougars would either have to match a higher level of scholarships than they likely plan to provide or be comfortable with playing teams that give a full complement of scholarships. It’s believed the NEC has removed the scholarship limit for football, but it’s simultaneously been reported that the expectations are for no team to give out more than around 50 scholarships. Any team leaving the NEC has to contend with this- do they increase the amount of scholarships they give out in football, or play at a disadvantage? RMU’s performance in the Big South-OVC is a good indicator of why that’s a tough choice for a program.

Geography

It is definitely true that the geography would be better for Chicago State in the OVC. It might even introduce some financial benefits as well. As it stands today, Chicago State commutes to its games in conference via airplane- the distance from Chicago to New Haven or Stonehill is simply too great to manage adequately via bus ride. But in the Ohio Valley Conference, this wouldn’t be the case.

There’s also better opportunity for geographic rivalries and shorter road trips for fans. Generally, this is desirable from the standpoint of purists, alumni, and fans, but it isn’t the way conference realignment decisions are made. The history of major level realignment has been to expand footprints rather than to contract them. But if the OVC is fighting for survival, that might not be a consideration so much as obtaining members through any means possible.

Travel costs are likely going to be a consideration for Chicago State’s decisions for conference affiliation any time there’s a decision to be made. It’s just unclear if they’d be the biggest consideration at this time.

So… Could They?

Anything is possible, but I don’t see it as likely. Unless there’s an ability to overcome a financial burden put in place specifically to combat this type of situation, Chicago State is more likely to remain in the NEC than to depart. So while the speculation will always continue, most of the following will have to be true:

-The OVC has to want Chicago State enough to pay an exit fee to get them out of the NEC.

-Chicago State has to want to join the OVC enough to pay an exit fee.

Someone will have to pay that exit fee, and it will have to be worth it to someone for it to be paid. That requires strong mutual interest and a willingness for someone to jump hurdles to do it.

Anything is possible, but it just might not be the right time or the right situation. We’ll put our money on the Cougars staying in the NEC. Whether we like it or not, money just so happens to be the most important thing in our sport today.

Stonehill Secures 2026 OL Alex Deckert

Stonehill has put together a balanced 2026 class so far, but they’ve done their best work in the trenches. That’s only continuing with Central Valley, NY standout Alex Deckert. Familiarity goes a long way in recruiting, and Deckert had some of that with Stonehill before the recruiting process even began. We caught up with him to talk about his commitment to the Skyhawks.

“My O-Line Coach, Matt Taurill, played O-Line for Stonehill,” Deckert told us. That couldn’t have hurt Shovel Town’s chances, but it certainly wasn’t the only factor. His visit when Stonehill upended Long Island was also important. When he was on campus, it felt like the right place for him even before kickoff. “I had toured the campus earlier that day and felt right at home,” he said. By the time postgame came up, Deckert was ready to hear that he’d be welcome as a Skyhawk.

“I met with Coach Gardner after the win against LIU and we talked about the team and the future of program,” Deckert said. “And Coach told me that he thought I would be a great addition to the team.”

After the loss to Duquesne, Deckert wasn’t swayed by the tough loss. He made the decision to accept the offer.

“I called Coach Gardner last night and let him know how much I liked the campus, coaching, and the team, and that I wanted to be there for the next 4 years. Coach said he would be happy to have me.”

Coach Gardner obviously played a big role in landing the big man from New York, but this was a team effort from the Stonehill coaching staff to get their guy. Coach Dan Hebert (Offensive Coordinator) was his recruiter, but recruiting coordinator Nick Flores went to Parasmus Catholic High School where Deckert plays ball. That connection paid off for the Skyhawks in spades. Coach Dylan Berardelli, the Stonehill OL coach, was the final piece of the puzzle, spending time talking OL with Deckert.

Deckert is the 6th commit in 2026 for Stonehill so far and the 3rd who plays OL as one of their positions.

NEC Football Power Rankings Week 7: Mercyhurst Has Never Lost a Conference Game

The Lake Show opened up their first conference slate in the NEC by upending LIU at home. It was the ESPN+ game this week for the NEC, which usually means that the league’s royalty (for lack of a better word) is present. With the mutterings about Mercyhurst after they were added (primarily that they weren’t much of a PSAC team and now they were heading up a level), the early part of this season for the Lakers has to be encouraging. I’m not saying overly encouraging- this was Mercyhurst’s 2nd win of the season, after all- but they were competitive in most of their heavy hitter non-conference games against teams like South Dakota State, Sacramento State, and Montana State. Against LIU, they proved it was worth it. That doesn’t mean the Lake Show is at the top of the charts, but they do happen to have a 1-0 record all time in the NEC (2-2 in “unofficial” league games prior to this one).

1. Duquesne

   The Dukes, though. It sometimes feels like we don’t give this team enough due for being number one most weeks. It’s probably because we expect these kind of performances out of Duquesne. They played at the time #2 NEC Blitz Stonehill and won in a runaway victory. It seemed over at half time, and was. Duquesne’s defensive front was everything we had hoped they’d be this season, the linebacker corps (led by returning from injury Tyson Meiguez) is significantly better than we expected, and Ty Riddell has been the quarterback we thought he could be in a best case scenario. In our preview magazine, we talked about how Duquesne could probably stand to have a few things go wrong and still win the league; well, almost nothing is going wrong right now. Ryan Petras has been a revelation at WR; he was committed to Princeton and flipped to his hometown Dukes. Right now, he’s looking like a contender for the NEC Freshman OPOY.

2. Central Connecticut State

   I agonized over this one. Do you make CCSU the 2nd best team after an overtime win, or do you give Mercyhurst the nod after beating a conference opponent? Ultimately, Sacred Heart came into this one at 4-1 and LIU now has an 0-2 conference record, so we had to go with which is looking like the better win right now. Coming into the year, you couldn’t quite call Brady Olson a game manager after an okay performance in 2024 that saw him throw 17 TDs to 12 INTs- he performed well, but was taking a little too much off the table with his ball security. That script has flipped in 2025. He accounted for 5 TDs against Sacred Heart and has thrown 1 pick all year. We have to start asking the question: is Olson the best quarterback in the NEC?

3. Mercyhurst

   Here’s where the Lakers are. They once again flexed their defensive muscles in a tight win over LIU at home in front of a homecoming crowd (and ESPN+ viewers across the country) at Saxon Stadium. Brian Trobel looks every bit as good as we’d hoped, but there are three running backs for the Lakers who can make noise, including freshman Mookie Gamble. The Lakers have had about as good of an offense as we expected- maybe a step back from a ball security standpoint- but the defense has come out of nowhere. I love Erie’s team, but I did not see the defense coming at all and Mercyhurst has established themselves as a legitimate NEC contender.

4. Stonehill

   Stonehill couldn’t force the Dukes into a low scoring game, and so they fell on the road in Pittsburgh to 1-1 in conference. I had kind of thought that if the Skyhawks allowed 24 points, they’d be in a tough spot to win. If they could muddy it up and control the game, if their elite defense could keep the Dukes from breaking through… it was definitely not a foregone conclusion that the Dukes would win this game, but Stonehill had to win it in their own way. Once it got away from that style, it was tough for the Skyhawks to come back and they dropped to 1-1 in conference. With that loss, they also dropped to #4 in our rankings.

5. Long Island

   LIU has dropped to 0-2 in conference play. The Sharks just haven’t been able to get all of their best players on the field since the Eastern Michigan win. I can’t help but feel like this isn’t the last Jaws sighting, though. LIU is talented, but just like last season the early course of the year may not be going the way they wanted. What will count is if, just like last season, they finish it the right way. Keep in mind that LIU hasn’t played CCSU or Duquesne yet. If they can pull off wins there, they’ll still be in the title race. They' get a week to heal up now.

6. New Haven

   The Chargers pulled off a 28-14 win against Division II Pace, a former conference foe that is having a poor season over in the NE-10. This pulled them up to 3-3 overall, with two of those wins coming against Division II opponents in their transition year. AJ Duffy didn’t have his best game, but he didn’t need to. NEC Blitz Preview Magazine cover athlete Zaon Laney ran for 143 yards, 2 TDs, and had a long of 61 after exploding for a long of 50+ last week. He’s looking healthy and New Haven will continue to look good on offense as long as he and Duffy are clicking. They have WestConn next week and should be predicted to win big.

7. Wagner

   Wagner was idle this week, but will host Mercyhurst on Staten Island next weekend for their first conference game of the season. Coming off a win against Norfolk State and seemingly having locked up the quarterback competition with Jordan Barton, the Seahawks have their whole season and all of their goals in front of them, even with a 1-4 record.

8. Robert Morris

   The Colonials traveled to Merrimack and unfortunately are still unable to scare up any offense with a 24-7 road loss. They scored in the first quarter but were unable to keep up the momentum, and eventually Merrimack was able to pull away as the game went on. The Colonials are 1-4 and welcoming Central Connecticut State to the Joe on Saturday for their conference opener. We’ll be there.

9. Saint Francis

   The Red Flash were idle this week, but will travel to Duquesne for their 2nd conference game on Saturday. It’s a game that Duquesne is unlikely to overlook with the final battle against the long time in-state opponents on the line. The Red Flash are 0-5 and 0-1 in the NEC, but in their last game against Bucknell they looked their best and the offense seemed to finally be waking up a little.