If John Carroll playing Case Western Reserve in a bowl game around Thanksgiving seems far-fetched, think again.
That and other bowl possibilities are now on the table after a Jan. 9 announcement among four conferences and the creation of the Division III Opendorse Bowl Series.
The four conferences involved are the Ohio Athletic Conference, North Coast Athletic Conference, Presidents’ Athletic Conference and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. Each will be represented by their highest-ranked team to not make the NCAA D-III playoffs in a one-day, two-game series. The inaugural bowl series is set for Nov. 23, 2024, at Tom Benson Stadium at Hall of Fame Village in Canton.
For programs such as John Carroll of the OAC and Case Western Reserve of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference — and undoubtedly others — this is welcome news. With the D-III playoffs a 32-team field with 28 conference champions and just four at-large spots, postseason bids beyond the playoffs have been limited. Now, four more teams will play an additional game.
Case coach Greg Debeljak said talks of creating a bowl game between the OAC and the PAC had been in the works but the addition of the Heartland and NCAC only sweetens the deal.
“I’m glad it’s happening and that it’s expanded,” said Debeljak. “Thrilled it’s in Canton. That makes a lot of sense. It will feel like a true bowl game experience for the teams.”
For teams in the PAC, their regular-season schedule consists of all conference games so the addition of a bowl game might mean the most among the four conferences included in the announcement.
“This gives us outside competition against a really good team and a good way to measure our program against others,” said Debeljak, whose team was 7-3 last season and fourth in the competitive PAC.
Based on last season’s standings, here’s how the Opendorse Bowl Series might have looked:
• John Carroll was the runner-up in the OAC at 8-2.
• In the PAC, Carnegie Mellon was second at 9-1.
• In the NCAC, three teams tied for second at 7-3 — Denison, Wabash and Wittenberg. Those three were 1-1 against each other so extended tiebreaker(s) would have been used to choose a bowl representative.
• In the Heartland, Rose-Hulman at 7-3 was the runner-up based on its head-to-head win over Hanover, which was also 7-3.
Opendorse — an NIL company and athlete marketplace — will be the bowl games’ lead sponsor.
“I think I speak for all four conferences in expressing my excitement for this event,” said OAC commissioner Sarah Otey in a statement. “The four leagues have been considering bowl options for several years, but wanted to make sure we were able to deliver a special student-athlete experience and do so in a way that invests in our local communities. The opportunity to host an event like this at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium – and provide Division III student-athletes a chance to play in such an incredible venue – will be great for our conferences, the sport, and all of Division III.”
![By STEVE MEGARGEE MADISON, Wis. — Five of the six major conferences have a leader or co-leader that failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season. That doesn’t mean this is a college basketball season full of Cinderella stories. Four of the major-conference leaders that got left out of March Madness last season have reached a Final Four within the last decade. But those teams’ early success shows how the 2021 rule change allowing players to transfer without sitting out a season has made it easier for established programs to bounce back quickly. “A lot of kids that are coming over from […]](https://www.morningjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AP24013700010332-1.jpg?w=525 "By STEVE MEGARGEE MADISON, Wis. — Five of the six major conferences have a leader or co-leader that failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season. That doesn’t mean this is a college basketball season full of Cinderella stories. Four of the major-conference leaders that got left out of March Madness last season have reached a Final Four within the last decade. But those teams’ early success shows how the 2021 rule change allowing players to transfer without sitting out a season has made it easier for established programs to bounce back quickly. “A lot of kids that are coming over from […]")
![By AARON BEARD North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Gonzaga’s Mark Few were a day from meeting for the 2017 national championship with teams relying heavily on imposing front lines. And the coaching buddies couldn’t overlook one oddity. “He said, ‘You know, this is strange — it’s the first time all year long that we’ve had to defend a team with two big guys, it’s been go chase the 3-point shot,’” Williams recalled Few saying. “I said, ‘But Mark, look around. … We’re the only two left standing,” Williams said. It’s a moment the now-retired Hall of Fame coach said the two have […]](https://www.morningjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AP24018648145334-2.jpg?w=505 "By AARON BEARD North Carolina’s Roy Williams and Gonzaga’s Mark Few were a day from meeting for the 2017 national championship with teams relying heavily on imposing front lines. And the coaching buddies couldn’t overlook one oddity. “He said, ‘You know, this is strange — it’s the first time all year long that we’ve had to defend a team with two big guys, it’s been go chase the 3-point shot,’” Williams recalled Few saying. “I said, ‘But Mark, look around. … We’re the only two left standing,” Williams said. It’s a moment the now-retired Hall of Fame coach said the two have […]")
![On Jan. 18, John Carroll University announced it will become the 10th member of the North Coast Athletic Conference. The announcement ends the university’s association with the Ohio Athletic Conference, which began for a second time in 1989. The Blue Streaks were also members of the OAC from 1932 to 1949. “Athletics has been an integral part of the student experience at John Carroll for more than a century and we are pleased to accept the invitation to join the NCAC during a pivotal time in our history,” said JCU President Al Miciak in a statement. The NCAC consists of […]](https://www.morningjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/TNH-L-JCUNCAC-0119-01-3.jpg?w=439 "On Jan. 18, John Carroll University announced it will become the 10th member of the North Coast Athletic Conference. The announcement ends the university’s association with the Ohio Athletic Conference, which began for a second time in 1989. The Blue Streaks were also members of the OAC from 1932 to 1949. “Athletics has been an integral part of the student experience at John Carroll for more than a century and we are pleased to accept the invitation to join the NCAC during a pivotal time in our history,” said JCU President Al Miciak in a statement. The NCAC consists of […]")
![By DAVE SKRETTA LeVelle Moton had just watched North Carolina Central, a program that he has turned into a mid-major mainstay in the NCAA Tournament, get obliterated by Kansas, yet he had a hard time wiping the smile from his face. He knew that, win or lose, his team had experienced something special just by playing the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse. “Kansas is just the mecca of basketball, right?” Moton asked. “You walk in and there’s subtle signs where they play mind games — it says, ‘Welcome to the Phog.’ ‘Beware.’ I’m like, ‘Wow, you can’t even look at the […]](https://www.morningjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/AP24011578191698-1.jpg?w=525 "By DAVE SKRETTA LeVelle Moton had just watched North Carolina Central, a program that he has turned into a mid-major mainstay in the NCAA Tournament, get obliterated by Kansas, yet he had a hard time wiping the smile from his face. He knew that, win or lose, his team had experienced something special just by playing the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse. “Kansas is just the mecca of basketball, right?” Moton asked. “You walk in and there’s subtle signs where they play mind games — it says, ‘Welcome to the Phog.’ ‘Beware.’ I’m like, ‘Wow, you can’t even look at the […]")