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After a very long night (it's not after 4:00 a.m.) We are back. More to do, but we are functional, enjoy. More from me after I get some sleep. ...g'night, DK

To those of you that know me on a personal basis... The time has come to hang up the stripes. Been a great 25 years, and a lot of fantastic ball-games, friendships, competition and discussion. I'll ask to be with the IHSAA in a different capacity as the years go by, but at this point; The time has come to allow 'younger' officials to shine. Yeah I'm only 60... But for me I had never planned in any sport to be a 70 year old guy stumbling like Wille Mays out of the batter's box in his later days. Again, thanks to everyone.

If "sports" is ever divorced from the schools...the kids that need sports the most, will have very little access to it.

I usually spend most Friday nights and Saturday mornings watching several games from around the state on IHSAAtv. With Carroll, Dwenger, and Luers all playing this Friday, I was looking forward to flipping between games, or watching on multiple devices. Then I noticed that every game this week is being broadcast exclusively on IHSAAtv. No problem, I figured I’d just buy the package that lets you watch all the games. But when I checked the IHSAAtv website, that option wasn’t listed anywhere. After getting excellent help from Heath Shanahan at the IHSAA, I learned that you can purchase the package by selecting the Carroll/Westfield game, logging in, and then choosing the “all 12 games” option for $20. A single-game purchase costs $12 and some change. Hopefully IHSAAtv updates the site to make the “all 12 games” option easier to find, but I wanted to share this info for any Indiana high school football fans planning to watch from home. Enjoy the games, and good luck to all the teams!

Forever. That's something to be proud of in my opinion.

I still don't see the need for a shot clock in Indiana High School Basketball. There is already a counter to "stall ball" in the existing rulebook. It's called the 5-Second Violation. Coaches need to actually teach their players how to play aggressive man-to-man defense in order to force such violations, along with turnovers. Yet it seems more and more coaches are content to play insipid zone defenses and just whine and complain about the other team holding the ball.

I have taken some time to reflect the last few days and decided to author a love letter to the Conference that brought our Program to great success since 1999. I will first appolgize if you are looking for a well penned grammar free words on the page, so I will first appolgize to @gonzoron of Hoosier Conference fandom Hamilton Heights ahead of time. Titles: It all started in 1999, but I was film guy for my DC when I played, now HC Chris Meeks, when I was leaving Purdue to come back and or drive across the river or around the block to WL to film all the Bomber games in this new conference that I knew nothing about. Coach told me and others at the school that this will be a great thing for football and hopefully the rest of the school as it will force our coaches and athletes to raise their expectations if we are going to compete against Lafayette area teams on a consistent basis. Then in 2001, enter 2 schools named Sheridan ( who at the time, only knew of bc of a RB in my teen years from IU that was from Sheridan named LAW) and Tipton a school I had never heard of but knew there was DQ there on our way from Rensselaer to Ball St my JR year of HS. My first great memory was in 2001 when Tipton rolled into our town on Charter Bus and we had our 1st play of the game called down with an inadvertant whistle that took a TD off the board, Bombers would lose 18-0, however, they would bounce back an some called it an upset and knocked off Benton Central in week 9 to secure our 1st Hoosier Conference championship, a 3 way split with TIpton and BC. BC was undefeated at the time, perhaps the cake outside the locker room congratulating the Bison on undefeated conference championship was a bit early. However in 2002, BC returned the favor, knocked Bombers off week 9 and created another share for the title with RCHS. 2004 was our 1st outright title where we knocked off @Ballhawkoldest QB, SR Brett, who brought his undefeated Blackhawks to town vs undefeated Bombers, a game so looked forward to, Radio station made signs to hand out to fans as they came in, the term BUZZSAW was used as we blitzed the Blackhawks 42-7 on our way to our 1st outright title, game was played an monsoon. So much rain. Fast foward to 2005 and showdown with @Ballhawk boy, the middle of the 3 outstanding QBs of Sheridan lore, the Freshman Phenom vs the SR of Ghost at Rensselaer Kiger, game so big, literally 2 helicopter from 2 differen INDY stations flew in and flew out, a jammed packed Bud Wright Stadium for an outstanding HS football game, 2 undefeated teams again, this time Blackhawks come away 35-32 victors that evening, and a great memory of Coach Wright after the game so excited meeting with Coach Meeks and reminded us he had this freshamn for 3 more years!!! He did it in only the way Coach Wright could, not bragger but true sincerity of excitment. The following Week, where we thought we could of not had a chance at a title, we were awarded a nice surprise as WL knocked off Sheridan the following week to create another shared title. The next title came in 2010 as our giant OL and great defense and power running game swept the conference that year and swept it again in 2014 on our way to undefeated state championship. Those are the championship years and memories of our 6 titles from the Hoosier. Memories of the early days of warming up over by our hospital, not to be seen until it was time for the coin toss, just letting teams enjoy our field to themselves, somtimes with no music, a few times with Lawerence Welk playing. Coaches Segment of the Love Letter: Coach Overly getting BIG MAD pregame in one of his final years at WL, storming up to pressbox yelling we ain't Tipton, turn off that music (mind you, classic rock was playing, and our pre game specialies were on their way out to the field, but man he was stressed that night, of course when they won the game, he was all smiles and appolgized for his outburst pregame at me, but Coach O also didn't allow Music at WL pre game in locker room or on field either. Some Pre-Game chatter with the young pup on WL staff that ended up taking over from Coach Overly, where I may have been aggessive in some story telling of my world, Coach O was not quite ready for my shenanigans, however the cordinators were in stiches. Coach Tolle (Mike) pre game talking to Coach Meeks and I about the Hoosier and how many great coaches there was, naming a couple and then a weird silence followed by: and you too Chris 🙂 Trying to figure out how to gain yards against Tim O'shea's slanting 3-4 defense at LCC still give me night terrors, which beating them in 2014 both in Regular season and at Semi State was just incredible as that team was LOADED. I have personally been great friends with many from this conference over the years, so much love and respect for many we have locked horns with. Coach Steve Snyder, long time DC at TWIN LAKES, my older brother HC at RCHS, Coach Overly was AWESOME man and true steward of the game. O'shea Brothers at LCC, I think we got 1 year of Kevin at TL, but I maybe off. Coach Strasser when at Delphi. What an outstanding experience coaching against Bud Wright led teams of Sheridan before there exit out. Coach Nay/Goodin combo when they arrived at LCC, good peoples to me. Coach Dave Black at Benton Central was blue collar grinder and tremendous individual, great seeing him a few weeks ago on our last trip over. Watching Coach Fry ascend from his time at WL assistant to one of the top coaches in the state has been fantastic, as we first met at PE dept together at Purdue, both aspiring PE teachers and Football coaches, many great memories over the years, some not so great, but him and his staff of DC Roseman, Coach Speaker and RCHS HOF member Coach DeWees are true friends of mine that have extended well before our battles on the gridrion. Sidenote: I am 1-0 against Coach Fry in 9th grade Girls Hoops !! BOOM BABY, yes, I coached girls hoops back in the day, so did he, as young teachers and getting started we all did things like that to get going, I rolled into WL gym and there he was , my college buddy across the bench, with that win, we took the girls to Silver Dipper for some ICE CREAM. ATHLETES: What a conference of just DUDES over the years: SO SO MANY. Zachary Brothers of Sheridan, Mills Brothers at LCC, Weatherford at HH, the numerious #87, #2 at Tipton, I see you Hooker, and Shively, Schoen Brothers at BC, Anthrop Bros at LCC, Cronk of LCC, the unbelievable talent run that WL had last 10 years, Karlaftis brothers, not bad for George so far I'd say in the NFL, Woodyard, DE, Mr. Football at QB Wodika, then Lancaster, then the list goes on and on and on there for RDP of 765. I am sure there many others that I just can't place my brain around right now, needless to say, we had to bring it each week since 1999 to compete. FOOD: Eating Pre-game Chilli as a guest of @Ballhawk one year. Eating Pre Game Pork meal at Hamilton Heights my first year there when they joined the Hoosier. Googling Russiaville when a team called Western joined the ranks but that came with pre game Tenderloins from a place near Kokomo!!! Being able to promote the greatest BURGER in the Conference the WAGONMASTER to the tune of 30 PLUS ordered every time WL came to town over the years for thier pre game or post game coaches meal. TO THE GID POSTERS: I had great pleasure running the Hoosier Conference Pick em over the years when I was teaching Credit Recovery/Alt School, we had some time on my hands during that 13 year run. Thanks to @CoachDurham for taking over the ranks last few years. Having battles with Mr. October and great conversationst with @Fballfan15 (still chat to this day) were outstanding and occasional drop by @dazed and confused Running into LCCFAN09er, literally this summer in VEGAS CEASARS HOTEL POOL (there on AAU team trip, me 20 year anniversary) and remembering how many times I had recieved a phone call from folks in LCC program asking me to remove things he has posted !!! 🙂 Fond conversations with @LCCAlum (man his brothers could ball) Meeting up with my guy G @nmsu_aggie many times pre and post game and I appreciate the lone flag bearer around here of HH @gonzoron when his kids were going through . EDIT: HOW COULD I FORGET: Hand delivering @foxbat his well EARNED HOOSIER CONF PICKEM plaque at Walts on WL having a cocktail !!! In Summary, just wanted make an appreciation post for some of my meathead thoughts that are in this noggin as we have exited out gracefully of our run since 1999, a RUN that has seen the BOMBERS win our 1st CONFERENCE GAME 14-12 thriller vs Twin lakes in 1999 and our Last Conference game 51-0 vs BC OR 36-35 OT Thriller against Logansport if you want to count that, for me, I AM !!!!! A run that has seen our HC, myself and our DC Zacher be part of now 202 Wins of Coach Meeks, a tenure that started in 1999 as member of conference and ends in 2025 as we head of into the world of Independence. BE WELL MY HOOSIER CONFERENCE FOOTBALL FAMILY Coach Nowlin Rensselaer Central

We are allowed our opinions and perspectives and thank God we can agree to disagree. Let’s talk about it, especially when you say that football has “not a lot of real world value”. Does participation within a program that teaches them (youngsters youth thru high school) things like discipline, selflessness, commitment, ultimate team work amongst 33 pieces on Offense, Defense and Special Teams plus their coaches, managers, etc., sound like a good thing that provides world value? How about how to disagree and resolve conflict, how to stand up for what is right, how to have patience, how to love, how to have understanding, how to forgive, how to believe in oneself and others, to encourage, to demand excellence of the self and others, to lead, to persevere, to be special. I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the true depth of what the greatest team game ever “real world value” is. Our football coaches, the true football coaches that are men and women of integrity and honor, take the responsibility of being a coach as serious as being a father because they know that most of society has lost that father of 4 that works hard and goes to church (very sad btw). So, someone in the village has to step up and help the parent or guardian that’s left guide that child to graduation and hopefully onward, so they can have a shot of becoming that impactful parent that deserves the millions of dollars and appreciation, but since that kid played football they won’t ask or care about it because of the values they learned from their coaches and the game. God bless our coaches that sacrifice their family time for others kids and may the impact they have be positive and long lasting. So that the values and lessons can begin to truly impact the real world. Yes, shoutout to all the guys doing great things outside of football and keep up the good work and doing by far the hardest job on the planet, being a good parent. Shoutout to the our football coaches as well who are raising their own kids and others.

I will preface all I’m about to say by stating I have been involved in yute sports from every angle, player, coach, official, and administrator, I always felt like I had a pretty good handle on what we, at least I was trying to accomplish with yute sports. And call me a romantic, but I truly believe athletics are an extension of the classroom. With all that being said everyone is aware of the current state of officiating at all levels. Shortages, bad officials, inexperienced officials working to high of levels, rinse, repeat. Over the weekend while supervising a club softball tournament I read numerous posts on FB complaining about umps… from C level to a HS Varsity HC complaining umpires cost his team a sectional championship in a 7-6 that featured his opponent hitting a grand slam. Most of the posts, complete with pics and vids did show a generous strike zone. But the recurring theme I heard was yes it was like that the every game of the sectional. Everything I saw as an uninterested third party looked consistent to me. WTF else can you ask for? I will assure you when I’m on fire behind the dish I’ll still miss a couple. Which leads me to the point of this paperback. I’m 61 years old and I realize I’m from another time, but in my thinking, we need to adjust to Blue’s zone. That would seem a LOT more logical than bitching about balls and strikes on FB wouldn’t it? Today I got involved in this gem on FB. 11 YO gets punched out on a pitch in the other batters box, it’s a bad call, but it IS the call. My point is my thought process in ALL of this I’m trying to teach my kids A) shit just went wrong, how are you going to react and B) to control what they can control. And don’t waste energy on stuff you can’t. Instead of whining on FB and looking like a TOTAL BEOTCH, what if we taught our kids to make adjustments. If Blue’s got a wide zone, let’s throw our hands at it, foul it off and maybe the next pitch will be something we can do something with. On the other side of it, when you’re sitting over there on that bucket, don’t you keep calling farther and farther out until you figure out Blue’s limit is? What are we trying to accomplish with youth sports today? As an official and administrator, what are we doing? Are we here for the NIL money, college scholarships, have fun, child development, social status ( yes I’m looking at you in particular Westfield), I’m down with whatever just let me know what we’re trying to accomplish

Take a moment to wish everyone a happy / merry/ bah humbug holiday season, however you choose to celebrate with friends and family. Thanks for being a part of this community and hope Everyone was on the Nice List !!!! Cheers Coach Nowlin

I added this feature to the Predictor Tool called Predict a Tournament. It allows you to simulate up to an eight-team tournament using current Sagarin ratings. Note: There is no homefield advantage factor because I didn't think it was needed. Also, you can include byes by leaving a field blank. Enjoy!

Just a tragedy for Indiana high school sports. Who will endlessly call for conference realignment now?

Held off for a while to gather my thoughts here. I cannot say enough how great this crew was to work with. I really enjoyed seeing you guys at our freshmen and/or JV games. Each man on that crew would take time to teach kids what they were looking for on a given play, and explain to them why a flag was thrown. While there is never a game where you get every call you think you should, when this crew had the game, you knew it was going to be fair. You knew you could communicate with them to clarify things. Great crew, but better men. And all of that about the crew is a direct reflection of the man leading them. Enjoy your extra time, you have earned it.

It is with great sadness I let all know who remember Rex Tuttle from his many posts and information particularly on the Linton Football Program. King Tut was his handle, and he was born in 1931, and had an incredible memory that provided many stories from years well gone from most minds today. Rex graduated Linton in 1949, and while he didn't play football, he was in band, and the band travelled to most games. He could recollect so many iconic Linton games, good and bad, with such clear vision. I'd interviewed him a few times in my Linton radio broadcasts, in particular the Sullivan rivalry because he was really the source in so many ways. With Rader Media, Kevin had done an video stream session with him that was timeless. I begged him to get a cassette recorder and just record his memories for posterity and history sake. So many others said the same thing. I saved a lot of things he posted from his time here just because there would never be another source for such things. He had to stop going to games in person bein well in his 90's but he always checked in online in our broadcasts. He always posted about Linton sports on his Facebook page, honestly right up to Linton's loss in basketball semi-state in Late March of this year. He even posted videos of himself playing his beloved trumpet, and could still do it well. I hadn't seen Rex in person in a while, but still regarded him as a friend and of course a die-hard loyal Linton Miner fan of every sport. We lost such a great mind, and a great person. I will miss his insight and comments during the seasons...particularly football.

Interesting to see so many folks who are not involved with New Pal speak on what's best for New Pal Fascinating 😂

My issue isn't so much the transferring, it's the public spectacle of creating a clevor social media post to pat yourself on the back while publically announcing you've quit on your coaches and teammates.

I’ve been a licensed IHSAA Basketball Official for eight years. I think I do a pretty decent job being a solid arbiter of the rules of the game. My daughter plays on a 10u softball team based in our town. I’ve coached baseball and softball for a few years—but I’ve never umpired. I’ve got a good handle on the rules, especially at the 14u level and below. We needed a plate ump for a scrimmage last week for our 12u team. I volunteered to do it. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in an officiating capacity. Idk how patched umpires are as consistent as they are. I’ve never been one to argue balls/strikes, but I definitely won’t now. I’d encourage anyone who wants to argue those calls with umpires to go work one game behind the plate. It will literally and figuratively change your perspective.

To have Paul Condry (also puts on the yearly GRIDIES AWARDS with COLTS) and Tim Phillips in the same sentence, paragraph......... not even remotely close to that stratosphere. History Lesson: Paul Condry is in the Indiana Football HOF. https://greatnews.life/article/the-story-of-paul-condry-the-voice-behind-regional-radio-sports-network/?region=michiana https://rrsn.com/author/paulcondry/ https://ifca-hof.org/inductee/condry-paul/

Amen....the very worst element of youth sports.....adults

First game as a head coach and I get to do it against the all-time winningest coach in Indiana History. What an amazing privilege and opportunity, can't wait for August 21st!

This is going to be a very long post. The question has been debated here, and elsewhere, and the issues are as complex as the fans are passionate. While I’ll try to keep this more in the realm of fact, as opposed to opinion, all should understand from the outset I am not unbiased when it comes to Notre Dame. My credentials as a Notre Dame supporter are probably as good as those of anyone likely to read this. I love Notre Dame. My 4 years there were among the best of my life. My ND degree set me up for success in life, and it is one of my proudest accomplishments. Moreover, I wore the blue and gold in intercollegiate athletic competition, and always took my responsibility as a representative of Our Lady’s University very, very seriously. All that being said, the most valuable skill I learned at ND was how to think critically. So, I have attempted to apply those critical thinking skills to this issue in as unbiased an analysis as I can manage. So, here goes. How did Notre Dame develop its tradition of independence in football? To decide whether conference affiliation is in the best interests of the program, you first need to understand how the policy of independence came about. ND’s status as an independent was originally adopted in the 1920s, when the Irish first rose to national prominence. In 1924, Knute Rockne put the team on a train and headed west to California. The only bowl game played that year was the Rose Bowl, and the Four Horsemen rode roughshod over Stanford, as the Irish capped their first national championship season. The idea of taking a team across country to play a game was new, and it captured the interest of the fans. The tradition of playing USC was born the following season. Notre was actually known as the “Ramblers” in those days, because of their willingness to travel to find opponents. Rock created the national brand that was Notre Dame football out of necessity. Notre Dame had no built-in local base of fans and recruits like the big state schools. Because it was a faith-based institution, its pool of potential recruits was necessarily limited, first by religion, and ultimately by academic demands that exceeded those of most other football-playing schools. Similarly, its relatively small size was a handicap in building a fan base without many thousands of alumni to rely on. For example, Notre Dame has about 150,000 living alumni. Ohio State has over 4 times that number. So, they needed to appeal to a national audience of fans and potential recruits. Catholicism was the only natural attractant, and Catholics provided the national fan and recruiting base for ND in the early years. At the same time, Rock was establishing an identity for the team on the gridiron. Because he wanted to appeal to a national fan base, and to recruit nationally, ND felt it could not be affiliated with a conference, because all conferences were regional at that time. The Irish adopted a scheduling philosophy that required them to show the flag all over the country, something that just wasn’t done if you were a conference member. Since ND was not affiliated with a conference, the only goal of this national program was, logically, a national championship. That was the reason why, after that Rose Bowl win against Stanford, the Irish adopted a policy of not playing in bowl games. In those days, the final polls declaring a national champion came out at the end of the regular season. Since the bowls had no impact on a national championship, and they were typically played during final exams, ND did not play in another bowl game until 1969. This policy served them well, as they rose to national prominence, winning 7 national championships between 1925 and 1969. The AP changed its polling process in 1968 to issue its final poll after the bowls were completed. Since ND’s program goal was a natty, they changed their bowl participation philosophy at that time, and began the new era of ND football with a Cotton Bowl appearance against Texas on Jan. 1, 1970. They changed their strategy to keep it well-aligned with the goal of winning national championships. Competing for a national championship, reinforcing the national brand in terms of both fan base and recruiting, and adhering to high academic standards, remain the goals of the program. Are the reasons initially justifying independent status still in existence? Understanding how and why Notre Dame’s policy of football independence originated is key to the issue of whether that philosophy should change or not. Is it possible to maintain a national fan base and a national recruiting presence, and compete for a national championship, all while becoming affiliated with a conference? The “national brand” limitations once imposed by conference affiliation have been significantly reduced due to a number of factors, principally the rise of the internet, social media, and streaming services, and the expansion of existing conferences outside their traditional regional envelopes. As late as 1992, the reach of the Big 10, for example, stretched only from Columbus to Iowa City, not even 550 mi. Today the Big 10 goes from coast to coast and is physically present from sea to shining sea. Today a Big 10 team might play in the New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle markets in a single season. ACC teams go all the way to Texas and California.The SEC includes Oklahoma & Texas. Regional conferences are rapidly becoming a thing of the past. The world has gotten a lot smaller. The college football world is no exception. It is now a lot easier to recruit in Texas, Florida, California, or anywhere else without having an actual physical presence close by. NIL and the transfer portal have revolutionized recruiting, and the old methods don’t work well any more. Conference affiliation, as recent events have revealed, is no barrier to competing for a national championship. In fact, independent status has likely become more of an obstacle, given scheduling issues. The P4 conferences have all gone to 9 game in-conference schedules. This has significantly reduced ND’s scheduling opportunities, outside of the first couple of weeks of the season traditionally reserved for non-conference games. With SOS and SOR becoming more important with the advent of a playoff system, the ability to generate a quality schedule has become a problem for ND. [Please don’t bring up Navy. That’s been addressed elsewhere. Getting Navy off the schedule is a non-starter. End of discussion.] And now, in addition to logistics issues, there is the prospect of a scheduling “backlash” against ND. It’s unclear how real that threat is, as ND is a significant draw, putting butts in the seats and eyeballs on the screen. Of course, conference affiliation does not guarantee a high quality schedule every season. Just look at the 2025 ACC for proof of that. But it does remove the perception that ND manages its schedule in a way conference affiliated teams cannot, hence the threatened “backlash.” Would the Irish have fared differently with the CFP Committee if their schedule contained Rutgers, Maryland, UCLA , and Michigan State, as opposed to Syracuse, Stanford, Arkansas and NC State? No one knows, but at least with a conference affiliation, the argument that ND plays a manufactured schedule when no one else can is eliminated, together with the negative connotations that go along with it. So, there are some sound reasons why an independent schedule no longer serves the goals of the program as it once did. But no discussion of program goals and philosophies is complete without addressing the elephant in the room: $$$. What would be the economic effect of conference affiliation? We cannot pretend that economic issues do not enter into the discussion. Notre Dame keeps significantly more revenue than many conference members, allowing them to retain substantial funds from CFP appearances and other sources. This financial strength allows for greater investment in both athletic programs and broader university goals. Unlike many schools, ND’s football revenue does not all stay with the program, or even with the Athletic Department, although it does fund football operations and non-revenue sports. The NBC deal has resulted in over $100 million in financial aid to non student athletes over the years. This is a vital part of the University’s overall goals. Any significant reduction in revenue resulting from conference affiliation is a non-starter. How would a conference affiliation affect revenue? Would conference affiliation result in a significant reduction in football revenue? Currently, ND’s contract with NBC/Peacock which runs through the 2029 season generates about $50 million/yr. The broadcast rights payouts to conference affiliated programs are, in some cases significantly more, than that. Under the current deal, B1G schools receive about $63 million. The Big 12 is only about $40 million; the ACC about $45 million. The SEC is about $52 million last year, but just signed a new deal which will put that figure somewhere in the $60+ million range starting next season. ESPN/ABC have locked up all of college football except the B1G and Notre Dame. Fox is heavily invested in the B1G. NBC owns Notre Dame. I don’t view any of this as a significant barrier to conference affiliation. ND’s Athletic Director, Pete Bevacqua, was the Chairman and President of NBC Sports as recently as 2023. If ND wanted to join a conference, I’m confident they could work out a deal with NBC. The big (potential) money difference is playoff compensation. For their run to the national championship game in 2024, ND received a $20 million payout, which they didn’t have to share with anyone. The conferences all have distribution formulas which provide that all members share in the payouts to conference teams in the CFP, most according to a formula which provides a bigger share to the teams actually making the playoffs. B1G schools received about $2.5 million each from the playoff pools last year. Of course, ND received $0 in 2025. Thus, conference affiliation provides greater certainty of revenue, while independent status provides a chance for a bigger payday. I would think that if ND is considering a conference affiliation, they would gravitate towards conferences that allow actual playoff teams to keep a larger portion of the revenue generated, with smaller shares going to non-playoff teams. In summary, there does not appear to be any financial impediment to conference affiliation. Rather, it is likely to present an opportunity to increase broadcast rights revenue. Have additional reasons developed, pro or con, regarding independent status? The world has changed dramatically from the days when Notre Dame’s policy of independence, driven by recruiting and fan base considerations, was a necessity. The college football of today would be unrecognizable to a fan in the 1970s. The internet, the rise of social media, and the increase in $$ dictate changes in both strategies and policies. Add to that the pressures of NIL, the portal, and a playoff format. There have been sufficient changes in the college football landscape to mandate a fresh look at whether the now century old policy of independence continues to be the best way to achieve the program’s goals. The rise of the “super conferences” has resulted in unprecedented difficulties in building a quality independent schedule. This results in two consequences, both negative: 1. A “weak” schedule that is perceived to be under ND’s control is seen as an unfair advantage, while a similar schedule strength is not held against a conference-affiliated team, since they don’t have the same kind of “freedom” of scheduling. 2. Playing a weaker schedule is not necessarily the best preparation for a playoff run. “Iron sharpens iron.” Playing a more competitive schedule, over time, will result in a better product on the field. In short, college football has changed drastically since Notre Dame developed its policy of independence in football. Those changes significantly mitigate, and in some cases eliminate, the drivers of that policy. All that remains, then, is to see how modern conference affiliation squares with the historical goals of the program. How does potential conference affiliation promote the historical goals of Notre Dame football? Competing for a national championship, reinforcing the national brand in terms of both fan base and recruiting, and adhering to high academic standards, remain the goals of the program. To this we can add “generating sufficient revenue to continue to fund the program, support non-revenue sports, and contribute significantly to the University’s general fund.” How does conference affiliation promote these goals? Competing for a national championship. What did we learn from the playoff snub debacle of 2025? We learned that you can improve your CFP ranking by playing in a conference championship game, even if you get stoned. We learned that there are a lot of people (committee members?) who hold Notre Dame’s independent status against them. The notorious MOU which supposedly assures ND of a playoff position if it finishes in the top 12 provides little comfort when we see what the committee did this year by moving Alabama ahead of ND. To be honest, if the CFP goes to 16 teams, ND should be in every year, especially if they do away with or limit automatic qualifiers. But we have seen very small distinctions have very large consequences. And if the goal is a national championship, the strategy should be to follow the path with the fewest obstacles to getting there, without compromising other program values. So, removing negative perceptions about scheduling, and striving for superior seeding and byes should be goals as well. Resolving the scheduling issues as suggested above provides not the only, but the clearest, path to a national championship. Reinforcing the national brand. Notre Dame’s national brand is already well-established. Arguably, it is the only program that can legitimately claim “national” status. The geographic and numerical expansion of the major conferences, and the availability of multiple broadcast platforms, means that it is now quite feasible to both belong to a conference and play a quality schedule that is national in scope, thus continuing to reinforce the brand. Adhering to high academic standards. ND’s academic standards are a strictly internal matter. Conference affiliation is irrelevant to this goal. ND’s GPA and academic progress benchmarks already meet or exceed those of any conference, as evidenced by the Irish’s perennial top national ranking in Graduation Success Rate. Generating sufficient revenue. As shown above, joining either the SEC or the B1G will likely result in an increase in broadcast rights revenue on the order of 20-25% in the short term, and more than that down the road. While there may be some decrease in post-season compensation, there’s a floor that prevents conference members from being shut out of playoff $$, as the Irish were this year. Consistent revenue streams become increasingly important in the NIL/portal world. Conclusion: The Time is Right for Notre Dame to Join a Conference. Joining a conference — provided it’s the right conference — is consistent with the long standing goals of the program. Notre Dame’s policy of independence was the right thing to do at the time it was adopted. In 1968, when the process for determining national champs changed, ND changed their philosophy on bowl game participation to realign it with their goal of a national championship. Since then, college football has changed dramatically in a number of ways. It’s time to, once again, change policy to realign it with the goal of winning a national championship. Which conference is right for Notre Dame? That’s probably the easiest question of all to answer. It’s the B1G by a landslide. For those who still think it’s important, the geographic fit is perfect. On the field, the B1G is ascending. Its revenue distribution is a significant upgrade on ND’s current broadcast deal. It’s in every major market. A 9 game conference schedule plus Navy still gives ND the opportunity to find a couple of games in the Deep South and/or Southwest. Historical rivalries like Michigan and USC will be preserved, and new ones will develop, such as Ohio State and, dare I say it, Indiana. It’s a no-brainer. So, that’s my take on the issue. Surprised?

Coach Peacock truly cared about people and making a lasting difference in their lives. One of the best men I have ever known. He will be missed!

“Merrillville Wins 5A Championship — Cody Parkhurst Vindicated!”

Since everyone is scared of "the man" - I'll just make up my own scenario: Hotly contested bout between L-Burg and Cascade - at the PIT no less.... Cascade escapes, and approaches the post-game handshake line. HC's are leading the way as normal, when out of nowhere the Stink-Town-Clown appears on the field! He is clearly not happy with the result and it looking to take out his frustration on the Cascade HC, but in an act of valor, the DC jumps in and takes down the Clown!! The Clown's posse (ala UFC style) quickly joins in and we have a full blown melee on our hands!!

I believe there are three “physical” traits and one playing issue that may be hindering his D1 recruitment. 1. And 2. Height and Weight: Program has him at 5’11” and 190 lbs. I’ve also read on recruiting services he is 5’10” 185 lbs. I would tend to believe the recruiting services as we know most programs add a few inches and pounds to program. 3. 40 time. I don’t believe he is a consistent sub 4.5 guy based on watching film. He’s likely 4.5-4.6 range not slow but not a blazer. He's what I call a tweener. He’s not big enough to allow for a slower 40 time and not fast enough to allow for smaller frame. 1. Playing issue: Competition level This is not his fault but the competition level is not that great. Recruiters factor this in as well. So much of recruiting today is also the eye test at Summer Camps. I believe he has attended some of these camps and has not received a ton of interest. This tells me something. As we have all seen in the past, great high school players don’t translate necessarily to D1 status. Now, I do believe he should be our states Mr. Football. He deserves it. Kudos to him for this season and his career at Knox. I hope Knox makes it to LOF so he has a big stage to perform on and show everyone his abilities.

Done , Thank You

Are you that stupid to think your posts are going to influence people to donate money to this site? Name one person who has donated because of your constant posts about it. Go ahead I'll wait.... Besides, we can all see that there is a link at the top of the page by DK_Barons asking people to donate to this site. He went about it the right way, and you didn't. For all the people that WANT to donate, they can. Otherwise, leave everybody else the hell alone you jerk!

We still have all sorts of errors that you guys don't get bothered with popping up that I'm chasing. After I get the server's configuration all set up for our purposes, I will work on setting up the new booster group for this year. I'm glad you guys are all still here and enjoying yourselves.

While we are all feeling the euphoria of the site being up and running again, it's probably a good time for folks to remember that the site runs completely on donations. Do your part to be a site booster [donation of at least $40] and help carry the load! https://gridirondigest.net/clients/donations/

While I'm on my rant, this goes with other threads that have been discussed over the last month or so, but we wonder why we are losing more and more great coaches at the high school level. We wonder why no one wants to stick with a program for 15-20 years, why they get burnt out. It's right here, one more thing for coaches to have to worry about that has nothing to do with the actual game of football itself. It's why coaches lose their passion and love for coaching the sport they grew up loving and playing that they want to pass on to the next generation. How long before high school football players are making more money than the guys coaching them?

Here are the sectional alignments in visual form. Each sectional is its own color, each class its own layer. https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1k2u-A78p_SsvD9pLgQb2WNQtN-xHkHI&usp=sharing

12 State Titles....... AND YOU POST THIS Thanks Goodness it's April Fools Day. Shoo. about got me

There are 6A programs who have said no. They don't want to be embarrassed by losing to a "small school." Thankfully, Westfield and Center Grove have not been among them ... each has played a home-and-home with New Pal, which kinda blows holes in the "New Pal doesn't play anybody" theory. (Every non-conference opponent NP has scheduled in the Kyle Ralph era has played on Thanksgiving weekend in the last decade).

I typically stay out of these threads, but every now and then I catch the usual noise and feel compelled to point something out. For years the narrative was the same. "New Pal doesn't play anybody." "Sure they're undefeated, but who have they beaten?" "That schedule is going to catch up to them in the playoffs." We heard it over and over again. Now we've put together what I'd call an elite schedule, and wouldn't you know it, those same voices have shifted right on cue. No credit for answering the challenge, just a new angle to complain from. It's honestly laughable, and it's all the proof you need that some people on here simply cannot be won over. The goalposts don't move, they disappear entirely. What bothers me more than any of it is the inability, or maybe the unwillingness, to appreciate what Kyle has built. Not just at New Pal, but for Indiana high school football as a whole. That kind of sustained excellence should be celebrated on a forum that exists because we all supposedly love this game. Tearing it down runs counter to the entire point of why we're here. Anyway, back to ignoring the noise. We've got 24 weeks to get our boys ready to run through a gauntlet.

My main point being, I’m here for education based sports. IMG is not education based sports, it’s something entirely different and I chose not to support their business model. I’m here for the kid who’s going to end up being my insurance agent.

one of the main factors of injury prevention is weight training and conditioning. New Pal in that department stands tall in the state.

WELCOME BACK, Mr. 9 Time , the legend known as "BUD". Larry 'Bud' Wright has been named the new head coach at SOUTHWOOD !!! LETS GO !!!!!

When I first came to Hancock County in 1998, I went to Mt. Vernon to cover a football scrimmage on a Saturday afternoon. I'm on the sidelines shooting photos - mesmerized by this incredible old-school offense MV was running - and their larger-than-life coach approached me and growls "who are you?" I told him I was the new sportswriter with the local newspaper. He reached out and shook my hand - engulfing it in his gigantic right palm - welcoming me to the community. The first few times we talked, he was very measured with his answers to my questions, but we quickly formed a very good professional relationship, which quickly became a friendship, and those brief interviews became a lot of long conversations about football, education and life. Listening to him tell stories of coaching with Lee Corso in the USFL, bringing the WIng-T to Indiana when nobody had seen it, and his days playing at EHHS and IU, were a lot of fun. We talked often about faith, football, education, family, or anything else. When I decided to pursue a teaching career, our conversations often encompassed teaching philosophy. His football program at MV felt like a family, and I was always welcomed in even though I was a reporter and then a broadcaster, and I became friends not just with Coach P, but with several of his staff members and former players. His DC, Tim Adams (who founded the GID), and I became fast friends and began broadcasting games together when we both moved on professionally - he retiring from coaching, me moving on from newspapers to become a teacher. Another of his former assistants has remained a friend since those days, and we had the great fortune to teach and work together at New Palestine. Prayers to Desa, his children and the extended football family he built. There are no better people I've worked with in my three decades of covering high school sports than Doug Peacock. He was a giant of a person and a giant of a coach. He will be greatly missed.

and now you see the quagmire where is the leaders and stewards of the game...... Mouthpiece I support, yes, the pant police......yea..... let focus on illegal formations and other things of that nature as I know the feedback I get from many guys is the same, wish they could worry more about more important stuff in the 48 min game then knee pads.

They have been sent to Head coaches… Friendly reminder… if they are Top 50, they WILL NOT be on their class All-State Team.

Make sure to ask for the Grey Poupon. For you younglings out there:

So after 676,372 meaningless posts and dick measuring………

Not a fan of teams needing 3 points to stay up. Should’ve stayed at 2 points.

I usually don't challenge complete bunk remarks, but I'm going to here. "New Pal has played nobody," has been uttered for the last dozen years. In the Kyle Ralph era, New Pal's non-conference opponents have been Kokomo, Decatur Central, Westfield, Brebeuf, Center Grove, Whiteland, Lawrenceburg, Danville and Richmond. All but one of those programs have been playing on Thanksgiving weekend in the last decade. East Central and Roncalli are confirmed for next season. NP faced a down Kokomo team this year (but when that game was scheduled, Kokomo was coming off a semistate appearance and had a lot of talent coming back), but then beat a 6A sectional champ in Decatur Central (on the road) the next week. Also beat two Sagarin Top-30 teams in Yorktown & Pendleton Heights. The "they don't play anyone" crowd won't be satisfied unless 1991 Ben Davis and 2006 Warren Central show up on their schedules. It's largely based on jealousy. I hear the same, "well, let's see how they'd do against a 6A schedule." They don't need to play a 6A schedule, although they've played five eventual 6A sectional champions since 2018, and beaten four of them. Also ... I've been around New Pal football for more than 25 years. All I've heard is "this freshman class has some talented kids." Nobody has said anything about them being "best in the state," because freshman ball is freshman ball and it's ultimately to help prepare for Friday nights. I think you're putting words in Coach's mouth, because he's not going to pump up a group that hasn't played a varsity game. Results in freshman games mean nothing on Friday nights because *those kids aren't playing*. (And I didn't know a two-TD spread was "dismantling").

Go big or go home.

8 man football sounds like a great deal for those communities, see if you can build it back up and transition back into 11 man

with numbers like that they have to be closing the gap with Merrillville

Rodney is hitting the Zimas on a Sunday afternoon. I swear to God he is

I think this thread proves just how hard it is to be a football coach. The job of a coach is to push your athletes to their maximum potential, if not you are doing your players a disservice. There is also a fine line in this because you are also trusted with the health and safety of these players as well. The first couple of weeks of high school football are hot in Indiana, especially on Friday nights. You have to push athletes in order to survive the first couple of weeks to make it through a 48 minute game of varsity football. Difficult difficult situation to be in as a coach. Time needs to be spent heading into the season training kids on how to prepare for a game or practice properly hydrating throughout the day. I think it was mentioned earlier in the thread, high school athletes feel invincible until they aren't. Without proper preparation, no one is. I feel for the coaches and I feel for the players, difficult situation to be in at Snider.