COLLEGE WORLD

WCHC OFFICIALLY FORMS
As mentioned last season, the Western Canadian Universities were working towards changing their rule set from Canadian football to hybrid with the WFU’s merger with the NAAF. It would be made official, that starting in the 1972 college season, the colleges would be switching to hybrid rules. The conference that schools are involved in, called the West-Can Athletic Conference, will officially make its football program hybrid rules and will compete along with the AEHC and CEHC for the Hybrid Football National Championship. Below is a full overview of the schools that are going to be joining: 

Pacific Provincial University - PPU
Location: Vancouver, BC
Mascot: Seahawks
Notable Players: WR Keshawn Johnston (VAN), QB Kevin Westwood (VAN), DB Scott Summerhayes (CGY)
One of the most technologically advanced universities in North America, Pacific Provincial prides itself in being a cutting-edge institution where many top researchers go to study and teach. The sports are pretty big as well, having consistently strong teams across many sports. Football is not the top sport at the school, rather there is a larger focus on the Olympic sports, with many Team Canada athletes electing to study at the school. However, they are still a strong football school that is consistently in the mix for success.

University of Central British Columbia - UCBC
Location: Kamloops, BC
Mascot: Mountain Lions
Notable Players: DL Rashawn Sutherland (VAN), DL Jared Kendall (VAN), S Nick Palmer (VAN)
Out in the Thompson Valley is UCBC. One of two bigger universities in the interior of British Columbia, the other being the University of the Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, BC. The two schools have a rivalry in many sports, however, as of now, UCBC is the only one with a top-level football team. The Mountain Lions are a pretty tough team, often not having as much talent as Pacific Provincial, UEdmonton, or Alberta Provincial. However, they make up for it with a well-coached team that plays smart and tough. Their defence is often their strength hence many pro-level alumni being defensive stars. 

Royal Gardens University - RGU
Location: Victoria, BC
Mascot: Knights
Notable Players: OL Kenny Rudolph (VAN), LB Shawn Anderson (VAN), Daniel Shao Li (VAN)
In the provincial capital of BC, Royal Gardens stands as the top academic school in the west. The school does have connections to Pacific Provincial for research purposes, so there is a good relationship between the schools in general. On the field, Royal Gardens has a long history of football, however, they have not been one of the strongest schools since the early 1900s. The school is certainly more focused on schooling than athletics, in a similar way that Cambridge University of Boston and St. George are. 

Alberta Provincial University - APU
Location: Calgary, AB
Mascot: Wranglers
Notable Players: DL Chris Barrett (CGY), DL Roger Barrett (CGY), WR Patrick Early (CGY)
One of the big three schools in the Western Provinces, next to Pacific Provincial and UEdmonton. Alberta Provincial, attracts a lot of talent, always trying to one-up their rivals to the north in Edmonton. Alberta Provincial has evolved a lot with their playstyle, pretty much willing to adapt to the talent that they have at their disposal which has led to a decent amount of talent finding their best traits. 

University of Edmonton - UEDM
Location: Edmonton, AB
Mascot: Huskies
Notable Players: DL Steven Montgomery (EDM), WR Nick Spalding (REG), LB Frank St. John (UEDM)
UEdmonton is another of the big three schools. Unlike APU to the south, they are more of a structured team. They tend to stick to their play style and teach a lot of all-around skills to their players. Their philosophy of development leans more into expanding the skill set of the players they have to not be one-dimensional. In recent years, they have been the strongest of the big 3, and are likely to continue that trend. 

University of Lethbridge - LET
Location: Lethbridge, AB
Mascot: Miners
Notable Players: OL Matthew Miller (EDM), QB Rusty Lamb (REG), DB Mario Henderson (EDM)
The 3rd Alberta School is one of the smaller programs. The school doesn’t get anywhere near the same level of talent as the two other Alberta schools, but they still sport a solid unit that is enough to stay in the top flight of college football in Western Canada. There's good local support for the school in Lethbridge, having one of the best game day atmospheres in the WC schools.

Saskatchewan Provincial University - SPU
Location: Saskatoon, SK
Mascot: Prairie Dogs
Notable Players: WR Terry Upshaw (WPG), DL Damien Battles (CGY), QB Blair Collins (EDM)
Saskatchewan’s primary school has been one of the best schools for talent in Western Canada throughout history. Many have argued that the school should be one of the big three with the football team they sport. SPU isn’t a massive school in terms of overall student population, but they put together great football teams. The culture of football runs deep in the province, even if their pro team isn’t doing so hot. 

Royal Regina University - RREG
Location: Regina, SK
Mascot: Blues
Notable Players: DL Pete Ginger (REG), OL Charles Creighton (EDM), LB Brett Pride (REG)
Royal Regina has a strong rivalry with SPU but is often regarded as the lesser football school. While the football team is still decent, they aren’t as big or consistently good as their rivals to the north. It’s not too surprising that the school is more focused on academics than sports. 

University of Western Manitoba - WMB
Location: Brandon, MB
Mascot: Wolverines
Notable Players: DB Kyle Ellerbee (WPG), DB Vern Nowitski (VAN), DL Quinton Hextal (EDM)
UWMB is a similar school to Lethbridge in size. Much like Lethbridge, it does get less talent than the bigger surrounding schools, but every once in a while they can bring up some talented players. The school is built around serving most of rural Manitoba, sometimes being the preferred school over Riel for those outside of Winnipeg. They have a larger focus on agriculture and industry.

Riel University - RIEL
Location: Winnipeg, MB
Mascot: Rebels
Notable Players: LB Claude Clarke (WPG), DB Chris Berrymore (REG), QB Emerson Thompson (WPG)
Riel is a historic school in Canada, primarily for the importance it has played in creating more opportunities for First Nations and Metis people in Canada. The school's name comes from Manitoba founder and Metis leader, Louis Riel. Football hasn’t always been a very big part of the school, with Lacrosse and Hockey being much more popular. However, they still have brought up some strong talent and continue to develop as a football school with connections to the Winnipeg Falcons. 

MIDWESTERN CONFERENCE SHAKE-UP
Along with the WCAC joining the Hybrid Football circuit, several other schools will be joining from the Midwest. It had been in the works for a bit, but Louisville State, North Indiana, Indiana Tech, and Daniel Boone are all leaving the Conference of the Midwest (CMW) to join a new Central Hybrid Conference (CHC) along with several schools from the American East Hybrid Conference. Those schools are the University of Western New York (Buffalo, NY), the University of WNY-Rochester (Rochester, NY), the University of Erie (Erie, PA), and the University of Upstate New York (Syracuse, NY). The new conference will sport 8 teams, forming a West and East Division between the new hybrid schools from Indiana and Kentucky, and then the other 4 former AEHC schools from Pennsylvania and New York. Here is a look at the 4 new schools:

University of North Indiana - UNIN
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Mascot: Cardinals
Notable Players: WR Ed Edwards (IND), DB Jerome Caldwell (OTT), TE Rex Williamson (LOU)
There isn’t much special about North Indiana. The school is about the most average school. They produce typically some decent solid talent and usually have a solid competitive team, however, they have not ever been good enough to contend for any titles. Still, the school is the best that Indiana has to offer. 

Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) - INTC
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Mascot: Express
Notable Players: OL Gary Bies (LI), S Tom Parrish (PRO), OL Jordan Bryson (MIN)
Indiana Tech is a school built around the rail industry becoming a key school in the development of transportation. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the best trade-based schools in the country. However, they have also expanded their Engineering and Business faculties as well. Indiana Tech is a relatively new football program compared to the other 3 schools. As the school has grown in enrollment, the athletics programs have become significantly stronger. The football program has risen up to be a solid contender with the other schools around and could have a formidable team in the new conference. They typically play a rough and tough style with a lot of players being trained in construction and manufacturing. 

Louisville State University - LVST
Location: Louisville, KY
Mascot: Stallions
Notable Players: QB Leonidas Dumont (MIN), DL Lucas Kipling (LOU), WR Taylor Austin (PIT)
Louisville State easily has the strongest connection to the NAAF out of the new schools making the move into the new conference. Many players have desired to play in the NAAF due to the local team in the city. The Louisville Thunder have done their fair share of pitching the league to the students of the school making regular visits from players and personnel. Louisville State was the key factor in the set of schools making the official transition to hybrid football. In terms of talent, the Stallions have been known to bring up a lot of great talent. The focus of the team is often on innovation and creating new ways to beat the other team, never sticking to one style. Obviously, that always-evolving play style tends to lead to a lot of ups and downs, but the Stallions usually have at least one serious contender every few years, even if they aren’t consistent.

Daniel Boone University - DBU
Location: Lexington, KY
Mascot: Pioneers
Notable Players: RB Tyler Kuhn (MIN), OL Clancy Harrison (BUF), RB Yancy Harrison (BUF)
Daniel Boone is one of those schools that often gets lost at the bottom of the standings. They have never really had a strong and contending team, but every once in a while they will have a player or two that make an impact and help the team into a middle-of-the-pack position. The most recent example is RB Tyler Kuhn, who set many school records with his performance. Daniel Boone hopes they can pick it up a bit in a new conference and attract more talent with the new rule set.

With the 4 schools leaving the Conference of the Midwest, 2 new schools will replace them to keep the conference at 12 schools. Iowa A&M and University of Kansas City will be added to the CMW. 

HYBRID FOOTBALL SEASON FORMAT
With two new conferences being added to the world of College Hybrid Football a new format will come into play to determine a National (or international) champion. The new format will leave each conference to determine a champion, whether through their own playoff or another format. The 4 teams that are sent as champions will then compete in a National Championship playoff. There will be 2 semi-final matches, and then a championship final.

A Brief History of the WFU

The Western Football Union came together in 1924. Greg Mackenzie, owner of the Edmonton Football Club was a big reason the league came together to form a bigger competition from locally competing provincial leagues. Both the British Columbia Football Division and the Alberta Football Championship, allowed their strongest teams to enter the new competition, thus forming the original 4 teams of the Calgary Football Club, the Edmonton Football Club, the Vancouver Football Club, and the Victoria Victorias. Greg Mackenzie would provide the league with a cup which was built by a family member. The cup would be deemed the Mackenzie Cup and the 4 teams would compete to decide who was the champions of the West. 

In 1927 the league would add 3 more teams from the Saskatchewan and Manitoban divisions. The Regina Football Club, Saskatoon Athletic Club, and the Winnipeg Football Club would be added. 

When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s the WFU would face some hardship and Saskatoon would pull from the league in 1934. Regina and Victoria would soon follow in 1937. The league would eventually, suspend operations at the start of WW2. 

In 1946, the WFU got back up and running with the same 4 teams from Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. In 1948, Regina would be reinstated and the league would remain at 5 teams for the next 2 decades. Then in 1970, the league would partner with the NAAF to form a merger. 

Mackenzie Cup Winners
1924: Edmonton Football Club
1925: Edmonton Football Club
1926: Victoria Victorias
1927: Edmonton Football Club
1928: Calgary Football Club
1929: Winnipeg Football Club
1930: Vancouver Football Club
1931: Calgary Tigers
1932: Edmonton Football Club
1933: Edmonton Rangers
1934: Edmonton Rangers
1935: Vancouver Football Club
1936: Winnipeg Falcons
1937: Winnipeg Falcons
1938: Calgary Tigers
1939: Calgary Tigers
1940-1945: Not rewarded due to WW2
1946: Vancouver Wolves
1947: Edmonton Rangers
1948: Edmonton Rangers
1949: Calgary Tigers
1950: Edmonton Rangers
1951: Regina Threshers
1952: Calgary Tigers
1953: Vancouver Wolves
1954: Winnipeg Falcons
1955: Edmonton Rangers
1956: Edmonton Rangers
1957: Calgary Tigers
1958: Vancouver Wolves
1959: Calgary Tigers
1960: Winnipeg Falcons
1961: Vancouver Wolves
1962: Edmonton Rangers
1963: Edmonton Rangers
1964: Vancouver Wolves
1965: Edmonton Rangers
1966: Edmonton Rangers
1967: Vancouver Wolves
1968: Vancouver Wolves
1969: Vancouver Wolves

Totals
Edmonton Rangers - 15
Vancouver Wolves - 10
Calgary Tigers - 8
Winnipeg Falcons - 5
Regina Wheat Kings - 1
Victoria Victorias - 1

AN OVERVIEW OF THE NAAF COLLEGE WORLD - IN DEVELOPMENT

Hello everyone,

This is going to be a bit of an aside from the main story for a moment. I know I have been quite busy and the project has been a little slower. And to, well, make it even slower I have decided to try and build the world around the league a little bit more. One thing that has been mostly absent in the NAAF Universe is college football. At the very base level all players come out of college and just appear right at the draft, nothing more is added to their storyline. Now, back in the first decade of the league, there were several times that I did mention real colleges, even had that as an option in the scouting report for those creating players (I want to note those will likely be retconned or changed to fit the new world that I am building now). But I have also stated at some point that the real colleges now no longer exist in the world (well technically never should have existed). I mainly did not want to touch the college world (especially in a historic context) because I just did not know much about what the landscape was like and did not want to have to learn it all just for a minor part of the whole project. However, after developing my own college and getting to know the college world a little more through the AltCAA, I have decided to actually flesh out the college world a little more. 

I have currently developed a pair of conferences that play Hybrid football that I will go in-depth in and then I may highlight some more colleges that continue to play American ball and will be mentioned at points with players coming from those colleges as well. So, here we go.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE NAAF COLLEGE WORLD - IN DEVELOPMENT

The college world at the dawn of the NAAF, of course, played mainly American and Canadian Football. And it remained that way for the first decade or so of the NAAF, but slowly some colleges specifically in the New England area and Quebec decided to start to move towards using Hybrid rules. During the 1950s the growing popularity of Hybrid Football and the NAAF had grabbed much attention. Some younger players desiring to play the sport at a younger age and started to break into Semi-pro leagues rather than go to colleges, and people of power within the colleges also saw the attraction of the new sport. Seeing some high talent players make this jump and the potential upside, the colleges, especially in New England, looking to now provide the opportunity by making the switch. It was certainly difficult seeing that they couldn’t just play a different ruleset and remain in the same conferences they were in before. Eventually, they would pair up with some smaller schools in New England and even some from Canada to start to form a smaller branch of football conferences that would play hybrid ball. 

When the switchover happened, there were only so many schools involved. There were about 4 schools in Canada and 7 in New England, but as the years have gone on there are now 2 conferences of 12 schools each. Some of the original schools have dropped down to a lower level conference as well, so there has been much expansion in these conferences with several more looking at the opportunity to switch.

Now to look at the schools in each conference currently.

Starting in Canada with the

CANADA EAST HYBRID CONFERENCE (CEHC):

Original Conference schools (Mainly Quebec):

Université de Saint-Laurent (University of St.Lawrence)
Location: Quebec City, QC
Mascot: Cavaliers de Rivière (River Riders)
Notable Players: QB Charles Lemieux, RB Jimmy Golden, WR Alexei Dubois
St.Lawrence has become a dominant school in Quebec. One of the few I have mentioned in the league before, St.Lawrence will be notable for having a great team that featured all 3 players listed above. They have continued to be the best Canadian school in the shocking Hybrid Football hotbed that is in Quebec City. 

Majeure Université de Montréal (Major University of Montreal)
Location: Montreal, QC
Mascot: Insulaires (Islanders)
Notable Players: RB Élisée Marchal, DL Hubert Tessier, OL Eugésippe Chalifoux
Major Montreal used to be a satellite school to Major University of Quebec known as MUQ-Montreal, but in recent years, they have become larger than the Quebec City branch and are now their own university. This is the primary French-speaking University in Montreal and has historically been the best football school in Quebec.

Montreal Provincial University
Location: Montreal, QC
Mascot: Panthers
Notable Players: DL Zakary Turbide, LB Sebastian Andrews III, TE Jesse Butler
Montreal Provincial is the primary English University within Montreal. They have not had the best success when it comes to football, but in more recent years, they have started to keep pace with their Montreal rivals, which is evident with the younger talent of TE Jesse Butler.

Rideau University
Location: Ottawa, ON
Mascot: Rams
Notable Players: QB Jean Matieau, WR Allen Atkins, WR Cedric Peterson
Rideau has had a lot of historic success. In recent years, they have fallen behind the Quebec schools and even the other Ontario schools. However, this is an important university as it has several connections to the NAAF with the commissioner and founder Ryan Jameson being an alumnus, and Greg McNeil, the co-owner and husband of fellow co-owner of the Royals, Laura McNeil, is a professor at the University. 

Those 4 programs were the major programs in Canada for a while. Several other schools joined the conference over the years, but they did not last long. Only a smaller school out of Sherbrooke stuck around.

Université du Mont-Bellevue (University of Mont Bellevue)
Location: Sherbrooke, QC
Mascot: Geais bleus (Blue Jays)
Notable Players: No NAAF Players
Mont-Bellevue is the smallest of the Quebec schools. The football program is very new, so they certainly will not be a top school in the conference. They are hoping to attract attention from the Southern part of the province to bring in some talent and grow the program.

The conference’s modern look had a major restructure along with the addition of the OFU/Toronto Steelheads into the NAAF. This expansion would see the major Ontario and Maritime Schools join the CEHC. 

Here are the Ontario Schools

Toronto University
Location: Toronto, ON
Mascot: Dukes
Notable Players: LB Rusty McVee, RB Scott Mallard-White, LB Marshall Langenbrunner
Toronto University is certainly one of the more obnoxious schools when it comes to sports, which is only magnified by the fact that they are good and the fans get really into it. The school produces a lot of good players, with a specialty on defence. They have been the more popular destination for athletes looking to break into the professional level as they have more space to focus on athletics.

St.George University
Location: Toronto, ON
Mascot: Maples
Notable Players: QB Todd Baker, WR Casey Coleman, WR Yahui Sun
St.George is the rival to Toronto, but the school has a larger focus on academics than that of Toronto. Thus, players looking for a strong education to back up their football dreams tend to come to the school. Players from St.George tend to be not quite as athletically talented, but they are usually on the smarter end of football IQ.

University of Hamilton
Location: Hamilton, ON
Mascot: Howlers
Notable Players: RB Corbyn Knight, LB Zane Tannith, RB Austin Andrews
Hamilton has generally found its spot as the 3rd school in Ontario, but in recent seasons they have made pushes to challenge the top 2 and even fight for a conference championship or two. It was certainly been helped by some of the young talent they have produced over the last few seasons and will likely continue to rise with more fans supporting them in the absence of the Steelers bringing increased funds.

London University
Location: London, ON
Mascot: Foresters
Notable Players: OL Barry Florence, K Nimrod Handsworth
London is another younger program, but it has grown a lot since the Tigers arrived in town. The school is very focused on growing the sport in the city, even helping to get funding for some high schools in the area and recruit from surrounding towns. London’s future could see some more talent come through. The players that have come through have already made a significant impact, most notably Nimrod Handsworth

Kitchener-Waterloo Provincial University
Location: Kitchener, ON
Mascot: Beavers
Notable Players: DB Jackson Miles
K-W plays out of Kitchener-Waterloo City Field where the Tigers played for several seasons. The Tigers’ time in Kitchener had a similar effect that they are having in London currently. Jackson Miles is a prime example of this effect. K-W is hoping to continue to bring in new talent from rural Ontario, but could easily run into some conflict with London and create a bit of a rivalry.

And last the Maritimes

University of Nova Scotia
Location: Dartmouth, NS
Mascot: Armada
Notable Players: TE Ryan Hatcher, WR Nathan Murray-Lawrence, DL Sammy Pickett
Nova Scotia is growing quite quickly out in Dartmouth. The largest school in the Maritimes has always had a solid program, but it seems to be taking another step forward with the Mariners in town and more prospects getting to the next level. Nova Scotia is looking very strong to eventually get into the top half of this conference.

Université Provinciale du Nouveau-Brunswick (New Brunswick Provincial University)
Location: Moncton, NB
Mascot: Pirates
Notable Players: LB Douglas MacDougall
The last of the Canadian schools is UPNB, which is probably the weakest of the programs in Canada. UPNB doesn’t have many players to note at the NAAF level and they aren’t exactly looking like a program that will jump out of the gate. Nova Scotia is likely going to be the school with the larger pull in the Maritimes which may hurt UPNB in the near future.

Now to head down south to look at the

AMERICA EAST HYBRID CONFERENCE (AEHC):

Starting with the New England area teams that generally made up the original conference

University of New England
Location: Boston, MA
Mascot: Cardinals
Notable Players: DL Lonnie Vincent, RB Marcus Devonshire, WR Max Sutton
New England has risen as the dominant school in the Northeast. It is the larger of the two major Boston schools. The school is younger but has grown to be more accessible than the cross-city rival Cambridge of Boston. The Cardinals will likely have many top prospects coming through to the NAAF for years to come.

Cambridge University of Boston
Location: Boston, MA
Mascot: Cubs
Notable Players: QB Larry Larson, QB Connor O’Rourke, WR Taylor Karis
Similar to the dynamic that Toronto and St.George have, CUB is not as strong athletically, but they are the stronger school in academic standing. The school seems to still produce some good QB prospects with both Larry Larson and Connor O’Rourke being alumni. The team also had a different name originally, but people called them the Cubs due to the school abbreviation of CUB. 

Rhode Island State University
Location: Warwick, RI
Mascot: Bulldogs
Notable Players: DB Lee Wolfe, DB Slay Mitchell, WR Zachariah Pembroke
RISU has developed a strong rivalry with the U of New England over the years. They have produced plenty of talent over the years, many of which have played with the Gold Stars. The Bulldogs are still looking to dethrone the Cardinals at the top of the America East Conference.

Haynes University
Location: East Hartford, CT
Mascot: Colonials
Notable Players: QB Lyle Painter, DB Mordecai King, DB Dean Hawkins
Another historic school, Haynes has been a bit of an up and down program. They had success in the early 50s with Painter under centre, but they have kinda been in the wilderness as a program for a while. They have started to recover in the last season or two and could push the top 4 in the conference in the near future.

West Massachusetts State University (West Mass State)
Location: Springfield, MA
Mascot: Rangers
Notable Players: S Garet deVale, LB Gene Bensen, WR Doug Piva
The Athletics played a game at West Mass State’s stadium during their travelling season. The school is a bit of a middle-of-the-road school in the conference, sometimes pushing the top 5, but usually finding a spot between 6-8. They usually can get a solid player or two that makes a mark on the NAAF, but they won’t be a gold mine.

Maine State University
Location: Saco, ME
Mascot: Acadians
Notable Players: LB Brent Harper, DL Olaf Viktorsson, OL Magnus Gunnersson
Maine has had some strong play over the years being a school of choice for many prospects in the more northern regions of New England. Some of the most notable prospects from Maine St. have been overlooked early in the draft and then have turned into consistent elite All-Stars in the NAAF (Harper and Viktorsson). Maine St. Remains a consistent school in the conference but never seems to quite be good enough for a title.

Concord-Manchester University
Location: Bow, NH
Mascot: Fighting Pike
Notable Players: DL Dale Rothery, LB Sam Fitzroy, DB Amos King
CMU is a much weaker school in the conference. There have been a few bright spots with LB Sam Fitzroy, but also some tough ones with DL Dale Rothery being one of the more notable busts in the NAAF. CMU is usually near the bottom of the conference and will not see a lot of top prospects coming through.

Vermont Republic University
Location: Burlington, VT
Mascot: Mountaineers
Notable Players: DL Robin Hill, LB Bear Donnelly, WR Silas Peyton
VRU is very interesting as a school. Good coaching has taken the program a long way over the years. The school usually ends up being closer to the bottom but has had some solid teams that have pushed them to a mid-tier spot on several occasions. VRU is a bit of a sneaky program that had a couple of solid (though more gritty in style) prospects come through to the NAAF.

Onto the other schools that have joined in more recent seasons out along the Great Lakes:

University of Western New York
Location: Getzville, NY
Mascot: Whitetails
Notable Players: LB Dallas Dillard, DL Mickey Daly, RB Arthur Conner
UWNY is a very strong program. They were very excited to be joining the American East conference and have put up consistently solid teams throughout the years. They have slipped a little in the last year or two, but they are hoping to do some heavy recruiting to keep the talent up at the school and start to challenge UNE and RISU for the top of the conference.

University of Western New York - Rochester
Location: Henrietta, NY
Mascot: Eagles
Notable Players: S Manual Ray
WNY-Rochester is a satellite school to UWNY. Honestly, the only reason they are in the conference is because UWNY moved to play Hybrid rules and the satellite was moved over as well. WNY-Rochester is not a strong school at all with only one player to ever get to the NAAF from the school. 

University of Erie
Location: Erie, PA
Mascot: Sailors
Notable Players: LB Scotty Williams, DL Peter Mongoose
Erie is the latest entry to the conference and one of the weakest but could have a bright future. The school in which the famed LB Scotty Williams attended has been a fan of the NAAF since their top prospect when 1st overall back in 1952. The school has not produced any talent at the same level as Williams, but the hope of moving over to Hybrid rules may bring more prospects in and provide greater opportunities to the NAAF.

Outside of the Hybrid conferences, there are plenty of schools that will be featured with players coming into the league. Some of the top schools you may see will be listed here, but I will not go as in-depth since this post is getting really long:

Brooklyn Metropolitan University Bobcats - Brooklyn, NY
King’s University Lions - Manhattan, NY
Rockefeller University Tigers - Chicago, IL
Ben Franklin University Bolts - Philadelphia, PA
Allegheny University Sparrows - Pittsburgh, PA
Louisville State Stallions - Louisville, KY
U of North Indiana Railers - Fort Wayne, IN
Rochester University Rosebuds - Rochester, NY
Jersey State University Violets - Trenton, NJ
University of Upstate New York Bluebirds - Syracuse, NY
U of America Patriots - Washington DC

I know this is a bit of a long post, but I figured at least a few people would be interested in getting a better look into the NAAF world outside of just the league itself. I will be putting your prospects for the draft into these schools from now on. I am selecting schools for players based on where they are from generally with a few wildcards here and there. I have not decided whether to give people the opportunity to select which school in the future, I kinda like the ability to choose myself to maintain narrative and realism, but you can put suggestions into future prospects that you submit if you so wish. Also, I have already made the draft class for this season, so just don’t be surprised if you submit soon and they don’t get in this season.

1954 - Update on the World Around Hybrid Gridiron Football

1954 - Update on the World Around Hybrid Gridiron Football

Since the NAAF formed in 1949 and began to use the new set of mixed rules from American and Canadian football, the world has changed quite a bit. Many leagues post-WW2 were region-based much like before the war. New England, New York, Pennsylvania, a mix of Mid-Atlantic States, and plenty of regions across the States, all had their leagues. Unfortunately, because of the war, many were struggling and down to 3-6 teams each. The NEFC merged into the NAAF and created a new way to play. The new style of football has taken over the cities that are a part of the NAAF. Boston and Buffalo have already become heavy centres for the sport with many people using the hybrid rules over the traditional American ones. Even the colleges in those cities have started to transition to the new rules to develop talent for the NAAF.  

Montreal and Ottawa have also followed behind in this as Canadian football has taken a hit in both of those cities. Surprisingly, the Quebec Ametuer league (formerly professional) that the Rouge used to play in has changed to the new rules. Ontario in general still is a strong centre for Canadian football and the OFU owns the area, which explains a lot of the Tigers’ struggles.  With the deals that the NAAF got with CBC and CBS has truly made the league stick out as many American football fans don’t have football to watch during the summer with the seasons starting in October. Because of the later start the fans who are football hungry were more likely to watch the CBS broadcasts and it has already caused some waves in other places in the states.   

The newfound popularity that the NAAF has found in the USA and Eastern Canada, has already started to affect the rest of the football world. The biggest changes have happened within the Atlantic coast leagues. With the formation of the larger NAAF, many leagues have seen its success and have started merging to create bigger leagues. In 1951, the Pennsylvania Football Association was struggling, and was losing some big players or young talent (QB Angelo Medina most notably). The league tried to recover and merged with the Mid-Atlantic Football League to form the now Atlantic Coast Football League, the ACFL has been more successful than the Pennsylvania league on its own. Another league that has taken a shot is the New York Football League. And as of this past season the league is joining the ACFL and will also be dropping several of their teams and went to just 4 teams this past season dropping Rochester, Syracuse, and Long Island teams. The remaining teams played out the 1953 season but only Brooklyn, Newark, and New York teams will join the league. The ACFL now consists of 8 teams making it now level with the NAAF for the largest professional football league in North America. The league contains teams from Baltimore, Brooklyn, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Richmond, and Washington DC. There are also many leagues in the midwest that are considering merging, but the ACFL is currently the primary competition that the NAAF faces. 

​If there are any more specific questions about what I’ve explained here, feel free to ask.
And if you are wondering about the rules of the NAAF, they are in the original post of the thread so just go there to check it out. This is just a small snippet of the world, and the leagues will come up when they are important to the story and if any major changes occur.  

McCallister Cup