The first dozen D2 football programs that come to mind outside your region?

[boyblue]

I liked that post about D2 brands and it's nice to hear Valdosta State mentioned as a D2 Brand but I thought it'd be a good to get some other schools mentioned for once. So here's my list of schools (not in our SR-2) that come to mind...
1. Grand Valley - Probably the gold standard
2. NWMS - Never seems to have an off year
3. Ferris State - 2018 NC game most fun game ever
4. Saginaw Valley - We opened with a loss to them but ended the year with a NC
5. Harding, Ouachita & Henderson - were a part of the GSC years ago
6. California - Interesting name for a school in PA
7. Indiana - Interesting name for a school in PA
8. Pittsburg St. Always in the mix
9. Texas A&M-Commerce & Midwestern St - The GSC had a scheduling arrangement with the LSC after half our conference left
10. Simon Fraser - Coming from a Commonwealth country and them being only school playing American Football, I'm obligated to follow them
11. Minnesota State - Only playoff game I had a opportunity to go to was VSU/Mankato 2012 but wussed out - it was just too cold
12. CSU Pueblo - Just the one to come to mind.
Tusculum is in our region so they don't make the list but having taken our NC quarterback as a senior transfer they're on my mind

[CALUPA69]

I liked that post about D2 brands and it's nice to hear Valdosta State mentioned as a D2 Brand but I thought it'd be a good to get some other schools mentioned for once. So here's my list of schools (not in our SR-2) that come to mind...
1. Grand Valley - Probably the gold standard
2. NWMS - Never seems to have an off year
3. Ferris State - 2018 NC game most fun game ever
4. Saginaw Valley - We opened with a loss to them but ended the year with a NC
5. Harding, Ouachita & Henderson - were a part of the GSC years ago
6. California - Interesting name for a school in PA
7. Indiana - Interesting name for a school in PA
8. Pittsburg St. Always in the mix
9. Texas A&M-Commerce & Midwestern St - The GSC had a scheduling arrangement with the LSC after half our conference left
10. Simon Fraser - Coming from a Commonwealth country and them being only school playing American Football, I'm obligated to follow them
11. Minnesota State - Only playoff game I had a opportunity to go to was VSU/Mankato 2012 but wussed out - it was just too cold
12. CSU Pueblo - Just the one to come to mind.
Tusculum is in our region so they don't make the list but having taken our NC quarterback as a senior transfer they're on my mind

Speaking of interesting names in PA, how does SLIPPERY ROCK not make the list ??? Gets their score announced on network post games almost every Saturday, certainly more than any other D2.

[Eagle74]

1. The University of West Florida
2. Valdosta State
3. Pittsburg State
4. Grand Valley
5. Notre Dame
6. NWMS
7. West Georgia
8. Delta State
9. UWA
10. Tuskegee
11. University of Charleston
12. Minnesota State

[boyblue]

Speaking of interesting names in PA, how does SLIPPERY ROCK not make the list ??? Gets their score announced on network post games almost every Saturday, certainly more than any other D2.

Slipped my mind. But seriously they're known to me and would have probably have been listed next as they inherited another VSU QB Roland Rivers.

But what's your dozen?

[boyblue]

1. The University of West Florida
2. Valdosta State
3. Pittsburg State
4. Grand Valley
5. Notre Dame
6. NWMS
7. West Georgia
8. Delta State
9. UWA
10. Tuskegee
11. University of Charleston
12. Minnesota State

Now you making me feel bad, the only reason Carson Newman wouldn't make my list is because we're in the same Region. CN is highly respected by GSC folks because even when they were operating with less scholarships, they were a force.

[Eagle74]

Now you making me feel bad, the only reason Carson Newman wouldn't make my list is because we're in the same Region. CN is highly respected by GSC folks because even when they were operating with less scholarships, they were a force.

No problem. Out of sight, out of mind. The last time Carson Newman made a really serious run in the D2 Football playoffs was a couple of years before any US troops were initially sent to Afghanistan. So yea, it's been a while.

[wscsuperfan]

Wayne State (MI)

:)

[CALUPA69]

Slipped my mind. But seriously they're known to me and would have probably have been listed next as they inherited another VSU QB Roland Rivers.

But what's your dozen?

1) GVSU
2) NWMSU
3) VALDOSTA
4) PITT ST
5) DELTA ST
6) CARSON-NEWMAN
7) UM-D
8) CMU
9) BOWIE ST
10) IUP
11) SRU
12) CAL U
HM) NORTH ALABAMA (ALUM), FERRIS ST, INDY, ASHLAND, ODU

[4_tattoos]

Before I list my 12, you should know growing up in Maryland my knowledge of D2 football was limited to Bowie State, the rest of the CIAA, most of the SIAC, some members of the PSAC and Mountain East (fka WVIAC) and the teams that frequently appeared in the D2 national championship games. As I got older I became aware of more programs, but this list will feature mainly the programs I was aware of when I was younger (minus the SR2 teams).

1. Pittsburg State
2. Northwest Missouri State
3. Grand Valley State
4. West Virginia State
5. IUP
6. West Chester
7. Slippery Rock
8. Shepherd
9. Charleston
10. Frostburg State (although they are still pretty new to D2)
11. Minnesota State
12. Millersville

[boyblue]

Before I list my 12, you should know growing up in Maryland my knowledge of D2 football was limited to Bowie State, the rest of the CIAA, most of the SIAC, some members of the PSAC and Mountain East (fka WVIAC) and the teams that frequently appeared in the D2 national championship games. As I got older I became aware of more programs, but this list will feature mainly the programs I was aware of when I was younger (minus the SR2 teams).

1. Pittsburg State
2. Northwest Missouri State
3. Grand Valley State
4. West Virginia State
5. IUP
6. West Chester
7. Slippery Rock
8. Shepherd
9. Charleston
10. Frostburg State (although they are still pretty new to D2)
11. Minnesota State
12. Millersville

Man how did I leave off WSSU, mad respect for making that 2012 NC game. That must have been a special class, I think they made a deep playoff run the year before and after as well.

[Gliac_fan10]

1. Valdosta
2. MSU Mankato
3. West Texas
4. Minn Duluth
5. West Fla
6. Carson Newman
7. Delta State
8. Colo Mines
9. CSUP
10. West Georgia
11. Midwestern St
12. Cal (PA)

HM - IUP, Shepherd, Lenoir-Rhyne, Angelo St, SRU, Ashland



With how many SR3 teams were popping into my head it was hard having to omit some of them on this list

[4_tattoos]

Man how did I leave off WSSU, mad respect for making that 2012 NC game. That must have been a special class, I think they made a deep playoff run the year before and after as well.

In 2011 they lost in the semifinals to Wayne State (MI) 21-14

[4_tattoos]

With how many SR3 teams were popping into my head it was hard having to omit some of them on this list

Coming up with 12 excluding the SR2 schools was tough. Luckily I grew up in an area of Maryland heavily recruited by PSAC and Mountain East schools.

[Argonut]

I was introduced to college football as a child in Gainesville, Florida watching the Florida Gators and did not know much about D2 since everything in Florida revolved around Florida, Florida State and Miami. My outside SR2 list is probably more modern, with a couple of exceptions, in alphabetical order.

CSU Pueblo
Delaware
Ferris State
Grand Valley State
IUP
Minn. State-Mankato
North Dakota State
Northwest Mo. State
Pittsburgh State
Shepard
Slippery Rock
Texas A & M Commerce

[boyblue]

Are there any teams in your region that take down the big dogs with some regularity? Albany State has gotten a few wins off Valdosta State over the years.

Or how about a team that used to be competitive but has fallen off? Fort Valley used to win an occasional game against us but have yet to win one this century. Carson Newman did get us this century but that was 2003. There was a time when they were who we needed to get by to make a deep playoff run.

West Georgia and West Florida do get national mentions and for good reason, West Florida has built a national powerhouse seemingly overnight and West Georgia has 2 time NC coach David Dean. Don't be surprised if they get a NC soon. Lenoir-Rhyne has made back to back deep playoff runs and coming from SR2 that's no easy feat. They were less than a touchdown away from beating the eventual champs.

[I guess I could have started another thread but I thought this subject was closely related in that the point of this thread was to bring up schools that rarely get into the national conversation].