GRR on X  GRR on Facebook GRR in Instagram GRR Vimeo Library GRR on YouTube RuggaMatrix America Podcasts Support GRR on Patreon

ACRC Bowls - Who Should Play?

irish rugby tours

ACRC Bowls - Who Should Play?

Stony Brook should be back for another classic game. David Barpal photo.

So what's going to happen in the ACRC Bowl Series?

The fall culmination of the season for many DI teams, the ACRC Bowl Series was a huge success last year, and looks to build on that event with a new series of matchups on November 20 and November 21 at the Rugby Athletic Center in Charlotte, NC.

Already we know that Boston College, AIC, Clemson, and UMass are expected, and news came out today that the SCRC Final will also be one of the Bowl matchups. It's a pretty good bet that NC State, which ended its fall so well last year, will be back, and this will also be a chance for North Texas to show the improvement they've made since last season. 

Videos of 2014 ACRC Bowls
AIC v BGSU Highlights
Clemson v Couth Carolina Extended Highlights

NC State v Texas State Highlights

Who else? Well Stony Brook was in one of the classic clashes from last year, a 21-20 defeat of West Virginia, and it's a good bet that the Sea Wolves will want to end on a high in the same way - could it be that Pitt or James Madison is looking to recover Keystone pride?

Kutztown has got to be looking for a big game, and maybe Clemson is it, although we'd like to see them play Indiana, a game that could well help decide who ends the fall season ranked #1. Bowling Green and Western Michigan from the MAC should be back, I think, while Iona will have the Ice Bucket Challenge Bow against Delaware at Iona. Syracuse or Colgate would be excellent additions, too.

Could we see Notre Dame College or Delaware? Don't know, but it would make sense for these independent teams to make the trip.

Now, the weird thing about bowl games is, you have to express your interest. Stephen Siano and Sevens Sports LLC is running the event, but, especially for the more student-run teams, it's important to remember that he needs to hear from teams that are coming. We already know about several top matchups, but if you want to be there, you've got to let them know at siano@sevenssports.com

 
Here's where we rank the ACRC teams at present. Some of the teams, such as the Ivy Leaguers, and Army, plus a few others, won't play in an ACRC Bowl. Nevertheless, they are ranked below:
 
Goff Rugby Report ACRC Rankings Oct 21 2015
Rank Team Comp
1 AIC (Mass.) ECRC
2 Indiana (Ind.) Big Ten
3 Kutztown (Pa.) Rugby East
4 Army (NY) Rugby East
5 Clemson (SC) ACRL
6 Penn State (Pa.) Rugby East
7 Wheeling Jesuit (WV) Rugby East
8 Iona (NY) Rugby East
9 Western Michigan (Mich.) MAC
10 Bowling Green (Mich.) MAC
11 South Carolina SCRC
12 Tennessee (Tenn.) SCRC
13 Wisconsin (Wisc.) Big Ten
14 Boston College (Mass.) ECRC
15 Ohio State (Ohio) Big Ten
16 Michigan (Mich.) Big Ten
17 Alabama (Ala.) SCRC
18 Stony Brook (NY) Empire
19 Colgate (NY) Empire
20 NC State (NC) ACRL
21 Dayton (Ohio) MAC
22 New England College (NH) ECRC
23 Syracuse (NY) Empire
24 Cincinnati (Ohio) MAC
25 Pitt (Pa.) Keystone
26 UMass (Mass.) ECRC
27 St. Joseph's (Pa.) Keystone
28 Miami (Ohio) MAC
29 Dartmouth (NH) Ivy
30 Harvard (Mass.) Ivy
31 North Texas (Texas) SWC
32 James Madison (Va.) Keystone
33 Georgia (Ga.) SCRC
34 Ohio (Ohio) MAC
35 Texas State (Texas) SWC