Football Receives ECAC's Lambert Meadowlands Trophy
January 06, 2005 | Football
Jan. 6, 2005
For the first time since 1984 and the fifth time overall, the Boston College football team will receive the Lambert Meadowlands Trophy, presented by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
"We're very proud that our 2004 team is being recognized as the best in eastern college football," Coach Tom O'Brien says. "It was very gratifying to win a share of the Big East championship in our last year in the league, then go on to win our fifth straight bowl game. We have a fine group of young men who excel on the field and in the classroom. We would like to thank the voters and the ECAC for this honor."
Established in 1936 as the "Lambert Trophy" to recognize supremacy in eastern college football, the award has since grown to recognize the best teams in the East in Divisions I-A, I-AA, II and III. To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands Awards, a school must be located in the East or play half of its schedule against eligible Lambert teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania while teams in the bordering states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if half of their schedule features eligible teams.
The final ECAC Lambert Football Poll presented by FieldTurf has been released and honors the top teams in the East in all divisions. The ECAC conducted the weekly poll in each of the four divisions and the final poll has determined the trophy winners. The teams will be presented with their awards at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet Presented by FieldTurf on Tuesday, February 8 at the Pegasus Restaurant at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.
Boston College (9-3) will receive the Lambert Meadowlands Trophy presented with the ECAC in Division I-A. 2005 National Champion James Madison (13-2) will receive the Lambert Meadowlands Cup in Division I-AA while West Chester University (11-4) and Rowan University (10-3) will be presented the Lambert Meadowlands Teams of the Year presented with the ECAC in Divisions II and III, respectively.
This year, 156 schools are eligible in the four divisions including 11 in Division I-A, 44 in Division I-AA, 27 in Division II and 74 in Division III. Four separate panels of media, one in each division, participate in a weekly poll and the final poll determines the winners. Playoffs and bowl games are including in the polling.
The ECAC is the nation's largest athletic conference with 322 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina. Established in 1938, the ECAC, a non-profit service organization, sponsors 114 championships in 35 men's and women's sports including six football championships in Division III. The ECAC assigns more than 5,100 officials in 15 sports, including 785 football officials totally more than 3,500 assignments. The Conference, located on Cape Cod, administers ten affiliate sports organizations while recognizing more than 4,000 student-athletes in 21 sports through the public relations program.
ECAC Lambert Division I-A Football Poll presented by FieldTurf
1. Boston College - 9-3 2. Navy - 10-2 3. West Virginia - 8-4 4. Connecticut - 8-4 5. Pittsburgh - 8-4 6. Syracuse - 6-6 7. Penn State - 4-7 8. Rutgers - 4-7 9. Army - 2-9 10. Temple - 2-9.
