{
  "id": 3024033,
  "title": "How to pick your NESCAC football team with new auto-bid to DIII playoffs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/how-to-pick-your-nescac-football-team-with-new-auto-bid-to-diii",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-24T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SB Nation",
    "slug": "sb-nation",
    "url": "https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/1125343/nescac-football-teams-diii-playoffs-auto-bid"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When choosing a NESCAC football team to follow in 2026, consider the increased workload from ESPN analyst Bill Connelly, who advocates for smaller-school football. Connelly's insights focus on smaller-school teams and NESCAC's recent addition to the Division III playoffs. NESCAC, the New England Small College Athletic Conference, features a rich history of rivalries, particularly between Amherst, Williams, and Wesleyan known as the \"Biggest Little Game in America.\" The Little Three and Maine's Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby also boast long-standing rivalries. Pick a team close to you, or follow one with strong rivalries, such as Wesleyan in the NESCAC.",
  "summary": "One of the biggest signs that college football is around the corner? An increased workload from Bill Connelly at ESPN, one of the best college football voices — or sports voices, generally — in the business. Connelly wrote a fascinating piece recently for ESPN titled “Your guide to getting the most fun out of college […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}