We haven’t forgotten about Division III football — in fact, we have about a dozen schedules for 2006 already posted. But this is March, and it’s madness for us. (Sometimes literally.)

The expanded playoffs have hit Division III basketball this season as well. There are 63 women’s teams and 59 men’s teams in the field, representing such football powers as Hardin-Simmons, UW-Whitewater, Augustana and Trinity (Texas) … and also schools at the other end of the football spectrum, such as Puget Sound, Catholic, Bethany and Mass-Boston.

If you miss us, come stop by D3hoops.com and join in the fun.

If you saw the feature on ESPN’s SportsCenter tonight about Willamette University’s experience in Hawaii during the Pearl Harbor attacks and want to read more, take a look back at Tom Wilson’s piece for D3football.com.

It originally ran Dec. 7, 2003 and bears re-reading. Thanks to ESPN catching up to the story, it gives us a good reason to re-link you to one of our favorite D3football.com pieces of the past seven years.

When my favorite football teams are eliminated from the playoff hunt, I like to see if the remaining teams have connections back to our world. As an Oakland Raider fan, I can get an early start since they have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs by Week 6 the past couple seasons.

In any event, you may know that Steelers ILB Clint Kriewaldt is a graduate of UW-Stevens Point. Or that D3football.com All-American Jerheme Urban (Trinity, Texas) has played for the Seahawks the past three seasons.

But did you know Ben Roethlisberger has a Division III connection?

According to the San Jose Mercury News “Big Ben” didn’t play quarterback until his senior year at Findlay (Ohio) High. That’s because he was behind Ryan Hite, son of the high school coach. Hite didn’t reach the same lofty, um, heights as Roethlisberger in football but still had a solid career at Denison where he played wide receiver and, evidently, some quarterback.

You can break that tidbit out while watching the big game this weekend. It would impress even the biggest NFL aficionados. Like former Seattle Seahawks Coach — and Juniata College Alum — Chuck Knox.