It’s only May, but there’s a dream match-up happening right before our eyes.

It’s a battle between the last three programs to hoist the Walnut and Bronze — Linfield vs. St. John’s vs. Mount Union.

Not on the field, mind you, but on your computer screen where uberauction site eBay offers memorabilia from the Wildcats, Johnnies and Purple Raiders.

Do you want to “leave no doubt” that the Wildcats are the best? Then you might bid on this Linfield football helmet.

Or maybe you’re convinced nothing can top the Johnnies’ memorable run in 2003. Then you can bid on this ring commemorating Gagliardi’s record-breaking victory.

Or maybe you want to celebrate Mount Union’s 2002 championship with this fancy lid. Geez, has it really been that long since they won a title? Only kidding, Raider Nation.

eBay aficionados already know the site is a fun place to find, well, just about anything you can imagine. But who knew that included a miniature version of a Wesley Wolverines’ helmet? Even the NESCAC, which won’t join the playoff party, is in on the fun.

If you’re bored — and we know you are since it’s still only May — surf on over to eBay and see what interesting D3 treasures you can unearth.

Just don’t you dare cast a bid on my favorite item — the
John Gagliardi Bobblehead (pictured above).

To register a new address for eBay and benefit D3football.com at the same time, click here.

It’s hard to avoid noticing the trend. At the beginning of Mount Union’s run, the Purple Raiders were playing Defiance for their non-conference game (the Ohio Athletic Conference has 10 teams, meaning only one opponent must be found each year). Then it was Albion, followed by Allegheny. All regional foes, all within a reasonable distance and with the last two, some reason to expect a competitive result, at least at the time the game was scheduled.

But two years of Allegheny were followed by two years of UW-Whitewater, then Wash U, not an easy trip for either squad. The outcome was hardly in doubt last year and won’t be this year. Next on the list, Averett, a nearly 500-mile trip past Salem to the North Carolina/Virginia border. Mount Union has to go further and further afield to find an opponent. In an era of automatic playoff bids for winning your conference and Pool C bids expanding from three to seven, there’s less and less reason to duck a strong non-conference opponent.

Kudos to Averett for taking the challenge. And shame on anyone closer to Alliance who shared the same open date.

Millsaps couldn’t provide any documentation to verify its claim that Concordia-Selma (or as they list it, Concordia (AL)) had a varsity football program. Well, according to this article from the Selma Times-Journal which a reader sent, they don’t currently, but plan to in 2005. They claim to have ended spring practice with 64 players.

Good thing it’s a home game for Millsaps — with the way Concordia-Selma gets scores out from its other sports, I doubt Millsaps would get accurate stats from this game.