The Mules at Central Missouri continue to pile up the Helmet Bowl numbers–but they are not alone on the tote board. Northwestern Missouri State Bearcats were voting throughout the week, but just couldn’t catch the Number One Team in Helmet Bowl I.
What is happening over Warrensburg, Missouri? We talked with Pat Swoboda, Equipment Manager at the University of Central Missouri, to find out.
“It’s the players,” Swoboda says. “When they come in the lockeroom on Tuesday or Wednesday, I walk through and tell them to vote. I tell them over and over. And, they are telling their friends.”
Swoboda heard about Helmet Bowl from the AEMA (Athletic Equipment Management Association) where he gained his certification a few years ago. In his second year as Mules' Equipment Manager, Swoboda and his team of three student managers and three laundry assistants, manage the equipment for 135 players. Yes, 135.
“Everyone is forced to know how to do everything,” he says.
For Week 3, Swoboda sent us a surprise: a new helmet the team will wear this week against Emporia State and then again Sept. 30 against rival Northwest Missouri State.
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Update-Polls open longer
We decided to keep Helmet Bowl voting open through Sunday night for Week 3. We are all football fans and though Helmet Bowl is the Greatest College Football Helmet Contest Ever, we know football fans are footballing on Sundays. Get out the vote!
Equipment Managers
Equipment Managers are vital to raising votes and sending in updated helmet images. When EMs send us a new helmet image, votes come in. Just ask Arizona Christian who sent us a new Firestorm helmet this week then went on to win the Central States Football League.
Here’s who we heard from this week:
- Luke Bolanos, Stephen F Austin
- Clifton Perry, Princeton
- Blair Gillarf, Houston Baptist
- Zach Carlton, Incarnate Word
- Lance Fleming, Abilene Christian
- Matthew Bonnette, McNeese State
Thank you.
Florida State Seminoles
Did you see this? The Seminoles have the votes! More votes have come in this month for Florida State than any other teams in the (lackluster) ACC. More than the Miami Hurricanes who won Week 2. More than the Syracuse Orange who won Week 1. Yet, the Seminole Nation has no points. Teams must win a week to receive a point! Can the Tallahassee team get out the Helmet Bowl vote this week as they welcome the North Carolina State Wolfpack (speaking of lackluster HB voting) to town?
Reminder:
Polls open at noon Tuesday. You may vote in Every Conference contest. We placed an easy orange NEXT button following every conference poll. Use it.
Helmet Bowl Ties
In the Commonwealth Coast Conference, the Endicott Gulls and Nichols Bison tied. Someone at one of these schools should grab their friends and win this conference in Week 3.
Lacrosse powerhouse Limestone Saints tied with Division II Independent North Greenville Crusaders. One of our staff members lived in Gaffney, S.C. last century, but still has a fondness for the Saints. Get out the vote!
We heard 
from Princeton Tigers Equipment Manager Clifton Perry this week, but that didn’t get them past the Dartmouth Big Green. Tied there this week. Princeton continues to lead overall.
In the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference the Bethany Swedes tied the Sterling Warriors (who lead overall due to their Week 1 win).
Liberty League: Hobart Statesmen tie with the RPI Engineers.
Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference: Fitchburg State Falcons tied the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs.
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Adrian Bulldogs tied Kalamazoo Hornets.
Mountain East Conference: Fairmont State Falcons tied the UVA-Wise Highland Cavaliers.
North Coast Athletic Conference: Allegheny Gators tied the Oberlin Yeomen.
This was a true battle: The Bryant Bulldogs tied the Robert Morris Colonials in the Northeast Conference.
Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference: Aurora Spartans tie the Rockford Regents.
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Crown College tied the Northwestern Eagles.
Three way ties:
Middle Atlantic Conference saw a three-way tie between the FDU Florham Devils, Misericordia Cougars, and Stevenson Mustangs. Take a look at this DIII conference contest and tell us the Wilkes Colonels shouldn’t score points here!
The Northwest Conference saw the Lewis & Clark Pioneers and Linfield Wildcats catch the George Fox Bruins in Week 2.
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference: Albany State Golden Rams, Clark Atlanta Panthers, and the Lane Dragons tied.
More Ties
In a rare Four-way tie: The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin saw the Augustana Vikings, Carthage Red Men, North Park Vikings, and Wheaton Thunder gain the same percentage of votes. The Washington University Bears won Week 1 so they sit atop the standings with 1 full point.
Maybe not so rare: The Alfred Saxons, Brockport Golden Eagles, Hartwick Hawks, Ithica Bombers, and Utica Pioneers tied in a low-voting affair in the Empire 8 Conference. Seriously, a student could ask his girlfriend and mom to vote and win this thing.
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Other News
Someone help us out. In the North Star Athletic Association, the Jamestown Jimmies won Week 2. That’s fine and it’s all about getting out the vote. However, answer this: Is their helmet, much like the Cleveland Browns solid orange, Helmet Bowl Conference Champion material? Seriously. We wish the Jimmies great success in Week 3 and verses Waldorf on the field. May they come away with at least one win!
We said we’d be watching the California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this week after the Redlands Bulldogs won Week 1. We were not surprised to see the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags win Week 2. Every college football conference in the country is in Helmet Bowl I – all 76 of them. This is one to watch.
Got a Helmet Bowl I news idea? A way to gain votes for your team? A video tour of your helmet? A new helmet image to submit? We want to hear from you: HelmetBowl@HelmetTracker.com