2016 ECAC Teams of the Year / Lambert Meadowlands Awards Announced

2016 ECAC Teams of the Year / Lambert Meadowlands Awards Announced

Bookmark and Share

DANBURY, Conn. - The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has announced the ECAC Football Teams of the Year along with the recipients of the 2016 Lambert Meadowlands Awards, to be presented at the 81st Annual Eastern College Football Awards Banquet at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Feb. 23.

One of the nation's oldest and prestigious trophies, the Lambert Trophy is one of many honors on the agenda for the 81st Annual Eastern College Football Awards Banquet.

For the 30th time in its 80-year history, the Lambert Trophy will be presented to Penn State University. Under the leadership of ECAC FBS Head Coach of the Year James Franklin, the Nittany Lions posted an 11-3 record and reached the Rose Bowl Game. Penn State claims the Lambert Trophy for the first time since 2013.

"Head Coach James Franklin has boosted Penn State back to the pinnacle of Eastern football," said President of American Football Networks, Inc., Dennis Wilson. Wilson also serves as the custodian of the annual award that recognizes the top program in Eastern college football and serves as president of the Metropolitan New York Football Writers.

Temple University will receive the 2016 ECAC Football Bowl Subdivision Team of the Year Award for the second year in a row following a season in which the Owls posted a 10-4 mark and won the American Athletic Conference Championship. This is the first-time Temple will be ranked in back-to-back seasons.

Lehigh University will collect the award for ECAC Football Championship Subdivision Team of the Year after posting a 9-3 record and winning the Patriot League while reaching the NCAA FCS Championship tournament for the first time since 2011.

James Madison University (VA) was the unanimous winner of the Lambert FCS Cup selection panel. The Dukes (14-1) defeated Youngstown State University (OH) 28-14 to win the FCS National Championship game after claiming the Colonial Athletic Association crown with an undefeated regular-season mark. The Lambert Cup, first awarded in 1957, is the third Cup for James Madison (1994, 2004) and will be presented to Dukes Head Coach Mike Houston at MetLife Stadium.

Shepherd University (WV) repeats as the recipient of the Lambert Division II Cup. In his 30th season at the helm, Shephard Head Coach Monte Cater guided the Rams to a 13-1 season, before succumbing to North Alabama University in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

LIU Post earns ECAC DII Team of the Year for 2016. The Pioneers enjoyed one of their most successful campaigns in team history, completing their first undefeated regular season since 2002 and winning the Northeast-10 Conference title in the process under the leadership of ECAC DII Football Coach of the Year Bryan Collins.

Alfred University (NY) will receive the 50th Lambert DIII Cup as the best NCAA Division III program in Eastern college football. Saxons Head Coach Bob Rankl and his team won 12-straight games before falling to the University of Mount Union (OH) in the third round of the Stagg Bowl playoffs. It is the second Lambert Cup for Alfred, and first since 1971.

Johns Hopkins University will take home the ECAC DIII Team of the Year accolade. The Blue Jays posted an 11-1 record, won an eighth-straight Centennial Conference title and qualified for the NCAA Playoffs for the sixth-straight year and the seventh time in eight years. Johns Hopkins advanced to the second round of the NCAAs for the third-straight year and the fourth time in five years.

"The 2016 gridiron campaign was a great success for Eastern college football and we are looking forward to honoring many deserving student-athletes, coaches and administrators at this year's event," said Wilson.

All Lambert and ECAC Award recipients, along with all ECAC Football All-Stars, will be honored on Feb. 23 at MetLife Stadium.

A full list of major award winners can be found here.
ABOUT THE ECAC
In the 77 years since its inception, the ECAC has emerged as the nation's largest Conference, ranging in location from Maine to Georgia, and westerly to Missouri. In 2015-16, the ECAC hosted nearly 100 championships in men's and women's sports as the sponsors of over 5,800 varsity teams and 111,000 student-athletes. For more information, visit www.ecacsports.com.

ABOUT the METROPOLITAN NEW YORK FOOTBALL WRITERS (MNYFW)
The Eastern Football Network (EFN), a subsidiary of American Football Networks, Inc. (AFN) founded in 1956, is affiliated with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (MNYFW), New England College Football Writers (NECFW) and Philadelphia Area Football Writers (PFWA). The Eastern Football Network (EFN) has covered every college football program within the District of Columbia and the States of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia since 1988.

American Football Networks, Inc. is the Custodian-Operator of the Lambert Trophy, established in 1936 to honor the best college football team in the East. Over the last eight decades with the change in the landscape of college football, Lambert Cups have been created to recognize the top FCS, D-II and D-III programs. Selection panels conduct weekly polls for each award with the final selections the first week of January honored at the Eastern College Football Awards Banquet in February, hosted by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

STAY CONNECTED WITH THE ECAC
Stay updated on the latest news, championships and more by connecting with the ECAC on Facebook (ECACSports), Twitter (@ECACSports) and Instagram (@ECACSports).
##
Final Lambert Trophy & Cup Top 5
Lambert Trophy
  1. Penn State (PA)
  2. Virginia Tech (VA)
  3. West Virginia (WV)
  4. Army (NY)
  5. Navy (MD)

Lambert FCS Cup
  1. James Madison (VA) 14-1
  2. Lehigh (PA) 9-3
  3. Fordham (NY) 8-3
  4. Princeton (NJ) 8-2
  5. Pennsylvania (PA) 7-3

Lambert D-II Cup
  1. Shepherd (WV) 13-1
  2. LIU - Post (NY) 12-1
  3. California (PA) 11-1
  4. Fairmont State (WV) 10-2
  5. Indiana (PA) 10-2

Lambert D-III Cup
  1. Alfred (NY) 12-1
  2. Johns Hopkins (MD) 11-1
  3. Western New England (MA) 11-1
  4. Frostburg State (MD) 10-1
  5. Trinity (CT) 8-0