FB: Presidents' Athletic Conference

[Pat Coleman]

I did a little statistical analysis using Logan Hansens current ratings of both the PAC and CC. The PAC's best teams are definitely just as good as the CC, but their league doesn't have as many lower ranked teams. The median PAC team is ranked 125, and the Median CC team is ranked 48. It's easier to have a tighter spread considering they have so many fewer teams

PAC top 5: 17,25,32,51,64
CC top 5: 14,33,43,48,99

I don't really like the travel rationale given by CMU, I'm not sure their student-athletes are particularly going to enjoy the longer bus rides through the middle of nowhere PA to get to Gettysburg or Carlisle PA. Seems like less travel is typically preferred unless it's an interesting destination.

Having an additional non-conference game at their disposal would help with that, though.

Agreed that the football team does not get the same experience that their UAA teams do.

Yeah I could understand if they wanted football players to get the opportunity to fly to Georgia or Missouri or something like the other UAA sports but again I'm not sure the bus trips out to eastern PA is gonna be a net benefit

Totally get that. Playing UW-La Crosse and University of Chicago will help that.

[WRMUalum13]

I did a little statistical analysis using Logan Hansens current ratings of both the PAC and CC. The PAC's best teams are definitely just as good as the CC, but their league doesn't have as many lower ranked teams. The median PAC team is ranked 125, and the Median CC team is ranked 48. It's easier to have a tighter spread considering they have so many fewer teams

PAC top 5: 17,25,32,51,64
CC top 5: 14,33,43,48,99

I don't really like the travel rationale given by CMU, I'm not sure their student-athletes are particularly going to enjoy the longer bus rides through the middle of nowhere PA to get to Gettysburg or Carlisle PA. Seems like less travel is typically preferred unless it's an interesting destination.

Having an additional non-conference game at their disposal would help with that, though.

Agreed that the football team does not get the same experience that their UAA teams do.

Yeah I could understand if they wanted football players to get the opportunity to fly to Georgia or Missouri or something like the other UAA sports but again I'm not sure the bus trips out to eastern PA is gonna be a net benefit

Totally get that. Playing UW-La Crosse and University of Chicago will help that.

That's a good point, will be curious to see what their OOC schedule looks like

[WRMUalum13]

I think everybody is looking too deeply into this.  I know this is a slight to some of the teams in the PAC, but let's be real.  This move is likely due almost solely to the fact that CMU isn't thrilled about having over half their games each year be similar to the one they just played this past Saturday.

That's a good point, I guess I'm still a little baffled by the timing. Why wait until all the PAC realignment stuff. Was adding Hiram just the last straw?

[Pat Coleman]

I did a little statistical analysis using Logan Hansens current ratings of both the PAC and CC. The PAC's best teams are definitely just as good as the CC, but their league doesn't have as many lower ranked teams. The median PAC team is ranked 125, and the Median CC team is ranked 48. It's easier to have a tighter spread considering they have so many fewer teams

PAC top 5: 17,25,32,51,64
CC top 5: 14,33,43,48,99

I don't really like the travel rationale given by CMU, I'm not sure their student-athletes are particularly going to enjoy the longer bus rides through the middle of nowhere PA to get to Gettysburg or Carlisle PA. Seems like less travel is typically preferred unless it's an interesting destination.

Having an additional non-conference game at their disposal would help with that, though.

Agreed that the football team does not get the same experience that their UAA teams do.

Yeah I could understand if they wanted football players to get the opportunity to fly to Georgia or Missouri or something like the other UAA sports but again I'm not sure the bus trips out to eastern PA is gonna be a net benefit

Totally get that. Playing UW-La Crosse and University of Chicago will help that.

That's a good point, will be curious to see what their OOC schedule looks like

Those are the specific games for 2025 that were mentioned in the story. In 2026 they'll have the opportunity to schedule a third non-conference game as well.

[DagarmanSpartan]

Well, this is a little disappointing.  I was looking forward to having a conference championship game the way that most I-FBS conferences do.

At this point, following our arch rival CMU or our cross-town rival JCU would not be too surprising, but we'll see.

If we stay in the PAC, then I'd have to wonder if we'll keep CMU on the schedule as an out of conference game.

I'd hate to see the "Academic Bowl" rivalry die!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Bowl_(college_football)

Geographically, the NCAC would probably be more manageable, travel-wise.  JCU would be about 20 min. away, and Oberlin only an hour or so; several other teams would be in-state.  OTOH, being in a conference with CMU, Johns Hopkins, and elite liberal arts colleges like Haverford, Swarthmore, Bryn Mawr, and Dickinson is also appealing!

[WRMUalum13]

I did a little statistical analysis using Logan Hansens current ratings of both the PAC and CC. The PAC's best teams are definitely just as good as the CC, but their league doesn't have as many lower ranked teams. The median PAC team is ranked 125, and the Median CC team is ranked 48. It's easier to have a tighter spread considering they have so many fewer teams

PAC top 5: 17,25,32,51,64
CC top 5: 14,33,43,48,99

I don't really like the travel rationale given by CMU, I'm not sure their student-athletes are particularly going to enjoy the longer bus rides through the middle of nowhere PA to get to Gettysburg or Carlisle PA. Seems like less travel is typically preferred unless it's an interesting destination.

Having an additional non-conference game at their disposal would help with that, though.

Agreed that the football team does not get the same experience that their UAA teams do.

Yeah I could understand if they wanted football players to get the opportunity to fly to Georgia or Missouri or something like the other UAA sports but again I'm not sure the bus trips out to eastern PA is gonna be a net benefit

Totally get that. Playing UW-La Crosse and University of Chicago will help that.

That's a good point, will be curious to see what their OOC schedule looks like

Those are the specific games for 2025 that were mentioned in the story. In 2026 they'll have the opportunity to schedule a third non-conference game as well.

That's what I get for skimming the article!

[ADL70]

Any Oasis fans out there? Bethany has a kicker named Liam Gallagher

[ExTartanPlayer]

Well, I should've known after getting a little too loose in here talking about the gap between the top and bottom of the PAC, I'd get a little medicine (CMU only led Geneva 14-7 at the end of three, even if the final margin was 41-7). After halftime it never felt like CMU was exactly in danger, but it also took longer for them to pull away than I'd have liked. I've said this before, but Geneva does run that option pretty well and I'm always surprised it doesn't lead to a few more wins.

Elsewhere around the PAC looked pretty much like you'd expect across the board.

[jam40jeff]

Again, it's hard to tell how CWRU will fare against the top teams, but I did not expect the game last night to be that bad of a beat down.  Case won 64-6, but took a knee on the Bethany 2 to end the game and fumbled on the Bethany 2 in the first quarter.  Bethany's lone score came on an 86 yard TD pass after a missed tackle.  Other than that play, Bethany had 14 total yards.

[ADL70]

That fumble was quickly followed by a safety when punt snap went over punters head and out of the end zone.

Spartans played 102 players.

[E.115]

The looming big four matchups...Case Western Reserve, Carnegie Mellon, Washington & Jefferson, and Grove City...are looking increasingly interesting.

Westminster looks to have struggled with Waynesburg a bit...but it could have been more of a Week 1 figuring it out.

[ADL70]

Sep 28 CMU @ W&J
Oct 12 CMU @ GCC
Oct 19 GCC @ W&J
Nov  2 W&J @ CWRU
Nov  9 CWRU @ GCC
Nov 16 CMU @ CWRU

[E.115]

Great local coverage and quotes from the CWRU game ... and cool photo of RB #22 Mitchell Waite after a TD in front of a large home crowd:  https://www.news-herald.com/2024/09/15/case-football-rolls-over-bethany/

It was also said 25 recruits and their families were in attendance for the night game. 

[ADL70]

Debs mentioned the 25 recruits in his pre-game interview.

[E.115]

A bit of a fun snapshot in time for the PAC's BIG 4: https://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/d3/current/team/22

All four are clocking in the Top 10 in the country for Total Defense at the moment.