Presidents' Athletic Conference
AssociationNCAA
Founded1955
CommissionerJoe Onderko (since 2006)
Sports fielded
  • 23
    • men's: 12
    • women's: 11
DivisionDivision III
No. of teams11
HeadquartersNew Wilmington, Pennsylvania
RegionAppalachia
Official websitepacathletics.org
Locations
Location of teams in {{{title}}}

The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) is an athletic conference which competes in the NCAA's Division III. Of its 11 current member schools, all private, liberal arts institutions of higher learning, nine are located in Western Pennsylvania. The other two are located in areas adjacent and historically tied to Western Pennsylvania—Appalachian Ohio and the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

History

The PAC was founded in 1955 by the presidents of Western Reserve University (1955–1967, operating athletically as Adelbert College from 1967 to 1970), Case Institute of Technology (1955–1970), John Carroll University (1955–1989) and Wayne State University (1955–1967).[1] Unlike other conferences at that time, the PAC was designed to be controlled by the presidents of the institutions rather than the athletic directors.[1] Member institutions were to admit athletes on the same academic standards as other students and award scholarships only based on academic achievement or need.[1]

By 1958, the PAC expanded east to include Allegheny College (1958–1984, 2022–present), Bethany College (1958–present), Thiel College (1958–present) and Washington & Jefferson College (1958–present).[1] Eventually, many other member institutions joined the PAC, like Chatham University (2007–present), Geneva College (2007–present), Grove City College (1984–present), Saint Vincent College (2006–present), Thomas More College (2005–2018), Waynesburg University (1990–present) and Westminster College (2000–present).[2]

Some former PAC member institutions include Alfred University (1996–1998), Carnegie Mellon University (1968–1990), Eastern Michigan University (1962–1967) and Hiram College (1971–1989).[2] On May 31, 2017, Thomas More College, now designated as a "University", announced its withdrawal from the PAC at the conclusion of the 2017–18 school year.[3]

In April 2019, Franciscan University, which had joined the PAC as an associate member in the newly launched conference sports of men's and women's lacrosse for the 2018–19 school year, was unveiled as the effective replacement for Thomas More. Franciscan added five sports to its PAC membership for 2019–20—women's golf, men's and women's indoor track & field, and men's and women's outdoor track & field, and became a full conference member in 2020–21.[4]

Effective July 1, 2022, Allegheny College rejoined the PAC after a 38-year absence spent in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Allegheny remains an affiliate member of the NCAC in the sport of field hockey as the PAC does not currently sponsor the sport.[5]

The headquarters is located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.[6]

Chronological timeline[2]

Presidents' Athletic Conference
🌍
Location of PAC members: full, affiliate
  • 1955 – Charter members Western Reserve University, John Carroll University, and Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, along with Wayne State University in Detroit, come together to form the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).
  • 1958 – The PAC adds four additional members - Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa.; Bethany College in Bethany, W.Va.; Thiel College in Greenville, Pa.; and Washington & Jefferson College in Washington, Pa., bringing the total number of conference members to eight.
  • 1962 – The PAC accepted the University of Ypsilanti (Eastern Michigan) as its ninth member.
  • 1966 – Wayne State and Eastern Michigan withdrew from the PAC following the 1966–67 academic year, leaving the conference with seven members.
  • 1967 – Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University federated into a new institution known as Case Western Reserve University. The undergraduate student bodies remained separate, however, and both Case Tech and Adelbert College (the male undergraduate school of the former Western Reserve University) continued to field separate teams.
  • 1968 – Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh is accepted into the PAC.
  • 1970 – Case Western Reserve University begins to compete as one program, no longer fielding teams as Case Tech and Adelbert.
  • 1972 – Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio is accepted into the PAC.
  • 1983 – Allegheny College and Case Western Reserve University leave the PAC following the 1983–84 academic year.
  • 1984 – Grove City College in Grove City, Pa., is accepted into the PAC.
  • 1984–85 – The PAC sponsors women's athletic championships for the first time.
  • 1989 – John Carroll University and Hiram College leave the PAC.
  • 1990 – Carnegie Mellon University leaves the PAC, and Waynesburg College (now University) in Waynesburg, Pa., is accepted into the PAC.
  • 1996 – Alfred College in Alfred, N.Y., is accepted into the PAC.
  • 1998 – Alfred College leaves the PAC.
  • 2000 – Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa., is accepted into the PAC.
  • 2005 – Thomas More College (now University) in Crestview Hills, Ky., is accepted into the PAC.
  • 2006 – Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., is accepted into the PAC
  • 2007 – Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa., and Chatham University in Pittsburgh are both accepted into the PAC, bringing the conference to 10 full-time members.
  • 2011 – Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and Case Western Reserve in Cleveland are both admitted to the PAC as affiliate members in the sport of football beginning in the 2014–15 academic year.
  • 2018
  • 2019 – Franciscan added women's golf plus indoor and outdoor track & field for both men and women to its PAC membership.
  • 2020 – Franciscan became a full PAC member.
  • 2022
    • Allegheny rejoined the PAC, effective July 1.
    • The PAC announced that it would add men's volleyball starting in 2024–25. At the time of announcement, the men's volleyball league was planned to start with six full members. Geneva, Saint Vincent, and Thiel were associate members of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference; Bethany and Chatham were committed to adding men's volleyball in 2023–24; and Grove City was to add men's volleyball in 2024–25.[7]
  • 2023 – The PAC announced that its future men's volleyball league would also include former full member Hiram as a single-sport member.[8]

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives

In 2021, the NCAA announced that Kate Costanzo of Allegheny College – a former NCAC staff member who is now affiliated with the PAC – was a finalist for the NCAA Division III LGBTQ Administrator/Coach/Staff of the Year Award.[9]

Member schools

Current members

The Presidents' currently has 11 full members, all private schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Colors Football?
Allegheny College Meadville, Pennsylvania 1815 Methodist 1,442 Gators 2022[lower-alpha 1]     Yes
Bethany College Bethany, West Virginia 1840 Disciples of Christ 650 Bison 1958     Yes
Chatham University[lower-alpha 2] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1869 Nonsectarian 2,300 Cougars 2007     No
Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, Ohio 1946 Catholic
(Franciscan Friars)		 2,716 Barons 2020[lower-alpha 3]     No
Geneva College Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania 1848 Reformed 1,791 Golden Tornadoes 2007     Yes
Grove City College Grove City, Pennsylvania 1876 Nondenominational[lower-alpha 4] 2,500 Wolverines 1984     Yes
Saint Vincent College Latrobe, Pennsylvania 1846 Catholic
(Benedictines)		 1,652 Bearcats 2006     Yes
Thiel College Greenville, Pennsylvania 1866 Lutheran ELCA 790 Tomcats 1958     Yes
Washington & Jefferson College Washington, Pennsylvania 1781 Nonsectarian 1,519 Presidents 1958     Yes
Waynesburg University Waynesburg, Pennsylvania 1849 Presbyterian 1,500 Yellow Jackets 1990     Yes
Westminster College New Wilmington, Pennsylvania 1852 Presbyterian 1,482 Titans 2000     Yes
Notes
  1. ↑ Allegheny had previously been a PAC member from 1958 to 1984.
  2. ↑ This institution is a former women's college, which has eventually turned into a co-educational college (Chatham since 2015–16).
  3. ↑ Franciscan joined the PAC as an associate member in seven sports before becoming a full member in effective the 2020–21 school year; men's and women's lacrosse joined during the 2018–19 school year, while women's golf, plus men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, joined during the 2019–20 school year.
  4. ↑ Formerly affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA).


Associate members

The Presidents' currently has two associate members, both of which joined for football only since the 2014 fall season (2014–15 school year) and have remained in PAC football to this day. A third school will join for men's volleyball when the PAC adds the sport in 2024–25.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Primary
conference		 PAC
sport(s)
Carnegie Mellon University[lower-alpha 1] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1900 Nonsectarian 6,362 Tartans 2014–15 University (UAA) football
Case Western Reserve University[lower-alpha 2] Cleveland, Ohio 1826 6,186 Spartans

Future associate member

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joining Primary
conference		 PAC
sport(s)
Hiram College[lower-alpha 3] Hiram, Ohio 1850 Disciples of Christ 1,271 Terriers 2024–25 NCAC Men's volleyball
Notes
  1. ↑ Carnegie Mellon was a full member of the PAC from 1968–69 to 1989–90.
  2. ↑ Case Western Reserve was a full member of the PAC from 1970–71 to 1983–84.
  3. ↑ Hiram was a full member of the PAC from 1971–72 to 1988–89.

Former members

The Presidents' has 10 former full members, with all but two being private schools.

Institution Location Founded Affiliation Enrollment Nickname Joined Left Current
conference
Alfred University Alfred, New York 1836 Nonsectarian 2,300 Saxons 1996–97 1997–98 Empire 8
Carnegie Mellon University[lower-alpha 1] Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 1900 Nonsectarian 6,170 Tartans 1968–69 1989–90 University (UAA)
Case Institute of Technology Cleveland, Ohio 1880 Nonsectarian N/A Rough Riders 1955–56 1969–70 N/A[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
Case Western Reserve University[lower-alpha 4] Cleveland, Ohio 1967 Nonsectarian 5,121 Spartans 1970–71 1983–84 University (UAA)
Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, Michigan 1849 Public 22,974 Eagles 1962–63 1966–67 Mid-American (MAC)
(NCAA D-I)
Hiram College[lower-alpha 5] Hiram, Ohio 1850 Disciples of Christ 1,271 Terriers 1971–72 1988–89 North Coast (NCAC)
John Carroll University University Heights, Ohio 1886 Catholic
(Jesuit)		 3,726 Blue Streaks 1955–56 1988–89 Ohio (OAC)
Thomas More University[lower-alpha 6] Crestview Hills, Kentucky 1921 Catholic
(Benedictine Sisters)		 1,900 Saints 2005–06 2017–18 G-MAC
(NCAA D-II)
Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan 1868 Public 32,564 Tartars[lower-alpha 7] 1955–56 1966–67 Great Lakes (GLIAC)
(NCAA D-II)
Western Reserve University[lower-alpha 8] Cleveland, Ohio 1826 Nonsectarian N/A Red Cats 1955–56 1969–70 N/A[lower-alpha 9][lower-alpha 3]
Notes
  1. ↑ Carnegie Mellon returned to the PAC as an associate member for football starting with the 2014 fall season (2014–15 school year).
  2. ↑ Case Tech merged with Western Reserve University in 1967.
  3. 1 2 Case Tech and Western Reserve University merged in 1967, but the athletic programs continued to operate separately through the 1969–70 school year.
  4. ↑ Case Western Reserve rejoined the PAC as an associate member for football starting with the 2014 fall season (2014–15 school year).
  5. ↑ Hiram will return to the PAC as an associate member for men's volleyball starting with the 2025 spring season (2024–25 school year).
  6. ↑ Thomas More was known as Thomas More College throughout its PAC tenure. It adopted its current name in October 2018, shortly after leaving the PAC.
  7. ↑ Wayne State joined the PAC as Wayne University. It adopted its current name in 1956 and its current nickname of Warriors in 1999.
  8. ↑ During the first three years after the Case Western Reserve merger (1967–1970), when Case Tech and Western Reserve continued to operate separate athletic programs, Western Reserve used the athletic identity of its former undergraduate arm, Adelbert College.
  9. ↑ Western Reserve merged with Case Institute of Technology in 1967.

Membership timeline

Franciscan University of SteubenvilleGeneva CollegeChatham UniversitySaint Vincent CollegeThomas More UniversityWestminster College (Pennsylvania)Alfred UniversityWaynesburg UniversityGrove City CollegeHiram CollegeCase Western Reserve UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityEastern Michigan UniversityWashington %26 Jefferson CollegeThiel CollegeBethany College (West Virginia)Allegheny CollegeWestern Reserve UniversityWayne State UniversityJohn Carroll UniversityCase Institute of Technology

Sports

Conference sports
SportMen'sWomen's
Baseball
Green tickY
Basketball
Green tickY
Green tickY
Cross country
Green tickY
Green tickY
Football
Green tickY
Golf
Green tickY
Green tickY
Lacrosse
Green tickY
Green tickY
Soccer
Green tickY
Green tickY
Softball
Green tickY
Swimming & diving
Green tickY
Green tickY
Tennis
Green tickY
Green tickY
Track & field (indoor)
Green tickY
Green tickY
Track & field (outdoor)
Green tickY
Green tickY
Volleyball
Green tickY
Wrestling
Green tickY
  1. ↑ To be added in 2024–25.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 E. Lee, North (1991). "Chapter 14: The Frustrating Fifties". Battling the Indians, Panthers, and Nittany Lions: The Story of Washington & Jefferson College's First Century of Football, 1890-1990. Daring Books. pp. 161–168. ISBN 978-1-878302-03-8. OCLC 24174022.
  2. 1 2 3 http://www.pacathletics.org/links/recordbook.pdf
  3. ↑ "Thomas More to Withdraw from PAC" (Press release). Thomas More Saints. May 31, 2017. Retrieved October 23, 2017.
  4. ↑ "PAC adds Franciscan as full member" (Press release). Presidents' Athletic Conference. April 16, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Allegheny College Announces Return to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Beginning July 1, 2022" (Press release). Allegheny Gators. August 23, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Presidents' Athletic Conference on the Web". Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2010-06-25.
  7. ↑ "PAC Approves Men's Volleyball as 24th Conference Sport" (Press release). Presidents' Athletic Conference. December 14, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  8. ↑ "PAC Extends Affiliate Membership to Hiram College in Men's Volleyball in 2024-25" (Press release). Presidents' Athletic Conference. June 6, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  9. ↑ @NCAC (January 14, 2021). "NCAA LGBTQ Award 2021" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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