Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) |
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|---|---|
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| Established | 1951 |
| Association | NCAA |
| Division | Division II |
| Members | 16 full, 1 associate |
| Sports fielded | 21 (men's: 10; women's: 11) |
| Region | Northeastern United States |
| Headquarters | Lock Haven, Pennsylvania |
| Commissioner | Steve Murray (since 1998) |
| Website | psacsports.org |
| Locations | |
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The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) is a college athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II. The conference is composed of 16 full-time members within Pennsylvania and one associate member in New York. The conference headquarters are located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and staffed by a commissioner, two assistant commissioners, and a director of media relations.
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[edit] History
The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education organized the conference in 1951 to promote competition in men's sports amongst the system's 14 universities. In 1977, following growing interest, the conference was reorganized to offer women's sports as well. Then in 1980, in order to promote increased competition, the entire conference was reclassified as Division II within the NCAA.[1]
The conference announced on June 18, 2007, that it had invited three private universities—Gannon University and Mercyhurst College of Erie, Pennsylvania and C.W. Post of Brookville, New York—to join the conference.[2] On June 27, Gannon and Mercyhurst held a joint press conference to announce their acceptance into the PSAC, effective July 1, 2008.[3] The following day it was announced that C.W. Post would also join the conference as an associate member in football and field hockey.[4]
The expansion increased membership to 16 full-time and one associate members. With all of the conference's full-time members located in Pennsylvania, the PSAC became the largest one-state conference in the NCAA.[1] The conference also shares the distinctions as the largest Division II conference, the NCAA's largest football conference, and the Division II conference offering the most championships, with 23.[1] All but two of Pennsylvania's Division II football programs compete in the PSAC: Lincoln competes in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association while Seton Hill University competes in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Five other universities compete at the Division II level in other sports, four of them in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in the WVIAC.
In 2010, Seton Hill was accepted to join the conference as an associate member for field hockey. With the additional transition of West Chester's program from Division I to Division II, the number of teams competing in field hockey will increase from 10 to 12 for the 2011 season.[5]
As a conference, the PSAC has had success at the national level. Member schools combined send nearly one-third of their teams to NCAA postseason competitions. Conference members have won 43 NCAA team and 238 individual championships as of the 2009–10 seasons.[1]
[edit] Member schools
Schools are divided into regions for football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, field hockey, softball, and women's volleyball. C.W. Post competes in football and field hockey in the East Division, while Seton Hill will compete in the West. Softball is divided into three regions, with Bloomsburg, Clarion, IUP, Mansfield, and Lock Haven comprising a Central Region.[6]
[edit] Associate members
| Institution | Location | Primary conference | Sports | Year began |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.W. Post | Brookville, New York | East Coast Conference | Football Field hockey |
2008 |
| Seton Hill University | Greensburg, Pennsylvania | West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Field hockey | 2011 |
[edit] Sports
From its inception, each conference member selected its own competitive division within the NCAA (I, II, or III). In 1980, however, the presidents voted to reclassify the entire conference to Division II. Although all institutions are members of NCAA Division II, some have elected to compete at the Division I level in select sports. The PSAC offers championships in baseball, men and women's basketball, men and women's cross country, women's field hockey, football, men and women's golf, women's lacrosse, men and women's soccer, softball, men and women's swimming, men and women's tennis, men and women's indoor (winter) and outdoor (spring) track and field, women's volleyball, and wrestling.[7] Competitions in cross country, golf, swimming, tennis, track and field, and wrestling are not divided into divisions. Softball is divided into three divisions.[7]
In wrestling, all members with a team compete in the conference. Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, and Lock Haven compete additionally in the Eastern Wrestling League, a Division I conference. Millersville competes independently as a Division I program. Other members are eligible for Division II championships.
In field hockey, West Chester began competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1996. Lock Haven became an associate member of the A-10 in 2010. In 2011, West Chester will return to play in the PSAC, and Seton Hill University will join as an associate member.[8]
In addition to those sports with conference championships, some members offer additional sports. Cheyney competes in women's bowling;[9] Mercyhurst competes in men and women's water polo, men and women's rowing, men's lacrosse, and Division I programs in men and women's ice hockey;[10]; West Chester offers women's gymnastics and rugby; Gannon offers men and women's water polo;[11] and Kutztown in women's bowling.[12] Conference members who compete at the Division I level in conference-sanctioned sports are noted on the table.
[edit] 2010–11 Championship dates and sites
| Sport | Location | Date | Qualifiers | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual tennis | Shippensburg | October 9–10 | All teams | Men's Singles: Ricky Dove (Bloomsburg) Men's Doubles: Preetham Moras/Drew Slocum (Millersville) Women's Singles: Anna Pieschl (California) Women's Doubles: Pieschi/Jade Pondicas (California) |
| Golf | Hershey Country Club Hershey, Pennsylvania |
October 16–17 | All teams | Men: IUP Women: California |
| Field hockey | East Division top seed | November 19–20 | Top two seeds in each division | Shippensburg |
| Cross country | California | November 6 | All teams | Men: Shippensburg Women: Shippensburg |
| Men's soccer | Top seed | November 3 & 6 | Top four seeds | Shippensburg |
| Women's soccer | Top seed | November 2, 5–6 | Top eight seeds | West Chester |
| Football | Erie, Pennsylvania | November 13 | Top seed in each division | Mercyhurst |
| Volleyball | West Division top seed | November 9, 12–13 | Top four seeds in each division | Clarion |
| Wrestling | Bloomsburg | December 4 | All teams | Clarion |
| Swimming | Cumberland Valley HS | February 17–20 | All teams | Men: West Chester Women: West Chester |
| Indoor track and field | Edinboro | February 26–27 | All teams | Men: Shippensburg Women: Shippensburg |
| Women's basketball | East Division top seed | March 1, 4–5 | Top four seeds in each division | Edinboro |
| Men's basketball | West Division top seed | March 1, 4–5 | Top four seeds in each division | IUP |
| Men's team tennis | Bloomsburg | April 21–22 | Top four seeds overall | Kutztown |
| Women's team tennis | Bloomsburg | April 18, 21–22 | Top three seeds in each division | California |
| Lacrosse | Top seed | April 26, 29–30 | Top six seeds | Lock Haven |
| Softball | TBA | April 21–22, 29–30 | Top three seeds in three divisions | IUP |
| Outdoor track and field | Slippery Rock | May 12–14 | All teams | Men: Shippensburg Women: Shippenburg |
| Baseball | Point Stadium Johnstown, PA |
May 11–14 | Top four seeds in each division | Mercyhurst |
[edit] Conference venues
| School | Football[13] | Basketball[14] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium | Capacity | Arena | Capacity | ||
| Bloomsburg | Robert B. Redman Stadium | 4,775 | E.H. Nelson Fieldhouse | 3,000 | |
| California | Adamson Stadium | 6,500 | Hamer Hall | 2,500 | |
| Cheyney | O’Shields-Stevenson Stadium | 5,000 | Cope Hall | 1,500 | |
| Clarion | Memorial Field | 5,000 | W.S. Tippin Gymnasium | 4,000 | |
| C.W. Post | Hickox Field | 5,000 | non-basketball school | ||
| East Stroudsburg | Eiler-Martin Stadium | 6,000 | Koehler Fieldhouse | 2,000 | |
| Edinboro | Sox Harrison Stadium | 6,000 | McComb Fieldhouse | 3,500 | |
| Gannon | Gannon University Field | 2,500 | Hammermill Center | 2,800 | |
| IUP | George P. Miller Stadium | 6,000 | Ed Fry Arena | 4,000 | |
| Kutztown | University Field | 5,600 | Keystone Hall | 3,400 | |
| Lock Haven | Hubert Jack Stadium | 3,500 | Thomas Field House | 2,500 | |
| Mansfield | non-football school | Decker Gymnasium | 2,000 | ||
| Mercyhurst | Louis J. Tullio Field | 2,300 | Mercyhurst Athletic Center | 1,800 | |
| Millersville | Biemesderfer Stadium | 6,500 | Pucillo Gymnasium | 2,850 | |
| Shippensburg | Seth Grove Stadium | 7,700 | Heiges Field House | 2,768 | |
| Slippery Rock | N. Kerr Thompson Stadium | 10,000 | Morrow Field House | 3,000 | |
| West Chester | John A. Farrell Stadium | 7,500 | Hollinger Field House | 2,500 | |
[edit] Notable alumni
The following is a list of alumni of the respective universities, including before the formation of the Conference in 1951.
[edit] Football
- Frank Cignetti, Jr., Indiana, current Pittsburgh Panthers offensive coordinator
- Frank Cignetti, Sr., Indiana, former IUP and West Virginia University head coach, 1991 Division II Coach of the Year
- Rob Davis, Shippensburg, former NFL long snapper, current Director of Player Development for the Green Bay Packers
- Doug Dennison, Kutztown, former NFL running back
- Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg, offensive guard for the New Orleans Saints
- Lawson Fiscus, Indiana, early professional football player
- David Green, Edinboro, former CFL running back, 1979 CFL's Most Outstanding Player
- Kris Griffin, Indiana, former NFL linebacker
- Jim Haslett, Indiana, former linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets and head coach for the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams
- Jack Henry, Indiana, former NFL assistant coach
- Greg Hopkins, Slippery Rock, former Arena Football League player
- Kevin Ingram, West Chester, wide receiver/defensive back for the Los Angeles Avengers
- Mike Jemison, Indiana, former NFL and NFL Europe running back
- Leander Jordan, Indiana, former NFL offensive tackle
- Matt Kinsinger, Slippery Rock, fullback/linebacker for the Chicago Rush
- John Kuhn, Shippensburg, running back for the Green Bay Packers
- Bob Ligashesky Indiana, Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coach
- LeRon McCoy, Indiana, former NFL wide receiver
- John Mobley, Kutztown, former linebacker for the Denver Broncos
- Kevin O'Dea, Lock Haven, current New York Jets special teams coordinator
- Ken Parrish, East Stroudsburg, former NFL punter
- Dan Radakovich, Indiana, Georgia Tech athletic director
- Andre Reed, Kutztown, former NFL wide receiver
- Robb Riddick, Millersville, former running back for the Buffalo Bills
- Sean Scott, Millersville, wide receiver/linebacker for the Philadelphia Soul
- Joe Senser, West Chester, former tight end for the Minnesota Vikings
- Ralph Tamm, West Chester, former NFL offensive guard
- Jimmy Terwilliger, East Stroudsburg, 2005 Harlon Hill Trophy winner
- Bob Tucker, Bloomsburg, former NFL tight end
- Chris Villarrial, Indiana, former NFL offensive guard
- Andre Waters, Cheyney, former NFL defensive back
- Reggie Wells, Clarion, offensive tackle for the Arizona Cardinals
- James Williams, Cheyney, former offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears
- Scott Highley, Millersville, Running Back for the Raleigh Durham Skyhawks
- Lee Woodall, West Chester, former NFL linebacker
- Tommy Campbell, California, Tennessee Titans CB
- Josh Portis, California, Seattle Seahawks QB
- Dominique Curry, California, St. Louis Rams WR
- Terrence Johnson, California, Indianapolis Colts CB
- Derrick Jones, California, Oakland Raiders, WR
[edit] Baseball
- Tim Bausher, Kutztown, minor league pitcher
- Tom Brookens, Mansfield, former MLB third baseman
- Mark Corey, Edinboro, former MLB pitcher
- Frank Gailey, West Chester, minor league pitcher
- Ryan Vogelsong, Kutztown, MLB pitcher
- Pete Vukovich, Clarion, MLB Pitcher, Cy Young Winner-Brewers
[edit] Basketball
- Geno Auriemma, West Chester, University of Connecticut Huskies head coach, Basketball Hall of Fame
- Del Beshore, California, former NBA point guard
- John Calipari, Clarion, University of Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball head coach, 1996 and 2008 Naismith College Coach of the Year
- Mel Hankinson, Indiana, former college basketball coach including Liberty University
- Jodi Kest, Slippery Rock, University of Akron women's basketball head coach
- C. Vivian Stringer, Slippery Rock, Rutgers University women's basketball head coach
[edit] Soccer
- Nicholas Addlery, California, forward currently for the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Jamaican national team
- Raymond Bernabei, Indiana, National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association and National Soccer Hall of Fame
- Jay Hoffman, East Stroudsburg, head coach of the 1999 U.S. women's Pan American Games gold medal team, and assistant coach of the 1999 U.S. FIFA Women's World Cup gold medal team
- Pedro Power, Slippery Rock, former midfielder for the Miami F.C.
- Bob Rigby, East Stroudsburg, former goalkeeper in the North American Soccer League and the U.S. national team
[edit] Olympians
- Kurt Angle, Clarion, 1996 Summer Olympics wrestling gold medalist
- Steve Spence, Shippensburg, former Olympic long-distance runner
- Cary Kolat, Lock Haven, 2000 Summer Olympics Freestyle Wrestling - 9th
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d "PSAC Overview". PSAC. http://psacsports.org/sports/2009/6/29/overview.aspx?. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ "PSAC invites, Gannon, Mercyhurst to be full members". The Vindicator. June 19, 2007. http://www.vindy.com/news/2007/jun/19/psac-invites-gannon-mercyhurst-to-be-full-members/. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ "PSAC adds Gannon University and Mercyhurst College to Membership". PSAC. June 27, 2007. http://www.psacsports.org/news/200607/6_27GandM.html. Retrieved September 10, 2010.[dead link]
- ^ "PSAC admits C.W. Post as associate members in two sports". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. June 28, 2007. http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_514932.html. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ http://psacsports.org/news/2010/10/26/FHOCK_1026104026.aspx
- ^ "Member Institutions". PSAC. http://www.psacsports.org/Sports/gen/2008/membership.asp?nl=2. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference". http://psacsports.org/. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ http://psacsports.org/news/2010/10/26/FHOCK_1026104026.aspx
- ^ "Cheyney". PSAC. http://psacsports.org/sports/2008/8/25/Cheyney.aspx. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Mercyhurst". PSAC. http://psacsports.org/sports/2008/8/25/Mercyhurst.aspx. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Gannon". PSAC. http://psacsports.org/sports/2008/8/25/Gannon.aspx. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Kutztown". PSAC. http://psacsports.org/sports/2008/8/25/Kutztown.aspx. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "2009 Football Media Guide" (pdf). Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. http://psacsports.org/custompages/football/fbmediaguide09_teampages.pdf. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ "2008–09 Men's Basketball" (pdf). Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. http://psacsports.org/custompages/mbball/mbbguide0809.pdf. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
[edit] External links
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