By Cecelia Chase and John Ostapowicz / The Jambar
At the Division III level of NCAA athletics, massive stadiums, TV deals and the inside business operations of conferences are still apparent, even in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.
Founded in 1955 with just four schools, the PAC grew into a competitive conference with 24 sponsored varsity sports and 12 member institutions.
Most of the colleges and universities are located within a three-hour radius throughout regions spread across Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
The institutions with the PAC include:
- Westminster College
- Thiel College
- Hiram College
- Allegheny College
- Grove City College
- St. Vincent College
- Bethany College
- Geneva College
- Washington & Jefferson College
- Chatham University
- Waynesburg University
- Franciscan University of Steubenville
- Case Western Reserve University
With most of the colleges and universities in close proximity to Youngstown State University, Brian Rose, associate commissioner and director of communications at the PAC, said it uses other universities facilities for its conference championships, including the Wattson and Tressel Training Site.
“We are always trying to find ways to enhance our championships and experiences, such as holding our championships at first-class facilities like PAC Indoor Track & Field Championships at the WATTS, there at YSU, or the PAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships at [West Virginia University],” Rose said.
Rose said the conference also faces certain challenges that other lower-division conferences do, such as the lack of certified athletic trainers and officials.
“The shortage of certified athletic trainers who want to work in college athletics is a real challenge for our membership and across the country, as is the growing shortage of officials in our sports,” Rose said. “These are significant challenges that are slowly getting more and more attention as we work with the NCAA, other conferences and governing bodies to try to find solutions.”
Division II Hawai’i Pacific University also faced the same issue as a men’s basketball player was dragged off by the Boise State University athletic trainer.
With Thiel set to face YSU in men’s basketball, Rose said the conference doesn’t benefit from games against Division II or Division I programs.
“Those games and contracts are all handled by the athletic departments and programs, so they keep all guarantees. The highlight for the PAC is our schools getting that kind of exposure on those stages, especially if they manage to come away with a win,” Rose said.
Unlike many conferences, the PAC doesn’t have a deal for TV rights. Instead, it streams through the PAC Digital Network in partnership with Hudl and works with the PAC Sports Network. Rose said it produces content including championship coverage and All-PAC selection shows.
“We also work with the PAC Sports Network to put out All-PAC selections shows, which gives a unique way to promote our student-athletes as one of the few, if not only, Division III conferences who puts out that kind of content,” Rose said.
Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, the PAC will add another institution to its conference with the addition of St. Francis University, which was announced in March of this year.
SFU will transition from Division I to Division III and join the PAC. The process to move the institution to a DIII program will take three years, according to an article from pacathletics.org.
Rose said the addition of SFU as its 13th member brings valuable experience to the conference.
“Adding a school like Saint Francis with their outstanding academic and athletic traditions continues to build the PAC into an elite NCAA Division III conference,” Rose said.