Thomas More PAC favorite

The Thomas More College football team has been selected to repeat as champions in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), according to the preseason poll released at the 2010 PAC Football Media Day at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe today. Voters in the polls included PAC head coaches, sports information directors, and members of the media present at media day.

The defending PAC champion Saints of head coach Jim Hilvert earned 22 of 30 first-place votes to lead the preseason poll, followed by Washington & Jefferson, Waynesburg, Grove City, Westminster, Thiel, Bethany and Saint Vincent. Thomas More posted a perfect 10-0 regular season record en route to its second consecutive PAC football title in 2009 and posted an NCAA Division III playoff win over DePauw before falling to Johns Hopkins in the second round. 2009 PAC runner-up W&J also earned an at-large "Pool C" berth to the 2009 NCAA D-III playoffs.

"It's a credit to our past and present players to be picked number one. We will embrace it and use it for motivation," said Hilvert,now entering his fourth season as head coach at Thomas More. "The PAC is very tough this year and we will have to play hard every week and stay healthy to be successful this season."

NCAA Division III provisional member Geneva was predicted to go 5-3 in 2010 against PAC teams, according to poll voters. Geneva, which captured the 2009 NCCAA Victory Bowl title, is not eligible for the PAC until the school is granted active membershipin Division III by the NCAA at the conclusion of their provisional membership period, tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2011.

Following is the voting breakdown among coaches, SIDs and media:

2009 Poll
Team Points Record
1. Thomas More (22) 220 11-1
2. Washington & Jefferson (5) 191 9-2
3. Waynesburg 154 5-5
4. Grove City 132 5-5
5. Westminster 114 4-6
6. Thiel (3) 92 3-7
7. Bethany 87 3-7 (1-5)
8. Saint Vincent 35 0-10 (0-8)