Presidents’ Athletic Conference schools say greetings to Saint Francis
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LATROBE -- Saint Francis introduced itself as the newest football member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference during the league's Media Day on Tuesday, with head coach Chris Villarrial and senior defensive back Campbell Melzer representing the Red Wolves.
Villarrial acknowledged the change from Division I to Division III hasn't been easy but said he's excited to get back to coaching football and continue building on the program's tradition.
Now entering his 17th season at the helm, Villarrial led Saint Francis to Northeast Conference championships in 2016 and 2022. He pointed to the program's track record of developing talent, highlighting former wide receiver EJ Jenkins, a Super Bowl champion with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Elijah Surratt, who arrived at Saint Francis as a freshman in 2022 and is now in training camp with the Baltimore Ravens.
"That's what we do. We develop players. And that is something we are going to continue to do," Villarrial said.
Melzer is one of several veteran players who chose to remain at Saint Francis through the transition.
The senior defensive back is embracing a leadership role. He said the group's belief in one another and in the coaching staff made his decision to stay an easy one.
"I trust my coaches, I trust my teammates who stayed with me and the kids from my class who I came here with. We want to finish what we started," Melzer said.
Both Villarrial and Melzer said they understand the level of competition awaiting the Red Wolves in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. They praised the depth of talent throughout the league and welcomed the opportunity to compete against programs with strong football traditions.
Villarrial said the challenge of building new rivalries is one of the more exciting aspects of joining the league.
"There's never been more interest, more coverage in our conference than what there is right now," PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko said.
Saint Francis opens its season on Sept. 26 against Grove City, which was picked second in the preseason poll. As Saint Francis reclassifies from Division I to Division III, the team will play an eight-game schedule in 2026, all against PAC opponents, but the games will not count in the conference standings while SFU reclassifies.
Two-time champion Washington & Jefferson College was picked first in the preseason poll.
Led by 24th-year head coach Mike Sirianni, W&J claimed 37 first-place votes and tallied 497 total points in the poll. The Presidents went a perfect 8-0 in PAC play last year to earn the program's 28th NCAA playoff bid and finished 8-3 overall.
PAC poll
School Pts. (first)
1. Washington & Jefferson 497 (37)
2. Grove City 453 (5)
3. Westminster 395 (3)
4. Case Western Reserve 361
5. Geneva 339
6. Allegheny 250
7. Waynesburg 222
8. Saint Vincent 201
9. Hiram 152
10. Thiel 87
11. Bethany 79 (1)
*Saint Francis (ineligible for PAC championship as school transitions from Division I)