Geneva welcomed as member of Presidents' Athletic Conference

Sports fans may soon refer to the Presidents' Athletic Conference as another "Big Ten."
It was not too long ago that the PAC was operating with only six schools, a pretty tough way to run a railroad. Now, with the recent addition of Geneva, the league is a nine-member unit.
Joining the PAC in 2005 were Thomas More College of Crestview Hills, Ky., (formerly an NCAA Division III independent), and Saint Vincent College, an NAIA school in Latrobe.
Rounding out the league are Bethany College, Grove City College, Thiel College, Washington & amp; Jefferson, Waynesburg College and Westminster College.
Geneva was a natural for the league, having played a number of the PAC teams in non-league skirmishes for a great many years. The rivalries have already been established and the addition of Geneva as the league's ninth member was unanimously approved by the PAC Presidents' Council in late September.
School's reputation
"We are very excited to accept Geneva College, a school with a mission, history and identity very similar to the current PAC member institutions, as the newest member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference. Geneva certainly has all the qualities we were looking for in a conference member," said Waynesburg president and PAC Council Chair Timothy Thyreen.
"This addition continues a period of unprecedented growth for the PAC. Many fine colleges have applied for conference membership in recent years, but we were waiting for the right schools to expand," he added.
Geneva is a member of the NAIA and is completing an exploratory year as a member of NCAA Division III in 2005-06 and is tentatively scheduled to begin a four-year provisional membership period in Division III no earlier than the 2007-08 academic year, when schools will begin scheduling the Golden Tornadoes in all sports.
Geneva will be eligible for PAC championships upon its acceptance as a full member in NCAA Division III, currently scheduled for no earlier than the 2011-12 academic year.
Dr. Kenneth A. Smith, Geneva president, said Geneva has been considering a move to the NCAA Division III for a long time.
"The switch makes sense on at least two levels," says Smith. "First, moving to the PAC is in Geneva's best interest because it means we will compete against institutions with a similar mission and commitment to athletics. Second, it allows us to bring back the historic rivalries that have always excited Geneva's fans and alumni."
Geneva fields 13 teams (six men, seven women), in sports sponsored by the PAC: baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer and track (men) and basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball (women).
Geneva's director of athletics and football coach, Geno DeMarco, believes the move is one for a bright future for Geneva.
"This is clearly the beginning of a new era for Geneva athletics," said DeMarco. "We have competed against most of the PAC schools for over 100 years and it just seems like a natural fit for our athletic program to be joining this conference. It's a great day for college sports fans in Western Pennsylvania. We are very optimistic about what lies ahead for Geneva College and the Golden Tornadoes."
Media day
The PAC's annual basketball media day is Wednesday at the Igloo Club inside Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. Following a luncheon, a press conference will be held with the men's and women's coaches and representatives of the new conference members, Geneva and Saint Vincent. The media will also have the opportunity for interview sessions with PAC coaches and players.