LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – IUP's football team was selected No. 1 in the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Western Division Football Preseason Poll,
as voted on by the conference's head coaches.
In 2025, IUP boasted the best passing offense (317.9 yards per game) and the best rushing defense (just 97.4 yards allowed) and made an appearance in the 2025 PSAC Championship Game. The Crimson Hawks return seven starters on offense and five on defense from the team that won seven games a year ago.
Slippery Rock was voted No. 2 in this year's poll and collected three first-place votes. The Rock's rushing attack ranked second in the PSAC last season thanks in large part to returning RB JayJay Jordan, who ran for 1,375 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games. The Rock also returns its entire defensive line that was part of the sixth-ranked scoring defense (just 24.9 points allowed per game.)
California, voted as No. 3 in the 2026 poll, have been selected to the NCAA postseason in each of the last two seasons and advanced to the second round in 2025 with its first road playoff victory since the 2009 season.
Edinboro comes in at No. 4 with a new interim head coach, Eric Crandall, after tying with IUP for a share of the PSAC West regular season title (5-1 conference record.) Last fall, Crandall led the Fighting Scots defense that ranked third in the conference with just 22.3 points allowed.
No. 5 Clarion was the PSAC's top offensive team in 2025 at 433.3 yards per game and second-best in scoring at 34.7 points per game. For the third straight season, the Golden Eagles return nearly their entire starting offensive line, but will have to contend with replacing eight of 11 starters on defense.
The Griffins of Seton Hill were voted No. 6 and return just four starters on defense and six on offense. SHU returns a pair of quarterbacks who saw plenty of field time last season in Darrian Carter and Boden St Marie.
New to the Western Division is No. 7 Lock Haven, who moves to the West in 2026 after securing its first winning season in 44 years last fall under first-year head coach Joe Battaglia.
Voted No. 8 are the Gannon Golden Knights, who return a pair of All-PSAC West players in return specialist Damario Moore on offense and DB David Fairer on defense. Also back from injury is WR Donell "Tank" Mason, who was the 2022 PSAC West Freshman of the Year.
2026 PSAC Football West Division Preseason Poll
WESTERN DIVISION
1. IUP (5)
2. Slippery Rock (3)
3. California
4. Edinboro
5. Clarion
6. Seton Hill
7. Lock Haven
8. Gannon
*number of first-place votes in parentheses
For more information, please reference:
2026 PSAC Preseason Notes
2026 PSAC West Quick Facts (courtesy of each institution)