LOCK HAVEN, PA – West Chester University was selected to finish fourth in the Eastern Division's preseason football poll, which was released Thursday afternoon by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
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LOCK HAVEN, PA – West Chester University was selected to finish fourth in the Eastern Division's preseason football poll, which was released Thursday afternoon by the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Coming off a 6-5 season and its first losing campaign (3-4) within conference play since 2000, the Golden Rams have been slotted in where they finished the 2023 campaign. It marked the second time in three years that the Golden Rams finished in fourth place in the PSAC East.
With the retirement of the school's all-time winningest football mentor, Bill Zwaan, Sr., West Chester turns its fortunes over to one of the area's most successful Division III chiefs, Duke Greco, from Delaware Valley University. It will be his commission to build the Purple & Gold into a conference title contender.
Defending Eastern Division and overall conference champion, Kutztown, was picked to finish first in the division with six first-place nods. Shepherd and East Stroudsburg each received a first-place tally and came in second and third, respectively.
Behind West Chester was Lock Haven University, which tied the Golden Rams for fourth place in the 2023 standings. Millersville, Shippensburg and Bloomsburg rounded out the Eastern Division predictions in that order.
Slippery Rock, which has won at least a share of the regular-season title in the Western Division, was once again picked to win that slate with six first-place selections. California (Pa.) was picked second while Indiana (Pa.) was slotted in third with the other first-place indicator. Gannon was picked to finish fourth while Seton Hill, Edinboro and Clarion were picked fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
West Chester's cross-over schedule this fall includes Cal U and Seton Hill from the Western Division. With Mercyhurst University's move to Division I, the Golden Rams do not have a cross-over game in Week 11. If WCU finishes first in the East, it will play in the PSAC Championship Game against the winner from the West.
New head coach Duke Greco comes on board to lead East No. 4 @WCUGoldenRamsFB this fall. The Golden Rams return dual threat QB Cooper Jordan, part of 9 returning starters from an offense that ranked sixth in the conference in total offense (356.5 yards per game.)@WCUAthletics pic.twitter.com/AMjFC2LMjr
— PSAC Sports (@PSACsports) August 8, 2024
West Chester lifts the lid on its 102nd season of football Sep. 7 at home against Bentley University. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. inside John A. Farrell Stadium. Of note with West Chester's 2024 schedule, the Golden Rams will play their 1,000th career intercollegiate football game when they visit Kutztown on Nov. 9.
Single game and season tickets are now on sale at wcupatix.com. All tickets for the 2024 season will once again be general admission with adult tickets being $10 while tickets for seniors, children, and non-WCU students (WCU students admitted free of charge) will be $7. Adult season ticket packages are also available for $60.
2024 PSAC Football Preseason Polls (1st place votes in parentheses)
EAST
1. Kutztown (6)
2. Shepherd (1)
3. East Stroudsburg (1)
4. West Chester
5. Lock Haven
6. Millersville
7. Shippensburg
8. Bloomsburg
WEST
1. Slippery Rock (6)
2. Cal U
3. IUP (1)
4. Gannon
5. Seton Hill
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion
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