Aug 4, 2022 2 min read

The California University football team was chosen to finish third in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West poll released by the league office on Thursday afternoon.

The Vulcans sit third in the poll with a pair of first-place votes after finishing last year with a 9-1 overall record. Cal, which opened last fall with eight-straight wins, earned a share of first place in the PSAC West standings with a 5-1 mark in league play.

IUP and Slippery Rock were the preseason favorites in the PSAC West, as both schools received three first-place votes. The Rock advanced to the league title game for the sixth time in eight years, while the Crimson Hawks featured a program-record 17 players on the All-PSAC West Teams last season. Cal was slotted third and Gannon was positioned fourth to round out the top half of the preseason poll. Edinboro and Seton Hill were tied for fifth, while Mercyhurst and Clarion – both schools with first-year head coaches – ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.

In the PSAC East, Shepherd and Kutztown were the preseason favorites with both schools earning four first-place votes. The Rams captured the Super Region One Championship for the fourth time since 2010, while the Golden Bears earned the PSAC Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs. West Chester was tabbed third and Shippensburg ranked fourth in the preseason poll. East Stroudsburg and Bloomsburg were ranked fifth and sixth, respectively, while Millersville and Lock Haven completed the poll this year.

The PSAC Championship will be played on Nov. 12 at the site of the top team in the PSAC West standings.

Cal opens the year on Sept. 1 when it hosts Fairmont State of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) at Adamson Stadium with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.