Football | 8/4/2026 7:10:00 AM

TRAFFORD, Pa. - As the college football season rapidly approaches, the 2026 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Football Media Day is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4th in Latrobe, Pa.

For the 19th consecutive year, Saint Vincent College will host the league's media day. The event serves as the PAC's kickoff to the upcoming football season, with player representatives and head coaches from each of the conference's 12 programs speaking to the media and attendees and previewing the upcoming season. The PAC Sports Network will stream PAC Football Media Day live from Latrobe.

Media Day will begin at approximately 2:15 with a brief welcome by PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko. That will be followed by Ed Mailliard being recognized as the 2026 recipient of the Dow Carnahan Media Award.

Carnahan, a longtime supporter and friend of the PAC, passed away unexpectedly on April 29, 2016. The award is presented annually to a distinguished member or members of the media or on-campus representative for their commendable service while covering and promoting the conference's student-athletes, coaches, and programs.

This year's Carnahan Award recipient is Ed Mailliard, who has been affiliated with Allegheny College and Gator athletics for more than 50 years. He's covered the Gators during both halves of their membership in the PAC, and provides an invaluable service as Allegheny's primary sports photographer, as well as covering on-campus events for the College's Marketing and Communications office. His name appears in the student newspaper as far back as 1973 and the first-ever NCAA Division III Swimming & Diving Championships program from 1975, and Mailliard still shoots for the Gators today.

A Meadville native, Mailliard served as Allegheny's sports information director and sports editor for The Campus, the college newspaper, in the early 70's. He would also go on to serve as a former sports writer, chief photographer and editor at The Meadville Tribune from 1972-2013. Away from the Allegheny campus, Mailliard started shooting for Topps in 1981, with his photographs appearing on more than 15,000 football and baseball cards and he was inducted in Major League Baseball's Cactus League Hall of Fame in 2015.

In addition to the MLB honor, Mailliard adds the Carnahan Award to many other recognitions, which includes induction into the Allegheny Hall of Fame this October with the Victor "Vic" Kress '60 Meritorious Service Award. Inducted in the Edinboro Hall of Fame with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019, Mailliard was also the recipient of Allegheny's Friend of the Program Award in 2012 and Norm Sundstrom Friend of Athletics Award in 2016.

Media members in attendance, along with each institution's head coach and sports information director (SID), will participate in a preseason poll to determine the projected conference finish for the 2026 season.

Expected 2026 PAC Football Media Day representatives (listed in order schools will speak at Media Day):
Saint Francis University
Coach: Head Coach Chris Villarrial (17th season)
Player: Junior defensive back Campbell Melzer (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny)

Bethany College
Coach: Head Coach David Blake (1st season)
Player: Junior quarterback Brett Phillips (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park)

Saint Vincent College
Coach: Head Coach Casey Goff (2nd season)
Player: Senior wide receiver Chris Downs (Gambrills, Md./Arundel)

Thiel College
Coach: Head Coach Sam Bauman (5th season)
Player: Junior punter Spencer Cleary (Geelong, Australia/Greenville-Pa.)

Hiram College
Coach: Head Coach Xavier Dupree (2nd season)
Player: Senior offensive lineman Talon Frick (Edinboro, Pa./General McLane)

Allegheny College
Coach: Head Coach Braden Layer (4th season)
Player: Senior wide receiver Curtis Knobeloch (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills)

Case Western Reserve University
Coach: Head Coach Greg Debeljak (23rd season)
Player: Junior defensive back Jake Kavcic (Kirtland, Ohio/Gilmour Academy)

Waynesburg University
Coach: Head Coach Larry Wilson (1st season)
Player: Graduate student offensive lineman Kory Ansell (Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Southmoreland)

Geneva College
Coach: Head Coach Tom Contenta (1st season)
Player: Senior defensive lineman Coltin Hill (New Castle, Pa./Laurel)

Westminster College
Coach: Interim Head Coach EJ White (1st season)
Player: Senior offensive lineman Braden Mika (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski)

Grove City College
Coach: Head Coach Andrew DiDonato (10th season)
Player: Graduate student safety/linebacker Ryan Montgomery (Harrisville, Pa./Slippery Rock)

Washington & Jefferson College
Coach: Head Coach Mike Sirianni (24th season)
Player: Senior defensive lineman Antoine Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic)