Football Wins Back-to-Back PAC Championships

(PITTSBURGH, Pa.) – On Saturday, the Carnegie Mellon University football team claimed its second straight Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship, ninth overall, while on an off week and earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

The Tartans are currently ranked 19th nationally and hold a 9-0 overall record and 7-0 in the PAC with one game to play, the 36th Annual Academic Bowl on Saturday, November 12 at Case Western Reserve University. Kick is set for 7:00 p.m. at DiSanto Field in Cleveland, Ohio.

"I couldn't be prouder of our team! To clinch the PAC Championship in Week 10, with one game to go is a testament to how our team battled through adversity this season and found ways to win," said first-year Head Coach Ryan Larsen. "We still have a lot of unfinished business to attend to, and it starts with a great opportunity right in front of us with the Academic Bowl next Saturday! 1-0 this week is all that matters!"

Carnegie Mellon is currently on a 16-game winning streak, the longest active in the NCAA across all divisions. The 9-0 start is the best start for the program since 2006 when the Cardinal and Gray went 10-0 in the regular season. It is the fifth time in program history that a Tartan team has started the season with nine straight wins.

"I couldn't be prouder of what our football program has accomplished this season, and look forward to the weeks ahead," said Director of Athletics Josh Centor. "Winning back-to-back conference titles is an enormous accomplishment, especially in a league as tough as the PAC. Our coaches and players have done a phenomenal job competing week in and week out, and I am excited for what comes next."

The commissioner of the PAC, Joe Onderko, will present the PAC trophy to the Tartans prior to the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, November 13, when the Tartans learn who they will play in the opening round of the 2022 NCAA Division III Football Championships. The selection committee will announce the bracket at 5:00 p.m. on NCAA.com.