TRAFFORD, Pa. (pacathletics.org) - With the start of the college football season rapidly approaching, the 2025 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Football Media Day is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6th in Latrobe, Pa.

For the 18th 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 11 programs speaking to the media and attendees and previewing the upcoming season.

Media Day will begin off just before 10 am with a brief welcome by PAC Commissioner Joe Onderko. That will be followed by John Sacco being recognized as the 2025 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 John Sacco, an award-winning journalist with a career spanning more than 40 years. Currently a freelance writer who also writes for harness racing magazines and related online services, Sacco has worked for the Observer-Reporter in Washington, Pa., who he still provides articles for today, as well as the Pittsburgh Sports Report from 1998-2006. His career also includes being a Steel Reporter for American Metal Market LLC and a Public Relations/Communications Specialist for the Canon-McMillan School District. In addition to his journalism work, Sacco also does work as a color analyst for WJPA radio in Washington.

Sacco was inducted into the Washington-Greene County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and served as President of the Chapter from Nov. 2021-Sept. 2023. His award-winning work in journalism includes five Keystone Press Award for Outstanding Journalism in Pennsylvania, two Golden Quill Awards for Distinguished Achievement in Journalism in Western Pennsylvania and seven other Golden Quill nominations. Sacco also also earned an Editorial Medal of Excellence Award and was selected as one of the three top wrestling writers in the nation by Wrestling USA Magazine in 1991.

Sacco has been heavily involved in the Washington County community. The athletic director in the Monessen School District from 2005-12, he was the Tri-County Athletic Director's Association Athletic Director of the Year in 2010. Sacco is also a past President of the Tri-County Athletic Director's Association, was the official scorer for the Washington Wild Things and coached baseball at the youth, high school and college levels for 30 years.

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 2025 season.

Members of the media interested in attending PAC Football Media Day, an invitation-only event, should contact PAC Associate Commissioner Brian Rose at 724-579-8972 or by email at rose@pacathletics.org.

Expected 2025 PAC Football Media Day representatives:
Allegheny College
Coach: Head Coach Braden Layer (3rd season)
Player: Senior linebacker Fletcher Hammond (Gibsonia, Pa./Deer Lakes)

Bethany College
Coach: Head Coach Brandon Robinson (4th season)
Player: Sophomore quarterback Brett Phillips (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park)

Case Western Reserve University
Coach: Head Coach Greg Debeljak (22nd season)
Player: Senior linebacker Daniel King (Mt. Lebanon, Pa./Mt. Lebanon)

Geneva College
Coach: Head Coach Geno DeMarco (33rd season)
Player: Junior offensive lineman Roman Costanza (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township)

Grove City College
Coach: Head Coach Andrew DiDonato (10th season)
Player: Senior linebacker Jack Jollie (Jeannette, Pa./Penn-Trafford)

Hiram College
Coach: Head Coach Xavier Dupree (1st season)
Player: Senior linebacker Devyn Mercilliott (Ashtabula, Ohio/Saint John)

Saint Vincent College
Coach: Head Coach Corey Goff (1st season)
Player: Senior offensive lineman Anthony Capozzoli (Canonsburg, Pa./Chartiers-Houston)

Thiel College
Coach: Head Coach Sam Bauman (4th season)
Player: Junior defensive lineman Alexander Mittner (New Brighton, Pa./New Brighton)

Washington & Jefferson College
Coach: Head Coach Mike Sirianni (23rd season)
Player:Senior running back Kobe Derosa (New Castle, Pa./Laurel)

Waynesburg University
Coach: Head Coach Dr. Cornelius Coleman (4th season)
Player: Senior wide receiver Isaac Trout (Ruffs Dale, Pa./Southmoreland)

Westminster College
Coach: Head Coach Scott Benzel (12th season)
Player: Senior quarterback Dylan Sleva (McDonald, Pa./Moon)