SELINSGROVE, PA.- Western Connecticut State University football participated in its first-ever Landmark Conference Football Media Day today at Susquehanna University. The Wolves will be competing in the Landmark Conference this season, after going 9-2 and winning the ECAC Bushnell Bowl in 2024.  WestConn, coached by Kevin Jones, Jones, graduate DL Kile Jackson (Danbury, Conn.), were picked fourth in the Landmark Conference Pre-Seaosn Coaches Poll, announced today.  Jones, senior LB Dominic Renzi (Brewster, N.Y.), and junior WR Markus Faucett (Bronx, N.Y.) traveled to Selinsgrove, Pa. and sat with In the D3Huddle podcast hosts Frank Rossi and James Baker for WestConn's interview session.  The three Wolves took part in a community service activity with other players from the conference.  Jones and the other six head football coaches rejoined Rossi and Baker for a Coaches Roundtable interview before the coaches concluded the day with their annual pre-season coaches' meeting.  

"We are so happy to be here and to be joining the Landmark Conference," said Jones.  "Everything about the league has been outstanding, from the officials, to the other coaches, the conference staff, to everyone putting on this event here today. When we found out we were leaving the MASCAC (Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC), of all the conferences we started hearing about, the Landmark was where we wanted to be."

The Landmark Conference has seven football members, including WestConn as an affiliate member in football.  Susquehanna won the 2024 Landmark title with a perfect 6-0 title and went on to reach the NCAA Division III Championship Semifinals.  Moravian and Wilkes both competed in 2024 Chesapeake Challenge Bowl games, and Moravian downed Shenandoah, 35-14, to win the Cape Charles Bowl.  Catholic, Juniata, and Lycoming round out the other Landmark College football squads.  The Wolves will face off against all six this fall, while also facing Kean and Gettysburg as part of the conference's scheduling agreement with the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) and the Centennial Conference, respectively.  WestConn opens the 2025 season at home against William Paterson on Saturday, September 6 at 5 p.m. and the Wolves' fourth non-conference game will be at New Haven, which is transitioning from NCAA Division II to I, on October 11.

"We are excited to play in this new league and we are here to win games," added Jackson.  We have alot of great players and we are more than ready for this challenge."

"Winning the ECAC Bowl game meant alot to us," said Rienzi.  "Missing out on the NCAA Tournament put a chip in our shoulders, which helped us come out and play with an edge in that game.  We still have that fire and are looking to take that into this season."

The Susquehanna River Hawks were predicted to once again finish first in the league, receiving 36 points and six first-place votes. Moravian University  was predicted to finish second with 31 points and one first-place vote, and Wilkes third on 24 points.  WestConn was selected fourth with 21 points, six more than Lycoming in fifth with 15 points, Catholic was sixth with 14 points and Juniata College rounded out the poll at six points.

Fawcett added," We have a great defense and an explosive offense, and we will work hard to pick up where we left off.  People can sleep on WestConn if they want but they will find out what we are all about when they play us."