Inaugural SCIAC Championship game winner Chapman University is favored to repeat as champion according to the 2024 SCIAC Football Preseason Poll, as voted by the league’s head coaches.
Coach of the Year winner Bob Owens and his staff weathered an 0-3 start and dire injury situation that necessitated three different starting quarterbacks over the course of the season to claim victory in the first-ever matchup of the Sun and Surf pod leaders. Chapman, which received votes in the d3football.com preseason Top 25 rankings, still managed to compile the league’s best offense and defense with a 12.1-point average margin of victory. The Panthers won six straight conference games (limiting opponents to no more than 10 points in five consecutive), including the championship and two head-to-head Surf pod matchups with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges to edge the Stags for the final game berth despite identical 6-2 records. Defensive Athlete of the Year Kade Jordan, who tied for the league lead with two fumbles forced, was third in tackles for loss (8.5) and sixth in both tackles (44) and sacks (3.5), returns on defense in front of fellow First Team All-SCIAC pick Renick Martin and next to Second Team choice Alexander Terriquez in addition to First Team selection Amir Adams and Second Teamers Gio Ursino and Quentin Biebel on offense. 2022 First Team quarterback Nathaniel Espinoza also is expected back for a fifth year in his return from injury, as are 2022 Second Team nods Devin Cobb and Isaiah Munoz.
The only other first-place vote-getter, CMS was one of just two SCIAC teams to conclude its season with a victory as the Stags defeated the University of Redlands in the third-place game after the misfortune of dropping both of their only two games of the season to Chapman. Offensive Athlete of the Year Justin Edwards already holds the Stags career record for rushing touchdowns (43) as a three-time First Team All-SCIAC and d3football.com All-West Region choice while fellow First Teamers Michael Houk, the 2022 Newcomer of the Year, Anderson Cynkar and Walter Kuhlenkamp return as well as Preseason All-American Jacob O’Connell, two-time First Team All-SCIAC linebacker Joey Asta and Second Team kicker Rich Brutto.
Pomona-Pitzer Colleges and the University of Redlands tied as Sun pod favorites on 22 points apiece. The Sagehens followed their first share of a conference title in program history in 2022 with an appearance in the inaugural Championship game thanks to a 5-3 record in conference play that included a pair of victories over the Bulldogs in what has quickly become a fierce rivalry. However, Redlands was one of just three teams (along with California Lutheran University and Whitworth University - twice) to pick off Chapman, and by the widest margin at 17 points, before the Panthers got on their late-season roll. Pomona-Pitzer brings back more All-Conference honorees including two-time First Team linebacker Thomas McConnell and fellow First Teamer Matthias Olson, along with Second Team picks Tristan Furnish and Charlie Russo. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, welcome back a pair of First Team selections in Tristan Murad and 2023 sacks leader Jax Lee along with Second Teamer Benjamin Fitchett.
Cal Lutheran was picked to edge the University of La Verne after getting tripped up by the Leopards in the 2023 season finale. Five Second Team All-SCIAC honorees are ticketed to return in Cade Cadam, Gavin Quiroz and Dylan Turner on offense with John Moore and Arthur Orta on defense. The Leos are set to welcome back 2023 Second Team choices Tevin Bowie and Hector Faccio, as well as 2022 Second Team pick Aaron Erlenmeyer and last year’s leader in receiving yards per game, Makena Ramos-Kamaka.
Five of the six SCIAC teams have Week 1 matchups, including four at home, on Saturday, Sept. 7. California Lutheran gets its bye-less season underway the following weekend ahead of the annual Northwest Conference rivalry week on Sept. 21. The first clash between the Sun and Surf pods will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 as 28-time champion Redlands hosts defending champion Chapman while Pomona-Pitzer heads to La Verne and CMS travels out to Cal Lutheran.
2024 SCIAC Football Preseason Poll
1. Chapman, 34 points (5 first-place votes)
2. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 29 pts (1)
3. Pomona-Pitzer, 22 pts
3. Redlands, 22 pts
5. California Lutheran, 12 pts
6. La Verne, 7 pts
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