CLEVELAND – A pair of home games under the lights and the first season in the Presidents' Athletic Conference set the stage for an exciting fall as Case Western Reserve University has announced its 2014 football schedule.   

"This is no doubt going to be an exciting season for our program," said Head Coach Greg Debeljak. "Competing as part of a new conference and familiarizing ourselves with new opponents will be a real challenge. But, that challenge only adds to our excitement level, and I know our players and staff will be ready."   

The Spartans will compete for the first time as affiliate members of the PAC in addition to playing their three traditional University Athletic Association opponents. Overall, the 2014 schedule includes five games at home and five on the road. Two of the games at DiSanto Field will be played at night.

"The atmosphere during a night game at DiSanto Field is second to none, so we are excited to be playing under the lights twice in front of our home crowd," said Debeljak.

Eight of the games this season will count towards the PAC standings, and the September 6 season opener versus rival Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) will count for both the PAC and the UAA. Rivals Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago round out the schedule as UAA-only opponents.

"We've maintained all along that it was very important for our program to continue playing our rivals in the UAA," said Debeljak. "To be able to do that and to add membership in the PAC with a shot at the playoffs creates a win-win situation."

The winner of the PAC earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. With the addition of CWRU and Carnegie Mellon, 11 teams will vie for the title.

CWRU's Homecoming is set for October 18 against Geneva College (Pa.), and Seniors' Day will be celebrated during the season finale against Chicago on November 15.

Two of the teams on the schedule, Waynesburg University (Pa.) and Thomas More College (Ky.), are first-time opponents. The Spartans' bye is set for September 13.

"The amount of talent we have returning, and the amount we have coming in is going to create a very competitive environment within our program," said Debeljak. "That is going to go a long way in us competing well against the caliber of opponent we will face week in and week out."

Case Western Reserve has seven consecutive winning seasons with a 59-14 overall record since the beginning of the 2007 campaign. During that span, the Spartans have won four UAA Championships with three straight undefeated regular seasons and NCAA Playoff berths from 2007-09.