It’s difficult to compare the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference to a league in Division I football.

As the new coaches in the league prove, it really depends on your roots.

One thing is for sure, though. It’s tough.

The PSAC is littered with such parity this season that the schedule could more aptly be described as a gauntlet.

The most consistent force in the PSAC is California University of Pennsylvania, which was named the preseason favorite in the Western Division for the sixth straight season.

The Vulcans are ranked slightly ahead of defending PSAC champion Mercyhurst College, followed by Slippery Rock University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, which tied for third in the poll. Gannon, Edinboro, Clarion and Lock Haven round out the preseason poll, respectively.

No matter who finishes atop the standings, there’s no questioning that the champion will deserve the honor.

Just ask Mercyhurst head coach Marty Schaetzle, who guided the Lakers to their first PSAC title in school history last year.

“There isn’t a team that doesn’t have a chance to win the championship,” said Schaetzle. “If we’re not ready to play every Saturday, we’re going to have our hands full.”

California tied with Mercyhurst atop the division last year, but the Lakers advanced to the championship game on the benefit of their 31-21 upset win over the Vulcans during the regular season. The Lakers went on to beat Bloomsburg 56-37 for the PSAC title.

Schaetzle knows it will be difficult to repeat, especially with a team like Cal ready for revenge.

“I don’t know if we were ahead of them last year, other than the fact that we scored more points on that Saturday,” said Schaetzle. “We have so much work to do to catch up to them.

“I know how good they are, but I just try not to think about it until we have to play them,” he added with a laugh.

Cal has won at least a share of the past six PSAC-West championships, which has vaulted the program to national relevance.

It’s a level of prestige that some PSAC schools have achieved, and Vulcans head coach John Luckhardt knows others are trying to attain.

“All of our teams want to be national teams. The champion of our league ought to be able to compete against the best teams in the country,” said Luckhardt. “The league seems to be getting better every year. ... The competition makes everyone work harder.”

Two schools in the PSAC Western Division have new faces at the helm of the program.

IUP hired Curt Cignetti away from the Crimson Tide to lead the Crimson Hawks.

Cignetti spent the past four seasons coaching under Nick Saban at Alabama.

“I was a part of Nick’s original staff down there. We won the national championship in ’09. We had great success,” said Cignetti. “It was a fun ride. We won 29 regular season games in a row. I was honored to be a part of that.”

With Saban — who also won a national championship at LSU — as a mentor, Cignetti benefited from the experience and knows what it takes to win.

“Nick is a great head coach. He’s great in all areas — leader, motivator, organizer, recruiter, statesman,” explained Cignetti. “He’s got a great work ethic, he’s smart. I learned a lot from him.”

Cignetti has also coached at North Carolina State — where he helped guide current San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers — and spent time at the University of Pittsburgh, as well.

He’s new to the PSAC, but he understands the competitive nature of the league.

“From top to bottom, the league is strong,” said Cignetti. “It’s no different than the SEC at a relative level. You have to be ready to play every week.”

John Allen, whose first coaching gig was at Lock Haven, has come full circle and is now the head coach of the Bald Eagles.

While Cignetti comes from the SEC, Allen is emerging from the Big Ten after serving at Penn State for the past three seasons. He’s also gained experience in NFL Europe and at Bucknell University.

He’s looking forward to changing the fortunes of a team that went 0-11 last year.

“I think it’s a tremendous opportunity,” said Allen, who noted Lock Haven is in transition after a new president took over this summer. “There’s a lot of different changes going on in the university, so it’s a great opportunity to get back to what the programs of the past used to be.”

However, he knows it’s an uphill battle with a multitude of strong opponents on the horizon.

“It’s probably one of the best conferences in the country, as far as Division II is concerned. I’ve equated it to the Big Ten,” said Allen. “Every week, no matter who it is playing on the football field, you’re going to get a tough, hard-nosed football game.

“Some teams might be a little more talented than the others, but at the end of the day you play for 60 minutes and anybody can win.”