Mont Alto wins 2026 Chancellor's Cup
From the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference Press Release:
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State Mont Alto used a PSUAC Championship in baseball and a runner-up finish in softball to cruise by Penn State York and capture the 2025-2026 PSUAC Chancellor's Cup, given to the athletic department with the most success throughout the year.
York held an 8.5 point lead heading into the spring on the strength of four conference titles during the 2025-2026 academic year. But an early exit in the baseball championship tournament created an opening for Mont Alto to win their third consecutive Chancellor's Cup title with 56.0 total points. Mont Alto won the title despite winning just one championship all year.
Mont Alto's baseball team entered the championship tournament as the top-seed from the East Division, but lost to Penn State Hazleton in the semifinals, dropping them into the loser's bracket of the double-elimination portion of the event. They then staged a massive comeback, downing Penn State Shenango before eliminating long-time rival Penn State DuBois in the loser's bracket final. Needing two wins over Hazleton to claim the championship, Mont Alto did just that with a 4-2 win followed by a 15-4 victory to seal their second-straight baseball title.
Mont Alto softball finished second, losing in the championship to Penn State Fayette, who earned their only PSUAC Championship of the year in surprising fashion. As the 7-seed in the tournament, Fayette dispatched each of the top three seeds, including Mont Alto twice, to win the title.
York, who finished with 52.0 finished second in the Chancellor's Cup race, winning the most conference titles of any member, including golf, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball. But Mont Alto had remained close all year, racking up top-3 finishes in golf, volleyball and men's basketball.
Penn State DuBois finished third at 38.5 points, while Penn State Beaver overcame a slow start in the fall to finish fourth at 37.5 points. Hazleton rounded out the top-5 with 36.5 points. None of the three rallied for a conference title in 2025-2026, but consistent performances helped their cause.
Other teams to raise a championship banner this year included Penn State New Kensington in men's soccer and Penn State Schuylkill in women's soccer.
The Chancellor's Cup is awarded to the athletic department in the PSUAC that boasts the greatest comprehensive excellence during the year, with points given in a descending order based upon conference finish in the postseason tournaments for PSUAC Championship sports, with the most points being generated by the champion.
