The expected became official Tuesday when the Presidents' Athletic Conference received automatic qualification status beginning in the 2007 fall sports season for football, men's and women's soccer and volleyball.

The 2007 PAC champions in those sports will receive an automatic bid to their respective NCAA Division III championship playoffs.

Earning the automatic qualification status is a major step in the growth of the PAC, which claims Washington & Jefferson College and Waynesburg College as its members. The conference grew from six schools in 2004 to 10 for the 2007-08 academic year.

Thomas More, located in Crestview Hills, Ky., joined the PAC in 2005 and the addition started a two-year waiting period with the NCAA. During that time all seven members had to remain active in the PAC for the conference to earn its automatic qualification status.

The waiting period ended at the conclusion of the 2006-07 academic year.

"While earning AQ status for most team sports in 2007-08 was not unexpected, it still represents a major milestone for our conference with regards to garnering national recognition and exposure for our teams," PAC executive director Joe Onderko said. "We are very pleased with

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