SUNY Cortland graduate student quarterback Dan Pitcher (Cortland) has been named to the first team of the 2011 Capital One Division III Football Academic All-America team. The team was chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He is the lone quarterback on the national first team.

In addition, Pitcher is one of three Cortland players chosen to CoSIDA's Capital One Division III Academic All-District first team for District 3 along with his brother, senior offensive tackle Matt Pitcher (Cortland), and senior linebacker Bill Smith (Nanuet).

Under a new structure this year, NCAA Division III schools are no longer combined with other divisions for CoSIDA academic awards. In Division III, District 3 encompasses all schools in New York State.

Dan Pitcher is currently a second-year graduate student at Cortland majoring in sport management. He entered the fall semester with a 4.03 cumulative grade point average. He also boasted a 4.08 GPA as a psychology major while an undergraduate student. Pitcher previously earned academic all-district honors in the fall of 2010.

This season, he completed 197-of-317 passes (62.1 percent) for 2,712 yards and 31 touchdowns with only five interceptions in 11 games. He broke school records for TD passes in a season (31) and career (54) and passing efficiency rating in a season (163.1).

Dan was also one of 10 finalists for the Gagliardi Trophy, which is awarded to the top Div. III football student-athlete, but was not one of the four candidates invited to the award selection ceremony in Virginia.

Matt Pitcher is a kinesiology major who entered the fall semester with a 3.56 cumulative grade point average. He started all 11 games at right tackle for an offense that averaged 413.1 yards per game of total offense. The Red Dragons allowed only nine sacks on 344 total pass plays and averaged nearly six yards per offensive play run.

Smith, a business economics major, entered the fall semester with a 3.55 cumulative grade point average. A starter in all 11 games, he led the Red Dragons with 82 tackles, including 6.5 for lost yardage. He also recorded an interception, four pass breakups, four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.

Cortland finished the season with a 9-2 record, including a victory in the ECAC Div. III Southeast Bowl. The Red Dragons tied for second place in the 10-team New Jersey Athletic Conference with a 7-2 mark and defeated rival Ithaca College on the road, 27-3, to retain the Cortaca Jug traveling trophy.