The University of Dayton football team will have a fitness test one day after the start of preseason camp Monday. And while fifth-year coach Rick Chamberlin doesn’t plan to run it, he probably could post a respectable time after putting himself through a rigorous offseason regimen.

The former UD All-American linebacker from the late 1970s didn’t like how de-conditioned he had become, calling himself “too soft and too lazy.” Chamberlin figured he couldn’t demand that his players push themselves to their limits if he wasn’t holding himself to the same standard.

He’s lost 25 pounds by maintaining his regular workouts while cutting fatty foods and sweets. He’s now a much leaner 245.

“Why should I expect them to come back in shape when I’m huffing and puffing?” he said Thursday. “We’re in this together.”

The Flyers will need to be unified to tackle perhaps the most taxing schedule in their non-scholarship era. They open at Illinois State, a fully-funded FCS team, will travel to Northeast Conference co-champion Duquesne and then host Robert Morris, which made the FCS playoffs in 2010.

The Pioneer Football League also may be stronger than it’s been in years. The Flyers have won or shared 11 of the 19 crowns since the league’s inception but were picked to finish fourth this season.

“I feel our conference is so competitive, any of the top five teams could win it – just like last year with (co-champs) San Diego and Drake. They were picked down there about four or five,” Chamberlin said.

The Flyers have a solid nucleus, including All-PFL running back Tayor Harris and quarterback Will Bardo. On defense, Chamberlin called Kyle Sebetic and Matt Pfleger perhaps the best cornerback tandem in the league.

Renovations to the Frericks Center have allowed Chamberlin and his staff to retain their old offices while also taking over the men’s basketball headquarters, which were moved to the Cronin Center.

The new digs have given the team more space to operate.

“During the season, we’d have position meetings, and we were always fighting to find room,” said Chamberlin, standing in the redecorated lounge area. “The Health and Sports Sciences were very good to us. They allowed us to use their classroom when it was available. But you’d have guys all stacked up on each other in the coaches’ office.

“What I really like best is we have a place to show off our trophies now. We never had them in our office because we didn’t have any place to put them. You want them up here so when the players walk in they go, hey, this is what the program is about.”