The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates in the East, Midwest, and California of the United States. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a football-only conference. Unlike most other Division I FCS conferences, the Pioneer League consists of institutions that choose not to award athletic scholarships ("grants-in-aid") to football players.
Most of the PFL's members are private schools. Morehead State University is the only public school in the conference.
History [edit]
Foundation [edit]
Following an NCAA rule change passed in January 1991, which required Division I schools to conduct all sports at the Division I level by 1993, the conference was formed by charter members Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, the University of Evansville, and Valparaiso University.[1] The University of San Diego joined in 1992, and the league played its first season in 1993. Talk of Creighton University and Bradley University joining the league in its origins never materialized by 1993.[citation needed] The six original schools which played in the 1993 season had previously sponsored football at the Division I, Division II and Division III levels.
Membership changes [edit]
Original contraction
The league was narrowed back to five members after Evansville downgraded football from Division I to club status in 1997. Evansville explored upgrading football again to NCAA Division I in 2007, but plans fell through. Studies still continue about a possible football resurrection, which would most likely lead to Evansville re-joining the league.
2001 expansion
In 2001, the conference nearly doubled in size and was reorganized with the five current members forming the North Division, and newcomers Austin Peay State University, Davidson College, Jacksonville University and Morehead State University forming the South Division. This reorganization also spawned a new championship system in which the best record holders from each division would play in a title game for the conference championship.
2005–2008 membership changes
On April 8, 2005, Austin Peay announced that it would be leaving the Pioneer Football League after the 2005 season and returning to scholarship-granting competition in 2007 with the Ohio Valley Conference in which it competes in other sports. As a result, the conference was reverted to round-robin play and the divisions and championship game were removed. However, on April 7, 2006 Campbell University announced it would bring back football at the non-scholarship level for the 2008 season, and on December 5, 2007 it accepted an invitation to the PFL.[2] In February 2008, Marist College announced that it would join the PFL for the 2009 season, after the MAAC stopped sponsoring football.[3] Although Campbell moved in 2011 from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Big South Conference, which sponsors football, it did not join the Big South football conference and remains in the PFL.[4]
2013 membership changes & Automatic playoff berth
On June 13, 2011, it was announced that Mercer University and Stetson University will join the league in 2013. That will bring the league's membership to 12 schools.[5] Starting with the 2013 season the Pioneer Football League will now have an automatic bid into the FCS division I playoffs.[6] Before beginning play, however, Mercer announced its plans to begin offering scholarships as part of its move to the Southern Conference.[7]
Member schools [edit]
Current members [edit]
| Institution |
Location |
Founded |
First Football Year |
Type |
Enrollment |
Joined |
Nickname |
Primary
Conference
while
joining
the PFL |
Current
Primary
Conference |
| Butler University |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
1855 |
1887 |
Private |
3,897 |
1991 |
Bulldogs |
Horizon |
Big East |
| Campbell University |
Buies Creek, North Carolina |
1887 |
1925 (2008) |
Private |
9,471 |
2008 |
Fighting Camels |
Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) |
Big South |
| Davidson College |
Davidson, North Carolina |
1837 |
1897 |
Private |
1,700 |
2001 |
Wildcats |
SoCon (A-10 in 2014) |
| Dayton !University of Dayton |
Dayton, Ohio |
1850 |
1905 |
Private |
7,426 |
1991 |
Flyers |
Horizon |
Atlantic 10 (A-10) |
| Drake University |
Des Moines, Iowa |
1881 |
1883 |
Private |
3,164 |
1991 |
Bulldogs |
Missouri Valley |
| Jacksonville University |
Jacksonville, Florida |
1934 |
1934 (1998) |
Private |
7,426 |
2001 |
Dolphins |
Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) |
| Marist College |
Poughkeepsie, New York |
1929 |
1978 |
Private |
4,200 |
2009 |
Red Foxes |
MAAC |
| Mercer University* |
Macon, Georgia |
1833 |
1892 (2013) |
Private |
8,300 |
2013 |
Bears |
Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) |
| Morehead State University |
Morehead, Kentucky |
1922 |
1927 |
Public |
9,509 |
2001 |
Eagles |
OVC |
| San Diego !University of San Diego |
San Diego, California |
1949 |
1956 |
Private |
4,904 |
1992 |
Toreros |
WCC |
| Stetson University |
Deland, Florida |
1883 |
1901 (2013) |
Private |
2,200 |
2013 |
Hatters |
Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) |
| Valparaiso University |
Valparaiso, Indiana |
1859 |
1919 |
Private |
2,917 |
1991 |
Crusaders |
Summit |
Horizon |
- Note
- Departing members in pink.
- * - Mercer will move join the Southern Conference for all sports, including scholarship football, in 2014.
Former members [edit]
- Note
- Evansville dropped football following the 1997-98 season.
Membership timeline [edit]
Rivalries [edit]
Two in-state rivalries currently exist in the PFL.
Butler and Valparaiso first played in 1927, and had nine meetings prior to 1951. That year, the two teams began playing every year, and in 2006 began playing for the Hoosier Helmet Trophy. Butler currently leads 47-24. The two schools had an all-sports rivalry as well when both were in the Horizon League together from 2007-2012.
Campbell and Davidson began their rivalry in 2008 when the Fighting Camels joined the PFL. Davidson leads 4-1.
Jacksonville and Stetson will begin their football rivalry in 2013 when Stetson begins PFL play, the schools are already rivals in other sports as both are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Butler and Dayton also have a rivalry based on proximity to each other. The teams have met every year since 1977 with the exception of 1991 and 1992. Dayton leads 26-11-1.
Conference championships [edit]
Locations of current Pioneer Football League member institutions.
PFL champions [edit]
| Season |
Champion |
Record |
| 1993 |
Dayton |
5–0–0 |
| 1994 |
Butler |
4–1–0 |
| Dayton |
4–1–0 |
| 1995 |
Drake |
5–0–0 |
| 1996 |
Dayton |
5–0–0 |
| 1997 |
Dayton |
5–0–0 |
| 1998 |
Drake |
4–0 |
| 1999 |
Dayton |
4–0 |
| 2000 |
Dayton |
3–1 |
| Drake |
3–1 |
| Valparaiso |
3–1 |
| 2001 |
Dayton |
Championship Game |
| 2002 |
Dayton |
Championship Game |
| 2003 |
Valparaiso |
Championship Game |
| 2004 |
Drake |
Championship Game |
| 2005 |
San Diego |
Championship Game |
| 2006 |
San Diego |
7–0 |
| 2007 |
Dayton |
6–1 |
| San Diego |
6–1 |
| 2008 |
Jacksonville |
7–1 |
| 2009 |
Butler |
7–1 |
| Dayton |
7–1 |
| 2010 |
Jacksonville |
8–0 |
| Dayton |
8–0 |
| 2011 |
San Diego |
7–1 |
| Drake |
7–1 |
| 2012 |
Drake |
7–1 |
| Butler |
7–1 |
| San Diego |
7–1 |
League titles by school [edit]
| School |
Championships |
Championship Years |
| Dayton |
11
|
1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2010 |
| Drake |
6
|
1995, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2011, 2012 |
| San Diego |
5
|
2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012 |
| Butler |
3
|
1994, 2009, 2012 |
| Jacksonville |
2
|
2008, 2010 |
| Valparaiso |
2
|
2000, 2003 |
| Campbell |
0
|
N/A |
| Davidson |
0
|
N/A |
| Marist |
0
|
N/A |
| Morehead State |
0
|
N/A |
| Evansville |
0
|
N/A |
| Austin Peay |
0
|
N/A |
PFL Championship Game [edit]
| Season |
Season Champion |
Record |
Date |
Game Champion |
Score |
Runner-Up |
Location |
| 2001 |
Dayton |
4–0 |
Nov. 17, 2001 |
Dayton |
46–14 |
Jacksonville |
Dayton, OH |
| 2002 |
Dayton |
4–0 |
Nov. 23, 2002 |
Dayton |
28–0 |
Morehead State |
Morehead, KY |
| 2003 |
Valparaiso |
3–1 |
Nov. 22, 2003 |
Valparaiso |
54–42 |
Morehead State |
Valparaiso, IN |
| 2004 |
Drake |
4–0 |
Nov. 20, 2004 |
Drake |
20–17 |
Morehead State |
Morehead, KY |
| 2005 |
San Diego |
4–0 |
Nov. 19, 2005 |
San Diego |
47–40 |
Morehead State |
San Diego, CA |
Postseason games [edit]
The Pioneer Football League has had alliances with the Gridiron Classic and the Sports Network Cup. In addition, league members are allowed to accept at-large invitations to other college bowl games and teams are eligible to compete in the FCS playoffs, but can only receive at-large bids because the league is not an automatic qualifier. As of 2011, the NCAA has never invited any PFL team to the tournament.
Starting in 2013, the Pioneer League will join ten other FCS conferences (Big Sky, Southern, Southland, MEAC, NEC, CAA, Big South, MVFC, OVC, Patriot League) that receive an automatic bid to compete in the Division I Football Championship as the playoffs expand from twenty teams to 24.
The PFL was a participant in the NCAA Division I FCS Consensus Mid-Major Football National Championship, along with the Northeast Conference and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, two other conferences without automatic playoff bids. The Consensus championship has since been discontinued; the NEC first earned an automatic postseason bid in 2010, while the MAAC no longer sponsors football.
Members pre-PFL postseason results [edit]
Below are postseason accomplishments by past and current members prior to the formation of the Pioneer Football League.
PFL Sports Network Cup results [edit]
PFL Gridiron Classic results [edit]
On May 16, 2006, the Pioneer Football League (PFL) and Northeast Conference (NEC) announced a four-year agreement to meet in the Gridiron Classic, an exempted postseason football game that match the champions of the two FCS football conferences.
Historical standings [edit]
|
| 1993 Pioneer Football League |
|
Conf |
Overall |
| Team |
W |
L |
T |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
| Dayton |
5 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Drake |
3 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Butler |
3 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Evansville |
2 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| San Diego |
1 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Valparaiso |
1 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
|
| 1994 Pioneer Football League |
|
Conf |
Overall |
| Team |
W |
L |
T |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
| Dayton |
4 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Butler |
4 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Drake |
3 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| San Diego |
2 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Valparaiso |
2 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Evansville |
0 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
|
| 1995 Pioneer Football League |
|
Conf |
Overall |
| Team |
W |
L |
T |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
| Drake |
5 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
??? |
??? |
| Dayton |
4 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
2 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| San Diego |
3 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Evansville |
1 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Valparaiso |
1 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
| Butler |
1 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
0 |
??? |
??? |
|
|
|
|
|
| 1998 Pioneer Football League |
|
Conf |
Overall |
| Team |
W |
L |
W |
L |
PF |
PA |
| Drake |
4 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
??? |
??? |
| Dayton |
3 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
??? |
??? |
| Valparaiso |
2 |
2 |
5 |
6 |
??? |
??? |
| Butler |
1 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
??? |
??? |
| San Diego |
0 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
??? |
??? |
|
| 1999 Pioneer Football League |
|
Conf |
Overall |
| Team |
W |
L |
W |
L |
PF |
PA |
| Dayton |
4 |
0 |
6 |
4 |
??? |
??? |
| Valparaiso |
3 |
1 |
9 |
2 |
??? |
??? |
| Drake |
2 |
2 |
7 |
4 |
??? |
??? |
| San Diego |
1 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
??? |
??? |
| Butler |
0 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
??? |
??? |
|
| 2000 Pioneer Football League |
|
Conf |
Overall |
| Team |
W |
L |
W |
L |
PF |
PA |
| Dayton |
3 |
1 |
8 |
3 |
??? |
??? |
| Drake |
3 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
??? |
??? |
| Valparaiso |
3 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
??? |
??? |
| San Diego |
1 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
??? |
??? |
| Butler |
0 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
??? |
??? |
|
Conference facilities [edit]
| School |
Football Stadium |
Capacity |
| Butler |
Butler Bowl |
7,500[19] |
| Campbell |
Barker–Lane Stadium |
5,200 |
| Davidson |
Richardson Stadium |
6,000 |
| Dayton |
Welcome Stadium |
11,000 |
| Drake |
Drake Stadium |
14,557[20] |
| Jacksonville |
D. B. Milne Field |
5,500 |
| Marist |
Leonidoff Field |
5,000 |
| Mercer |
Moye Complex |
10,200 |
| Morehead State |
Jayne Stadium |
10,000 |
| San Diego |
Torero Stadium |
6,000 |
| Stetson |
Spec Martin Memorial Stadium |
6,000 |
| Valparaiso |
Brown Field |
5,000 |
References [edit]
External links [edit]
|
Pioneer Football League
|
|
| Current members |
|
|
| Future members |
|
|
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