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The Pioneer Football League is a college athletic conference which operates literally from coast to coast in the United States It has member schools that range from North Carolina and Florida in the east to California in the west. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I-AA as a football-only conference. Unlike most other Division I-AA conferences, the Pioneer League consists of institutions which choose not to award athletic scholarships ("grants-in-aid") to football players. The Pioneer Football League, like its non-scholarship bretheren the Ivy League, do not participate in the I-AA playoffs. In lieu of playoff participation, the league champion will, as of 2006, play the champion of the Northeast Conference in the Gridiron Classic.
Membership
- Butler University, located in Indianapolis, Indiana
- Davidson College, located in Davidson, North Carolina
- University of Dayton, located in Dayton, Ohio
- Drake University, located in Des Moines, Iowa
- Jacksonville University, located in Jacksonville, Florida
- Morehead State University, located in Morehead, Kentucky
- University of San Diego, located in San Diego, California
- Valparaiso University, located in Valparaiso, Indiana
History
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. The University of San Diego joined in 1992, and the league played its first season in 1993. These six schools had previously sponsored football at the Division II and Division III levels. The league was narrowed back to five members after the University of Evansville dropped football in 1997.
However, 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.
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 were removed. On April 7, 2006, Campbell University announced they would bring back football at the non-scholarship level for the 2008 season, with hopes of joining the PFL at that time. *
On May 16, 2006, the Pioneer Football League (PFL) and Northeast Conference (NEC) announced a two-year agreement to meet in the Gridiron Classic, an exempted postseason football game that will match the champions of the two I-AA football conferences. The inaugural Gridiron Classic will take place on Saturday, November 18 with the NEC champion serving as host. The PFL winner will host the 2007 event.
Championships
Regular season
| Season | Champion | Conference Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Dayton | 5-0-0 | |
| 1994 | Dayton | 4-1-0 | |
| Butler | 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 | 4-0 | |
| 2002 | Dayton | 4-0 | |
| 2003 | Valparaiso | 3-1 | |
| 2004 | Drake | 4-0 | |
| 2005 | San Diego | 4-0 |
Championship Games
| Date | Champion | Score | Runner-Up | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 17, 2001 | Dayton | 46-14 | Jacksonville | Dayton, OH | |
| Nov. 23, 2002 | Dayton | 28-0 | Morehead State | Morehead, KY | |
| Nov. 22, 2003 | Valparaiso | 54-42 | Morehead State | Valparaiso, IN | |
| Nov. 20, 2004 | Drake | 20-17 | Morehead State | Morehead, KY | |
| Nov. 19, 2005 | San Diego | 47-40 | Morehead State | San Diego, CA |
Conference facilities
| School | Football Stadium | Stadium capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Butler | Butler Bowl | 7,500 |
| Davidson | Richardson Stadium | 6,000 |
| Dayton | Welcome Stadium | 11,000 |
| Drake | Drake Stadium | 14,000 |
| Jacksonville | D.B. Milne Field | 5,000 |
| Morehead State | Jayne Stadium | 10,000 |
| San Diego | Torero Stadium | 6,000 |
| Valparaiso | Brown Field (Valparaiso) | 5,000 |
External link
"Pioneer Football League"