Pioneer Football League: Difference between revisions
m Substing templates: {{Infobox athletic conference}} per WP:Templates for discussion/Log/2022 July 5#Template:Infobox athletic conference. Report errors at User talk:AnomieBOT/TFDTemplateSubster. |
m Fixing broken anchor: #NCAA Division I playoff bracket→most alike anchor 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season#Bracket |
||
(31 intermediate revisions by 23 users not shown) | |||
Line 2: | Line 2: | ||
{{Infobox sports league |
{{Infobox sports league |
||
| name = Pioneer Football League |
| name = Pioneer Football League |
||
| color = #956A50 |
| color = #956A50; {{box-shadow border|a|#FFFFFF|2px}} |
||
| font_color = white |
| font_color = white |
||
| logo = Pioneer Football League logo.svg |
| logo = Pioneer Football League logo.svg |
||
| logo_size = 250 |
| logo_size = 250 |
||
| founded = 1991 |
| founded = {{start date and age|1991}} |
||
| |
| association = [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] |
||
| division = [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] |
| division = [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] |
||
| subdivision = [[Football Championship Subdivision|FCS]] |
| subdivision = [[Football Championship Subdivision|FCS]] |
||
Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
| region = [[United States|Nationwide]] |
| region = [[United States|Nationwide]] |
||
| headquarters = [[St. Louis, Missouri]] |
| headquarters = [[St. Louis, Missouri]] |
||
| commissioner = |
| commissioner = Greg Walter |
||
| since = |
| since = 2023 |
||
| website = {{ |
| website = {{URL|https://www.pioneer-football.org/|pioneer-football.org}} |
||
| map = Pioneer Football League map.png |
| map = Pioneer Football League map.png |
||
| map_size = 250 |
| map_size = 250 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
The '''Pioneer Football League''' ('''PFL''') is a collegiate [[List of NCAA conferences|athletic conference]] which operates in the United States. The conference participates in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]'s [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] [[Football Championship Subdivision]] (FCS) as a [[College football|football]]-only conference. It has member schools that range from [[New York (state)|New York]], [[North Carolina]], and [[Florida]] in the east to [[California]] in the west. It is headquartered in [[St. Louis]], in the same complex that also contains the offices of the [[Missouri Valley Conference]] and [[Missouri Valley Football Conference]]. Unlike most other Division I FCS conferences, the Pioneer League consists of institutions that choose not to award [[athletic scholarship]]s ("grants-in-aid") to football players. |
The '''Pioneer Football League''' ('''PFL''') is a collegiate [[List of NCAA conferences|athletic conference]] which operates in the United States. The conference participates in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]'s [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] [[Football Championship Subdivision]] (FCS) as a [[College football|football]]-only conference. It has member schools that range from [[New York (state)|New York]], [[North Carolina]], and [[Florida]] in the east to [[California]] in the west. It is headquartered in [[St. Louis]], in the same complex that also contains the offices of the [[Missouri Valley Conference]] and [[Missouri Valley Football Conference]]. Unlike most other Division I FCS conferences, the Pioneer League consists of institutions that choose not to award [[athletic scholarship]]s ("grants-in-aid") to football players. |
||
Line 29: | Line 28: | ||
== History == |
== History == |
||
=== Foundation === |
=== Foundation === |
||
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]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iRBeAAAAIBAJ&dq=pioneer%20football%20league&pg=4135%2C4871998|title=Drake joins new league|date=November 22, 1991|newspaper=The Telegraph-Herald |pages=Page 1B|access-date=July 1, 2012|location= |
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]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=iRBeAAAAIBAJ&dq=pioneer%20football%20league&pg=4135%2C4871998|title=Drake joins new league|date=November 22, 1991|newspaper=The Telegraph-Herald |pages=Page 1B|access-date=July 1, 2012|location=Dubuque, Iowa}}</ref> The [[University of San Diego]] joined in 1992, and the league played its first season in 1993. 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=== |
===Membership changes=== |
||
'''Original contraction''' |
'''Original contraction''' |
||
In 1997, the league reduced to five members when the [[University of Evansville]] downgraded football from Division I to club status |
In 1997, the league was reduced to five members when the [[University of Evansville]] downgraded football from Division I to club status. |
||
'''2001 expansion''' |
'''2001 expansion''' |
||
Line 127: | Line 126: | ||
| 2001 |
| 2001 |
||
| Public |
| Public |
||
| |
| 8,218 |
||
| [[Morehead State Eagles football|Eagles]] |
| [[Morehead State Eagles football|Eagles]] |
||
| {{college color boxes|Morehead State Eagles}} |
| {{college color boxes|Morehead State Eagles}} |
||
Line 135: | Line 134: | ||
| [[Clinton, South Carolina]] |
| [[Clinton, South Carolina]] |
||
| 1880 |
| 1880 |
||
| 2021 |
| rowspan="2"|2021 |
||
| rowspan="5"|Private |
| rowspan="5"|Private |
||
| 1,172 |
| 1,172 |
||
| [[Presbyterian Blue Hose|Blue Hose]] |
| [[Presbyterian Blue Hose football|Blue Hose]] |
||
| {{college color boxes|Presbyterian Blue Hose}} |
| {{college color boxes|Presbyterian Blue Hose}} |
||
| colspan="2"|[[Big South Conference|Big South]] |
| colspan="2"|[[Big South Conference|Big South]] |
||
Line 145: | Line 144: | ||
| [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul, Minnesota]] |
| [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|St. Paul, Minnesota]] |
||
| 1885 |
| 1885 |
||
| 2021 |
|||
| 9,878 |
| 9,878 |
||
| [[St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies|Tommies]] |
| [[St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies football|Tommies]] |
||
| {{college color boxes|St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies}} |
| {{college color boxes|St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies}} |
||
| colspan="2"|[[Summit League|Summit]] |
| colspan="2"|[[Summit League|Summit]] |
||
Line 205: | Line 203: | ||
| [[Austin Peay Governors football|Governors]] |
| [[Austin Peay Governors football|Governors]] |
||
| {{college color boxes|Austin Peay Governors}} |
| {{college color boxes|Austin Peay Governors}} |
||
| colspan=" |
| colspan="1"|[[Ohio Valley Conference|OVC]] |
||
| colspan="2"|[[ASUN Conference|ASUN]] |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| '''[[Campbell University]]''' |
| '''[[Campbell University]]''' |
||
Line 216: | Line 215: | ||
| {{college color boxes|Campbell Fighting Camels}} |
| {{college color boxes|Campbell Fighting Camels}} |
||
| [[ASUN Conference|ASUN]] |
| [[ASUN Conference|ASUN]] |
||
| [[Colonial Athletic Association|CAA]] |
|||
⚫ | |||
|- |
|- |
||
| {{sort|Evansville|'''[[University of Evansville]]'''}} |
| {{sort|Evansville|'''[[University of Evansville]]'''}} |
||
Line 278: | Line 277: | ||
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s |
width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s |
||
bar:1 color: |
bar:1 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:[[Butler University|Butler]] (1991–present) |
||
bar:2 color: |
bar:2 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:[[University of Dayton|Dayton]] (1991–present) |
||
bar:3 color: |
bar:3 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:[[Drake University|Drake]] (1991–present) |
||
bar:4 color: |
bar:4 color:Full from:1991 till:1998 text:[[University of Evansville|Evansville]] (1991–1997) |
||
bar:5 color: |
bar:5 color:Full from:1991 till:end text:[[Valparaiso University|Valparaiso]] (1991–present) |
||
bar:6 color: |
bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1992 text:[[NCAA Division III independent schools|Ind.]] |
||
bar:6 color:Full from:1992 till:end text:[[University of San Diego|San Diego]] (1992–present) |
|||
bar:7 color: |
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1997 text:[[Ohio Valley Conference|OVC]] |
||
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:2001 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Independent]] |
|||
bar:7 color:Full from:2001 till:2006 text:[[Austin Peay State University|Austin Peay]] (2001–2005) |
|||
bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2006 till:2007 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Ind.]] |
|||
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2007 till:2022 text:[[Ohio Valley Conference|OVC]] |
|||
bar:7 shift:(-5) color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:2023 text:[[ASUN Conference|ASUN]] |
|||
bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:[[United Athletic Conference|UAC]] |
|||
bar:8 color: |
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1993 text:[[NCAA Division III independent schools|DIII Indep.]] |
||
bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:2001 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|I-AA Independent]] |
|||
bar:8 color:Full from:2001 till:end text:[[Davidson College|Davidson]] (2001–present) |
|||
bar:9 color: |
bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2001 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Independent]] |
||
bar:9 color:Full from:2001 till:2020 text:[[Jacksonville University|Jacksonville]] (2001–2019) |
|||
bar:10 color: |
bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1996 text:[[Ohio Valley Conference|OVC]] |
||
bar:10 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2001 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Independent]] |
|||
bar:10 color:Full from:2001 till:end text:[[Morehead State University|Morehead State]] (2001–present) |
|||
bar:11 color: |
bar:11 color:Full from:2008 till:2018 text:[[Campbell University|Campbell]] (2008–2017) |
||
⚫ | |||
bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:[[Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference|CAA Football]] |
|||
bar:12 color: |
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1992 text:[[Atlantic Collegiate Football Conference|ACFC]] |
||
bar:12 shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:1992 till:1993 text:[[Liberty Football Conference|LFC]] |
|||
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1994 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Ind.]] |
|||
bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:2008 text:[[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference|MAAC]] |
|||
bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:2009 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Ind.]] |
|||
bar:12 color:Full from:2009 till:end text:[[Marist College|Marist]] (2009–present) |
|||
bar:13 color: |
bar:13 color:Full from:2013 till:2014 text:[[Mercer University|Mercer]] (2013) |
||
bar:13 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:[[Southern Conference|SoCon]] |
|||
bar:14 color: |
bar:14 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:[[Stetson University|Stetson]] (2013–present) |
||
bar:15 color: |
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2007 text:[[South Atlantic Conference|SAC]] |
||
bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:2007 till:2008 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Ind.]] |
|||
bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2008 till:2020 text:[[Big South Conference|Big South]] |
|||
bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:2020 till:2021 text:[[NCAA Division I FCS independent schools|Ind.]] |
|||
bar:15 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:[[Presbyterian College|Presbyterian]] (2021–present) |
|||
bar:16 color: |
bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2021 text:[[Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference|MIAC]] |
||
bar:16 color:Full from:2021 till:end text:[[University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)|St. Thomas]] (2021–present) |
|||
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1991 |
ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1991 |
||
Line 319: | Line 343: | ||
#> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. {{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}|Full members}} {{Font color||{{RGB|141|211|199}}|Full members (non-football)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|251|128|114}}|Assoc. members (football only)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|128|177|211}}|Assoc. member (list sports)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|255|255|179}}|Other Conference}} {{Font color||{{RGB|253|180|98}}|Other Conference}} <# </timeline> |
#> If the chart uses more than one bar color, add a legend by selecting the appropriate fields from the following six options (use only the colors that are used in the graphic.) Leave a blank line after the end of the timeline, then add a line with the selected values from the list, separated by a space. {{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}|Full members}} {{Font color||{{RGB|141|211|199}}|Full members (non-football)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|251|128|114}}|Assoc. members (football only)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|128|177|211}}|Assoc. member (list sports)}} {{Font color||{{RGB|255|255|179}}|Other Conference}} {{Font color||{{RGB|253|180|98}}|Other Conference}} <# </timeline> |
||
{{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}|Full members }} {{Font color||{{RGB|255|255|179}}|Other Conference }} {{Font color||{{RGB|253|180|98}}|Other Conference }} |
|||
==Rivalries== |
==Rivalries== |
||
Line 434: | Line 460: | ||
| Davidson<br>San Diego |
| Davidson<br>San Diego |
||
| 7–1 |
| 7–1 |
||
⚫ | |||
| 2022 |
|||
⚫ | |||
| 8-0 |
|||
⚫ | |||
|2023 |
|||
|Drake |
|||
| 8-0 |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
(*) Due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19]], the Pioneer Football League suspended the fall 2020 football season. [[Dayton Flyers football|Dayton]] and [[Marist Red Foxes football|Marist]] opted out of the spring season. [[Presbyterian Blue Hose football|Presbyterian]] played a full PFL schedule, but was ineligible for the conference title, and its games were not counted in PFL standings. |
(*) Due to [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19]], the Pioneer Football League suspended the fall 2020 football season. [[Dayton Flyers football|Dayton]] and [[Marist Red Foxes football|Marist]] opted out of the spring season. [[Presbyterian Blue Hose football|Presbyterian]] played a full PFL schedule, but was ineligible for the conference title, and its games were not counted in PFL standings. |
||
Line 453: | Line 487: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| Drake |
| Drake |
||
| {{center| |
| {{center|7}} |
||
| 1995, 1998, ''2000'', 2004<sup>*</sup>, ''2011'', ''2012'' |
| 1995, 1998, ''2000'', 2004<sup>*</sup>, ''2011'', ''2012'', 2023 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Butler |
| Butler |
||
Line 469: | Line 503: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| Davidson |
| Davidson |
||
| {{center| |
| {{center|2}} |
||
| ''2020''×, ''2021'' |
| ''2020''×, ''2021'' |
||
|- |
|- |
||
Line 475: | Line 509: | ||
| {{center|1}} |
| {{center|1}} |
||
| ''2013'' |
| ''2013'' |
||
|- |
|||
| St. Thomas |
|||
⚫ | |||
| 2022 |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| Campbell |
| Campbell |
||
Line 494: | Line 532: | ||
| Stetson |
| Stetson |
||
| {{center|0}} |
| {{center|0}} |
||
| – |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
| – |
| – |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Presbyterian |
| Presbyterian |
||
|{{center|0}} |
| {{center|0}} |
||
| – |
| – |
||
|} |
|} |
||
Line 592: | Line 626: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
|1960 |
|1960 |
||
|[[Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders football| |
|[[Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders football|Middle Tennessee State]] || 21 |
||
|Presbyterian || 12 |
|Presbyterian || 12 |
||
| [[Tangerine Bowl (1947–1982)|Tangerine Bowl]] |
| [[Tangerine Bowl (1947–1982)|Tangerine Bowl]] |
||
Line 609: | Line 643: | ||
|[[Tennessee State Tigers football|Tennessee State]] || 29 |
|[[Tennessee State Tigers football|Tennessee State]] || 29 |
||
|Drake || 7 |
|Drake || 7 |
||
| [[Pioneer Bowl]] |
| [[Pioneer Bowl (1971–1982)|Pioneer Bowl]] |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|1973 |
|1973 |
||
Line 755: | Line 789: | ||
|[[2021 Kennesaw State Owls football team|Kennesaw State]] |
|[[2021 Kennesaw State Owls football team|Kennesaw State]] |
||
|L, 21–48 |
|L, 21–48 |
||
|- |
|||
|[[2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season#Bracket|2022]] |
|||
|[[2022 Davidson Wildcats football team|Davidson]]* |
|||
|First Round |
|||
|[[2022 Richmond Spiders football team|Richmond]] |
|||
|L, 0–41 |
|||
|- |
|||
|[[2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season#Bracket|2023]] |
|||
⚫ | |||
|First Round |
|||
|[[2023 North Dakota State Bison football team|North Dakota State]] |
|||
|L, 3–66 |
|||
|} |
|} |
||
<nowiki>*</nowiki> - [[2022 St. Thomas Tommies football team|St. Thomas]] was the PFL champion in 2022; however, they were ineligible for postseason play due to still being in transition from [[NCAA Division III|Division III]]. Davidson, the runner-up, was awarded the auto-bid in their place. |
|||
==Historical standings== |
==Historical standings== |
||
Line 763: | Line 811: | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable" |
{| class="wikitable sortable" |
||
|-bgcolor=956a50 |
|||
| style="text-align:center"| {{color|white|'''School'''}} |
|||
| style="text-align:center"| {{color|white|'''Football Stadium'''}} |
|||
| style="text-align:center"| {{color|white|'''Capacity'''}} |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Butler Bulldogs |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Butler Bulldogs football|{{color|white|'''Butler'''}}]] |
|||
!School |
|||
!Football Stadium |
|||
!Capacity |
|||
⚫ | |||
⚫ | |||
|[[Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl]] |
|[[Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl]] |
||
|7,500 |
|7,500 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Davidson Wildcats football|Davidson]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Davidson Wildcats |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Davidson Wildcats football|{{color|white|'''Davidson'''}}]] |
||
|[[Richardson Stadium]] |
|[[Richardson Stadium]] |
||
| |
|4,741 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Dayton Flyers football|Dayton]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Dayton Flyers |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Dayton Flyers football|{{color|white|'''Dayton'''}}]] |
||
|[[Welcome Stadium]] |
|[[Welcome Stadium]] |
||
|11,000 |
|11,000 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Drake Bulldogs football|Drake]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Drake Bulldogs |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Drake Bulldogs football|{{color|white|'''Drake'''}}]] |
||
|[[Drake Stadium (Drake University)|Drake Stadium]] |
|[[Drake Stadium (Drake University)|Drake Stadium]] |
||
|14,557<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15700&ATCLID=899758|title=Drake Stadium History|publisher=Drake Athletics|access-date=December 31, 2008}}</ref> |
|14,557<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.godrakebulldogs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15700&ATCLID=899758|title=Drake Stadium History|publisher=Drake Athletics|access-date=December 31, 2008}}</ref> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Marist Red Foxes football|Marist]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Marist Red Foxes |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Marist Red Foxes football|{{color|white|'''Marist'''}}]] |
||
|[[Leonidoff Field]] |
|[[Leonidoff Field]] |
||
|5,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goredfoxes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205239935|title=Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field|publisher=Marist Athletics|access-date=December 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208221053/http://www.goredfoxes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205239935|archive-date=December 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
|5,000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goredfoxes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205239935|title=Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field|publisher=Marist Athletics|access-date=December 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208221053/http://www.goredfoxes.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205239935|archive-date=December 8, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Morehead State Eagles football|Morehead State]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Morehead State Eagles |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Morehead State Eagles football|{{color|white|'''Morehead State'''}}]] |
||
|[[Jayne Stadium]] |
|[[Jayne Stadium]] |
||
|10,000 |
|10,000 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Presbyterian Blue Hose football|Presbyterian]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Presbyterian Blue Hose |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Presbyterian Blue Hose football|{{color|white|'''Presbyterian'''}}]] |
||
| |
|[[Bailey Memorial Stadium]] |
||
| |
|6,500 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|{{ |
| style="text-align:center; color: white; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|St. Thomas (Minnesota) Tommies |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[St. Thomas Tommies football|{{color|white|'''St. Thomas'''}}]] |
||
|[[O'Shaughnessy Stadium]] |
|[[O'Shaughnessy Stadium]] |
||
|5,025 |
|5,025 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[San Diego Toreros football|San Diego]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|San Diego Toreros |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[San Diego Toreros football|{{color|white|'''San Diego'''}}]] |
||
|[[Torero Stadium]] |
|[[Torero Stadium]] |
||
|6,000 |
|6,000 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Stetson Hatters football|Stetson]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Stetson Hatters |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Stetson Hatters football|{{color|white|'''Stetson'''}}]] |
||
| [[Spec Martin Stadium|Spec Martin Memorial Stadium]] |
| [[Spec Martin Stadium|Spec Martin Memorial Stadium]] |
||
| 6,000 |
| 6,000 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|[[Valparaiso Beacons football|Valparaiso]] |
| style="text-align:center; {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Valparaiso Beacons |color=#FFFFFF}}"| [[Valparaiso Beacons football|{{color|white|'''Valparaiso'''}}]] |
||
|[[Brown Field (Valparaiso University)|Brown Field]] |
|[[Brown Field (Valparaiso University)|Brown Field]] |
||
|5,000 |
|5,000 |
||
|} |
|} |
||
== See also == |
|||
*[[List of American collegiate athletic stadiums and arenas]] |
|||
== References == |
== References == |
||
Line 820: | Line 865: | ||
==External links == |
==External links == |
||
{{commons category}} |
|||
* {{Official website}} |
* {{Official website}} |
||
Latest revision as of 16:49, 23 January 2024
Association | NCAA |
---|---|
Founded | 1991 |
Commissioner | Greg Walter (since 2023) |
Sports fielded |
|
Division | Division I |
Subdivision | FCS |
No. of teams | 11 |
Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri |
Region | Nationwide |
Official website | pioneer-football.org |
Locations | |
The Pioneer Football League (PFL) is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) as a football-only conference. It has member schools that range from New York, North Carolina, and Florida in the east to California in the west. It is headquartered in St. Louis, in the same complex that also contains the offices of the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football 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 currently 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. 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
In 1997, the league was reduced to five members when the University of Evansville downgraded football from Division I to club status.
2001 expansion
In 2001, the conference nearly doubled in size and was reorganized with the five pre-2001 members forming the North Division, and newcomers Austin Peay State University, Davidson College, Jacksonville University and Morehead State University forming the South Division. The reorganization 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 its departure from the league effective after the 2005 season; Austin Peay returned to scholarship-granting competition in 2007 as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference in which it competes in other sports. As a result, the conference reverted to round-robin play; the divisions and championship game were abolished. On April 7, 2006, Campbell University announced the reinstatement of football effective in 2008, and on December 5, 2007, 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 in football and remained in the PFL through the 2017 season.[4]
2013 membership changes & automatic playoff berth
On June 13, 2011, Mercer University and Stetson University were announced as league members (effective 2013) bringing membership to 12 schools.[5] In addition, as of 2013, the league has an automatic bid into the FCS division I playoffs.[6] Soon after its PFL membership was announced, Mercer accepted an invitation to join the Southern Conference (scholarship-granting) effective July 1, 2014.[7] During its one season in the league, Mercer set a Division I win–loss record for start-up programs; Mercer finished the 2013 season with an overall record of 10–2 including an undefeated 8–0 record at home, also a Division I record held jointly with Auburn University, which likewise went undefeated at home in 2013.
On July 1, 2014, Mercer University joined the Southern Conference for all sports, including football.
The next change in conference membership was announced on November 14, 2016, when Campbell announced it would transition to scholarship football and add that sport to its existing Big South membership effective with the 2018 season, temporarily reducing the PFL membership to 10.[8] Barring any further changes to conference membership, the PFL would have returned to 11 members in 2021, following the November 20, 2017 announcement of Presbyterian College that it would join the conference starting with the 2021 season. Presbyterian remains in the Big South Conference for all other sports.[9] While Presbyterian did not become a full conference member until July 2021, it began PFL play in the spring 2021 season, rescheduled from fall 2020 due to COVID-19. After two PFL members chose not to play in the 2020–21 school year, the conference entered into a scheduling agreement with Presbyterian that included it in the spring 2021 schedule. While PC was not eligible for the PFL title in that season, it was eligible for the league's individual awards and honors.[10][11]
2019: Jacksonville drops football
On December 3, 2019 Jacksonville University announced that it discontinued its football program immediately.[12]
2021: Further expansion
Presbyterian was joined as a new PFL member in 2021 by the University of St. Thomas, a Twin Cities school that had been expelled from its longtime Division III home of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) effective in 2021–22. Shortly after the MIAC announced St. Thomas' expulsion, the Summit League, a non-football Division I conference, offered the Tommies membership. The NCAA announced on July 15, 2020 that it had granted a waiver to allow St. Thomas to make the jump to D-I on a five-year schedule, instead of the four years used for moves from Division II. The Tommies will not be eligible for the FCS playoffs until the transition is completed in 2026.[13]
Member schools[edit]
Current members[edit]
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Nickname | Colors | Primary conference when joining the PFL |
Current primary conference |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana | 1855 | 1991 | Private | 5,554 | Bulldogs | Horizon | Big East | |
Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | 1837 | 2001 | 1,950 | Wildcats | SoCon | Atlantic 10 | ||
University of Dayton | Dayton, Ohio | 1850 | 1991 | 8,353 | Flyers | Horizon | |||
Drake University | Des Moines, Iowa | 1881 | 3,164 | Bulldogs | Missouri Valley | ||||
Marist College | Poughkeepsie, New York | 1929 | 2009 | 6,200 | Red Foxes | MAAC | |||
Morehead State University | Morehead, Kentucky | 1922 | 2001 | Public | 8,218 | Eagles | OVC | ||
Presbyterian College | Clinton, South Carolina | 1880 | 2021 | Private | 1,172 | Blue Hose | Big South | ||
University of St. Thomas | St. Paul, Minnesota | 1885 | 9,878 | Tommies | Summit | ||||
University of San Diego | San Diego, California | 1949 | 1992 | 4,904 | Toreros | WCC | |||
Stetson University | DeLand, Florida | 1883 | 2013 | 4,330 | Hatters | ASUN | |||
Valparaiso University | Valparaiso, Indiana | 1859 | 1991 | 2,917 | Beacons | Summit | Missouri Valley |
- Notes
Former members[edit]
Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Colors | Primary conference when joining the PFL |
Current primary conference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austin Peay State University | Clarksville, Tennessee | 1927 | 2001 | 2006 | Public | Governors | OVC | ASUN | ||
Campbell University | Buies Creek, North Carolina | 1887 | 2008 | 2018 | Private | Fighting Camels | ASUN | CAA | ||
University of Evansville | Evansville, Indiana | 1854 | 1991 | 1998[a] | Purple Aces | Missouri Valley | ||||
Jacksonville University | Jacksonville, Florida | 1934 | 2001 | 2020[b] | Dolphins | ASUN | ||||
Mercer University | Macon, Georgia | 1833 | 2013 | 2014 | Bears | ASUN | SoCon |
- Notes
Membership timeline[edit]
Full members Other Conference Other Conference
Rivalries[edit]
One in-state rivalry currently exists in the PFL. A second had existed before Jacksonville discontinued its football program.
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 to 2012.
Jacksonville and Stetson had a football rivalry that ran from 2013, when Stetson began PFL play, to 2019, after which Jacksonville dropped football. The schools have been conference rivals in other sports since 1998, when Jacksonville joined the ASUN Conference, home to Stetson since 1985.
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]
PFL champions[edit]
Season | Champion | Record |
---|---|---|
1993 | Dayton | 5–0–0 |
1994 | Butler 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 Drake 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 San Diego |
6–1 |
2008 | Jacksonville | 7–1 |
2009 | Butler Dayton |
7–1 |
2010 | Jacksonville Dayton |
8–0 |
2011 | San Diego Drake |
7–1 |
2012 | Butler Drake San Diego |
7–1 |
2013 | Butler Marist |
7–1 |
2014 | San Diego | 7–1[14] |
2015 | Dayton San Diego |
7–1 |
2016 | San Diego | 8–0 |
2017 | San Diego | 8–0 |
2018 | San Diego | 8–0 |
2019 | San Diego | 8–0 |
2020/21* | Davidson | 4–1 |
2021 | Davidson San Diego |
7–1 |
2022 | St. Thomas | 8-0 |
2023 | Drake | 8-0 |
(*) Due to COVID-19, the Pioneer Football League suspended the fall 2020 football season. Dayton and Marist opted out of the spring season. Presbyterian played a full PFL schedule, but was ineligible for the conference title, and its games were not counted in PFL standings.
League titles by school[edit]
School | Championships | Championship Years |
---|---|---|
Dayton | 12
|
1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001*, 2002*, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 |
San Diego | 12
|
2005*, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 |
Drake | 7
|
1995, 1998, 2000, 2004*, 2011, 2012, 2023 |
Butler | 4
|
1994, 2009, 2012, 2013 |
Jacksonville | 2
|
2008, 2010 |
Valparaiso | 2
|
2000, 2003* |
Davidson | 2
|
2020×, 2021 |
Marist | 1
|
2013 |
St. Thomas | 1
|
2022 |
Campbell | 0
|
– |
Morehead State | 0
|
– |
Evansville | 0
|
– |
Austin Peay | 0
|
– |
Stetson | 0
|
– |
Presbyterian | 0
|
– |
* – Won in PFL Championship Game
× – played in spring 2021
Italics – Co-champions
PFL Championship Game[edit]
Season | North Division | Score | South Division | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Dayton | 46–14 | Jacksonville | Dayton, Ohio |
2002 | Dayton | 28–0 | Morehead State | Morehead, Kentucky |
2003 | Valparaiso | 54–42 | Morehead State | Valparaiso, Indiana |
2004 | Drake | 20–17 | Morehead State | Morehead, Kentucky |
2005 | San Diego | 47–40 | Morehead State | San Diego, California |
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.
Through the 2012 season, the NCAA did not offer the league an automatic invite to the FCS playoffs and never offered an at-large bid to any of its teams, effectively barring the league from the tournament. Starting in 2013, the Pioneer League received an automatic bid to compete in the Division I Football Championship as the playoffs expanded from 20 teams to 24. The PFL won its first playoff game in 2016, as San Diego advanced past the first round of the playoffs.
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.
Season | Champion | Runner-up | Bowl | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1945 | Drake | 13 | Fresno State | 12 | Raisin Bowl |
1946 | Evansville | 19 | Northern Illinois | 7 | Turkey Bowl |
1947 | Evansville | 20 | Northern Illinois | 0 | Hoosier Bowl |
1948 | Drake | 14 | Arizona | 13 | Salad Bowl |
1948 | Evansville | 13 | Missouri Valley | 7 | Refrigerator Bowl |
1949 | Evansville | 22 | Hillsdale | 7 | Refrigerator Bowl |
1950 | Wisconsin-La Crosse | 47 | Valparaiso | 14 | Cigar Bowl |
1951 | Houston | 26 | Dayton | 21 | Salad Bowl |
1957 | Louisville | 34 | Drake | 20 | Sun Bowl |
1960 | Middle Tennessee State | 21 | Presbyterian | 12 | Tangerine Bowl |
1969 | Arkansas State | 29 | Drake | 21 | Pecan Bowl |
1969 | Toledo | 56 | Davidson | 33 | Tangerine Bowl |
1972 | Tennessee State | 29 | Drake | 7 | Pioneer Bowl |
1973 | Wittenberg | 21 | San Diego | 14 | Division III Playoffs |
1974 | Central (IA) | 31 | Evansville | 14 | Division III Playoffs |
1980 | Dayton | 63 | Ithaca | 0 | Stagg Bowl |
1981 | Widener | 17 | Dayton | 10 | Stagg Bowl |
1983 | Cal Davis | 25 | Butler | 3 | Division II Playoffs |
1987 | Wagner | 19 | Dayton | 3 | Stagg Bowl |
1988 | Tennessee-Martin | 23 | Butler | 3 | Division II Playoffs |
1989 | Dayton | 17 | Union (NY) | 7 | Stagg Bowl |
1991 | Ithaca | 34 | Dayton | 20 | Stagg Bowl |
1991 | Pittsburg State | 26 | Butler | 16 | Division II Playoffs |
PFL Sports Network Cup results[edit]
PFL Gridiron Classic results[edit]
From 2006 through 2009, the PFL and Northeast Conference (NEC) staged the Gridiron Classic, an exempted postseason football game that matched the champions of the two conferences which were technically members of Division I FCS, but which were not the recipients of automatic invitations to the football championship playoff at the time.
Season | Champion | Runner-up | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | San Diego | 27 | Monmouth | 7 |
2007 | Dayton | 42 | Albany | 21 |
2008 | Albany | 28 | Jacksonville | 0 |
2009 | Butler | 28 | Central Connecticut | 23 |
NCAA Division I Football Championship results[edit]
Since 2013, the PFL champion has received an invite to the FCS playoffs; previously, PFL teams had to receive an at-large bid, which no team ever received.
Season | PFL Champion | Round | Opponent(s) | Result(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Butler | First Round | Tennessee State | L, 0–31 |
2014 | San Diego | First Round | Montana | L, 14–52 |
2015 | Dayton | First Round | Western Illinois | L, 7–24 |
2016 | San Diego | First Round Second Round |
Cal Poly North Dakota State |
W, 35–21 L, 7–45 |
2017 | San Diego | First Round Second Round |
Northern Arizona North Dakota State |
W, 41–10 L, 3–38 |
2018 | San Diego | First Round | Nicholls | L, 30–49 |
2019 | San Diego | First Round | Northern Iowa | L, 3–17 |
2020–21 | Davidson | First Round | Jacksonville State | L, 14–49 |
2021 | Davidson | First Round | Kennesaw State | L, 21–48 |
2022 | Davidson* | First Round | Richmond | L, 0–41 |
2023 | Drake | First Round | North Dakota State | L, 3–66 |
* - St. Thomas was the PFL champion in 2022; however, they were ineligible for postseason play due to still being in transition from Division III. Davidson, the runner-up, was awarded the auto-bid in their place.
Historical standings[edit]
Conference facilities[edit]
School | Football Stadium | Capacity |
Butler | Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl | 7,500 |
Davidson | Richardson Stadium | 4,741 |
Dayton | Welcome Stadium | 11,000 |
Drake | Drake Stadium | 14,557[15] |
Marist | Leonidoff Field | 5,000[16] |
Morehead State | Jayne Stadium | 10,000 |
Presbyterian | Bailey Memorial Stadium | 6,500 |
St. Thomas | O'Shaughnessy Stadium | 5,025 |
San Diego | Torero Stadium | 6,000 |
Stetson | Spec Martin Memorial Stadium | 6,000 |
Valparaiso | Brown Field | 5,000 |
References[edit]
- ^ "Drake joins new league". The Telegraph-Herald. Dubuque, Iowa. November 22, 1991. pp. Page 1B. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
- ^ "Campbell University Accepts Invitation to Join Pioneer Football League". GoCamels.com. December 5, 2007. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2007.
- ^ "Marist gets a National Stage and Travel Schedule". nytimes.com. September 11, 2009.
- ^ "Campbell University To Re-Join Big South Conference" (Press release). Big South Conference. May 14, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
- ^ "Mercer University, Stetson University to join Pioneer Football League in 2013". June 13, 2011. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved August 20, 2011.
- ^ Birch, Tommy (August 23, 2012). "Pioneer Football League officially announces automatic bid". Des Moines Register. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "VMI, ETSU, Mercer to join SoCon". College Football. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "Fighting Camels football to join Big South in 2018" (Press release). Campbell University. November 14, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2016.
- ^ "Presbyterian College Unveils New Strategic Plan" (Press release). Presbyterian College. November 19, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
- ^ "PFL Announces Updated Spring Schedule" (Press release). Pioneer Football League. February 2, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- ^ "Valparaiso's Washington, San Diego's Glajchen Highlight 2020-21 PFL Major Award Recipients" (Press release). Pioneer Football League. April 26, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
- ^ Moretti III, Matt. "Jacksonville University Discontinues Football". judolphins.com. Jacksonville Athletics. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Haugen, Emily (July 15, 2020). "BREAKING: St. Thomas approved to begin transition to Division I athletics". TommieMedia. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ "Football Program Compliance Update". Jacksonville University. November 14, 2014. Archived from the original on November 19, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "Drake Stadium History". Drake Athletics. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
- ^ "Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field". Marist Athletics. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.