The Pioneer Football League will return to a single-division
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The Pioneer Football League will return to a single-division, round-robin format in 2006, the conference office announced today.
The league voted this summer on the move back to a single-division format, which the league used in its first eight seasons. The change resulted from the league's reduction to eight members for the 2006 campaign -- Austin Peay State University leaves the conference at the conclusion of the 2005 season. The final round-robin schedule will provide seven league games annually for all teams with alternating seasons of four home/three road and three home/four road.
"The full round robin schedule gives the league the best opportunity to name a true conference champion and to make every conference game meaningful and exciting," said PFL commissioner Patty Viverito.
"To get the opportunity to play every team in the conference is very exciting," Davidson head coach Tripp Merritt stated. "One true champion and one all-conference team makes for a more meaningful season and less confusion for the fans of the league."
The league grew to its current nine members in 2001 with the addition of four new schools -- Austin Peay , Davidson College, Jacksonville University and Morehead State University. That expansion also necessitated the formation of two divisions with existing members Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, the University of San Diego and Valparaiso University forming the PFL North and the newest members becoming the PFL South.
Additionally, the league created a championship game between the winners of the two divisions. With the change in regular-season scheduling, the PFL Championship will be discontinued after the 2005 championship game hosted by the PFL North champion, Nov. 19. Without a league championship game, the establishment of a NCAA-sponsored postseason opportunity for one or more PFL teams becomes a high priority.
"We are hopeful that the strength of our league will be emphasized through the round-robin format," said Dave Blank, director of athletics at Drake and current chair of the PFL. "We feel strongly that the NCAA should be interested in investigating ways to provide our student-athletes with some form of postseason opportunity."
A 2006 composite league schedule will be released at a later date.
The information in this release came from the Pioneer Football League.
Rick Bender
Davidson College SID
P.O. Box 7158
Davidson, NC 28035-7158
Office: 704-894-2123
The league voted this summer on the move back to a single-division format, which the league used in its first eight seasons. The change resulted from the league's reduction to eight members for the 2006 campaign -- Austin Peay State University leaves the conference at the conclusion of the 2005 season. The final round-robin schedule will provide seven league games annually for all teams with alternating seasons of four home/three road and three home/four road.
"The full round robin schedule gives the league the best opportunity to name a true conference champion and to make every conference game meaningful and exciting," said PFL commissioner Patty Viverito.
"To get the opportunity to play every team in the conference is very exciting," Davidson head coach Tripp Merritt stated. "One true champion and one all-conference team makes for a more meaningful season and less confusion for the fans of the league."
The league grew to its current nine members in 2001 with the addition of four new schools -- Austin Peay , Davidson College, Jacksonville University and Morehead State University. That expansion also necessitated the formation of two divisions with existing members Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, the University of San Diego and Valparaiso University forming the PFL North and the newest members becoming the PFL South.
Additionally, the league created a championship game between the winners of the two divisions. With the change in regular-season scheduling, the PFL Championship will be discontinued after the 2005 championship game hosted by the PFL North champion, Nov. 19. Without a league championship game, the establishment of a NCAA-sponsored postseason opportunity for one or more PFL teams becomes a high priority.
"We are hopeful that the strength of our league will be emphasized through the round-robin format," said Dave Blank, director of athletics at Drake and current chair of the PFL. "We feel strongly that the NCAA should be interested in investigating ways to provide our student-athletes with some form of postseason opportunity."
A 2006 composite league schedule will be released at a later date.
The information in this release came from the Pioneer Football League.
Rick Bender
Davidson College SID
P.O. Box 7158
Davidson, NC 28035-7158
Office: 704-894-2123
posted by Don @ 9/07/2005 06:43:00 PM
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