Pioneer Football League 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 scholarship s ( " grants - in - aid " ) to football players . History . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . In February 2008 , Marist College announced that it would join the PFL for the 2009 season , after the MAAC stopped sponsoring football . Although Campbell moved from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the Big South Conference , which sponsors football , in 2011 , it did not join the Big South football conference and remains in the PFL . 2013 membership changes On June 13 , 2011 it was announced that Mercer and Stetson would join the league in 2013 . That will bring the league ' s membership to 12 teams . Membership information . Current members Former members Future members Postseason games . 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 . 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 now has an automatic playoff bid , while the MAAC no longer sponsors football . Members pre - PFL postseason results . Below are postseason accomplishments by past and current members prior to the formation of the Pioneer Football League . PFL Gridiron Classic results . 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 .