ST. LOUIS, MO. The Pioneer Football League (PFL) and Northeast Conference (NEC) have reached 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, Nov. 18 with the NEC champion serving as host. The PFL winner will host the 2007 event.
Student-athletes thrive on competition and having a meaningful postseason opportunity is a high priority for our institutions, said Patty Viverito, PFL Commissioner. The PFLs new full round-robin schedule will crown a true league champion and the Gridiron Classic gives our best team the chance to test and showcase their talents against another top-notch Division I-AA champion.
We are very pleased about the postseason opportunity that the Gridiron Classic affords our student-athletes, said Ron Ratner, NEC Interim Commissioner. The NEC and its schools look forward to working with the PFL in making this a highly anticipated game at the I-AA level.
Central Connecticut State and Stony Brook are the defending NEC co-champions, while San Diego is the reigning PFL champion.
Set to begin its 14th season, the Pioneer Football League is one of three Division I football-only sport conferences. The PFL is comprised of eight members: Butler, Dayton, Davidson, Drake, Jacksonville, Morehead State, San Diego and Valparaiso.
Drake won the Pioneer Football League outright title in 1995, 1998 and 2004, while sharing the crown with Dayton and Valparaiso in 2000..
The Northeast Conference consists of 11 institutions of higher learning located throughout five states and is celebrating its 25th year as an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association. The NEC began sponsoring football at the I-AA level in 1996, and has since increased its membership from five to eight institutions. Central Connecticut State, Monmouth, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, St. Francis (PA) and Wagner are full-time NEC members who sponsor football, and they are joined by associate members Albany and Stony Brook.
