Pioneer League football teams struggle against Division II competition
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 1, 2026, 2:35 PM
Last updated Sep 1, 2026
College SportsPioneer League teams struggled during the opening week of the college football season, with three members of the non-scholarship conference falling to Division II opponents. Morehead State dropped a 42-40 decision to Ohio Dominican in three overtimes, while Davidson lost 41-35 to Concord. Drake, the three-time defending conference champion, fell 38-35 to South Dakota School of Mines. Presbyterian and St. Thomas secured wins against Division II competition, while Butler defeated an NAIA opponent. The Pioneer League is currently 2-13 in FCS playoff appearances since receiving an automatic bid in 2013. The string of losses has prompted questions regarding the conference's automatic qualification for the postseason and how those wins are weighed in relation to victories over programs from other classifications.
- •Morehead State lost 42-40 in triple overtime to Ohio Dominican.
- •Davidson suffered a 41-35 defeat against Concord.
- •South Dakota School of Mines beat Drake 38-35.
- •The Pioneer League has a 2-13 record in the FCS playoffs since 2013.
- •Stetson lost to SDSU by a score of 70-7.
- 2:35 PMYahoo Sports — Matt Zimmer: Let's stop pretending the Pioneer League is Division I football
"Sep. 1—BROOKINGS — It was a bad opening week for the Pioneer League, the Division I FCS's non-scholarship conference. On Thursday night, three PFL teams lost to Division II teams. Morehead State lost 42-40 in three overtimes to Ohio Dominican, while Davidson lost 41-35 to Concord, a Division II team that went 4-7 last year. Worse yet, Drake, the three-time defending PFL champs, were defeated ...
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