THIS WEEKS GAMES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
Central State (Ohio) at Morehead State 6 PM
Sioux Falls (S.D.) at St. Thomas 7 PM
Presbyterian at Mercer 7 PM
Quincy at Drake 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
Saint Francis at Dayton 12 PM
Davidson at Georgetown 12:30 PM
Upper Iowa at Butler 1 PM
Valparaiso at Northern Iowa 5 PM
Ave Maria at Stetson 6 PM
Cal Poly at San Diego 8 PM
PFL Notes
- The 2024 Pioneer Football League season begins with 10 Week 1 scheduled contests. Morehead State opens the season with its 6 p.m. Thursday outing against Division II Central State (Ohio).
- Defending champion Drake also opens its season at home when it hosts Division II Quincy in Des Moines. Meanwhile, St. Thomas also opens up at home against Division II Sioux Falls.
- Those are three of the seven games in which a PFL team plays its home opener. Dayton, Butler, Stetson, and San Diego also play their home openers during Week 1.
- The PFL’s coaches picked Drake to win the 2024 PFL title after winning the 2023 title, their seventh PFL championship and first since 2012. The Bulldogs received eight of the 11 first-place votes from the league’s coaches. St. Thomas was second in the preseason poll, followed by Butler and San Diego.
- Drake defensive end Finn Claypool, the reigning PFL Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List presented by Stats Perform. He also was named to the Stats Performs All-America Team.
- Davidson running back Mari Adams and Drake quarterback Luke Bailey were named to the 35-player Walter Payton Watch Award Watch List, also presented by Stats Perform.
- For a third consecutive year, there are two new head coaches patrolling the sidelines in the league. Former Princeton assistant head coach Mike Willis takes over at Marist following Jim Parady’s retirement after 32 seasons in Poughkeepsie. Morehead State turned to Fairmont State head coach Jason Woodman to lead its football program in 2024.
- The PFL had a team listed in the two FCS Preseason Polls. Drake received votes in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. Meanwhile, Butler received votes in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
- The FCS already has a win against the FBS this season, with Montana State topping New Mexico in Week Zero action.
- The 2024 NCAA Division I Football Championship will see the top 16 teams seeded for the first time since 2000. Previously, the committee only seeded the top eight teams.
