Next on this list comes the most unique conference in all FCS football...probably all football period. The Pioneer League holds the distinction of being the only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. And I'd have to double check this but I believe its the only one of its kind period among all levels of NCAA sanctioned football. And when you think about all of that and see the level of football you get from the Pioneer league now, the arrow is really pointing up for the conference in terms of respectability and level of play.
Placement Reasoning
Like a lot of teams on this list, the Pioneer League is a very top-heavy conference with San Diego having a two year stranglehold on the top spot. But teams like Dayton, Drake, and in the past Jacksonville are trying to rise to the level of the Toreros. And all of those teams have the capability to step out and grab non-conference wins against solid opponents. Where the league falls short and ends up next to the bottom is because when you look at the lower teams on this list, they aren't very good. Teams like Davidson, Stetson, and Valparaiso, have struggled to get wins over even mid-level D2, D3 or even NAIA schools. But with the past couple of years of Dayton hosting a playoff game and San Diego winning back-to-back playoff games, the league can rise if the top tier teams of the conference continue the upward swing.
2017 Recap
This was an interesting year for the Pioneer League, it was one the one conference that added a team (Presbyterian) and also lost a team (Campbell), it had one of the best stories of the year with Valpo and its winning season (its first since 2003), and San Diego had the biggest upset of the playoffs and held its own versus NDSU (yes, I know the score doesn't show that but it was more about depth of talent and scholarship players). Outside of those stories there was San Diego DE Jonathan Petersen, who finished 4th in the Buck Buchanan award (best defensive player) and is just crazy stat line of 18 sacks (1.38 per game) and 25.5 tackles for loss ( 2.0 per game). And oh yeah, by the way he set the career sack mark with 44, getting 3 of them versus NDSU
Playoff/National Championship Contenders
The Favorite
San Diego
Until further notice, the Toreros are the league favorite. They have four league losses since 2012 and none in the last two years. And what's more amazing, San Diego hasn't lost more than one league game since 2010, impressive Yes they have to replace a ton, including both coordinators, but having a senior QB, 1,000 rusher, and the all but Petersen among the front seven does give you a leg up on teams. Now as for the National Championship, umm well it would be one hell of a story if they won it but there isn't much of a chance for them to pull out the upset of a lifetime. The draw would have to be perfect and they would have to get white hot in order to pull off probably 2 or 3 upsets.
The Contenders
Dayton
The Flyers had a down year last year but doesn't mean the winner of the league's first auto-bid doesn't deserve some love. Dayton hopes to get a full season out of QB Alex Jeske after missing half of last season with a foot injury. If he performs at the 2015-16 level, they will be in good shape. Just like San Diego, and everyone else in the league, national championship hopes are a long shot. And what makes the hill harder to climb for Dayton is the lack of pass rush, the Flyers only had four sacks all of 2017
Drake
Its never fun being the first team on the next tier but that's exactly where the Bulldogs are on the league's totem pole. While back-to-back 6-2 league records is nothing to be ashamed of, there is still that last hurdle that has tripped up the Bulldogs the last few years. Good news is they have the best of the bunch under center returning in third-year quarterback Grant Kraemer and with the entire secondary coming back who knows maybe playoff football finally makes it way to Des Moines.
The Sleeper
Jacksonville
I would have loved to say Campbell, a year ago I would have, but they are now a full blown member of the Big South so we turn to a team that is just as good of a sleeper. The Dolphins are a team, like Drake, who hasn't jumped over the hurdle of the Dayton/San Diego wall and hoping a returning cast of 14 starters is enough to finally stem the tide. And naturally anyone who has to deal with the triple options is in for a bunch of "fun"
Teams to add/subtract
As said at the top, the Pioneer League was one of the most active last year in terms of reshuffling. But with that being said there could be a bit more in order to make this conference all but perfect
Adding Georgetown
This one sells itself, why not add the one other team that doesn't play in the Pioneer League and doesn't have scholarship football? And on top of that it keeps the regional feel of the conference, well except the random trips to San Diego every other year. The move would be like the one Presbyterian made where they were never really going to get out of the basement of the Big South and could become more competitive in a conference better fit.
Subtracting Dayton (to the NEC), San Diego (to the Big Sky)
Ok, why would I say getting rid of the two teams that carry the torch for the conference? Well the answer is simple, because both teams would be better off having a better profile and scholarship athletes. Dayton to the NEC would be a bit tricky since it carries all sports and might want the Flyers to be a full time member, but that being said its the perfect step up in class without jumping up too high. The OVC and the CAA also make a lot of sense but both conferences are loaded and adding one more to the mix might be overkill at this point
In San Diego's case it would be a move both in financial relief and in class. Now going from the Pioneer to the Big Sky would be a huge step up but the long term advantage would be significant. Add that to the fact that the Big Sky would be losing North Dakota to the MVFC and you have the perfect replacement. The only negative in all of this would be having to upgrade the stadium but even that doesn't have to a major one (TV grade lighting and video board would do the trick)
Best/Worst
So admittedly, I have altered this a bit cause after thinking about it not knowing enough about the schools would make it really hard to do a best/worst tradition or fan base. So instead...logos and nicknames
Stadium
Best - Drake Stadium
Yes I know, its way more know for the Drake Relays (on my sports bucket list) but its still a really beautiful place to play. And no matter what, when its as iconic as Drake Stadium, its hard to top it
Uniforms
Best - Davidson Wildcats
Look I'm a sucker for an all black uniform and they way they use they red to compliment it and give it that little extra throws it over the top for me. This could easily be over done and too busy but its done right.
Worst - Marist Red Foxes
Its just red...like a lot of red. Yeah there is some white to try and offset it but everything just kind comes of and eh...here you go. Add in the powerpoint font numbering and you got something that just don't do it
2018 Outlook
I will admit, the Pioneer League has me intrigued. Can it build on the last couple years and do more damage out of conference and in the playoffs? I'm not sure it can but it will be interesting to see. I would expect San Diego to maintain its stranglehold on the top of the league but the schedule is really tricky, two East Coast trips including on in November to end the regular season. I would say that if we get the same level of crazy that we got at the end of last year plus solid non-conference showings, I don't think its out of the realm of possibility you could see an at-large bid come from the Pioneer. Remember, just last year we said the same of the Big South and look what happened. Also, I think Valpo goes back-to-back with winning seasons.
Whew...these are a lot harder to write but two down and eleven more to go. Onward to #11 on the list and the other HBU conference...the MEAC. Lot of news coming out of there lately with Hampton jumping ship. Definitely and interesting conference
Placement Reasoning
Like a lot of teams on this list, the Pioneer League is a very top-heavy conference with San Diego having a two year stranglehold on the top spot. But teams like Dayton, Drake, and in the past Jacksonville are trying to rise to the level of the Toreros. And all of those teams have the capability to step out and grab non-conference wins against solid opponents. Where the league falls short and ends up next to the bottom is because when you look at the lower teams on this list, they aren't very good. Teams like Davidson, Stetson, and Valparaiso, have struggled to get wins over even mid-level D2, D3 or even NAIA schools. But with the past couple of years of Dayton hosting a playoff game and San Diego winning back-to-back playoff games, the league can rise if the top tier teams of the conference continue the upward swing.
2017 Recap
This was an interesting year for the Pioneer League, it was one the one conference that added a team (Presbyterian) and also lost a team (Campbell), it had one of the best stories of the year with Valpo and its winning season (its first since 2003), and San Diego had the biggest upset of the playoffs and held its own versus NDSU (yes, I know the score doesn't show that but it was more about depth of talent and scholarship players). Outside of those stories there was San Diego DE Jonathan Petersen, who finished 4th in the Buck Buchanan award (best defensive player) and is just crazy stat line of 18 sacks (1.38 per game) and 25.5 tackles for loss ( 2.0 per game). And oh yeah, by the way he set the career sack mark with 44, getting 3 of them versus NDSU
Playoff/National Championship Contenders
The Favorite
San Diego
Until further notice, the Toreros are the league favorite. They have four league losses since 2012 and none in the last two years. And what's more amazing, San Diego hasn't lost more than one league game since 2010, impressive Yes they have to replace a ton, including both coordinators, but having a senior QB, 1,000 rusher, and the all but Petersen among the front seven does give you a leg up on teams. Now as for the National Championship, umm well it would be one hell of a story if they won it but there isn't much of a chance for them to pull out the upset of a lifetime. The draw would have to be perfect and they would have to get white hot in order to pull off probably 2 or 3 upsets.
The Contenders
Dayton
The Flyers had a down year last year but doesn't mean the winner of the league's first auto-bid doesn't deserve some love. Dayton hopes to get a full season out of QB Alex Jeske after missing half of last season with a foot injury. If he performs at the 2015-16 level, they will be in good shape. Just like San Diego, and everyone else in the league, national championship hopes are a long shot. And what makes the hill harder to climb for Dayton is the lack of pass rush, the Flyers only had four sacks all of 2017
Drake
Its never fun being the first team on the next tier but that's exactly where the Bulldogs are on the league's totem pole. While back-to-back 6-2 league records is nothing to be ashamed of, there is still that last hurdle that has tripped up the Bulldogs the last few years. Good news is they have the best of the bunch under center returning in third-year quarterback Grant Kraemer and with the entire secondary coming back who knows maybe playoff football finally makes it way to Des Moines.
The Sleeper
Jacksonville
I would have loved to say Campbell, a year ago I would have, but they are now a full blown member of the Big South so we turn to a team that is just as good of a sleeper. The Dolphins are a team, like Drake, who hasn't jumped over the hurdle of the Dayton/San Diego wall and hoping a returning cast of 14 starters is enough to finally stem the tide. And naturally anyone who has to deal with the triple options is in for a bunch of "fun"
Teams to add/subtract
As said at the top, the Pioneer League was one of the most active last year in terms of reshuffling. But with that being said there could be a bit more in order to make this conference all but perfect
Adding Georgetown
This one sells itself, why not add the one other team that doesn't play in the Pioneer League and doesn't have scholarship football? And on top of that it keeps the regional feel of the conference, well except the random trips to San Diego every other year. The move would be like the one Presbyterian made where they were never really going to get out of the basement of the Big South and could become more competitive in a conference better fit.
Subtracting Dayton (to the NEC), San Diego (to the Big Sky)
Ok, why would I say getting rid of the two teams that carry the torch for the conference? Well the answer is simple, because both teams would be better off having a better profile and scholarship athletes. Dayton to the NEC would be a bit tricky since it carries all sports and might want the Flyers to be a full time member, but that being said its the perfect step up in class without jumping up too high. The OVC and the CAA also make a lot of sense but both conferences are loaded and adding one more to the mix might be overkill at this point
In San Diego's case it would be a move both in financial relief and in class. Now going from the Pioneer to the Big Sky would be a huge step up but the long term advantage would be significant. Add that to the fact that the Big Sky would be losing North Dakota to the MVFC and you have the perfect replacement. The only negative in all of this would be having to upgrade the stadium but even that doesn't have to a major one (TV grade lighting and video board would do the trick)
Best/Worst
So admittedly, I have altered this a bit cause after thinking about it not knowing enough about the schools would make it really hard to do a best/worst tradition or fan base. So instead...logos and nicknames
Stadium
Best - Drake Stadium
Yes I know, its way more know for the Drake Relays (on my sports bucket list) but its still a really beautiful place to play. And no matter what, when its as iconic as Drake Stadium, its hard to top it
Worst - Brown Field (Valpo)
I like Valparaiso, its a fun little school. The campus is beautiful, the ARC is pretty cool, but Brown Field just looks and feels like you're about to play a random high school game. Which is sad cause even a small amount of upgrades would help a long way
Logo and Nickname
Best - Jacksonville Dolphins
Since Campbell is no longer a member they are out of the running so we go with the next best thing. While i'm not sure how many dolphins you'll see along the coastline its still one of the more unique and cool nicknames you can come up with. Plus the logo with the dolphin seemingly jump over the JU is an awesome touch...plus color scheme
Worst - Stetson Hatters
I mean the story behind the nickname and the school is pretty cool (named after famous hat maker John B. Stetson) but while its cool its still falls a bit short. Uniqueness aside it comes off as a bit dull to say ur a Hatter. Yeah the league has two bulldogs and a wildcat but Stetson brings up the rear for me
Best - Davidson Wildcats
Look I'm a sucker for an all black uniform and they way they use they red to compliment it and give it that little extra throws it over the top for me. This could easily be over done and too busy but its done right.
Worst - Marist Red Foxes
Its just red...like a lot of red. Yeah there is some white to try and offset it but everything just kind comes of and eh...here you go. Add in the powerpoint font numbering and you got something that just don't do it
2018 Outlook
I will admit, the Pioneer League has me intrigued. Can it build on the last couple years and do more damage out of conference and in the playoffs? I'm not sure it can but it will be interesting to see. I would expect San Diego to maintain its stranglehold on the top of the league but the schedule is really tricky, two East Coast trips including on in November to end the regular season. I would say that if we get the same level of crazy that we got at the end of last year plus solid non-conference showings, I don't think its out of the realm of possibility you could see an at-large bid come from the Pioneer. Remember, just last year we said the same of the Big South and look what happened. Also, I think Valpo goes back-to-back with winning seasons.
Whew...these are a lot harder to write but two down and eleven more to go. Onward to #11 on the list and the other HBU conference...the MEAC. Lot of news coming out of there lately with Hampton jumping ship. Definitely and interesting conference
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