The CSN Way: Davidson plays Division I Football. Really, They Do

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://www.collegesportingnews.com/images/articles/91393_CSNWay.jpg
The CSN Way: Davidson plays Division I Football. Really, They Do
http://www.collegesportingnews.com/article.asp?articleid=91393


Although its football team is a bit overshadowed these days by its Elite 8 appearance in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, Davidson does indeed play nonscholarship football at the Division I level. It plays in the Pioneer Football League (or PFL), a football-only league that features nine institutions that pursue cost-containment football without football scholarships.

You could say that many of the schools in the PFL are tied closely to their basketball roots. Six PFL teams have had outstanding recent success on the men’s hardwood, all qualifying for postseason play this year.

What’s the story behind their success in basketball and their desire to play nonscholarship Division I football? It starts with an NCAA rule change in 1991 that in effect created a “subdivision within a subdivision.”

xthumbsupx xthumbsupx

[DetroitFlyer]

Interesting article. One correction I noticed is that in the PFL a football player may not be on the team if he has another athletic scholarship. So a kid on an athletic track scholarship cannot play football like the kid referenced from Drake. ( At least from what I have been told in the past ).

[Model Citizen]

The Flyer got it right.

USD has had football/baseball combo players. The only one who could've been on an athletic scholarship was Gavin Ng, who used his football eligibility before joining Torero baseball as a grad student.

[Model Citizen]

If you add Marist, which will join the PFL next year, and Campbell, which is joining this fall, eight of the soon-to-be 11 PFL members have had men’s basketball teams that have made the NCAA Tournament in the last 10 years.

Adding Campbell and Marist gives them 10, I believe. Was the writer hinting something about Mercer? ;)

[CID1990]

Davidson is worse in my book than cofc or UNCG. They actually play football, but not in the SoCon. I say take the sandbag schools and send them to the CAA, and give us Richmond, JMU and W&M!!

[TexasTerror]

Loved the article...

Think it gives the faithful on here an idea of how exactly non-scholarship Div I football came about, the success of those schools on the hardwood and a glimpse into the future...

Looking for Campbell and Marist in the PFL and hope we see a Detroit Mercy or some of the other squads mentioned on this board before make their way to the gridiron...

[lc83]

Interesting article. One correction I noticed is that in the PFL a football player may not be on the team if he has another athletic scholarship. So a kid on an athletic track scholarship cannot play football like the kid referenced from Drake. ( At least from what I have been told in the past ).

Butler has two track and football freshman who are receiving athletic aid from track.

[Model Citizen]

Butler has two track and football freshman who are receiving athletic aid from track.

What are their names?

[DetroitFlyer]

Butler has two track and football freshman who are receiving athletic aid from track.

I would be very surprised if true.... I'm betting that they are on academic or need based aid and just happen to run track and play football. The kid at Drake mentioned in the article does run track at Drake, but he does not receive an athletic scholarship for track according to some very reliable sources.

[Model Citizen]

I think LC83 lawyered up.

[OL FU]

Davidson is worse in my book than cofc or UNCG. They actually play football, but not in the SoCon. I say take the sandbag schools and send them to the CAA, and give us Richmond, JMU and W&M!!

I agree that I would prefer that the teams of the SoCon compete in all major sports ( to me Football and Basketball) :D I suppose the feelings are a little harder on Davidson since they do play football. As I said before if Wofford and Furman can do it, so can Davidson.

On the other hand, I have nothing against the other "mid-majors". Maybe their intangbile assets gave them a great advantage in D-III, but the NCAA has basicially put them in no man's land in D-I which is an totally unfair.

[401ks]

Good article.

Just a few minor factual errors, such as...


Faced with being forced to play at the Division I level and unable to play in the Division III playoffs, the six schools in Dayton’s situation (Dayton, Valparaiso, Butler, Drake, Evansville and San Diego) bonded and formed the Pioneer Football League in 1992.

Butler and Valparaiso were Division II scholarship programs before joining the PFL.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Good article.

Just a few minor factual errors, such as...



Butler and Valparaiso were Division II scholarship programs before joining the PFL.


True. Butler did make it to the playoffs a couple times as a D-II team and ostensibly shared the same advantages as Dayton in recruiting, etc.

Valpo was always pretty bad in football, though, it looks like.

[Model Citizen]

Butler did make it to the playoffs a couple times as a D-II team and ostensibly shared the same advantages as Dayton in recruiting...

Plus Butler was carrying about a dozen scholarships. Scholarship players were grandfathered into the PFL.

[Eyes of Old Main]

As I said before if Wofford and Furman can do it, so can Davidson.

I agree, OL FU.

Davidson has more monetary resources than Furman and Wofford combined, yet both Wofford and Furman have won SoCon titles and playoff games and the Paladins have a National Championship.

Imagine what Davidson could accomplish if they weren't afraid to try.

[DFW HOYA]

I agree, OL FU.
Imagine what Davidson could accomplish if they weren't afraid to try.

Davidson did try, and they were nearly ground into the dust.

After their 1969 Tangerine Bowl season, Davidson had one winning season in its next 20. And whereas Furman was building Paladin Stadium, Davidson was stuck in aging Richardson Field, so revenues to offset schoalrship costs weren't there.