Pioneer Football League Will Not Conduct Conference Competition in Fall 2020
The Pioneer Football League’s (PFL) Presidents Council has announced that the league’s schools will not conduct conference competition in fall 2020. The PFL membership is spread from coast-to-coast and throughout the Midwest, which creates challenges related to team travel, as well as difficulties meeting applicable state, local and institutional health requirements and COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
Recognizing competition is an integral part of the student-athlete’s educational experience, the PFL is committed to exploring meaningful opportunities and experiences for football student-athletes this academic year, if this can be done reasonably and safely.
“Eliminating competitive opportunities is a very difficult decision to have to make, especially knowing the effort and commitment that our student-athletes put into their sport,” Valparaiso Director of Athletics Mark LaBarbera said. “One of our core values is student well-being, so the highest priority in the decision-making process needs to be the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches and staff members involved in our programs. We remain committed to making every effort to provide our football student-athletes with the opportunity to practice and condition in a safe and responsible manner during the fall months. In addition, we are working diligently to find competitive opportunities for our football program this academic year. I would like to thank all of our student-athletes for their flexibility and patience as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times together.”
