SAINT LOUIS – A noon, Saturday kickoff between Butler and Dayton highlights the Pioneer Football League's five-game Week 8 schedule. Dayton is off to a 3-0 start in conference action as it returns to Welcome Stadium to host a Butler unit that suffered its first league loss last week. Nationally-ranked Presbyterian also returns home and looks to avoid a trap game against a streaking Stetson squad with a Week 9 trip to Dayton looming in the future. Drake, winners of 20 of its last 21 PFL outings, is back in Drake Stadium this week to host Davidson. The late action sees Marist travel down the Appalachians to Morehead State while Valparaiso heads north to St. Thomas. 

This Week's Schedule

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18	Kickoff (ET)	Series History	Streak	Last Meeting
Butler at Dayton	Noon	UD, 34-14-1	UD, W1	Dayton def. Butler, 21-14 (10/19/24)
Davidson at Drake	1 PM	DU, 8-3	DC, W2	Davidson def. Drake, 48-14 (10/22/22)
Stetson at Presbyterian	1 PM	SU, 3-2	PC, W1	Presbyterian def. Stetson, 42-14 (10/26/24)
Marist at Morehead State	2 PM	MU, 5-3	MU, W1	Marist def. Morehead State, 31-21 (11/5/22)
Valparaiso at St. Thomas	2 PM	UST, 4-0	UST, W5	St. Thomas def. Valparaiso, 42-14 (10/19/24)

PFL Notables

• For a third straight week, Presbyterian is ranked in the Top 25 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA FCS Polls. The Blue Hose moved up four spots to No. 19 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll this week and are up three spots to No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS poll. 
• If it's possible to fly under the radar after posting a 15-1 record the past two seasons, Drake has done awfully well in avoiding the spotlight in 2025. With its walkoff win at San Diego last week, Drake has won 20 of its last 21 PFL games.
• After ending a 13-game PFL losing streak with a Week 6 win against Davidson, Stetson secured its second-straight by downing Morehead State at home in Week 7. It is the first time the Hatters have won back-to-back games since 2019. 
• Dayton is off to a 3-0 start in league play for a second consecutive season. The Flyers are looking to avoid a repeat of last seaosn, which saw a three-game win streak to open PFL play followed by a three-game losing streak. 
• The PFL notched its seventh and eighth wins against nonconference FCS opposition in 2025 as San Diego stunned Princeton and Dayton toppled Robert Morris on the road during Week 4. The eight wins are the league's most since 2009. The league record for most wins against FCS teams in a season since 2000 is 10 set during the 2001 season. Two nonconference games remain in the regular season, with Marist traveling to Penn in Week 7 and St. Thomas facing North Dakota State in the season's final week. 
• Presbyterian's victory against nationally-ranked Mercer in Week 1 was the PFL's first win against a ranked FCS opponent since 2018, when Butler defeated Youngstown State to begin the season. San Diego's victory against Southern Utah in Week 1 was the league's second against a Top 25 FCS foe. It is the first time the league has two wins against nationally-ranked opponents in the same season.
• Following a vote by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in June, St. Thomas has officially completed the reclassification process, making it an active member of NCAA Division I and eligible to compete in NCAA championships. The Tommies will compete for the PFL automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs for the first time this season.
• Davidson senior running back Mari Adams and Drake senior linebacker Sean Allison are the PFL's representatives on the 2025 Walter Payton and Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch Lists, respectively. Drake senior long snapper Brett Welsing joined Adams on the 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Teams.
• There are currently 10 PFL alumni on NFL rosters, with seven on active 53-man rosters and three listed on reserve, injured, or practice rosters. Additionally, PFL alumni were featured on the rosters of the Canadian Football League and the United Football League during their respective 2025 seasons.