Tomorrow's schedule has plenty of marquee games for the FCS. Most of the subdivision’s eyes will focus on South Dakota State @ Oklahoma State and North Dakota State @ Colorado. However, there is another game on the Thursday slate with conference-defining implications.
2023 FCS Playoff participant Mercer hosts Presbyterian tomorrow in the two schools’ second meeting ever. The game seems unimpressive when one compares the two schools’ 2023 resumes. Presbyterian seems overmatched by Mercer. The Blue Hose’s 4-7 mark in the lowly Pioneer Football League pales compared to Mercer's 9-4 mark from a year ago.
However, the game is a rare showcase game for the Pioneer Football League. Presbyterian-Mercer is the SoCon's Nexstar Game of the Week, airing on five over-the-air stations in the Southeast: ECBD (Charleston), WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke), WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville), and Macon's WMUB. Although it seems small, the exposure from this regional network TV experience does much for the Pioneer Football League's visibility in the region.
As mentioned multiple times on this site, the Pioneer Football League does not have a media deal. Its members broadcast games on the media partners of their Olympic sports conferences. For instance, Presbyterian airs games on ESPN+ as part of its deal with the Big South in other sports, while Butler uses Flosports. This means there is a barrier to entry for most casual fans with curiosity about the Pioneer Football League. It also means the league lacks an identity from a unified broadcast partner.
Playing Mercer on the Nexstar Game of the Week can substantially increase Presbyterian’s foothold on the southeast. The Pioneer Football League stretches from Poughkeepsie, NY (Marist) to San Diego, CA. For Southeastern football fans, this means there are few games of regional importance on Presbyterian’s schedule.
The Blue Hose did play southern PFL members Stetson, Morehead State, and bordering rival Davidson. However, they also played Marist, San Diego, and Butler. Their road game against Mercer has significant regional importance against a school from one of the South's oldest conferences. A solid showing against Mercer could cause some Southerners to adopt the Blue Hose as their FCS team.
Finally, the Pioneer Football League struggles against their FCS counterparts in non-conference, especially the subdivision's more formidable conferences. The league has opportunities to beat those conferences in week one.
However, the games do not have the reach or competitive potential of Presbyterian-Mercer. Pioneer Football League also has a game against a Missouri Valley Conference school when Valparaiso travels to Northern Iowa. However, the Beacons went 3-8 last season and lost to Youngstown State 52-10, barely standing a chance against the Panthers this year. San Diego hosts Cal Poly, but the game is on ESPN+ and the Toreros are 1-8 all-time against the Mustangs.
Not only will Presbyterian play in front of a regional network TV audience, but the Blue Hose have a chance to shock the Bears. Mercer loses their 2023 starting quarterback, Carter Peevy, last season's leading rusher, Al Wooten II, and the dynamic receiving combo of Ty James and Devron Harper, who combined for over 73% of the Bears' receiving output.
Presbyterian can compete against a Bears program in transition, especially with multiple stars returning on defense, including Alex Harriot, who had 118 tackles last year. The Blue Hose proved they can compete with the SoCon after the previous year's win over Wofford. A quality performance against Mercer proves that last year's win was not a fluke for the Pioneer Football League.
The Blue Hose are an afterthought on the Southern football landscape. An appearance on over-the-air television and a strong showing against a Southern Conference contender give Presbyterian arguably their biggest win at the FCS level. They also help the Pioneer Football League's reputation in the South. The Pioneer Football League will be more on the minds of the South's casual football fans.
