Pioneer Bowl suspended for 2008

PIONEER BOWL SUSPENDED FOR 2008

October 31, 2008

Tucker, GA – The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) and the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) have suspended the Pioneer Bowl for 2008. The game was scheduled to take place in Columbia, SC on December 6, 2008 at Charlie W. Johnson stadium. The Pioneer Bowl will resume in 2009 at a date and time to be determined.

The SIAC Council of Presidents and Athletic Directors' Committee in conjunction with CIAA Board of Directors have decided to focus their efforts toward the future and suspend the game for 2008. "Obviously, the CIAA is disappointed that there will be no Pioneer Bowl this year," states Leon Kerry, CIAA Commissioner. "However, we look forward to working closely with the SIAC over the next year to plan the finest Pioneer Bowl in 2009."

The SIAC and CIAA intend to continue the rich history of the Pioneer Bowl as the only NCAA sanctioned bowl game for HBCU's in Division II. "We want to make the Pioneer Bowl a destination for HBCU football fans. We want our participating student-athletes to have a once in a lifetime type of experience and will be working on making that happen," says George Mategakis, SIAC Interim Commissioner.

The Bowl Game features the Champion of the SIAC and the CIAA and began in 1997. The SIAC leads the series between the two conferences 8-2 with Tuskegee University participating in eight of the games. The CIAA was established in 1912 and the SIAC in 1913 and are the two oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities athletic conferences.