Just out from the PFL and described in a VU Athletics release, here’s the VU PFL schedule:
10/4 - @Drake 🥸
10/11 - Dayton
10/18 - @ UST
10/25 - Morehead
11/1 - @Presbyterian
11/8 - USD
11/15 - Stetson 🥸
11/22 - @ Butler 🥸
🥸 = New HC
Paul mentioned it on X and I want to underscore it here: From 2025 on, the final Valpo game of the PFL season MUST be Butler! It is the longest standing rivalry in the PFL predating the PFL and dating way back to even before our ICC days 60+ years ago. Actually, 84 games since 1927. No other PFL matchup even compares. The two administrations should put extreme pressure on the PFL to ensure that this is locked in annually.
Out of conference, we so far have Viginia University Lynchburg (8/30) and @ Western Illinois (9/13) and @ North Dakota (9/20). One more (9/6) TBD. OOC doesn’t offer Coach Waddle an easy entree to FCS football.
Hopefully he can schedule a competitive, but winnable, opponent before the two body bag games leading into the PFL schedule. I’d hope for a decent D-III, or NAIA middle-of-the-roader below IWU at home to build some confidence and get the O and D in rhythm. If there is any solace in the two body bag games, it is that both had losing seasons last year.
I wonder if Fox purposely targeted WIU to be the DC, so that he can shut Valpo down immediately lol
I would think Butler would be better served as the first game of the conference season, better weather = better attendance. I have been to some Valpo - Butler games in the cold that are empty. Usually neither team is in contention for the PFL Championship so hope would be at it's highest as well.
VU Lynchburg is an easy win. TBD shows Valpo is committed to a 12 game schedule moving forward which is a good sign. Probably two pay scholarship FCS opponents and 2 lower level teams. Conference schedule is brutal through October and with a young team there will not be a lot of time for growing pains.
