ST. LOUIS - After a four year relationship between the Pioneer Football League and Northeast Conference, the Gridiron Classic will cease to exist according to information provided to College Sporting News writer Jason Plotkin.

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The Gridiron Classic was started in 2006 and featured a postseason contest between champions of the PFL and NEC. The PFL won three out of the four games, including a 28-23 victory by Butler over Central Connecticut at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

According to PFL spokesperson Cody Bush, the game was not renewed after the NEC acquired an automatic bid for its champion to compete for the NCAA Division I Football Championship.

The NEC along with the Big South will send their regular season conference champions to the NCAA postseason as automatic qualifiers for the first time as the field expands to 20 in 2010.

The PFL will not be without a postseason for their regular season champion for much longer if the league is successful in joining the NEC and Big South in securing an automatic qualifer of their own. The league has applied for a spot in the postseason, a process that is ongoing.

College Sporting News