 For the inaugural season of Division I-AA in 1978, the Pioneer Bowl became the new division's title game.The I-AA title game was played in Florida in 1979 and California in 1980, then returned to Wichita Falls as the Pioneer Bowl in 1981 and 1982.Starting in 1997, the game was contested between teams from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), two athletic conferences composed mainly of HBCUs.