The Mid-States Football Association, an NAIA affiliated organization, will feature 16 Midwestern collegiate teams for its 13^th gridiron campaign.

Seton Hill University, which is located in Greensburg, Pa., was scheduled to become the 17th member for the 2006 season, but the Griffins have chosen to terminate the membership and will not compete for the MEL championship.

Marian College of Indianapolis will become a member of the MSFA Mideast League in 2007, while Geneva will move on to NCAA Division III at the end of the 2006 campaign.

For the fall of 2005 the Mideast League will feature Ohio Dominican, the University of Saint Francis of Fort Wayne, Ind.; Walsh University and Malone College of Canton, Ohio; Urbana University of Urbana, Ohio; Geneva College of Beaver Falls, Pa.; and Taylor University of Upland, Ind.

Quincy University out of Quincy, Ill., which has competed in the Mideast League the past two seasons will move to the Midwest League for the fall of 2006. The Hawks will join three Iowa institutions — Iowa Wesleyan of Mount Pleasant, St. Ambrose of Davenport and William Penn of Oskaloosa — and five Illinois schools — McKendree College of Lebanon, Olivet Nazarene University of Kankakee, Saint Xavier University of Chicago, Trinity International University of Deerfield, and the University of St. Francis of Joliet — in the Midwest for 2006.

Geneva, Malone, Olivet Nazarene, Saint Xavier, Taylor and Trinity International were among 11 charter members of the MSFA, which was formed in April 1993 and began its first season of competition in 1994. Saint Xavier was added in 1995, Iowa Wesleyan, St. Ambrose and Walsh began play in 1996, Saint Francis (Ind.) and McKendree in 1998, St. Francis (Ill.) in 2000, William Penn in 2002 and Quincy in 2003.

Each MSFA team plays the other teams within its league plus one crossover game per season. The champions of the two leagues receive automatic berths into the NAIA playoffs.

The Chairman of the MSFA during the 2006-2007 school year will be Hal Smith, Athletics Director at Malone College.