PORTLAND, Ore. – Lewis & Clark and Puget Sound are proud to announce the creation of the Northwest Scholars Series. The four-year football series is a non-conference, head-to-head matchup between the Loggers and Pioneers in the opening week of each season from 2022 through 2025. The teams will also play their regularly scheduled head-to-head Northwest Conference games. 
 
Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark are among the selective Northwest 5 Colleges Consortium, which is comprised of premier, small liberal arts colleges in Oregon and Washington. The consortium offers outstanding academic and cocurricular activities. 
 
""I'm extremely excited for this partnership over the next four years," Lewis & Clark Director of Physical Education and Athletics Mark Pietrok said. "These two teams are full of exemplary student-athletes who are successful on-and-off the field. Our coaches normally target the same high-academic student-athletes when they go out on recruiting trips and this is a chance to showcase a couple of premier, scholastically-talented football teams in our region."
 
The football rivalry between the Loggers and Pioneers dates back to 1966, with the Loggers holding an overall 21-16 record against the Pioneers.
 
"We are really looking forward to playing Puget Sound in the inaugural Northwest Scholar Series," Lewis & Clark football coach Joe Bushman said.  "We have had very competitive games with them the last couple of years, so I would expect this to be another fun one for the fans to watch.  I have great respect for Jeff Thomas and the outstanding job he has done at Puget Sound in building their program.  It will be great to start the year against a quality opponent like Puget Sound."
 
Since taking over the reins at Puget Sound in 2010, Thomas has created one of the most dynamic offenses in NCAA D-III football. The Loggers ranked top-10 nationally in passing yards per game for several consecutive years. Recently, however, the Loggers' ground game has turned heads. Silas Washington led the NWC in rushing yards in 2021. During the shortened 2020 campaign, Duncan Varela '21 lead the nation in rushing yards by the end of Puget Sound's season.
 
Likewise, the Lewis & Clark offense has been efficient at moving the football. The Pioneers have averaged more than 350 yards of total offense per game in each of their last three seasons. First-year head coach Joe Bushman led the Pioneers to their most points (29.3) and passing yards (2,260) in almost a decade during the 2021 season. Lewis & Clark returns All-Conference quarterback Cruz Montana and running back/wide receiver Elijah McGee for their third seasons this fall. 
 
Lewis & Clark hosts the first Northwest Scholars Series game on Saturday, September 3 at 1 p.m. Tickets will go on sale soon at LCPioneers.com.