Dakota Wesleyan-Dakota State football opener set for Thursday night in 2024
Apr. 11—MADISON, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan and Dakota State's annual football season opener will return to Thursday night in 2024, in what will be the inaugural game at the Trojans' new football stadium.
Dakota State announced recently that the annual rivalry game will open the season at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29 at the newly constructed Blankley Field as part of $40.5 million in new athletic facilities on the DSU campus in Madison.
This contest will include the annual playing for the Chamber of Commerce traveling trophy, which was won by Dakota Wesleyan by a 23-13 score on Aug. 26, 2023 in Mitchell. The 2024 game is also set to be the head coaching debut of Alex Kretzschmar, who was appointed as the new football coach on Feb. 13.
Dakota Wesleyan has not announced game times for its 2024 slate but it is scheduled to open the Great Plains Athletic Conference schedule with back-to-back home games, hosting Mount Marty on Sept. 7 and Concordia (Neb.) on Sept. 14. After an off week, the Tigers will have back-to-back road games in Nebraska at Midland and Hastings before returning home to host Doane for Blue and White Days on Oct. 12.
The Tigers will host Dordt on Oct. 19, travel to Northwestern on Oct. 26 and then travel to Forest City, Iowa to play newest GPAC member Waldorf on Nov. 2. The regular season ends with the home finale on Nov. 9 against Briar Cliff and a road game on Nov. 16 at Morningside.
The Tigers were 6-5 in 2023, completing their first winning season since 2017.
2024 Dakota Wesleyan football schedule
Times to be announced.
AUGUST
29 — at Dakota State, 7 p.m.
SEPTEMBER
7 — MOUNT MARTY
14 — CONCORDIA (Neb.)
21 — Bye week
28 — at Midland (Neb.)
OCTOBER
5 — at Hastings (Neb.)
12 — DOANE (Blue and White Days)
19 — DORDT
26 — at Northwestern (Iowa)
NOVEMBER
2 — at Waldorf (Iowa)
9 — BRIAR CLIFF
16 — at Morningside
