VERMILLION, S.D. — A pair of Big Sky opponents and a trip to the state of Idaho for an FBS clash with Boise State is on the docket for the non-conference slate for South Dakota football for the 2026 season, as the full non-conference slate was announced by the USD athletic department on Thursday afternoon.
South Dakota will head into 2026 with a new head coach for the second-straight year.
Matt Vitzthum was named the 32
nd head coach in program history, following the departure of Johansen after one season.
The season opens with two-time defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Central Connecticut State on Saturday, August 29. The Blue Devils are coming off back-to-back FCS Playoff appearances, following an 8-5 (6-1 NEC) campaign last season. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the Yotes and the Blue Devils.
The Coyotes will then face two-straight Big Sky opponents. It begins with the returning a home-and-home series with Northern Colorado on September 5 after a 24-17 overtime victory over the Bears in Vermillion in 2025. Northern Colorado leads the series, 24-17, and is 12-6 against the Yotes in Greeley.
The next week, USD return to Vermillion to welcome the Eagles of Eastern Washington for just the second-ever meeting between the two schools. The last meeting, back in 2011, saw South Dakota topple the No. 1-ranked Eagles in the DakotaDome for the program's first-ever win over an FCS top-ranked opponent.
To round out the non-conference slate, the Coyotes will head west to face a new member of the new-look Pac-12 Conference to battle the Broncos of Boise State. The Broncos finished the 2025 campaign with a 9-5 (6-2 MWC) mark in their final season in the Mountain West, earning the 38-21 win over UNLV to leave the conference as Mountain West champions. The trip to Boise will be the second trip the Yotes have made to Boise, playing Boise State back in the NCAA Division II Playoffs in 1973.The Broncos prevailed 53-10 to win the lone meeting between the two schools.
MVFC play will commence on October 3, which will be a newly designed schedule in the coming weeks due to the departure of North Dakota State from the league.
2026 SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2026 season are now on sale, both for renewals and first-time purchasers. Purchase your season tickets today to support the Yotes and first-year head coach
Matt Vitzthum. Visit GoYotes.com/Tickets today!
Coyote fans can contact the Ticket Office at
tickets@usd.edu or by calling (605) 677-5959.
Stay up to date with all things Coyotes by following South Dakota Athletics on Facebook
/SDCoyotes, X (Twitter)
@SDCoyotes, and Instagram
@sdcoyotes!
#GoYotes
