December 18, 2024
MADISON, S.D. – The Frontier Conference, the NAIA's athletic conference when Dakota State (S.D.) will begin their new era in 2025-26 academic season, has officially announced the 2025 football schedule. Beginning in fall 2025, the 14 football playing schools will be divided into East and West Divisions, each established with seven teams.
The Frontier Conference – East Division will be as follows in alphabetical order by institution – Dakota State (Madison, S.D.), Dickinson State (N.D.), Mayville State (N.D.), Montana State University-Northern (in Havre, Mont.), Montana Tech (in Butte, Mont.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.) (in Billings, Mont.), and Valley City State (N.D.).
The Frontier Conference – West Division will be as follows in alphabetical order by institution – Arizona Christian (in Glendale, Ariz.), Carroll (Mont.) (in Helena, Mont.), College of Idaho (in Caldwell, Idaho), Eastern Oregon (in La Grande, Ore.), Simpson (Calif.) (in Redding, Calif.), Southern Oregon (in Ashland, Ore.), and Montana Western (in Dillon, Mont.).
The assignment of divisions is consistent with the NAIA's approach to allocating automatic berths to its Football Championship Series for postseason qualification. Both the East and West divisions of the Frontier Conference will be granted one automatic qualifying berth, beginning in Fall 2025 along with the opportunity to claim one or more at-large berths. The best six-game record within each division will claim the corresponding automatic qualifying berth.
Josh Anderson, who will be entering his sixteenth season as head coach next fall, takes his squad in a scrimmage with Mount Marty (S.D.) on Aug. 21 in Madison.
Dakota State has set a 10-game regular-season schedule, starting with the annual rivalry game with Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) in the Chamber of Commerce traveling trophy on Aug. 30, 2025, in Mitchell. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Trojans open their home schedule at Brian Kern Family Stadium on Blankley Field on Sept. 6, hosting Nebraska Wesleyan in the 10
th annual Ag Bowl contest with a 7 p.m. kick-off.
DSU takes a bye week before heading to Arizona Christian on Sept. 20 and returns home on Sept. 27 for a homecoming contest versus Southern Oregon.
Dakota State begins their Frontier Conference – East Division schedule with back-to-back road contests, visiting Montana Tech on Oct. 4 and Dickinson State on Oct. 11. Both teams qualified for the NAIA Football FCS national playoffs last month.
The Trojans return home on Oct. 18 versus Valley City State (N.D.) and take their second bye week of the season on Oct. 25. DSU plays their final road regular-season contest at Mayville State on Nov. 1.
Dakota State closes out their regular-season schedule at home on Nov. 8 versus Rocky Mountain and MSU-Northern on Nov. 15.
The NAIA Football Championships postseason is set for opening round action on Nov. 22. The postseason continues with second round play on Nov. 29, quarterfinals on Dec. 6, and the semifinals on Dec. 13.
The NAIA Football Championship game is scheduled for Dec. 22 at site to be announced later.
Below is the complete schedule of the 2025 Dakota State University Trojan football schedule:
| 2025 Dakota State University (S.D.) Trojan Football Schedule |
| Day |
Date |
Opponent |
Time (CST) |
Location |
| Thursday |
Aug. 21 |
Mount Marty (S.D.) # |
5 p.m. |
Madison, S.D. |
| Saturday |
Aug. 30 |
Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) % |
7 p.m. |
Mitchell, S.D. |
| Saturday |
Sept. 6 |
Nebraska Wesleyan $ |
7 p.m. |
Madison. S.D. |
| Saturday |
Sept. 20 |
Arizona Christian |
8 p.m. |
Glendale, Ariz. |
| Saturday |
Sept. 27 |
Southern Oregon + |
TBA |
Madison, S.D. |
| Saturday |
Oct. 4 |
Montana Tech* |
2 p.m. |
Butte, Mont. |
| Saturday |
Oct. 11 |
Dickinson State (N.D.)* |
2 p.m. |
Dickinson, N.D. |
| Saturday |
Oct. 18 |
Valley City State (N.D.)* |
4 p.m. |
Madison, S.D. |
| Saturday |
Nov. 1 |
Mayville State (N.D.)* |
4 p.m. |
Mayville, N.D. |
| Saturday |
Nov. 8 |
Rocky Mountain (Mont.)* |
12 p.m. |
Madison, S.D. |
| Saturday |
Nov. 15 |
Montana State University-Northern* |
TBA |
Madison, S.D. |
| Saturday |
Nov. 22 |
NAIA Football National Playoffs |
TBA |
TBA |
BOLD – home contests at Blankley Field
# - Scrimmage
* - Frontier Conference – East Division game
% - Chamber of Commerce Traveling Trophy
$ - Ag Bowl Game
+ - Trojan Day Homecoming game/Senior Day |
