Coyotes finalize non-conference portion of 2026 football schedule

VERMILLION, S.D. — The University of South Dakota locked in every non-conference date for the 2026 football season on Thursday, unveiling a four-game slate that features a first-time visitor to the DakotaDome, two Big Sky Conference opponents and a trip to one of college football’s most recognizable venues.

South Dakota will kick things off on Saturday, Aug. 29, welcoming Central Connecticut State to the DakotaDome. The Blue Devils are coming off a 2025 Northeast Conference championship and an FCS playoff appearance, and the meeting will be the inaugural clash between the programs.

One week later, on Sept. 5, the Coyotes head west to face Northern Colorado in Greeley. The rivals—former North Central Conference foes—renew acquaintances after USD’s 24-17 overtime victory in Vermillion last fall. The Bears enter 2026 looking to improve on a 4-8 record, while the all-time series favors UNC, 24-17, through 41 meetings.

Eastern Washington will make its first visit to Vermillion since 2011 on Sept. 12. The Eagles, who finished 5-7 last season, were stunned that year by the Coyotes, then ranked No. 1 in the FCS. USD will return the trip in 2027 with a game in Cheney.

The non-conference finale sends the Coyotes to Boise, Idaho, on Sept. 19, to face Boise State on the Broncos’ iconic blue turf. The programs last met in the 1973 Division II playoffs, a 53-10 Broncos win. Boise State will be entering its first season in the reconstituted Pac-12.

Game times for all four contests will be released at a later date.

While the non-conference schedule is complete, South Dakota’s Missouri Valley Football Conference docket remains fluid. North Dakota State’s departure to the Mountain West has forced a league realignment; the Coyotes had been slated to host the Bison on Oct. 24. With the Valley shrinking to nine members, USD will face every conference opponent once—four home games and four away—giving the Coyotes six total home dates inside the DakotaDome in 2026. Youngstown State, originally set to be skipped, will now appear on the schedule. An updated league lineup is expected in the coming weeks.

Off the field, new head coach Matt Vitzthum will be formally introduced at 10:30 a.m. Friday inside the DakotaDome Club. A statewide tour follows: Rapid City (Murphy’s Pub and Grill, Feb. 24), Sioux Falls (Pizza Ranch, Feb. 26), Yankton (Hillcrest Golf and Country Club, Feb. 26) and Mitchell (Bradley’s Pub and Grille, March 4).