MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University football program has officially released its 11-game schedule for the upcoming 2024 season.
 
For the second straight season, the NSIC will feature a 10-game, non-division league schedule. Each of the 13 football-playing schools will play five home and five away conference games and have the option to play a non-conference opponent.
 
SMSU, under the direction of third-year head coach Scott Underwood, will have six home games at The Schwan Regional Event Center. SMSU opens the season on Saturday, Sept. 7, hosting Minot State for the annual Ag Bowl, presented by Ralco. SMSU, which defeated MSU last season in Minot, N.D., will be opening the season versus the Beavers for the fifth time in program history. The Mustangs are 6-10 all-time in Ag Bowl games after suffering a loss to Bemidji State last season.
 
SMSU will have its first road game of the campaign on Sept. 16 taking on Bemidji State. BSU is coming off its third straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA playoffs.
 
SMSU returns home on Sept. 21, taking on Concordia-St. Paul, before returning to the road on Sept. 28 to face Minnesota Duluth.
 
SMSU will step-out of NSIC play on Oct. 5 to face Nebraska-Kearney, a member of the Mid-American Athletic Association (MIAA). The Lopers finished 3-8 overall in 2023, but closed with an 8-3 mark in 2022. SMSU suffered a 16-15 road loss to FCS opponent, Valparaiso, in its lone non-conference game a season ago. This will be SMSU's first non-conference home game since the 2010 season (Northern State) and its first non-conference home game versus a non-NSIC opponent since Black Hills State (S.D.) in 2009.
 
SMSU continues play at home on Oct. 12 facing Wayne State for the annual homecoming game with kickoff slated for 5 p.m.
 
SMSU will have back-to-back road games versus Northern State on Oct. 19 and MSU Moorhead on Oct. 26.
 
SMSU returns for two straight home games in early November, battling UMary on Nov. 2 and Winona State on Nov. 9 for the final home game of the season.
 
SMSU, which is not scheduled to play either Augustana or Minnesota State, will conclude the regular season on Nov. 16 at the University of Sioux Falls.
 
SMSU finished the 2023 season with a record of 2-9.
 
2024 Opponent Notes:
Minot State: SMSU leads the all-time series 9-1 … SMSU has won the last seven games, including last season, 28-23, in Minot, N.D. … SMSU leads 6-0 since MSU joined the NSIC in 2012 … SMSU is 4-1 all-time in games played in Marshall, suffering its only loss in 1996 … SMSU is 6-10 all-time in Ag Bowl games.
 
Bemidji State: BSU leads the all-time series 27-21-1 … BSU has won 18 of the last 19 meetings since 1998 … SMSU's lone victory in that span occurred on Sept. 12, 2015, in Marshall … BSU won last season, 34-14, in Marshall … BSU leads 14-8-1 all-time in games played in Bemidji, with SMSU's last victory coming in 1997.
 
Concordia-St. Paul: CSP leads the all-time series 13-12 … SMSU has won the last two games, including a 14-6 in the 2022 home opener, which was the first-ever victory at SMSU for head coach Scott Underwood … the series is tied 6-6 in games played in Marshall, with SMSU trailing 3-4 at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
Minnesota Duluth: UMD leads the all-time series 29-7-1 … UMD has won 11 of the last 12 meetings with SMSU's lone victory during that span occurring on Sept. 1, 2016, in Marshall … UMD earned a 33-0 victory last season in Marshall … UMD defeated SMSU, 31-21, in the 2022 season opener in Duluth … SMSU is 2-15-1 all-time in games played in Duluth with one victory via forfeit in 1986.
 
Nebraska-Kearney: First-ever meeting between the two programs … SMSU is 0-3 all-time versus current members of the MIAA, including 0-2 versus Missouri Western State and 0-1 versus Pittsburg State.  
 
Wayne State: WSC leads the all-time series 26-8 … WSC has won the previous seven games, which includes last season, 49-10, in Wayne, Neb. … WSC leads the series 15-3 since the 2005 season with SMSU's last victory coming on Oct. 10, 2015, in Wayne, Neb. … SMSU is 4-13 all-time in games played in Marshall.
 
Northern State: NSU leads the all-time series 25-11-2 … NSU won last season in Marshall, 24-17, and has won four of the last five since 2014 … NSU leads 14-3-1 all-time in Aberdeen, including winning the only meeting at Dacotah Bank Stadium in 2021 … SMSU's last win in Aberdeen occurred on Oct. 31, 2009.  
 
MSU Moorhead: MSUM leads the all-time series 30-19 … MSUM has won the last three games, including last season in Marshall, 34-17 … SMSU won seven in a row from 2008-17 … MSUM won the first 16 games in the series from 1970-85 … MSUM holds a 15-6 advantage in games played in Moorhead with SMSU's last win coming during the 2017 season.
 
UMary: UMary leads the all-time series 7-5 … UMary rallied to defeat SMSU last season, 32-28, in Bismarck, N.D. … UMary leads the series 2-4 in games played in Marshall … SMSU has won three of the last five meetings.
 
Winona State: WSU leads the all-time series 32-20 … WSU has won the previous six games, including the last match-up, 43-7, in Marshall during the 2022 season … WSU has won six of the seven 'Battle for the Sledge' games since the trophy game was started in 2015 … WSU leads the series 13-12 in games played in Marshall with WSU winning the previous three games … WSU has won six straight since SMSU won in 2015.
 
Sioux Falls: USF leads the all-time series 11-4 … SMSU's victory last season to close the season snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series since USF joined the NSIC in 2012 … prior to last season, SMSU's previous win in the series was on Oct. 20, 1979, in Sioux Falls … SMSU is 1-6 all-time in games played in Sioux Falls.