MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University football program has officially released its 11-game schedule for the 2025 season.
 
For the third straight season, the NSIC will feature a 10-game, non-division league schedule. Each of the 14 football-playing schools will play five home and five away conference games and have the option to play a non-conference opponent.
 
The Mustangs, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Scott Underwood, will have five home games at The Schwan Regional Event Center. Official game times will be released later this spring.
 
SMSU opens the season on Saturday, Sept. 6, hosting MSU Moorhead for the annual Ag Bowl. The Mustangs are 6-11 all-time in Ag Bowl games.
 
SMSU will have its first road game of the season on Sept. 13 taking on NSIC newcomer, the University of Jamestown. This will be the fourth meeting between the Jimmies and Mustangs and first since the 2007 season.
 
SMSU returns home on Sept. 20, versus UMary, before two consecutive road games on Sept. 27 versus Wayne State and Oct. 4 versus Minnesota Duluth.
 
SMSU resumes play at home on Oct. 11 facing Sioux Falls for the annual Homecoming game.
 
SMSU will have its lone non-conference game on Oct. 18 at Northern State. SMSU and NSU played two non-conference games versus each other in both 2010 and 2011.
 
The Mustangs will then play back-to-back games versus NCAA playoff teams from a season ago with a home game versus Augustana on Oct. 25 and a road match-up versus Minnesota State on Nov. 1.
 
SMSU's final home game will be on Nov. 8 versus Concordia-St. Paul, before playing at Winona State for the regular season finale on Nov. 15.
 
SMSU is not scheduled to play conference members Minot State or Bemidji State.
 
SMSU started spring practice on Monday, March 31, and will be allowed 15 practice per NCAA regulations. SMSU is scheduled to host Augustana in a controlled scrimmage on Thursday, April 17, starting at 4:30 p.m. The Mustangs will have one final intra-squad scrimmage on Saturday, April 26, at 10:45 a.m.
 
2025 Opponent Notes:
 
MSU Moorhead: MSUM leads the all-time series 31-19 … MSUM has won the last four games, including last season in Moorhead, 38-6 … SMSU won seven in a row from 2008-17 … MSUM won the first 16 games in the series from 1970-85 … MSUM holds a 13-12 advantage in games played in Marshall and has won three straight at The Schwan Regional Event Center … SMSU's last win in the series occurred on Sept. 7, 2017 … SMSU's last home win in the series came in 2015. 
 
Jamestown: UJ leads the all-time series 2-1 … first season UJ is a member of the NSIC … SMSU won the first meeting in Marshall (16-10) in 2005 … UJ defeated SMSU, 20-17 in overtime in Marshall in 2006 … UJ defeated SMSU, 17-9, in the only meeting in Jamestown, N.D., in 2007. 
 
UMary: UMary leads the all-time series 8-5 … UMary has won the past two games, including 15-6 last season in Marshall … UMary leads the series 5-2 in games played in Marshall, including winning the last two (2024 and 2021) at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
Wayne State: WSC leads the all-time series 27-8 … WSC has won the previous eight games, including last season, 41-7, in Marshall … WSC leads the series 16-3 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 Wayne.
 
Minnesota Duluth: UMD leads the all-time series 30-7-1 … UMD has won 12 of the last 13 meetings with SMSU's lone victory during that span occurring on Sept. 1, 2016, in Marshall … UMD earned a 62-0 victory last season in Duluth and has won the previous two games via shutout … SMSU is 2-17-1 all-time in games played in Duluth with one victory via forfeit in 1986.
 
Sioux Falls: USF leads the all-time series 12-4 … USF won last season in the final game of 2024, 41-14 in Sioux Falls … SMSU's victory to close the 2023 season snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series since USF joined the NSIC in 2012 … USF is 6-2 all-time in games played in Marshall, including 5-1 at The Schwan Regional Event Center. 
 
Northern State: NSU leads the all-time series 26-11-2 … NSU won last season in Aberdeen, S.D, 41-7 and has won three straight and six of the last eight since 2011 … NSU leads 15-3-1 all-time in Aberdeen, including the two meetings at Dacotah Bank Stadium … SMSU's last win in Aberdeen occurred on Oct. 31, 2009.  
 
Augustana: AU leads the all-time series 24-3 … the two teams did not meet last season … AU has won the last nine games in the series, including 32-6 two seasons ago in Sioux Falls, S.D. … SMSU won the first two games in 1990 and 1991, but has won just once (2013) in the last 25 games … SMSU is 1-12 all-time at home with the lone victory coming in 1990.
 
Minnesota State: MSU leads the all-time series 21-0 … the two teams did not meet last season … MSU earned a 30-12 victory in Mankato during the 2023 season … MSU has scored 30 or more points in each of the 15 games since joining the NSIC in 2008 … SMSU is 0-12 all-time in Mankato.
 
Concordia-St. Paul: CSP leads the all-time series 14-12 … CSP won last season, 27-17, in Marshall … this will be SMSU's first game in St. Paul since 2021 … SMSU's win in the 2022 home opener was the first-ever victory at SMSU for head coach Scott Underwood … SMSU leads 5-4 all-time in games played at CSP.
 
Winona State: WSU leads the all-time series 33-20 … WSU has won the previous seven games, including the last match-up, 37-15, in Marshall last season … WSU has won seven of the eight 'Battle for the Sledge' games since the trophy game was started in 2015 … WSU leads the series 19-8 in games played in Winona with WSU winning the previous three games … SMSU's last win at Winona came during the 2014 season.