South Dakota Coyotes finalize 2026 non-conference slate, season opens Aug. 29

South Dakota locked in a compact, high-profile nonconference slate for 2026 that opens Aug. 29 at the DakotaDome and sends the Coyotes on two challenging road trips in September. The four-game block mixes first-time meetings, regional familiarity and a marquee trip to FBS Boise State that will test the Coyotes early.

The university announced the nonconference slate on Feb. 12 and made 2026 season tickets for football and volleyball available that same day. South Dakota opens at home Aug. 29 against Central Connecticut State, a program fresh off an 8-5 season and a Northeast Conference title in 2025 but facing the loss of starting quarterback Brady Olson and 1,000-yard running back Elijah Howard. That opener will be a week-zero game and the first meeting in program history between the Coyotes and the Blue Devils; it will also be CCSU’s first game ever in the state of South Dakota.

A quick turnaround follows: South Dakota travels to Northern Colorado on Sept. 5. The Bears finished 4-8 in 2025 and entered this matchup a year ago in Vermillion, losing 24-17 in overtime. Northern Colorado’s quarterback carousel in 2025 produced a combined 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions from two signal-callers, a detail opponents will scout heavily when the teams meet again.

The Coyotes return home Sept. 12 to host Eastern Washington, rekindling a series last won by South Dakota in 2011 when the Coyotes upset then-No. 1 EWU. Eastern Washington went 5-7 in 2025 and relied on sophomore quarterback Nate Bell as both the leading passer and rusher, a dual-threat element that shapes game planning. USD will reciprocate the trip to Cheney in 2027.

South Dakota finishes the nonconference slate Sept. 19 with a road trip to Boise State, playing on the Broncos’ famous blue turf against a program now slated for the reconstituted Pac-12. Boise State went 9-5 in 2025, has recent Mountain West pedigree, and competed in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024. The Broncos’ roster includes former Coyote safety Roman Tillmon, adding a familiar name to what will be a blue-turf test.

These nonconference matchups arrive against the backdrop of shifting conference dynamics. North Dakota State’s move to the Mountain West has thrown Missouri Valley Football Conference scheduling into flux and put the previously scheduled Oct. 24 meeting in Vermillion into question. With the Valley set to operate with nine teams next season, South Dakota is projected to play all league opponents in 2026 under a four-home, four-away conference slate that, combined with nonconference home dates, will give the Coyotes six home games at the DakotaDome. Youngstown State is back on the 2026 list after earlier being set to be skipped. Officials say specific game times will be announced at a later date.

Performance-wise, the slate gives new head coach Matt Vitzthum an early barometer. After a 10-5 run and an FCS quarterfinal loss to Montana in 2025, the Coyotes will face contrasting matchup problems: replaceable talent at Central Connecticut, a turnover-prone Northern Colorado passing game, a mobile Eastern Washington quarterback, and an experienced Boise State team with FBS depth. For fans, the immediate takeaway is clear: season tickets are available and the first half of September will be a crash course in measuring South Dakota’s postseason credentials and the Yotes’ readiness under new leadership. An updated conference schedule and kickoff times will be the next items to watch as the program turns toward August.