DC football sets schedule for first season of NAIA competition
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College kicks off a new era of football with the first season at the NAIA level since 1990 with a 10-game schedule beginning on September 7, the DC Athletic Department announced on Tuesday.
While transitioning to the new sanctioning body and conference, Yellow Jacket fans will still see some familiar opponents this fall. Defiance's departure of the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference leaves the conference with seven football schools and a one-year gap before a scheduling agreement between the HCAC and OAC. The Jackets will fill multiple scheduling needs with contests against four HCAC programs. Defiance will host longtime foe Manchester for homecoming on October 5 and welcomes Hanover for the final home contest of the campaign on November 9. DC will travel to Rose-Hulman on October 19 and will continue their longtime rivalry with Bluffton in the season finale on November 16.
The rest of the schedule is comprised of NAIA schools that belong to the Mid-States Football Association. The Yellow Jackets will be provisional members of the conference's Mideast League in 2024 and will not play a complete conference schedule nor be eligible for the conference title.
Five of the Yellow Jackets' six NAIA opponents will be first-time opponents on the gridiron. The first four games of the season will be the first-ever meetings starting on the road at Concordia (Mich.) on September 7 and at Saint Francis (Ind.) on September 14. The trend continues with the first two home games at Coressel Stadium facing Judson on September 21 and Siena Heights on September 28. After a three-game homestand, Defiance hits the road for three straight beginning with the first meeting against Saint Xavier (Ill.) on October 12.
The lone NAIA opponent with a history of football against Defiance is Taylor University, which will be played in Upland, Ind. on November 2. It will be the first meeting between the programs since 1989 with the series going back to 1956. Taylor is also a member of the MSFA Mideast League, making the two programs conference mates again since facing each other as members of the Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference through the 1970s and 80s.
Defiance's home game times will be 1 p.m. kickoffs with most road games kicking off at 1 p.m. local time. Road games at HCAC schools are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the team's Week 2 game at Saint Francis will be a night game at 6 p.m. in Fort Wayne.
2024 Defiance Football Schedule
Sept. 7 at Concordia (Mich.), 1 p.m.
Sept. 14 at Saint Francis (Ind.), 6 p.m.
Sept. 21 vs. Judson (Ill.), 1 p.m. (Home Opener)
Sept. 28 vs. Siena Heights, 1 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Manchester, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
Oct. 12 at Saint Xavier, 2 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Rose-Hulman, 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 2 at Taylor (Ind.), 1 p.m.
Nov. 9 vs. Hanover, 1 p.m. (Senior Day)
Nov. 16 at Bluffton, 1:30 p.m.
Quoting Head Coach Bill Nickell
"We are thrilled about our move up to NAIA and honored to be a part of the top conference in the country. As anyone would expect, the transition from Division III to scholarship ball would present several challenges in the first year, but to describe our schedule as only "challenging" is a massive understatement. The MSFA was established about 30 years ago and has produced at least 15 teams that played for a national championship in that short time with nine national champions. We have the opportunity to compete against top-notch programs each and every Saturday. The 2024 season begins with back-to-back away games against two powerhouses. Concordia is a top 25 team in the country, and then we travel right down the road to USF for a night game. Our non-conference opponents are familiar teams, but also very tough teams. We were in tight contests with all of those teams last year. We will also once again battle for the Hammer to conclude the season versus Bluffton. There is not a team on the schedule that we can overlook. We are not only stepping up a level, but getting thrown right into the fire and we would not want it any other way. The focus for us is to not lose sight of what we are building here and concentrate on what it takes to end each week "1-0". It is an exciting time for DC and we are looking forward to competing on September 7.
Defiance College is celebrating 175 years on March 23, 2025. The 175th Anniversary Campaign is currently underway. Click here to find out more or to give today!
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