Playing spring home-and-home games against Tarleton State, a program that won 11 games in its final Division II season, will be the introduction of what could be one of DSU's first inner-conference Division I rivals. The transition to D-I, which began upon the school's arrival in the WAC on July 1, 2020, will take four years; during this time, the Trailblazers will be ineligible for NCAA-sanctioned postseason play in any of their current sports. Dixie State has accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference and move to Division 1 status, beginning in the 2020-21 season. Once completed, the Trailblazers will be eligible for NCAA Division I postseason play beginning in the 2024-25 season. DSU announced its first Division I football … Dixie State began competing in NCAA Division II in the 2006–07 academic year[2] after being a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Dixie State University is set to be the eighth full member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). MORE: Dixie State releases 6-game spring football schedule. "Those are some of the natural rivalries that we have that we wanted to play.". This weekend, Dixie State will … Dixie State and Colorado School of Mines combine for 1,318 yards in a stunning 52-45 upset by the Trailblazers on DII football Saturday. Dixie State will join Southern Utah, BYU, the University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University and Weber State in Division 1. Dixie State football off to best start in Division ... Local, News, Sports, Top Sports Stories Tagged Division II, Division II Football, Dixie State football, GNAC, RMAC, Trailblazers. Dixie State University (DSU or, colloquially, Dixie) is a public university in St. George, Utah, in the state's Dixie region. Dixie State Football Schedule Due to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Dixie State postponed their season and will look to play in the spring. 15 of Dixie State’s 16 sports programs will compete in the WAC during the school’s reclassification period. The Trailblazers compete as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC); in football, a sport not sponsored by the WAC, the school competes as an independent in the second level of D-I football, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). One of the main reasons for the expanded grandstands was to host high school and collegiate championship games. Dixie State lost 85-78 to Southern Utah in its most recent game. What are you doing about that?'". In between and after those two games, however, are bigger tests. In the spring, they'll both visit the Trailblazers, which gives DSU a chance to play two night games at home. Dixie State University sports news and features, including conference, nickname, location and official social media handles. In 2016, the nickname was changed again to "Trailblazers". In June, we reported that Dixie State added future football games against Drake (2020), Azusa Pacific (2021), Sam Houston State (2021-23), and North Alabama (2021, 2023). The Dixie State Trailblazers are the 15 varsity athletic teams that represent Dixie State University, located in St. George, Utah, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. St George News. Follow him on Twitter @OchoK_, and contact him at CKwiecinsk@thespectrum.com, or (435) 414-3261. ST. GEORGE – Dixie State Athletics announced Wednesday the addition of four future NCAA Division I football road opponents over the next several years. Playing two FCS teams and one FBS team also allowed DSU to schedule two familiar faces, former RMAC rivals Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands. [3], On January 11, 2019, Dixie State announced that it would move its sports program up to NCAA Division I by joining the WAC for all sports except football, which became an FCS independent. The school began the official transition in early July, marking the start of a four-year reclassification process. Back in May, DSU boasted a close relationship with Tarleton State ahead of the 2020 fall season when DSU began to see some cancelations on its football schedule when Division II football canceled. DSU played both teams on the road in 2019, beating Fort Lewis 23-14 and NM-Highlands 55-0. "We've tried to reach out and do some service opportunities and really let let the community know that we want to be a part of it for good. NMSU finished with a 2-10 record in 2019 and postponed its fall football season in 2020 when most conferences began to stick with conference-only schedules, which allowed DSU to schedule that game. SUBSCRIBE NOW $3 for 3 months. Greater Zion Stadium at Dixie State University is shown Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in St. George, Utah. Dixie State University is a public comprehensive university dedicated to rigorous learning and the enrichment of the professional and personal lives of its students and community by providing opportunities that engage the unique Southern Utah environment and resources. Greater Zion Stadium will host the Utah High School Football State Championships for the 4A, 5A, and 6A divisions. DSU officially announced the move to D-I status in front of a standing-room-only crowd inside the DSU Student Activities Center (SAC) back on January 11, 2019. The Trailblazers compete as members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC); in football, a sport not sponsored by the WAC, the school competes as an independent in the second level of D-I football, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). [4], † – Women's track and field is outdoor only, National Junior College Athletic Association, "Dixie State University :: Style Guide :: Colors", "Dixie State Athletics - DSU Men's Basketball Almanac (Division II Era)", "Dixie State students will now be Trailblazers, represented by a bison", "Dixie State to move up to Division I, join Western Athletic Conference in 2020-21", Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dixie_State_Trailblazers&oldid=966902682, Articles needing additional references from March 2015, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 July 2020, at 22:07. The team will begin its spring football camp a couple weeks after when the next semester begins in January. That was a frustrating development on DSU's part, but at least athletics was able to focus elsewhere. "But just having the chance to play at home and in front of our crowd is going to be amazing.". Azusa Pacific offensives line coach Jackie Slater in the first half of a NCAA Division II football game against Dixie State at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014. MORE: How Dixie State is juggling being a WAC school and an independent during the pandemic. Dixie State is currently a Division II institution competing in its first year as a full member in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (in football since 2016) after more than a decade competing in the PacWest Conference. DSU and NMSU are both independents, but the Aggies are a member of the FBS, and played programs like Alabama, Ole Miss and Washington State. The university offers 4 master's degrees, 45 bachelor's degrees, 11 associate degrees, 44 minors, and 23 certificates/endorsements. The Trailblazers, who will compete as an FCS independent, have six games on its docket, including three home games at Greater Zion Stadium. Dixie State was sent on a scramble to piece together a spring schedule, Dixie State releases 6-game spring football schedule, Dixie State football's first D-I season aimed to stoke skill & rivalries in 2020, Dixie State postpones football season after major scheduling difficulties, DSU has been fighting off positive COVID-19 tests, How Dixie State is juggling being a WAC school and an independent during the pandemic, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. In 2009, the school's nickname was changed from the "Rebels" to the "Red Storm". Dixie State also had home games scheduled against Division-II Western New Mexico (9/12) and Pioneer Football League member Drake (9/26), as well as home dates vs. former GNAC rival Azusa Pacific (10/24) and RMAC foe Western Colorado (11/7). By adding Robert Morris as an official member for the spring season, the Big South's four-game conference slate will decide the conference champion between the five participating teams. The Trailblazers will compete in football as a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) independent. The Trailblazers announced Wednesday that their first season as a Football … Dixie State knows when it will turn into a Division I program, and now the football team knows who they'll face. The 'Blazers' first FCS game will come against Tarleton State, a hyper-successful Division II program that's made the jump to Division I as a FCS independent and into the WAC with other sports. BOTTOM LINE: The Dixie State Trailblazers are set to battle the Flames of Bethesda. Includes home and away, bye weeks, bowl schedules, and printable schedules. View the complete FPI Dixie State Trailblazers football team schedule on ESPN.com. Hopefully, that's reciprocated.". Author: Not only have these two schools been in constant contact with each other, but they've been working the Division I transition with each other too. "We're excited about them," Peterson said. Dixie State couldn't officially get its football schedule off the ground as it waited to hear from a very specific entity: the Big Sky Conference. Dixie State men's basketball will look to Wednesday, Dec. 2 against North Dakota for its first foray into Division I hoops. Dixie State will complete its quest to become a Division I school by joining the Western Athletic Conference, the university announced Friday. Dixie State's future Division I schedule already included BYU, New Mexico State and Colorado State; and on Friday, March 6, DSU added another big name to that list. 'WHAT IF': Dixie State football's first D-I season aimed to stoke skill & rivalries in 2020. After having three different opening nights canceled, the Trailblazers became an official, competing member of the Western Athletic Conference. Kennesaw State brings the complications of running the triple-option offense to Dixie State's defensive coaches, something DSU did not see much, if at all, in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. As of Fall 2019, there are 11,193 students enrolled at DSU, and the university has an 80% acceptance rate. Three of the four future opponents are Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) members of the Missouri Valley Conference, while another is Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) independent New Mexico State. But, Dixie State couldn't officially get its feet off the ground as it waited to hear from a very specific entity: the Big Sky Conference. Peterson sees this as a way to motivate his players even further. ST. GEORGE — Saturday afternoon, Dixie State finally played its first Division I women’s basketball game. Currently in Division 2, Dixie State has a limit of 40 scholarships for the football team, but that could increase by 20 with the jump. LEADING THE … "Our stands will be in a little bit of construction get ready for this facility upgrade," Peterson said. Dixie State University Athletics has announced its NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) debut schedule for the spring of 2021. For the remainder of the fall, and heading into the winter, DSU has been fighting off positive COVID-19 tests within the team that forced the program to postpone its homecoming football scrimmage. "We bounced a ton of stuff off of one another," Peterson said. Dixie State officially became a Division I athletic institution on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, joining the Western Athletic Conference as a full member in 15 of the school’s 16 sports, while competing as an FCS independent in football. The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is set to add Dixie State to its ranks when the Division II school makes the jump to Division I, according to a new report. "It's all lining up to be a really bright future here for them, and they're excited to be a part of it," Peterson sad. "We had a bunch of conversations about, 'Hey, what are you guys doing about this? Peterson said he's hoping his team will be cautious with the coronavirus spiking in southern Utah, while finishing practices for the semester this upcoming Friday and transitioning into strength development. With the move to Division 1, Dixie State’s football team will become an independent, which will allow for a perfect geographical rivalry with Southern Utah University in Cedar City, just 50 miles up the road. Chris Kwiecinski covers Region 9, Dixie State and Southern Utah athletics for The Spectrum. Dixie State Football Player Abraham Reinhardt Dies After Suffering Leg Injury at Practice Abraham Reinhardt was a redshirt-senior linebacker for the Division II program. Dixie State University officially began its transition to NCAA Division I status and joined the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) as the league's eighth full member on Wednesday. The student body is 56% female and 44% male, and DSU is in the top three for diversity in the state of Utah, with 23% of the student body being minority students. That's not the only challenge, as DSU will travel just north of Atlanta to play a talented Kennesaw State team that went 11-3 in the Big South Conference. MORE: Dixie State postpones football season after major scheduling difficulties. Existing as an independent football program can be a double-edged sword, especially at the FCS level. Instead of scheduling a much-anticipated game between DSU and Southern Utah University, the Trailblazers will instead get to further its relationship with another program that's in the exact same position. The Trailblazers moved from the junior college ranks to NCAA Division 2 in 2006. The end result, however, was an encouraging one. This also allowed for a handful of non-conference openings. However, the program itself has more money and scholarships to use program-wide, which makes the Aggies one of the best opponents Dixie State has played in its football program's history. Dixie State officially becomes Division I school. Sandwiched between both TSU games is a game against New Mexico State, another program that fit perfectly with DSU's schedule. Prior to Wednesday’s move, Dixie State competed at the Division … The Dixie State Trailblazers are the 15 varsity athletic teams that represent Dixie State University, located in St. George, Utah, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT. The championship games are set to take place Nov. 21 starting with the 4A division game kicking off at 12:30 p.m. with the next two games following. After amassing an impressive schedule that included Southern Utah, Illinois State and other members of the Big Sky, Dixie State was sent on a scramble to piece together a spring schedule that relied on a handful of factors outside of DSU's hands. "We knew we were kind of stuck a little bit, especially with the Big Sky," Peterson said. This was in part to three members of the Big South announcing they wouldn't be participating in the spring schedule. This goes along with being present in the St. George community, hoping to build rapport with the greater area before the 2021 fall season. The Big Sky, which released its spring schedule for all 12 competing teams last week as well, announced it was playing a conference-only schedule. 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