A long-standing dream of the Mount Marty College athletic department has finally become a reality.

The Mount Marty men’s and women’s basketball teams, along with Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU), Presentation College (PC), and Dakota State University (DSU), will play in the first-ever South Dakota NAIA Basketball Classic in Sioux Falls, SD this fall on November 5 and 6.  

“We’ve always talked about hosting a basketball classic to showcase the four NAIA basketball programs in South Dakota. I’m happy for our players that we could make this happen,” said Andrew Baker, MMC’s head men’s basketball coach.

To be held at the Sanford Pentagon, home of the NBA Development League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, the NAIA classic will act as a season kick-off for the four schools, giving the teams an opportunity to showcase their talent early in the season.

“We’re most excited for the players,” said Tom Schlimgen, women’s basketball coach. “We want our teams to experience playing a big game in a state-of-the-art facility. When it came to selecting a location, the Sanford Pentagon seemed like a great location.”

“We are excited to be a part of the South Dakota NAIA Basketball Classic at the Pentagon,” said Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Basketball Head Coach Matt Wilbur. “The venue itself is a great draw and is always an exciting experience for our players.  I want to thank Mount Marty for the work and effort they have put into getting this going and we will look forward to this classic every year!”

To give each college equal opportunity, each school will take turns hosting the event each year for the next four years. DSU will host in 2017, DWU in 2018, and PC in 2019.

The two Great Plains Athletic Conference teams (Dakota Wesleyan and Mount Marty) will compete against the two North Star Conference teams (Dakota State and Presentation). The two-day classic will feature two sessions of games each day, with both the men’s and women’s teams from each school playing each other.