The NAIA has announced the approval of a fifth-year of eligibility for student-athletes, replacing the current four-year limit.
The new model links the fifth-year to academic progress rather than age for NAIA institutions, allowing athletes to compete as long as they are earning the required number of credit hours, and they meet all other eligibility requirements.
Another major point of the new guidelines states that the five years of eligibility do not have to be completed simultaneously, thus allowing student-athletes to take time away from school or enroll part-time.
The new rule will officially take effect in the fall of 2027, and is an option for students who began 2026-27 with eligibility remaining and have sufficient terms of attendance available.
Athletes who have exhausted their four years of eligibility before the 2026-27 academic year will not have an additional year of eligibility restored.
Yankton Gazelles Volleyball will host Brandon Valley tonight in their regular season finale.
The Gazelles are currently 11th in the Class AA standings with a 13-12 overall record, while the Lynx are ranked 2nd in the class at 25-5.
First serve is scheduled for 6:30 PM this evening. Pregame coverage on KYNT and KYNTV begins at 6:00.
The Yankton Bucks host the Watertown Arrows tomorrow night in the 11AA Football Semifinals at Crane-Youngworth Field.
The Bucks fell to the Arrows in the regular season 42-14. Since that loss, Yankton has recorded five straight wins, with an average margin of victory of 21.3 points per game.
Kickoff from Crane-Youngworth Field is scheduled for 7:00 PM tomorrow night. Pregame coverage on KYNT and KYNTV is set for 6:00.
The Cedar Catholic Trojans will host Boone Central tomorrow night in the C2 Football Playoff Quarterfinals.
The Trojans are undefeated on the season at 10-0, outscoring their opponents 501-63, including a 69-9 win over Lincoln Lutheran last week.
Kickoff from the Hartington Community Complex is scheduled for 7:00 PM tomorrow night.
The Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats are on the road tomorrow night to take on Stanton in the D1 Football Playoff Quarterfinals.
The Wildcats survived an upset in round one, scoring twice in the final 90 seconds to win 62-57 over Centura. Stanton enters with a perfect 10-0 record.
Kickoff from Stanton is scheduled for 7:00 PM Friday evening.
Area High School Football Schedule (Friday):
South Dakota:
- #2 Yankton vs #3 Watertown (11AA Semifinals)
- #2 Freeman vs #3 Castlewood (9A Semifinals)
- #4 Avon @ #1 Wall (9B Semifinals)
Nebraska:
- #3 Cedar Catholic vs #6 Boone Central (C2 Quarterfinals)
- #6 Hartington-Newcastle @ #3 Stanton (D1 Quarterfinals)
- #5 Crofton @ #4 Ravenna (D1 Quarterfinals)
- #9 Wynot @ #1 Lawrence-Nelson (D3 Quarterfinals)
A pair of Northeast Nebraska schools begin their quest for a state volleyball championship today in Lincoln, Bloomfield in D1 and Wynot in D2.
Both teams enter the state tournament with milestone opportunities ahead of them. Wynot are looking to go back-to-back as champions in D2, while the undefeated Queen Bees of Bloomfield are stepping into the tournament for the first time since their state championship in 1978.
Wynot’s first match against Crawford-Sioux County is scheduled for 11:00 AM at Pinnacle Bank Arena, while Bloomfield will face Tri County at 3:00 PM, also at PBA.
South Dakota Coyotes Men’s Basketball suffered their first setback of the season last night with a 102-94 loss to Northern Kentucky.
Jahni Summers led USD in scoring for the second straight game with 24 points, followed by 20 points from Vince Buzelis.
The 1-1 Coyotes are back home on Saturday to host Cal State Fullerton inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
South Dakota Coyotes Women’s Basketball returns to action tomorrow morning, as they host the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
The 1-0 Coyotes were dominant in their season opener on Monday, defeating York 95-38.
Tip-off is scheduled for 11:00 AM Friday morning at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion.
South Dakota State Men’s Basketball will host the Briar Cliff Chargers tomorrow night in their home opener.
The Jackrabbits are 1-0 to start the 2026-27 season following their 68-66 win over Kansas State earlier this week.
Tip-off from First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings is scheduled for 8:30 PM Friday night.
South Dakota State Women’s Basketball will host the Northern Iowa Panthers tomorrow night in Brookings.
The Jackrabbits are 0-1 on the year, following their 73-71 loss at the buzzer to Creighton on Monday.
Tip-off from First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings is scheduled for 6:00 PM Friday night.
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