South Dakota’s only four-year college without a football program is getting ready to put a team on the field. Officials with Mount Marty College are beginning a three-year plan to make Lancer football a reality.
A video showing Mount Marty College students in eye black—that’s the substance athletes use to keep bright light out of their eyes—serves as the official announcement of the decision to add a football program. Lancer Athletic Director Chris Kassan says the Mount Marty Board of Trustees and coaches in other sports are excited to offer another activity in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
“Currently," Kassan says, "Mount Marty is the only co-educational institution in the GPAC without a football program. This is a great move for the Lancers—we already have a lot to offer potential football student-athletes. For example, by the fall of 2020, the fieldhouse will be complete, and our players will benefit from training in this first-class building. Now, since I took this job, the two most frequent questions I received were ‘When will we build that fieldhouse?’ and ‘When will we add football?’”
Kassan answers that question by announcing the search for a head coach will start in May, with the first game set for the 20-22 season.
“Hopefully, we’re gonna be able to support the program to make it as successful as possible as soon as possible. You know, that’s our hope, and I think that given what Yankton has as a football town, I think there’s an expectation to win and win quick; and we’re gonna do the best we can to meet those expectations.”
Mount Marty will play home games at the current field for Yankton High School—Crane-Youngworth Field was home to the former Yankton College. The Yankton Greyhounds ended their program with the closing of the college 35 years ago.