WAYNE, Neb. --- The 2023 football schedule for Wayne State College was released on Monday.

WSC will play five home games and a non-conference game for the first time in 12 years according to the Wildcat football schedule that was released by Head Football Coach Logan Masters and Athletic Director Mike Powicki.

With the announcement by Upper Iowa on Nov. 29 that the school was leaving the Northern Sun Conference at the end of the 2022-23 school year, the NSIC has restructured its football schedule for the 2023 season that will now feature a 10-game, non-division league schedule.

Each team will play five home games and five road games with an open date to schedule a non-conference opponent.

The Wildcats open the 2023 schedule at home on Thursday evening, Aug. 31 hosting MSU Moorhead at 6 p.m. WSC will play another night game on Saturday, Sept. 16 facing Southwest Minnesota State at 6 p.m.

Homecoming is slated for Saturday, Oct. 7 as the Wildcats host Minnesota Duluth at 1 p.m.

Remaining home games for Wayne State will be Saturday, Oct. 14 vs. Bemidji State, an NCAA Division II playoff team last season, at 12 p.m. and the home finale on Saturday, Oct. 28 hosting Augustana at 12 p.m.

Wayne State has five NSIC road games this season, starting Sept. 9 at Minnesota State, an NCAA Division II playoff team last year.

Other league road games are at Minot State Sept. 30th, at Northern State October 21, at Sioux Falls November 4th and at Concordia-St. Paul November 11th.

The Wildcats will be playing a non-conference contest for the first time in 12 years as Wayne State will visit Missouri S&T on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. Missouri S&T will then visit Wayne State in week four during the 2024 football season.

It’s the first non-conference game for Wayne State football since Sept. 1, 2011 when UNK defeated the Wildcats in Wayne 41-20.

Wayne State finished the 2022 season with a record of 9-3 and earned a share of the Northern Sun Conference regular season title.

The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for just the second time in school history (2008) before falling to #19 Minnesota State 26-9 in the opening round.

The nine-win season marked just the fourth time in school history (1949, 1993, 2008) that Wayne State football recorded nine wins.

2023 Wayne State Football Schedule

August 31 MSU Moorhead 6:00 p.m.

September 9 at Minnesota State TBA

September 16 Southwest Minnesota State 6:00 p.m.

September 23 at Missouri S&T 6:00 p.m.

September 30 at Minot State TBA

October 7 Minnesota Duluth 1:00 p.m.

(Homecoming)

October 14 Bemidji State 12:00 p.m.

October 21 at Northern State TBA

October 28 Augustana 12:00 p.m.

November 4 at Sioux Falls 1:00 p.m.

November 11 at Concordia-St. Paul 12:00 p.m.