The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon
Mon, Nov. 03 12:30 PM - 11:00 PM CST
Sanford Sports Complex
Sioux Falls, SD
Division I Basketball at the Pentagon
Last year, The Field of 68, a podcast network, partnered with Sanford Sports to launch a new, innovative event on the opening day of the college basketball season. This year, the event continues on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. The Sanford Pentagon will host matchups between six of Division I men's basketball teams.
The second annual event features the following matchups:
- Murray St. vs. Omaha - 12:30 p.m. CT
- Drake vs. No. Arizona - 3 p.m. CT
- SDSU vs. Merrimack - 8 p.m. CT
Great Shots Social Package:
Enhance your Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon experience by adding an intermission golf social to your ticket. This package includes golf, food, and a beverage at Great Shots from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3 – that’s between the second and third basketball games. Then, head back to the Sanford Pentagon for the nightcap.
Package Includes:
- Taco bar buffet
- One complimentary beverage
- Access to golf in dedicated golf bays in a social setting, first come, first served, shared with others.
Tickets go on sale Sept. 5, 2025.
The Bulldogs are coming off a 31-4 season, qualifying for the NCAA tournament for a third year in a row. But they have plenty of new faces led by head coach Eric Henderson – who spent the past six years in charge of South Dakota State. Drake also has a Sioux Falls connection in true freshmen forward Griffen Goodbary, a Sioux Falls Christian grad.
The Lumberjacks return key contributors Diego Campisano, Oakland Fort and Ryan Abelman from last season's 18-16 squad that competed in a postseason tournament for the first time since 2015. NAU's 18 wins marked the program's most since the 2014-15 campaign as the Lumberjacks were invited to play in the College Basketball Invitational.
The Racers are led by first-year head coach Ryan Miller, a Mitchell native, former Northern State standout and longtime Division I assistant. Murray State went 16-17 last season, getting into the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. Among the newcomers on the roster: Creighton transfer Mason Miller, who is Coach Miller’s nephew and the son of longtime NBA sniper Mike Miller.
Coach Chris Crutchfield and the Mavericks are coming off the first NCAA Division I tournament appearance in program history, winning the Summit League regular season and tournament titles. They return nine members of last year’s team and four newcomers.
The Jackrabbits boast a new head coach in Bryan Petersen, who was promoted to the top job after the 2024-25 season. The club also returns players from its 2024-25 squad that ended the season with a 20-12 overall record and a third-place finish in The Summit League standings.
The Warriors are coming of an 18-win season where they made an appearance in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals. Merrimack won 14 conference games in their first year in the MAAC, which was good enough for a second-place finish and helped coach Joe Gallo land a 10-year contract extension.
