The 2022 Summit League schedule was released by league officials on Wednesday afternoon. South Dakota will have five games on the road and four games at home in the conference slate this fall. Times for these matchups will be determined at a later date.
USD looks to continue its recent success in Summit League action. In 2021, the Coyotes claimed five Summit League victories, tying them for the most in a season since joining the conference. They outscored their opponents 16-8 in conference play and qualified for the Summit League Tournament for the second straight season. South Dakota returns two of the five all-Summit selections from last season’s squad in Jordan Centineo and Taylor Ravelo.
The Coyotes will be tested early with the first three games coming against the top-three finishers in last’s seasons standings. With the conference season kicking off on September 23, USD will get an extra day of rest before opening its conference schedule against in-state rival and reigning Summit League Tournament champions South Dakota State. The showdown is scheduled for September 24 in Brookings, South Dakota.
The first pair of Summit home games for South Dakota take place on September 30 and October 2. The Coyotes open against Omaha before facing Denver in a Sunday contest. The Pioneers defeated the Coyotes in the semifinals of the 2021 Summit League Tournament in a game that was decided by penalty kicks.
USD will go back on the road the following week for games at Western Illinois on October 7 and at St. Thomas on October 9. South Dakota plays its last two home games of the season on October 14 and October 16 against Kansas City and Oral Roberts before concluding the conference schedule at North Dakota State on October 21 and at North Dakota on October 23.
The Summit League has also announced a new format for the Summit League Tournament. The tournament consists of six teams now and will take place over the course of two weekends. The quarterfinals and semifinals will take place on October 28-30 with the championship match set for November 5. The locations will be based on seeding with the top two seeds hosting two games on the opening weekend and the highest-remaining seed hosting the title game.
| Date | Opponent | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | at South Dakota State | Brookings, S.D. |
| Friday, Sept. 30 | Omaha | Vermillion, S.D. |
| Sunday, Oct. 2 | Denver | Vermillion. S.D. |
| Friday, Oct. 7 | at Western Illinois | Macomb, Ill. |
| Sunday, Oct. 9 | at St. Thomas | St. Paul, Minn. |
| Friday, Oct. 14 | Kansas City | Vermillion, S.D. |
| Sunday, Oct. 16 | Oral Roberts | Vermillion, S.D. |
| Friday, Oct. 21 | at North Dakota State | Fargo, N.D. |
| Sunday, Oct. 23 | at North Dakota | Grand Forks, N.D. |
| Friday, Oct. 28 | Summit League Quarterfinals | TBD |
| Sunday, Oct. 30 | Summit League Semifinals | TBD |
| Saturday, Nov. 5 | Summit League Championship | TBD |
*home games in bold