Football
8/5/2025 9:59:00 AM
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After two seasons with a single division conference, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) reestablishes the North and South Divisions, the University of Minnesota Duluth football team has been selected third overall and placed in a tie for first in the North Division for the 2024 season. Historically, the Bulldogs have claimed 12 of the last 15 North Division titles, with only three being shared with rival opponents.
In the NSIC’s annual preseason coaches’ poll Tuesday morning, UMD received three first-place votes in the North Division, falling one vote behind Bemidji State University, accumulating 33 points each. Overall, the Bulldogs are selected third, receiving 139 points, with last season’s champions, Augustana University, earning 153 points (three votes) in second, and Minnesota State University picked as the favorites with 167 points (11 votes).
For the second consecutive year, redshirt senior quarterback Kyle Walljasper was named as an NSIC Offensive Player to Watch, with senior defensive lineman Matt Weerts named as a NSIC Defensive Player to Watch.
Last season, the Fond du Lac, Wis. native Walljasper earned an NSIC All-Conference First Team selection while earning an NSIC Offensive Player of the Week selection and D2 Football Player of the Week selection. Throughout the year, he threw for a career-high 2,009 passing yards to average 200.9 yards per game last season. He sent 22 touchdowns in the air, rushed for eight touchdowns, ran for a total of 806 yards, and averaged 80.6 yards per game.
A product of Batavia, Ill., Weerts earned an NSIC All-Conference Second Team slot while downing a 14th NSIC best 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for a 14th-best loss of 43 yards. He totalled 26 tackles with 15 solo efforts throughout all 11 games.
The Bulldogs begin the 2025 campaign on the road at Winona State University on Friday, August 28th, in Eagan, Minnesota.
View the full NSIC press release here.
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