Due to potential extreme heat in Oklahoma, Delta State’s football season opener at Northeastern State University has been moved from Saturday, Aug. 29, to Friday, Aug. 28.
“Providing a safe environment for our student-athletes and fans is important to us,” Northeastern State Director of Athletics John Sisemore said. “With the extreme heat in the forecast, we believe it is necessary to move the kickoff later in the day to ensure the safest and most enjoyable experience for everyone. We are grateful to Delta State and our fans for understanding and flexibility as we make this change.”
Opening a highly anticipated season on the road in Tahlequah, Okla., the Statesmen are excited to see how national title-winning head coach David Dean will run the ship after Todd Cooley left to be an assistant at Ole Miss.
With more than 35 years of collegiate coaching experience, Dean has compiled a 127-47 head coaching record. In that time, he captured three NCAA Division II National Championships and seven Gulf Souther Conference championships. Dean is the second-winningest head coach in the conference’s history.
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Before Delta State, Dean’s most notable role was with Valdosta State University from 2007-15, where he posted a 79-27 record and won two national championships.
Delta State enters the Dean era with 13 returning starters – six on offense, five on defense, and two on special teams – after finishing the 2025 season with a 7-3 overall record.
In the football program’s 95 years, the Statesmen have compiled a 49-45-5 record in season openers. They will aim to earn their 50th season-opening win in program history when the game against Northeastern kicks off at 6 p.m.
