Defiance College football schedule announced as 2025 campaign approaches
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College is preparing for the football program's first season as a full member of the Mid-States Football Association with the Yellow Jackets kicking off their 11-game season on August 30, the DC Athletic Department announced on Monday.
After the Yellow Jackets played a hybrid season mixed with former HCAC foes and a handful of MSFA schools, Defiance enters the 2025 season with a full slate of games against NAIA football teams. The season begins with a non-conference battle at Rio Grande, resurrecting the Red Storm football program that has been on hiatus since closing the 1949 season. The season-opening clash between Ohio's only two NAIA football teams is the second meeting all-time, following a Defiance victory to start the 1948 campaign.
The first of five home dates will be against the Judson Eagles, marking the second straight year of welcoming the Illinois-based squad for Defiance's home opener. The Yellow Jackets will also host Siena Heights (Nov. 1) and Madonna (Nov. 8) for the second straight year. Defiance's 175th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration will take place at the Oct. 4 contest against St. Xavier. DC also welcomes the Taylor Trojans on Oct. 18 for the first time since 1988, marking the first MSFA Mideast League game on the schedule.
On the away portion of the schedule, Defiance will revisit the St. Francis Cougars for a second year in a row with a trip to Fort Wayne on Sept. 27. The Yellow Jackets will see their remaining four road opponents for the first time since joining the MSFA. Defiance travels to Marian (Sept. 13) and Olivet Nazarene (Oct. 11) as part of a five-week stretch against MSFA Midwest League opponents, counting as non-conference games. Defiance travels to Indiana Wesleyan to play the Wildcats for the first time in school history on Oct. 25 and concludes the season with a trip to Lawrence Tech on Nov. 15.
2025 Defiance Football Schedule
Aug. 30 at Rio Grande, 1 p.m.
Sept. 6 vs. Judson, 1 p.m. (Home Opener)
Sept. 13 at Marian, 1 p.m.
Sept. 27 at St. Francis (Ind.), 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 vs. St. Xavier, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
Oct. 11 at Olivet Nazarene, 2 p.m.
Oct. 18 vs. Taylor, 1 p.m.*
Oct. 25 at Indiana Wesleyan, 4 p.m.*
Nov. 1 vs. Siena Heights, 1 p.m.*
Nov. 8 vs. Madonna, 1 p.m. (Senior Day)*
Nov. 15 at Lawrence Tech, 1 p.m.*
*Denotes MSFA Mideast League Game
All game times are listed as Eastern Time. Schedule subject to change.
Quoting Head Coach Bill Nickell
"The 2025 season is full of great opportunities to compete against some of the best teams in NAIA football. This will be our first full year competing in the Mid-States Football Association with several new opponents, plus a few that we saw for the first time last year. We are thrilled to be a full-fledged member and look forward to competing at the highest level each and every week. Our 2025 schedule has five home and six away contests and the Yellow Jackets will face off against five teams that earned national rankings last season.
"Our season kicks off versus another NAIA newcomer at Rio Grande. Their experienced staff will have their team hungry and ready to play. I have no doubt that this will be a true test of our young squad and we are excited to compete against another program in the state of Ohio. Then, we have a stretch of five MSFA "crossover" opponents from the MSFA Midwest League. Starting with our home opener for the second year in a row is Judson. Then we hit the road again to face Marian, a perennial powerhouse and 2024 co-Champions. After a bye week, we take a short trip to Fort Wayne to play Saint Francis, who were also the Midwest League Co-Champions in 2024. For homecoming on Oct. 4, we return home to face St. Xavier and finish our non-conference schedule the following week at Olivet Nazarene. We return home to begin Mideast League play on Oct.18 against league runner-up, Taylor. Our lone evening game of the year is against the reigning champions and national contenders, Indiana Wesleyan, which will be featured on ESPN's streaming platforms. Next, we'll have back-to-back home games versus Siena Heights and Madonna, which will also be our Senior Day. Our regular season concludes on Nov. 15 in Michigan versus Lawrence Tech.
"The 2025 squad has had a great off-season thus far and our staff has done a fantastic job identifying, recruiting, developing, and retaining talented student-athletes who are eager and capable of competing at the highest level. We are excited to hit the field on Aug. 30!"
-JACKETS-