SEWARD, Neb. – The 26th annual Cattle Classic is set to tip off next Friday (Nov. 7) afternoon inside Friedrich Arena. The basketball classic features a total of four men’s games and four women’s games over the course of the two-day extravaganza. The event, co-sponsored by Concordia and Cattle Bank & Trust, raises money and food for the Blue Valley Community Action's Food Pantry and other local food pantries. Pac N Save of Seward will match all canned food donations.
Fans are encouraged to bring canned goods in exchange for admission. Ten canned items will get an adult a weekend pass. Complete admission information for the Cattle Classic can be found HERE. Tickets will not be sold online for this particular event.
The Cattle Classic celebrated its 25th year in 2024. Last year’s Cattle Classic raised 10,163 cans of food and $2,963 in cash, bringing the 25-year totals to 153,607 canned food items and $42,094.
Live webcasts: Concordia Sports Network | Live stats: PrestoStats
2025 CATTLE CLASSIC SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 7
- Women: Dakota Wesleyan University vs. MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), 2 p.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. Arizona Christian University, 4 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Oklahoma City University, 6 p.m.
- Men: Hastings College vs. Clarke University (Iowa)
Saturday, Nov. 8
- Women: Dakota Wesleyan University vs. Arizona Christian University, 10 a.m.
- Men: Concordia vs. MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.), 12 p.m.
- Women: Concordia vs. Clarke University (Iowa), 2 p.m.
- Men: Hastings College vs. Oklahoma City University, 4 p.m.
The Men’s Field
Concordia University Bulldogs
Head Coach: Ben Limback, 13th season
2024-25 Record: 26-7 (NAIA National Championship Round of 32)
2025-26 Record: 1-2
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Seward, Nebraska
Top Player: Based on accolades from last season, junior wing Jaxon Stueve is the headliner. He was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC in 2024-25 after he averaged 7.8 points per game and shot 46.6 percent from the floor. Stueve started all 33 games as a sophomore and has opened the first three games this season.
Overview: It’s a new-look squad after the Bulldogs said goodbye to All-Americans Noah Schutte and Tristan Smith. A large class of juniors will have a major say in what becomes of the 2025-26 season. In the early going, Head Coach Ben Limback has trotted out a lineup including guards Dane Jacobsen, Zac Kulus and Stueve along with forwards Tate Odvody and Logan Wilson. Concordia got Brooks Kissinger back from injury this past weekend and hopes to soon have the services of Hayden Frank. The Bulldogs are 1-2 with a road win over Tabor College (Kan.).
Clarke University Pride
Head Coach: Jim Blaine, 12th season
2024-25 Record: 6-22
2025-26 Record: 1-2
Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference
Location: Dubuque, Iowa
Top Player: Senior guard DeMarco Clayton averaged 16.2 points per game in 14 outings last season and is averaging 21.0 points through the first three contests of this season. His 29-point, 10-rebound effort helped Clarke hang with No. 8 Northwestern in a 91-88 home loss this past week. Clayton is a transfer from Milwaukee Area Tech.
Overview: Since putting together a 24-9 record in 2019-20, the Pride have experienced five straight below .500 seasons heading into 2025-26. Head Coach Jim Blaine’s program is attempting to bounce back from a 6-22 record last season. The results were uneven this past weekend as Clarke played tight with No. 8 Northwestern (91-88 loss) before being blown out at home, 77-48, by Viterbo University (Wis.). The one win was a 94-71 decision over Emmaus Bible College. Before heading to the Cattle Classic, the Pride will play at Trinity Christian (Ill.) on Tuesday.
Hastings College Broncos
Head Coach: Todd Raridon, 4th season
2024-25 Record: 5-22
2025-26 Record: 0-3
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Hastings, Nebraska
Top Player: Senior guard DaRon Hall returns after leading the 2024-25 team in scoring at 13.1 points per game. Hall was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC for his efforts. Hall arrived at Hastings via Elgin Community College and is a Chicago area native.
Overview: Head Coach Todd Raridon led Hastings to a breakthrough season in 2023-24 (GPAC regular season and postseason champions) behind GPAC Player of the Year Reggie Thomas. Since then, the Broncos have gone a combined 5-25. This year’s team does return its two All-GPAC players (honorable mention) from last season in Hall and fellow guard Maverick Binder. The losses to begin this season have come against Central Methodist University (Mo.), Bellevue University and Oklahoma City University. Hastings was picked ninth in the GPAC preseason poll.
Oklahoma City University Stars
Head Coach: Sam Kohnke, 1st season
2024-25 Record: 10-18
2025-26 Record: 2-0
Conference: Sooner Athletic Conference
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Top Player: For a team with a significant amount of roster turnover, junior wing James Cloud is the leading returning scorer after he averaged 7.1 points per game last season. So far this season, junior forward Jackson Hopps leads a group of six double figure scorers at 15.0 points per game.
Overview: Oklahoma City stands out as one of the NAIA’s all-time powerhouse programs with six national championships (and 25 national tournament appearances) in its history. However, the Stars have not qualified for the national tournament since 2019. First-year Head Coach Sam Kohnke hopes to end that drought. Kohnke and his staff have revamped the roster and have produced two wins to open the season – over Randall University and Hastings. The Stars have racked up a combined 210 points in those victories. They will begin this week by playing LSU Shreveport in Dallas on Monday.