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 Women’s Field
Concordia University Bulldogs
Head Coach: Drew Olson, 20th season
2024-25 Record: 14-15
2025-26 Record: 2-0
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Seward, Nebraska
Top Player: 2024-25 Second Team All-GPAC honoree Kristin Vieselmeyer is the team’s top returner. The Holyoke, Colo., native averaged 10.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season. In 95 career games with the Bulldogs, Vieselmeyer has totaled 664 points, 305 rebounds, 113 assists, 59 steals and 45 blocked shots.
Overview: Olson’s program eyes a return to the national tournament this season after a rare miss in 2024-25, a campaign characterized by a series of close calls (including two overtime losses to national champion Dordt). Concordia is 2-0 to start 2025-26 with wins over Kansas Christian College (Kan.) and Graceland University (Iowa). Returning starters Raelyn Kelty and Vieselmeyer have been joined in the lineup by Bree Bunting, Sammy Leu and Ayla Roth. Through two games, Vieselmeyer (14.5), Bunting (12.0) and Roth (10.5) have averaged in double figures.
No. 18 Arizona Christian University
Head Coach: Rusty Rogers, 6th season
2024-25 Record: 25-6 (NAIA National Championship Round of 64)
2025-26 Record: 0-2
Conference: Golden State Athletic Conference
Location: Glendale, Arizona
Top Player: The team’s leading scorer is senior post Emily Till, who averaged 8.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game last season. Till has started strong in 2025-26 with a combined 44 points and 21 rebounds over the first two outings. Till owns the school record for rebounds in a single game with 21.
Overview: Veteran coach Rusty Rogers is in his sixth season leading Arizona Christian and has won nearly 800 games in his distinguished coaching career, which included a stop at Concordia University Chicago. This season, the Firestorm are tasked with replacing their top three scorers from last season, including NAIA Third Team All-American Alyssa Alvarez. The program is coming off a 2025 appearance at the NAIA national tournament. ACU won the 2024-25 GSAC regular season title.
No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Jason Christensen, 15th season
2024-25 Record: 25-7 (NAIA National Championship Round of 32)
2025-26 Record: 0-0
Conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
Location: Mitchell, South Dakota
Top Player: Junior post Emma Yost leads the way after earning NAIA Third Team All-American honors last season. Yost averaged 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 2024-25. The 2023-24 GPAC Freshman of the Year, Yost needed only two seasons to reach 1,000 career points.
Overview: Dakota Wesleyan won the NAIA Division II national title in 2018 and has been a force throughout the 15-year tenure of Head Coach Jason Christensen. This past 2024-25 season, the Tigers advanced to the second round of the NAIA national tournament. This year’s roster features not only the All-American Yost but also returning GPAC All-Conference honorees in guards Rylee Rosenquist (first team) and Avery Broughton (second team). DWU was pegged second in the GPAC preseason poll.
No. 13 MidAmerica Nazarene University
Head Coach: Jon Lewis, 15th season
2024-25 Record: 28-4 (NAIA National Championship Round of 64)
2025-26 Record: 2-0
Conference: Heart of America Athletic Conference
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Top Player: The Pioneers return NAIA Third Team All-American center Kameron Green, a junior from Fair Grove, Mo. This past season, Green averaged 13.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and shot 47.3 percent from the floor. Through this season’s first two games, Green has totaled 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Overview: Head Coach Jon Lewis has led MNU to the highest of heights with the program having celebrated an NAIA national title in 2016. A four-time Heart Coach of the Year, Lewis entered this season with an overall record of 334-107 and 12 national tournament appearances in his tenure leading the Pioneers. The 2024-25 team went 28-4 and finished its season with a 70-69 loss to Kansas Wesleyan University in the first round of the national tournament. The current roster features the All-American Green, in addition to last season’s Heart Newcomer of the Year Keona Schenck and Heart Freshman of the Year Zaylee Werth. The ’25-26 squad opened the season with wins over Avila University (Mo.) and Stephens College (Mo.).