Dixie State Moving To Division 1 For 2020-2021 School Year
Jan 9, 2019, 10:38 AM | Updated: 5:37 pm
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dixie State University will officially make the jump to NCAA Division 1 athletics in the 2020-2021 school year.
KSL Sports has learned that there will be an official announcement Friday at 3 p.m. at the Student Activity Center in St. George.
The Trailblazers moved from the junior college ranks to NCAA Division 2 in 2006.
With the move to Division 1, Dixie State’s football team will become an independent, which will allow for a perfect geographical rivalry with Southern Utah University in Cedar City, just 50 miles up the road.
The move will also pave the way to play other in-state NCAA schools.
Dixie State will join Southern Utah, BYU, the University of Utah, Utah State University, Utah Valley University and Weber State in Division 1.
Currently in Division 2, Dixie State has a limit of 40 scholarships for the football team, but that could increase by 20 with the jump.
(Image courtesy Dixie State Athletics)
Trailblazers Stadium was recently renovated with new bleachers.
Basketball and all other sports will join the Western Athletic Conference, giving them another built-in, in-state rivalry with Utah Valley University in Orem.
Following standard NCAA procedure, Dixie State will be on a four-year probation after the move to Division 1 before any sport can participate in NCAA tournaments, which would be the 2024-2025 seasons.
The official announcement and school rally will stream live Friday at 3 p.m. on dixiestateathletics.com.
