SIOUX FALLS, SD (Dakota News Now) – As we turn back the clock, it’s time to turn up the temperature in gyms across the country because basketball season is just around the corner.

And it will start in a big way tomorrow for NCAA Division One at the Sanford Pentagon.

The venue will host the “Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase” with three mid-major games, culminating with South Dakota State taking the floor in the evening.

It’s the brainchild of longtime college basketball reporter Jeff Goodman, who runs the Field of 68 media network and wanted to start the college hoops season in a special way.

Among tomorrow’s games, former SDSU head coach Scott Nagy will make his debut as Southern Illinois’ new head coach against the College of Charleston.

Which raises an obvious question.

Did Goodman try to get Nagy to take on the South Dakota State program he coached for 21 seasons from 1995 to 2016?!

“Of course I tried! I was unsuccessful! And with Scott, he’s too nice of a person to try to convince him. It was like he said no the first time, that was it! You’re not going to do that. That guy is the nicest man in this business. Goodman said of his efforts to get Nagy to play SDSU in the opener.

Nagy will make his debut with the Salukis against the College of Charleston at 11 a.m. Then Saint Louis University will face Santa Clara at 2 p.m. The event concludes at 5:00 PM with SDSU taking on McNeese State each season in which they qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

“We’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while because, honestly, college basketball is starting off without a bang. I mean, there are no good games, there are all ‘buy’ games. I’ve been complaining about it for years and we felt like we could help get some mid-major games together, and luckily that’s exactly what we were able to do.” says Goedman.

If you can’t make it to the Pentagon, all games will be streamed on Field of 68’s YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) platforms.

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