INDIANAPOLIS - The highly anticipated 2025 Marian football season is nearly here, as the Knights are closing in on kickoff for their upcoming campaign. 2025 will be the 19th chapter of Marian University football, and to begin the season, the Knights revive the rivalry against the University of Indianapolis, as the only two scholarship football programs in Indianapolis clash in Week 0 at Ascension St. Vincent Field. 

Get all of the up-to-date information on the Monumental Matchup and the season kickoff! The season begins at 6:05 p.m. on Thursday, August 28.

THE GAME
For the first time since 2016 and the third time in program history, the Marian and University of Indianapolis football programs will meet on the gridiron, as the Monumental Matchup is back and serves as the kickoff to the 2025 season. Marian is 2-0 all-time in the short-lived series, winning at home in 2015 in the first meeting before traveling to the southside, where they earned a win in 2016. Marian's win in the 2015 season helped propel the team to their second NAIA National Championship, while the 2016 victory bolstered the No. 1 NAIA ranking.

The 2025 rendition of the Monumental Matchup continues a trend from the first two meetings, as the Knights and Greyhounds will implement a new starting quarterback in the series for a respective third time. Tristan Polk is Marian's returning starting quarterback for the second consecutive season and entering his final season of college, while the Greyhounds will employ Gavin Sukup for his third season at UIndy and final as a small-college quarterback. 

The crosstown meeting will be the first Monumental Matchup for current head coaches Ted Karras Jr. of Marian and Chris Keevers of UIndy. Keevers served as UIndy's defensive coordinator in the first two matchups in '15 and '16, while Karras will coach his first game in the rivalry slate in '25. In the first two meetings between the two schools, the Knights were led by head coach Mark Henninger.

The Knights are playing a non-NAIA program for the first time since 2021, when the Knights opened that season at home with a standalone matchup against Tiffin University. Marian fell to the NCAA DII opponent 34-10. The Knights are 7-3 all-time against non-NAIA members. 

The kickoff is also Marian's first-ever home Thursday football opener, with the Knights playing their first weekday game since 2017. The last Thursday game was the 2017 season opener against St. Xavier. UIndy is playing their first Thursday game since 2019, when the Hounds opened at Ashland. 

CONFERENCE FAVORITES
Both the Knights and Greyhounds were tabbed to win their respective conferences in 2025. Marian was a co-champion in 2024 in their first year as an MSFA Midwest League member, while UIndy won their third consecutive GLVC title.

NATIONALLY RANKED
The Knights were picked as the No. 23 team in the NAIA on Monday afternoon, marking the 10th consecutive season the Knights were featured in the NAIA Preseason Top-25. UIndy has been picked as the No. 15 team in the AFCA DII Preseason Poll. Marian is one of five MSFA members to either crack the Top-25 or receive votes in the poll, while the Hounds are the lone member of the GLVC in their Top-25 poll. 

WATCH AND FOLLOW ALONG
For the 10th season, the broadcast combination of Scott McCauley and Zach Graves will be on the call of Marian football, with the ISC Sports Network along for the ride as the official streaming provider of the Knights. Scott and Zach will call radio games for road trips throughout the season ISC as well.

For the Monumental Matchup, the game will be simulcast on local tv to WNDY-23 locally in the Indianapolis area, and nationally on the Urban Edge Network. Fans can also watch the game on the ISC Sports Network website or mobile app, in addition to their X and YouTube channels. The game will be streamed for free, and then will be archived in the Marian football 2025 season pass. The Knights' remaining five regular season games will be tagged as pay-per-view contests. 

TICKETS & RE-ENTRY POLICY
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at MUKnights.com. Walk-up tickets may also be purchased at the gate on Thursday night. Ticket prices for the premier matchup of Indianapolis' two small-college universities will begin at $20 for general admission prices, while special $10 rates at the gate will apply to:

• Children age 10 and under
• Active and non-active military personnel
• Senior Citizens age 65 and older
• Non-Marian college students with valid student ID

    Reminders from Marian Athletics

• Clear Bag Policy: Only clear bags 12"x12"x6" or smaller are permitted for all games. Small handbags and clutches are also permitted.

• Monumental Matchup Re-Entry Policy: Each ticket is valid for a single entry to Ascension St. Vincent Field. No Re-entry will be allowed 

• Digital First Ticketing: All tickets purchased online are eTickets only. Tickets can be purchased onsite while available.

PARKING
Parking for all tailgating lots on Thursday will cost $10 cash. All Knights' M-Club parking passes will be honored for the game. Overflow gameday parking will be available in the 30th Street lot and at the Major Taylor Velodrome. A shuttle will be running between 5:00 and 10:00 p.m. on Thursday from the Velodrome to Alumni Hall. 

ADDITIONAL SEATING
Portable bleachers have been added to the stadium to house additional visiting fans from UIndy. Access to the seating will be from the visiting sideline only. 

FOOTBALL WEATHER
The weather has turned this week, and forecasts for Thursday's opener look like ideal football conditions for late August. The temperature at kickoff is forecasted for 74, with the high temperature on Thursday being 75 degrees, a full 12-degrees below the average forecast for the date from late July. 

RALLY TOWEL GIVEAWAY
All fans entering Ascension St. Vincent Field for the game on Thursday night will have a chance to grab a limited-edition gameday rally towel to commemorate the rebirth of the Monumental Matchup. Towels will be available at the main entrance while supplies last. 

POSTGAME FIREWORKS
Following the game, Marian will host the city's best fireworks display. Stick around after the game to enjoy an annual fireworks display.

The first game of the NAIA football season gets underway in Indianapolis on Thursday, August 28, with Marian and UIndy kicking off at 6:05 p.m.

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