— HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION RELEASE —
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BlueDragonSports.com) – The Hutchinson Community College football team’s 2024 season opener against New Mexico Military will be a nationally televised match-up, the NJCAA announced.
The Blue Dragons and Broncos will be the first of five NJCAA nationally televised games on ESPN+ this season. The national office will announce the matchups of the four other ESPN+ games at a later day.
Hutchinson and New Mexico Military open the season at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 29 at Hutchinson’s Gowans Stadium.
This will be the fifth time that the Blue Dragons will appear on an ESPN network, the first time during a regular-season game.
Hutchinson’s first appearance on ESPN was in the 2020/21 NJCAA National championship game, a 29-27 win over Snow College on June 5, 2021 in Little Rock, Arkansas, to showcase Hutchinson’s first NJCAA national football championship on ESPNU. The Blue Dragons appeared twice in 2023, winning a national semifinal game vs. Coffeyville at Gowans Stadium on ESPN+ and falling in the national championship game to Iowa Western on ESPNU.
Pat Strathman (play-by-play) and Gary Thomas (analyst) will be the game’s broadcast team.
Last season, the Blue Dragons played host to East Mississippi in the 2023 NJCAA national semifinals on ESPN+.
The Blue Dragons come off a KJCCC championship season in 2023, posting a 10-1 overall record. The Dragons went through the KJCCC undefeated for the second-straight year and third time in head coach Drew Dallas’ first four seasons.
New Mexico Military went 6-6 last season, losing to five ranked opponents. The Broncos have a new head this season in Oliver Soukup.
One season after the Blue Dragons won their national championship, New Mexico Military claimed the 2022 NJCAA title with a 31-13 win Iowa Western.
The Blue Dragons were picked to win the KJCCC in 2024 in the league’s annual media day that was released in July.
