The Spartan football team looks to start a new tradition on Saturday in their opening game against fellow Jesuit school Creighton Prep from Nebraska.

“It’s gonna be like a bowl game atmosphere,” head football coach John Merritt said. “It’s gonna be really cool.”

The weekend’s events start on Friday, when both teams will join each other at mass. Each school will bring a Jesuit representative with them. Followed by this is a shared team dinner. Then Saturday at 1:00 pm, it’s game time at De Smet.

“Our guys are going to meet some of those guys,” coach Merritt said. “In 30 years, somebody’s going to be in business together, and that’s what this should be about.”

Next year the Spartans are scheduled to travel to Omaha, Nebraska to play Creighton Prep on their home field.

“I am really excited to play against these out-of-town guys,” junior Luke Markway said, “It’ll be pretty cool to meet them.”

The idea for a game against an out-of-town Jesuit school started during Coach Merritt’s first year after they opened up their season against Springfield, Ohio. The two teams met halfway at Jesuit brother school Brebeuf Jesuit in Indianapolis.

“I remember that was wild, those are cool games to play,” Merritt said. “But we think the Jesuit schools are just as good competitively, but we think we get something else out of it, we get the connections.”

Coach Merritt hopes to expand the game beyond Creighton Prep and take on other Jesuit schools in the Midwest and eventually spread to the national level.

“We’re gonna get a playoff level competition, but we’re also gonna get an energy from that Jesuit versus Jesuit deal,” Merritt said. “I think the Jesuit international connection gives a real opportunity.”