PINE RIDGE — Lakota Tech is joining the All-Nations Football Conference. 

The Oglala Lakota County School District approved the move at the Jan. 20 school board meeting, and All-Nations Football Conference Chairman Lance Witte confirmed Lakota Tech’s addition on Jan. 28. 

Lakota Tech has played football under the South Dakota High School Activities Association since 2021, competing in Class 11A and has not won a game in program history (0-44). 

Lakota Tech’s addition gives the All-Nations Football Conference 18 teams for the 2026 season. The football league that’s made up of tribal schools in South Dakota and Nebraska was established in 2019. Each member school must have at least a 50% Native American enrollment to participate in the league.

The league is broken down into two divisions — Class 9B and Class 9A — based on enrollment numbers. 

The 10 Class 9B teams include Crow Creek, McLaughlin, White River, Tiospa Zina, Flandreau Indian, Dupree-Takini, Lower Brule, Walthill, Marty and Crazy Horse.

The eight Class 9A teams include Lakota Tech, Todd County, Little Wound, Pine Ridge, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte/Tiospaye Topa, St. Francis, Mahpiya Luta and Winnebago (Nebraska). 

The season starts the week of Aug. 20-22, and playoffs begin on Oct. 23. The semifinals are Oct. 30 and the championship games are Nov. 6 at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.