MANKATO, Minn. - Minnesota State officials have announced that recently retired Maverick women's softball coach and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) Lori Meyer will be recognized at the upcoming season opening football game vs. Northwest Missouri, as the Mavericks will take on the Bearcats on Thursday, August 28 with a kickoff slated for 6 p.m.
 
Minnesota State Athletics will co-host a farewell "tailgate" reception for Coach Meyer in Lot 20 east of Blakeslee Stadium from 4-5:30 p.m. prior to the football game. The event is free and faculty, staff, and community members are encouraged to attend to share memories and swap stories with the legendary coach. Meyer will then serve as honorary team captain and be recognized on the field prior to kickoff for her many years of service to Maverick Athletics.
 
As a Maverick Head Coach for 41 years, Meyer was the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division II history. In addition to her coaching duties, Meyer served in an executive administrative role as the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), where she pioneered growth opportunities as a tireless advocate for girls and women in sport and ushered in an era of unparalleled success for Maverick women's sports teams, including three national championships between 2009 and 2024, including one of her own. 
 
Meyer's exceptional leadership and strategic prowess allowed Minnesota State to capture the 2017 NCAA Division II National Championship which spotlights the many career accomplishments that allowed her to earn recognition as a distinguished member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame. Meyer will be inducted into the Minnesota State Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday, September 26.