Academic Festival Keeps Custer Battlefield Highway Conference Spirit Alive

Over 200 students from 9 schools compete in annual academic competition

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Custer Battlefield Highway Academic Festival, an academic competition that has been held for 31 years, brought together over 200 students from 9 schools - most of them former members of the now-defunct Custer Battlefield Highway athletic conference. The event features traditional tests and a quiz bowl, allowing students to showcase their academic talents without the pressures of grades or scholarships.

Why it matters

The academic festival has become a way for the schools of the former Custer Battlefield Highway Conference to maintain their competitive spirit and camaraderie, even after the athletic conference disbanded. It provides an outlet for academically-inclined students to shine and be recognized for their achievements.

The details

The festival features two main components - a morning session of subject-area tests, and an afternoon quiz bowl competition. Teams of up to 12 students from each school compete, with the overall winner and quiz bowl champion determined by combining the results. Individual medals are also awarded for the morning tests. The event has been hosted at RiverTree Church in Mitchell since moving from the Dakota Wesleyan University campus.

  • The 31st annual Custer Battlefield Highway Academic Festival was held on Wednesday, February 11, 2026.
  • The festival has been an annual event since 1994.

The players

Michael Catalano

A professor of mathematics at Dakota Wesleyan University and an organizer of the Custer Battlefield Highway Academic Festival.

Scott Muckey

The superintendent for Corsica-Stickney school district, who has been involved with the festival for nearly 50 years, dating back to when he was a student.

Custer Battlefield Highway Conference

The former athletic conference that the participating schools were once members of, before it disbanded in the late 2010s.

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What they’re saying

“It's a cool commitment on the part of the school to keep it going.”

— Michael Catalano, Professor of Mathematics, Dakota Wesleyan University (Mitchell Republic)

“You're always trying to give students opportunities for themselves to show their success. That's really what it's all about.”

— Scott Muckey, Superintendent, Corsica-Stickney School District (Mitchell Republic)

What’s next

The organizers of the Custer Battlefield Highway Academic Festival plan to continue hosting the event for the foreseeable future, as long as the participating schools remain committed to the tradition.

The takeaway

The Custer Battlefield Highway Academic Festival demonstrates how schools can maintain a sense of community and healthy competition even after the dissolution of their athletic conference. By focusing on academics instead of sports, the festival provides a platform for students to showcase their intellectual talents and continue the legacy of the former conference.