South Dakota State Jackrabbits football

Last updated
South Dakota State Jackrabbits football
AmericanFootball current event.svg 2023 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team
South Dakota State University logo.svg
First season1900
Athletic directorJustin Sell
Head coach Jimmy Rogers
1st season, 15–0 (1.000)
Stadium Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
(capacity: 19,340)
Year built2016
Field surfaceTurf
Location Brookings, South Dakota
NCAA division Division I FCS
Conference Missouri Valley
Past conferences NCC (1922–2003), Great West (2004–2007)
All-time record657–477–35 (.577)
Playoff record22–12
Claimed national titles2 (Div. I FCS): 2022, 2023
Conference titles
  • NCC (14)
    1922, 1924, 1925, 1933, 1939, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963
  • GWC (1)
    2007
  • MVFC (4)
    2016, 2020, 2022, 2023
Rivalries North Dakota State (rivalry)
South Dakota (rivalry)
North Dakota
Current uniform
SDSU Jackrabbits.png
ColorsBlue and yellow [1]
   
Fight songRing the Bell
MascotJack Rabbit
Marching bandThe Pride of the Dakotas
NCAA FCS Playoff Appearances(13) 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Website Jackrabbit Football

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represents South Dakota State University in college football. The program competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The Jackrabbits play their home games at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on South Dakota State's campus in Brookings, South Dakota.

Contents

South Dakota State is considered to be among the few perennial powers in the FCS. South Dakota State is also one of only 13 FCS schools to host ESPN's College GameDay .

For the 2019 GameDay matchup, the No. 3 Jackrabbits hosted the No. 1 North Dakota State Bison, where they would lose in a close battle 23–16 after losing their starting QB to a season ending knee injury. [2]

The Jackrabbits currently have a 12-year streak of qualifying for the FCS playoffs, the second-longest in the country at the FCS level (the longest being North Dakota State at 13).

South Dakota State are two-time national champions. They achieved their first national championship win in school history on January 8, 2023, defeating North Dakota State 45-21. [3]

Then a year later on January 7, 2024, they repeated by defeating Montana (13–2) with a score of 23–3 and finished with a perfect 15–0 record. [4]

History

The Jackrabbits were an NCAA Division II program in the North Central Conference until moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004.

In March 2004, SDSU initially began their Division I FCS era by being a charter member of the now-defunct Great West Football Conference (along with North Dakota State, Southern Utah, Cal Poly, UC Davis, Northern Colorado) and stayed there until 2007 when they were accepted into the Missouri Valley Football Conference and began league play in the 2008 season.

South Dakota State University has invested in their football program's facilities recently as they have some of the finest amenities and facilities at the FCS level including the largest video/scoreboard in the FCS (2015) a new 19,340-seat stadium (2016), and a large state-of-the-art student-athlete center in the north end zone (2010). Connected to the student-athlete center is one of the largest indoor practice facilities in NCAA Division I (completed in 2014). Due to the success of South Dakota State and North Dakota State football programs, the Dakota Marker game was featured on ESPN’s nationally televised College GameDay on October 26, 2019, becoming one of only a few FCS programs to be featured on the show.

South Dakota State reached the Football Championship Subdivision semi-finals six times in 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively.

They advanced to their first national championship game on May 8, 2021 after defeating the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens 33–3 in the national semi-finals. They played No. 2 Sam Houston State for the national championship on May 16, 2021 and lost 23–21. The Jackrabbits finished the season 8–2 and as national runner-ups.

A year and a half later on January 8, 2023 they advanced to the national championship game again where they would win their first national title over conference rival North Dakota State, 45–21. [5]

On January 7, 2024, the Jackrabbits successfully defended their National Title when they defeated the Montana Grizzlies football team 23-3. Their victory capped a 15-0 undefeated regular season for first-year coach Jimmy Rogers, including an 8-0 Missouri Valley Conference record. [6]

Classifications

Conference affiliations

Players in the National Football League

A total of 34 Jackrabbits have played for NFL teams, including five signed to team rosters as of March 2024.

29 Jackrabbits have been drafted in the NFL Draft. As of 2021, Jim Langer is the only Jackrabbit to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Langer 2x Super Bowl Champion, SDSU's sole NFL Hall of Famer Jim Langer in 1969, SDSU.jpg
Jim Langer
2x Super Bowl Champion,
SDSU's sole NFL Hall of Famer

Record versus Missouri Valley Football Conference

RivalRecord (W–L–T)Winning Percentage
Illinois State6–8.429
Indiana State10–2.833
Missouri State14–1.933
Murray State0–0.000
North Dakota36–47–5.434
North Dakota State45–64–5.413
Northern Iowa25–32–1.439
South Dakota58–54–7.518
Southern Illinois11–4.733
Western Illinois14–4.778
Youngstown State18–7.720

FCS Playoffs results

Through December 2023, the Jackrabbits have appeared in the FCS playoffs thirteen times with an overall record of 22–11 (.667). They have made 12 consecutive appearances in the FCS playoffs, currently the second-longest streak in the nation.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2009 First RoundMontanaL 48–61
2012 First Round
Second Round		Eastern Illinois
North Dakota State		W 58–10
L 3–28
2013 First Round
Second Round		Northern Arizona
Eastern Washington		W 26–7
L 17–41
2014 First Round
Second Round		Montana State
North Dakota State		W 47–40
L 24–27
2015 First RoundMontanaL 17–24
2016 Second Round
Quarterfinals		Villanova
North Dakota State		W 10–7
L 10–36
2017 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Northern Iowa
New Hampshire
James Madison		W 37–22
W 56–14
L 16–51
2018 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		Duquesne
Kennesaw State
North Dakota State
W 51–6
W 27–17
L 21–44
2019 Second RoundNorthern IowaL 10–13
2020 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship 		Holy Cross
Southern Illinois
Delaware
Sam Houston State		W 31–3
W 31–26
W 33–3
L 21–23
2021 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals		UC Davis
Sacramento State
Villanova
Montana State		W 56–24
W 24–19
W 35–21
L 17–31
2022 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship 		Delaware
Holy Cross
Montana State
North Dakota State		W 42–6
W 42–21
W 39–18
W 45–21
2023 Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
National Championship 		Mercer
Villanova
Albany
Montana		W 41–0
W 23–12
W 59–0
W 23–3

Division II Playoffs results

The Jackrabbits have appeared in the Division II playoffs one time with an overall record of 0–1.[ citation needed ]

YearRoundOpponentResult
1979 QuarterfinalsYoungstown StateL 7–51

Head coaches

#CoachTenure
1Morrison1900
2 L. L. Gilkey 1901
3 J. Harrison Werner 1903
4 William Blaine 1904
5 William Juneau 1905–1908
6 Jason M. Saunderson 1909–1910
7 Fred Johnson 1911
8 Harry W. Ewing 1912–1917
-No team1918
9 Charles A. West 1919–1927
10 Cy Kasper 1928–1933
11 Red Threlfall 1934–1937
12 Jack V. Barnes 1938–1940
13 Thurlo McCrady 1941–1946
14 Ralph Ginn 1947–1968
15 Dave Kragthorpe 1969
16 Dean Pryor 1970–1971
17 John Gregory 1972–1981
18 Wayne Haensel 1982–1990
19 Mike Daly 1991–1996
20 John Stiegelmeier 1997–2022
21 Jimmy Rogers 2023–present

Facilities

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium - named for university benefactor and former football player Dana J. Dykhouse. Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium 2016.jpg
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium – named for university benefactor and former football player Dana J. Dykhouse.

In 2014, South Dakota State University started construction of a new stadium on the location of the current Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The new stadium has a total seating capacity of 19,340 with easy expansion to 22,500.

The Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center (formerly the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex) is the Jackrabbits new State-of-the-art indoor practice facility. The facility was opened on October 11, 2014. The Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center has bleacher seating for up to 1,000 spectators and can be used for football practice, track practice, softball and baseball practice, track competitions, and other events within the SDSU athletic department. The 149,284-square foot facility is the largest indoor practice facility in Division I athletics and features an eight-lane, 300-meter track which is only one of five collegiate indoor tracks of that size in the nation. Inside the track is an 80-yard football field plus end zones at each end and is composed of a soy-based Astroturf. Within the facility it has areas for sports medicine and strength and conditioning. Sports medicine features include rehab space, a training room, weight room expansion, hydrotherapy, a football team room, offices and academic advising facilities. The Stiegelmeier Family Student-Athlete Center is used by many of SDSU's athletic programs.

All-Time statistical leaders

[ when? ]

Single-game leaders

Single-Season leaders

Career leaders

Media coverage

All home and road games are covered on the Jackrabbit Sports Network. The broadcast range of the Jackrabbit Sports Network covers eight states (South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, and Wyoming), and consists of the following stations:

The Missouri Valley Football Conference and ESPN have signed a six-year media rights agreement, effective from the 2024 season. As part of the deal, a minimum of nine games will be showcased on ESPN, ESPN 2, or ESPN U throughout the contract. Additionally, the MVFC will maintain its "game of the week" digital package on ESPN+. The agreement also includes exclusive airing of additional league contests on ESPN platforms. Jackrabbits games have also been broadcast on Midco Sports Net, Fox College Sports, the Big Ten Network, Fox Sports North, ABC, and various local television networks.

Record against FBS competition

Overall 2–10.

SeasonOpponentConferenceResultRecord
2008 Iowa State Big 12 L 17–440–1
2009 Minnesota Big Ten L 13–160–2
2010 Nebraska Big 12L 3–170–3
2011 Illinois Big TenL 3–560–4
2012 Kansas Big 12L 17–310–5
2013 Nebraska Big TenL 20–590–6
2014 Missouri SEC L 18–380–7
2015 Kansas Big 12W 41–381–7
2016 TCU Big 12L 41–591–8
2018 Iowa State Big 12Canceled by weather
2019 Minnesota Big TenL 21–281–9
2021 Colorado State Mountain WestW 42–232–9
2022 Iowa Big TenL 3–72–10

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of June 17, 2023. [8]

20242025202620272028202920302031
at Oklahoma State at Montana State at Northwestern at Iowa State at Nebraska at Nebraska
at Southeastern Louisiana Drake Southeastern Louisiana
Utah Tech at Tarleton State

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Dakota State University</span> University in Brookings, South Dakota, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dakota Marker</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Dakota State Jackrabbits</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2012 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 16th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 9–4 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing second in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at–large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits defeated Eastern Illinois in the first round before falling to fellow MVFC member and eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the second round. The team played home games at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2013 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 17th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 9–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a four-way tie for second in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at–large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits defeated Northern Arizona in the first round before falling to Eastern Washington in the second round. The team played home games at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2014 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 18th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 9–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at–large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits defeated Montana State in the first round before falling to fellow MVFC member and eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the second round. The team played home games at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Dakota–South Dakota State football rivalry</span> Collegiate football rivalry

The South Dakota–South Dakota State football rivalry between the South Dakota Coyotes and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits is a yearly rivalry match-up in football between the two largest public universities in the state of South Dakota: the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and South Dakota State University in Brookings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 19th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at–large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits lost to Montana in the first round. The team played home games at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 21st-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 11–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first-round bye, the Jackrabbits defeated Northern Iowa in the second round and New Hampshire in the quarterfinals before losing to James Madison in the semifinals. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2018 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 22nd-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing second in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first round bye, the Jackrabbits defeated Duquesne in the second round and Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals before falling to fellow MVFC member and eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the semifinals. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 23rd-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first round bye, the Jackrabbits lost to Northern Iowa in the second round. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 24th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 8–2 with a mark of 5–1 in conference play, sharing the MVFC title with Missouri State. South Dakota State received an the MVFC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits defeated Holy Cross in the first round, fellow MVFC member Southern Illinois in the quarterfinals, and Delaware in the semifinals before losing to Sam Houston State in the NCAA Division I Championship Game. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 25th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 11–4 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits defeated UC Davis in the first round, Sacramento State in the second round, and Villanova in the quarterfinals before losing to Montana State in the semifinals. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2022 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led John Stiegelmeier in his 26th and final season as head coach, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 14–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the MVFC title. South Dakota State received the MVFC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where after a first-round bye, the Jackrabbits defeated Delaware in the second round, Holy Cross in the quarterfinals, Montana State in the semifinals, and fellow MVFC member North Dakota State in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game to win program's first national title. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Gronowski</span> American football quarterback

Mark Gronowski is an American football quarterback for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Rogers (American football coach)</span> American football coach

Jimmy Rogers is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). After playing college football for the Jackrabbits, he served as a graduate assistant with them for two years before joining Florida Atlantic in 2012. He returned to South Dakota State in 2013 as linebackers coach, later receiving a promotion to defensive coordinator in 2019, the position he served in until being named head coach in 2023. He closed his first season as Jackrabbit head coach by leading his team to the NCAA Division 1 FCS National Championship in Frisco, TX, January 7, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented the South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 15–0 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the MVFC title for the second straight season. South Dakota State received the MVFC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where after a first-round bye, the Jackrabbits defeated Mercer in the second round, Villanova in the quarterfinals, Albany in the semifinals, and Montana in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game to win program's second consecutive national title. South Dakota State outscored opponents 146-15 in the four playoff games, completed a wire-to-wire season as the No. 1 ranked team in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), and extended the team's winning streak to 29 games. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.

References

  1. ↑ "South Dakota State Jackrabbits Media Information". July 17, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  2. ↑ Zimmer, Matt. "College GameDay: North Dakota State crashes party at South Dakota State". Argus Leader. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "South Dakota State 45-21 North Dakota State (Jan 8, 2023) Final Score - ESPN". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  4. ↑ "South Dakota State 23-3 Montana (Jan 7, 2024) Final Score - ESPN". www.espn.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  5. ↑ "South Dakota State wins the 2022 FCS Championship". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  6. ↑ "2023 Undefeated College Football Teams". www.sportsbetting3.com. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
  7. ↑ "2021 Football Schedule". South Dakota State University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  8. ↑ "South Dakota State Jackrabbits Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
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