South Dakota State University Athletics
SDSU'S JASON HOVE RECEIVES PROFESSIONAL AWARD
1/29/2024 11:21:00 AM | General
Nobody has had the front row seat to the growth of South Dakota State Athletics quite like Jason Hove. The Jackrabbits' Assistant Athletics Director for Athletics Communications has been involved in nearly every significant milestone SDSU Athletics has achieved during the 21st century. Hove is always working tirelessly to play a positive role for the department behind the scenes. This account, however, brings the Jackrabbit alum to the forefront. Hove was recognized recently by the College Sports Communicators as one of its 18 recipients for its 25-year awards the organization will hand out this summer.
For Hove, the athletics communication profession was one that he almost seemed destined to pursue.
While baseball and basketball were the sports he participated in most while growing up in Bricelyn, Minnesota, Hove was pretty much into any sport that was going on in town. The sports teams and activities growing up in a town with a population of less than 500 served as the hub for entertainment in the lives of those in the community. A successful high school across a variety of athletic programs allowed Hove to make trips to plenty of district, region and state tournament events. Being able to venture out as he grew up and see what came with it was his first inkling of what his future would have in store.
"I noticed even when I was young the media that came with it from local tv and radio stations," Hove said of seeing teams that were successful in his community. "I thought it might be something that I could eventually do for a living or hobby, whatever the case may be."
Hove found his undergraduate home when he chose to attend South Dakota State, picking a university that had a similar feel to where he grew up.
"SDSU really fit my personality," Hove said. "A lot of the students I met and the professors here when I did my visit, along with the size of school, made it feel like the right fit. The types of programs that were being offered, there were opportunities that I could get involved in things right away that made a difference as well."
His time at South Dakota State featured a prominent amount of time spent with The Collegian on campus serving as a reporter, sports editor and as editor-in-chief over the course of four years. Hove spent time helping in the athletics offices as an undergraduate, but the itch to stick with sports information hadn't quite taken hold as he worked towards a job in journalism.
Hove, who interned with the Mitchell Daily Republic while attending SDSU, joined the newspaper full-time following graduation. As time wore on, his past experiences with the Yellow and Blue couldn't be ignored.
"I worked (in Mitchell) a little over two years when I had the opportunity to come back to Brookings and SDSU," Hove said. "I had stayed in touch with the folks here and as time allowed, I could still come back for games and help out when needed. I missed the game day experience, so I started thinking about going to graduate school and trying to get my foot in the door that way to get back into sports information.
"But the opportunity arose that I could come back here with a full-time position and I have been here ever since."
Hove joined the Jackrabbits' department in the summer of 1998 as a full-time employee. He said he enjoyed the fun environments he got to be part of again. Hove appreciated the opportunity to be back in routinely filled events in Frost Arena, having the chance to host multiple Division II regional tournaments, all while growing as a young professional in college athletics.
Then, just a few years into his tenure, the university and athletic department decided to make a change that is still causing waves for those associated with Brookings and South Dakota State University.
"It was a shock to the system," Hove said as he noted a majority of the people he worked with were surprised by the news of SDSU Athletics moving to Division I. "But I do think that really was kind of the defining moment of the possibilities. Even though a lot of things changed during that time, the things we needed to do and the nuts and bolts of our profession didn't change between Division I or Division II.
"I think a lot of us viewed it as a great opportunity. Twenty some years later now, it's proven to be a great decision for our university and our athletics program."
Hove said he's enjoyed seeing the progress for many teams be gradual because he, along with others that are closely associated with SDSU, have savored the success that has come over the years. He's appreciated everybody that has went above and beyond to maximize the resources for so many Jackrabbit programs. The support has led to sustained success and conference championship for a majority of the teams that are housed in Jackrabbit Athletics in the year 2024, but even back when the decision was made to move to Division I, some programs were well positioned for success.
One of the first moments of significance that sticks with Hove was the South Dakota State women's basketball team's 2008-09 season that culminated with a 34-3 record and the Jackrabbits first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Jacks' opening round matchup saw SDSU dominate from start to finish en route to a 90-55 victory over TCU. Though the next round saw the Jacks narrowly fall 60-58 to Baylor, the athletic department and university had its first foray on the national stage.
"We were down in Lubbock, Texas, and we were definitely the news kids on the block," Hove said. "As we're there at the first practice, I was meeting with the ESPN crew that happened to be Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla and had a little discussion with them when the pairings were announced.
"They were eager to get to know our team and having that time to sit down and go over strengths of our team, the program, and so many of the things we talked about for that 45 minutes just came into fruition in the game against TCU. It was so satisfying to see the great story that we had told and great student athletes, but that the things that we talked about held true."
In his time as a member of the department, Hove has seen his family grow by meeting his wife Laura along with their family expanding to four which includes children Olivia and Andrew. Working in athletics over the years, in any role, takes away time from other things. However, Hove said his family's involvement on campus over the years became, "just kind of part of what we do." It's served as a way for him and his entire family to stay connected over the years, even though the kids' activities today provide a give-and-take that any parent can relate to.
Today, Hove's responsibilities in the office include overseeing the athletics communications office – also known as sports information historically – while handling responsibilities primarily with SDSU's football, wrestling, baseball, equestrian and swimming and diving teams. He continues to thrive in a role that has evolved dramatically since the day he joined the department full-time as a young adult in 1998. His appreciation for the place he represents hasn't changed in that time.
"Jason's passion and loyalty to Jackrabbit athletics is unmatched," said Athletic Director Justin Sell. "South Dakota State is so fortunate to have someone like Jason on our team for 25-plus years."
Hove's drive to do the best for SDSU Athletics persists. As one of the longest-running chroniclers of Jackrabbit history, Hove noted so many in the profession he works in that served as inspirations. His mentor Ron Lenz along with colleagues at many of the North Central Conference institutions he worked alongside such as NDSU, Nebraska-Omaha, St. Cloud State and more provided camaraderie and tricks of the trade. His work today with coaches, administrators and student-athletes bring him a sense of freshness that helps him continue to produce in his position at a high level.
His sustained presence and the knowledge he carries of all things Jackrabbit sports is something that is noticeable outside the department's walls.
"Back in the day when I first started, it was Ron and one other person," said Scott Wagner, a member of SDSU Athletics' game day statistics staff that has been involved since he was a student on campus in 1984. "Jason came in and has been passionate about all of the sports in Jackrabbit Athletics. It's a big thing to care about all of them and it's always nice to have someone that was a student here. He knows a lot of that stuff about who came through here, they carry that history that a lot of us have and then some."
Even though the tools the profession he works in have changed, Hove has expanded his abilities. He went from doing stats by hand to upgrades in computer systems. The fax machine, which was a mainstay in the office when he started, is now obsolete. Digital cameras, which were basically cost prohibitive, are now a necessity in every office. Hove admitted much of what has changed have made doing his job much better and served as a curse, all in the same manner at the time.
The 25-year award Hove is set to be honored with from College Sports Communicators is not just an individual award. It will signify a career of somebody who has put 100 percent in to provide the most he can to positively Jackrabbit Athletics and South Dakota State University.
For Hove, the athletics communication profession was one that he almost seemed destined to pursue.
While baseball and basketball were the sports he participated in most while growing up in Bricelyn, Minnesota, Hove was pretty much into any sport that was going on in town. The sports teams and activities growing up in a town with a population of less than 500 served as the hub for entertainment in the lives of those in the community. A successful high school across a variety of athletic programs allowed Hove to make trips to plenty of district, region and state tournament events. Being able to venture out as he grew up and see what came with it was his first inkling of what his future would have in store.
"I noticed even when I was young the media that came with it from local tv and radio stations," Hove said of seeing teams that were successful in his community. "I thought it might be something that I could eventually do for a living or hobby, whatever the case may be."
Hove found his undergraduate home when he chose to attend South Dakota State, picking a university that had a similar feel to where he grew up.
"SDSU really fit my personality," Hove said. "A lot of the students I met and the professors here when I did my visit, along with the size of school, made it feel like the right fit. The types of programs that were being offered, there were opportunities that I could get involved in things right away that made a difference as well."
His time at South Dakota State featured a prominent amount of time spent with The Collegian on campus serving as a reporter, sports editor and as editor-in-chief over the course of four years. Hove spent time helping in the athletics offices as an undergraduate, but the itch to stick with sports information hadn't quite taken hold as he worked towards a job in journalism.
Hove, who interned with the Mitchell Daily Republic while attending SDSU, joined the newspaper full-time following graduation. As time wore on, his past experiences with the Yellow and Blue couldn't be ignored.
"I worked (in Mitchell) a little over two years when I had the opportunity to come back to Brookings and SDSU," Hove said. "I had stayed in touch with the folks here and as time allowed, I could still come back for games and help out when needed. I missed the game day experience, so I started thinking about going to graduate school and trying to get my foot in the door that way to get back into sports information.
"But the opportunity arose that I could come back here with a full-time position and I have been here ever since."
Hove joined the Jackrabbits' department in the summer of 1998 as a full-time employee. He said he enjoyed the fun environments he got to be part of again. Hove appreciated the opportunity to be back in routinely filled events in Frost Arena, having the chance to host multiple Division II regional tournaments, all while growing as a young professional in college athletics.
Then, just a few years into his tenure, the university and athletic department decided to make a change that is still causing waves for those associated with Brookings and South Dakota State University.
"It was a shock to the system," Hove said as he noted a majority of the people he worked with were surprised by the news of SDSU Athletics moving to Division I. "But I do think that really was kind of the defining moment of the possibilities. Even though a lot of things changed during that time, the things we needed to do and the nuts and bolts of our profession didn't change between Division I or Division II.
"I think a lot of us viewed it as a great opportunity. Twenty some years later now, it's proven to be a great decision for our university and our athletics program."
Hove said he's enjoyed seeing the progress for many teams be gradual because he, along with others that are closely associated with SDSU, have savored the success that has come over the years. He's appreciated everybody that has went above and beyond to maximize the resources for so many Jackrabbit programs. The support has led to sustained success and conference championship for a majority of the teams that are housed in Jackrabbit Athletics in the year 2024, but even back when the decision was made to move to Division I, some programs were well positioned for success.
One of the first moments of significance that sticks with Hove was the South Dakota State women's basketball team's 2008-09 season that culminated with a 34-3 record and the Jackrabbits first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Jacks' opening round matchup saw SDSU dominate from start to finish en route to a 90-55 victory over TCU. Though the next round saw the Jacks narrowly fall 60-58 to Baylor, the athletic department and university had its first foray on the national stage.
"We were down in Lubbock, Texas, and we were definitely the news kids on the block," Hove said. "As we're there at the first practice, I was meeting with the ESPN crew that happened to be Ron Franklin and Fran Fraschilla and had a little discussion with them when the pairings were announced.
"They were eager to get to know our team and having that time to sit down and go over strengths of our team, the program, and so many of the things we talked about for that 45 minutes just came into fruition in the game against TCU. It was so satisfying to see the great story that we had told and great student athletes, but that the things that we talked about held true."
In his time as a member of the department, Hove has seen his family grow by meeting his wife Laura along with their family expanding to four which includes children Olivia and Andrew. Working in athletics over the years, in any role, takes away time from other things. However, Hove said his family's involvement on campus over the years became, "just kind of part of what we do." It's served as a way for him and his entire family to stay connected over the years, even though the kids' activities today provide a give-and-take that any parent can relate to.
Today, Hove's responsibilities in the office include overseeing the athletics communications office – also known as sports information historically – while handling responsibilities primarily with SDSU's football, wrestling, baseball, equestrian and swimming and diving teams. He continues to thrive in a role that has evolved dramatically since the day he joined the department full-time as a young adult in 1998. His appreciation for the place he represents hasn't changed in that time.
"Jason's passion and loyalty to Jackrabbit athletics is unmatched," said Athletic Director Justin Sell. "South Dakota State is so fortunate to have someone like Jason on our team for 25-plus years."
Hove's drive to do the best for SDSU Athletics persists. As one of the longest-running chroniclers of Jackrabbit history, Hove noted so many in the profession he works in that served as inspirations. His mentor Ron Lenz along with colleagues at many of the North Central Conference institutions he worked alongside such as NDSU, Nebraska-Omaha, St. Cloud State and more provided camaraderie and tricks of the trade. His work today with coaches, administrators and student-athletes bring him a sense of freshness that helps him continue to produce in his position at a high level.
His sustained presence and the knowledge he carries of all things Jackrabbit sports is something that is noticeable outside the department's walls.
"Back in the day when I first started, it was Ron and one other person," said Scott Wagner, a member of SDSU Athletics' game day statistics staff that has been involved since he was a student on campus in 1984. "Jason came in and has been passionate about all of the sports in Jackrabbit Athletics. It's a big thing to care about all of them and it's always nice to have someone that was a student here. He knows a lot of that stuff about who came through here, they carry that history that a lot of us have and then some."
Even though the tools the profession he works in have changed, Hove has expanded his abilities. He went from doing stats by hand to upgrades in computer systems. The fax machine, which was a mainstay in the office when he started, is now obsolete. Digital cameras, which were basically cost prohibitive, are now a necessity in every office. Hove admitted much of what has changed have made doing his job much better and served as a curse, all in the same manner at the time.
The 25-year award Hove is set to be honored with from College Sports Communicators is not just an individual award. It will signify a career of somebody who has put 100 percent in to provide the most he can to positively Jackrabbit Athletics and South Dakota State University.
-GoJacks.com-
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