South Dakota State University Athletics
SDSU RECEIVES SUMMIT LEAGUE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
5/20/2026 10:30:00 AM | General
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The South Dakota State Jackrabbits were named the recipient of the Summit League Sportsmanship award for the 2025-26 academic year, league officials announced Wednesday.
The award is given annually to the school that is judged by its peers to be the best in the League for living up to the ideals of sportsmanship. Areas for evaluation include student-athlete conduct, staff/administrator conduct, coaches' conduct and event management. South Dakota State was also named the winner of the Summit League Sportsmanship award in 2009 and 2011.
Also in Wednesday's Summit League awards release, SDSU finished in second place for the Commissioner's Cup, Dr. William Steinbrecher Men's All-Sports Award and Dr. Helen Smiley Women's All-Sports Award. The Jackrabbits swept all three awards in 2024-25. SDSU placed second in the Commissioner's Cup race with 81.5 points after entering the year having won five consecutive Commissioner's Cups and a league-record 10 overall titles. The Jackrabbits had previously captured the award in 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The Commissioner's Cup is awarded yearly to the member institution that collects the most combined points in relationship to its placement in the regular season standings for men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, softball and baseball and its championship placement in men's and women's cross country, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and golf. The All-Sports Awards are given to the institutions that accumulate the most points in men's sports and women's sports. The men's award is named for former Valparaiso Director of Athletics Dr. William Steinbrecher, who guided the Crusaders from 1979-2004, while the women's award is named for former Western Illinois Director of Athletics Dr. Helen Smiley, who headed WIU's athletic program from 1994-2001.
Sportsmanship Award History
1998-99 – Kansas City
1999-2000 – Southern Utah
2000-01 – IUPUI
2001-02 – Valparaiso
2002-03 – Southern Utah
2003-04 – Southern Utah
2004-05 – Southern Utah
2005-06 – Southern Utah
2006-07 – Centenary
2007-08 – Centenary
2008-09 – South Dakota State
2009-10 – Centenary
2010-11 – South Dakota State
2011-12 – Fort Wayne
2012-13 – Omaha
2013-14 – Omaha
2014-15 – Fort Wayne
2015-16 – South Dakota
2016-17 – South Dakota
2017-18 – South Dakota
2018-19 – Western Illinois
2019-20 – None selected due to COVID-19
2020-21 – Omaha
2021-22 – St. Thomas
2022-23 – St. Thomas
2023-24 – St. Thomas
2024-25 – Omaha
2025-26 – South Dakota State
-GoJacks.com-
The award is given annually to the school that is judged by its peers to be the best in the League for living up to the ideals of sportsmanship. Areas for evaluation include student-athlete conduct, staff/administrator conduct, coaches' conduct and event management. South Dakota State was also named the winner of the Summit League Sportsmanship award in 2009 and 2011.
Also in Wednesday's Summit League awards release, SDSU finished in second place for the Commissioner's Cup, Dr. William Steinbrecher Men's All-Sports Award and Dr. Helen Smiley Women's All-Sports Award. The Jackrabbits swept all three awards in 2024-25. SDSU placed second in the Commissioner's Cup race with 81.5 points after entering the year having won five consecutive Commissioner's Cups and a league-record 10 overall titles. The Jackrabbits had previously captured the award in 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
The Commissioner's Cup is awarded yearly to the member institution that collects the most combined points in relationship to its placement in the regular season standings for men's and women's soccer, volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's tennis, softball and baseball and its championship placement in men's and women's cross country, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and golf. The All-Sports Awards are given to the institutions that accumulate the most points in men's sports and women's sports. The men's award is named for former Valparaiso Director of Athletics Dr. William Steinbrecher, who guided the Crusaders from 1979-2004, while the women's award is named for former Western Illinois Director of Athletics Dr. Helen Smiley, who headed WIU's athletic program from 1994-2001.
Sportsmanship Award History
1998-99 – Kansas City
1999-2000 – Southern Utah
2000-01 – IUPUI
2001-02 – Valparaiso
2002-03 – Southern Utah
2003-04 – Southern Utah
2004-05 – Southern Utah
2005-06 – Southern Utah
2006-07 – Centenary
2007-08 – Centenary
2008-09 – South Dakota State
2009-10 – Centenary
2010-11 – South Dakota State
2011-12 – Fort Wayne
2012-13 – Omaha
2013-14 – Omaha
2014-15 – Fort Wayne
2015-16 – South Dakota
2016-17 – South Dakota
2017-18 – South Dakota
2018-19 – Western Illinois
2019-20 – None selected due to COVID-19
2020-21 – Omaha
2021-22 – St. Thomas
2022-23 – St. Thomas
2023-24 – St. Thomas
2024-25 – Omaha
2025-26 – South Dakota State
-GoJacks.com-
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