JACKS KICK OFF 2026 SLATE AT HOME AGAINST STETSON

Saturday, August 29

Brookings, S.D.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Stetson

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media

8/26/2026 9:30:00 PM | Football

GAME 1: Stetson (0-0) at #3/3 South Dakota State (0-0)

When	Saturday, Aug. 29 \| 6 p.m. Central \| Precision Ag Bowl
Where	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium \| Brookings, S.D.
TV	Midco Sports \| KELOLAND \| ESPN+
Radio	Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Stetson\| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Game Program	Digital Game Program
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GoJacks

A South Dakota State football team that enters the 2026 season with high expectations kicks off the campaign at home Saturday night with a nonconference matchup against Stetson.

Start time before an anticipated sellout crowd is slated for 6 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The game will be televised on Midco Sports, Sioux Falls-based KELOLAND and ESPN+.

SDSU, under the leadership of second-year head coach Dan Jackson, is ranked third in both major Football Championship Subdivision preseason polls conducted by Stats Perform (media) and the American Football Coaches Association. The Jackrabbits posted a 9-5 overall record a season ago, including a 4-4 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, en route to the program's 14th consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs.

Stetson, meanwhile, is coming a 3-9 season in 2025 that included a 2-6 ledger in the Pioneer Football League under first-year head coach Mike Jasper. The Hatters will be in search of their first winning season since 2019.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Stetson and South Dakota State on the gridiron.

The Jackrabbits have played three other current members of the Pioneer League in their Division I history and have gone undefeated in eight matchups.

vs. Butler: 2-0 // 2013: W, 51-14; 2022: W, 45-17
vs. Drake: 5-0 // 2016: W, 56-28; 2017: W, 51-10; 2019: W, 38-10; *2023: W, 70-7; 2025: W, 37-21
vs. Valparaiso: 1-0 //2005: W, 37-21

* 2023 game against Drake played at Target Field in Minneapolis

FOR OPENERS: In the Football Championship Subdivision era (since 2004), the Jackrabbits have compiled an 11-11 record in season-opening games, with seven of the losses against Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

In the 22 previous seasons, the Jackrabbits opened with a home game nine times and posted an 8-1 record. SDSU most recently opened a season at home in 2025 and posted a 20-3 victory over Sacramento State.

SDSU has won 15 consecutive home openers, including all 10 played at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The last Jackrabbit setback in a home opener was a 24-14 defeat at the hands of Illinois State in 2010.

RANKINGS STREAK: The South Dakota State football team begins the 2026 season in a familiar spot with a high ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Poll. Holding the third spot in the preseason poll for the second year in a row, the Jackrabbits have now appeared in the top 25 of 190 consecutive Stats Perform polls dating back to October 2012.

The Jackrabbits held the top spot in 29 consecutive polls from Oct. 17, 2022, until relinquishing the top spot following their regular season loss at North Dakota State on Oct. 19, 2024.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are five captains:

Quinten Christensen, Sr., offensive lineman, Wessington Springs;
Logan Green, Sr., defensive tackle, Northboro, Iowa;
Coleman Kuntz, Sr., tight end, Beaumont, Calif.;
Chase Mason, Grad., quarterback, Hurley;
Dawson Ripperda, Sr., defensive end, Larchwood, Iowa.

Christensen, Green and Mason are each in their second seasons as team captains while Kuntz and Ripperda are both in their first seasons in the leadership role.

YEAR 23 IN FCS: The 2026 season marks the 23rd year South Dakota State has competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 193-87 record (.689 winning percentage).

In the decade of the 2020s, SDSU has put together a 69-15 record, which is good for an .821 winning percentage.

ELITE COMPANY: With 14 consecutive appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, South Dakota State enters the 2026 season tied for the third-longest all-time streak since the subdivision was formed in 1978.

Overall, the Jackrabbits have qualified for the FCS playoffs 15 times, with the first berth coming in 2009 and followed by the current streak that began in 2012. SDSU has compiled a 25-13 record in FCS playoff games, winning back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023 after a runner-up finish during the 2020-21 spring season.

In addition, the Jackrabbits advanced to the semifinal round in 2017, 2018, 2021 (fall) and 2024.

Montana holds the all-time FCS consecutive playoff streak with 17 consecutive appearances from 1993-2009. North Dakota State moved its streak to 16 seasons in 2025 before departing for the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference this past offseason. SDSU's 14 consecutive appearances match New Hampshire's run from 2004-17.

MVFC HISTORY: The 2025 season marked South Dakota State's 18th as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Since joining the league in 2008, SDSU is the only program in that span to not have a losing season in conference play.

The Jackrabbits hold a 103-39 record (.725 winning percentage) in MVFC games and have won six or more league games 10 times. SDSU has claimed five league titles (2016, 2020-21, 2022, 2023, 2024) in the past 10 seasons.

SDSU compiled a 23-1 record in league play between the 2022-24 seasons and put together a 19-game league winning streak from November 2021 until October 2024.

LEAGUE FAVORITES: South Dakota State has been picked to return to the top of the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2026, according to a preseason poll announced In conjunction with the league's annual Media Day in mid-July.

The Jackrabbits received 28 of 36 first-place votes and tallied 312 points to out-distance Illinois State for the top spot in the nine-team poll, which was conducted among the league's head coaches, sports information directors and a select media panel. The Redbirds, who advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision national title game last season, tallied three first-place votes and 256 points, while Youngstown State was third with 235 points.

In all, five teams received first-place votes. North Dakota and South Dakota each received two first-place votes to finish fourth and fifth with respective totals of 211 and 196 points, while Southern Illinois claimed the other first-place vote to place sixth with 186 points.

Northern Iowa (99 points), Indiana State (80) and Murray State (45) completed the poll.

In addition, 19 Jackrabbit student-athletes were recognized as MVFC Players to Watch. A full listing follows:
QB: Chase Mason
RB: Ramon McKinney Jr.
WR: Grahm Goering, Lofton O'Groske
TE: Greyton Gannon, Coleman Kuntz
OL: Quinten Christensen, Shane Willenbring
DL: Logan Green, Reis Kirschenman, Dawson Ripperda, Jace Sifore, Carter Sitzman
LB: Cullen McShane, Chase Van Tol
DB: Ife Current, Noah St-Juste
P: Max Pelham
RS/APB: Jack Smith

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Led by first-team selection Quinten Christensen on the offensive line, six South Dakota State football players were recognized Monday on the 2026 Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-America Team.

A senior-to-be from Wessington Springs, Christensen received his first-team nod after a 2025 campaign in which he started all 14 games at left tackle and earned second-team All-America honors from Stats Perform, as well as first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades. With Christensen in the lineup, the Jackrabbits averaged 28.6 points per game and topped the 200-yard mark for rushing five times. Four Jackrabbits were named to the preseason All-America second team, including a pair of defensive stalwarts in defensive end Dawson Ripperda and linebacker Cullen McShane.

Ripperda, a senior from Larchwood, Iowa, ranked second on the team in both tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5.0) during the 2025 season. He registered a total of 43 tackles and forced and recovered a pair of fumbles.

McShane ranked second on the squad with 88 total tackles a season ago and recorded double figures in tackles three times. A senior from Marquette, Iowa, he also posted 7.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble while earning second-team all-MVFC honors.

Representing the South Dakota State offense on the second team was wide receiver Lofton O'Groske. A junior from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, O'Groske was the team's top receiving target during nonconference play before missing the second half of the season due to injury. He tallied 27 receptions for 355 yards and four touchdowns in six games, highlighted by a 12-catch, two-touchdown performance in a double-overtime win at eventual national champion Montana State.

Completing the Jackrabbits' list of second-team honorees was senior punter Max Pelham. The Ankeny, Iowa, native averaged 47.2 yards on 42 punts in 2025, with 18 of his attempts traveling 50 or more yards. Pelham was a first-team all-MVFC selection and an All-America selection by both the American Football Coaches Association (first team) and Associated Press (honorable mention) a season ago.

Tight end Greyton Gannon rounded out SDSU's six overall selections with third-team honors. A senior from Eagle, Wisconsin, Gannon tied for third on the Jackrabbits with 33 receptions to go along with 372 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also was a first-team all-MVFC selection and an honorable mention All-America pick by the Associated Press.

The Jackrabbits' six honorees were the second most, trailing defending national champion Montana State's eight picks.

MASON ON PAYTON AWARD LIST: South Dakota State quarterback Chase Mason is one of 30 players who has been named to the initial watch list for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually by Stats Perform to the top offensive performer in the Football Championship Subdivision.

A senior from Hurley, Mason enters his second season as the Jackrabbits' starting quarterback in 2026. Limited to nine games in 2025 due to injury, Mason led SDSU to an 8-1 record in his starts and accounted for 21 touchdowns — 15 passing and six rushing. He also completed 64.9 percent (146-of-225) of his passes for 2,005 yards.

The Walter Payton Award celebrates its 40th anniversary this season. Former Jackrabbit quarterback Mark Gronowski was the award winner in 2023.

McSHANE RANKS AMONG BEST ON DEFENSE: South Dakota State linebacker Cullen McShane was named over the summer to the initial watch list for the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

A senior from Marquette, Iowa, McShane was one of 30 players to receive mention on the watch list, which will be updated periodically throughout the 2026 campaign. The 32nd winner of the award will be determined by a media panel and will be announced leading up to the FCS national championship game in January.

McShane is coming off a 2025 season in which he ranked second on the Jackrabbits' squad with 88 total tackles. He added 7.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble en route to being named to the all-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second Team.

PELHAM INCLUDED IN PUNTING WATCH LIST: South Dakota State punter Max Pelham was recently named as one of 14 players included on the preseason watch list for the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year Award. The award is presented annually by the Augusta Sports Council.

A graduate student from Ankeny, Iowa, Pelham was a semifinalist for the award in 2025, when he averaged 47.2 yards on 42 punts, with 18 of his attempts traveling 50 or more yards. He was a first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and an All-America selection by both the American Football Coaches Association (first team) and Associated Press (honorable mention) a season ago.

The award winner will be determined by the FCS Punter of the Year Award national voting body, which consists of FCS sports information directors and national sports writers. The award winner is scheduled to be announced Dec. 14.

MR. EFFICIENCY: South Dakota State tight end/fullback Andrew Gustad produced every time was called during the 2025 season.

A senior from Volin, South Dakota, Gustad either gained a first down or scored a touchdown on all eight of his offensive touches last season. He picked up a first down on all five of his short-yardage rushing attempts for a total of 14 yards and scored touchdowns on each of his three receptions — 4 yards in the 2025 season opener against Sacramento State, 11 yards Oct. 11 versus Northern Iowa and 2 yards in a first-round playoff victory over New Hampshire on Nov. 29.

THE 12TH MAN: South Dakota State has benefited from large crowds coming off the program's back-to-back national championships. In 2023, the Jackrabbits averaged 18,208 fans for regular season games, followed by another record-setting year in 2024 with an average attendance of 18,504 over six regular season home games.

Since the start of the 2023 season, 13 games have been sellouts, starting when 19,332 fans came out for the for Sept. 9, 2023, showdown against Montana State. The crowd played a big role in the game, helping factor in nine false-start penalties by Montana State in the game, including six in the final quarter.

The 2023 Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State, which was a rematch from the 2022 FCS national championship game, drew a then-record 19,431 fans.

SDSU also set program playoff attendance records in all three postseason games it hosted in 2023, highlighted by a crowd of 12,265 in the semifinals against UAlbany.

Large crowds continued to fill Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in 2024 as the first four Jackrabbit home games of season were sellouts and rank in the top nine for most-attended games in facility history.

Following suit, the first five home games of the 2025 season were announced as sellouts, with 19,163 fans filling the stadium for the Aug. 30 opener against Sacramento State. That came two nights after a crowd of about 22,000 attended the Jacks Bash 3 concert featuring country music stars Ty Myers, Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton.

A stadium-record crowd of 19,477 filed into the stadium for the Oct. 25 Dakota Marker matchup against North Dakota State in a game that pitted the two top-ranked teams in the FCS. That helped SDSU attain an average attendance of 16,278 in 2025.

DANA J. DYKHOUSE STADIUM: Jackrabbit football moved into a new home in September of 2016 with the completion of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

The stadium, which was constructed in phases on the site of SDSU's previous home field, Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, seats 19,340 spectators and cost $65 million to build.

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium is being funded through private gifts and long-term revenue streams, including concessions and suite, loge box and ticket sales. Bonds are financing nearly two-thirds of the project's construction, with the remaining dollars coming from private support. Lead gifts totaling $12.5 million from former Jackrabbit football player and Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford were announced in October 2013.

The stadium officially opened Sept. 8, 2016, featuring a concert by country music stars Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Lee Brice as part of the Jacks Bash opening weekend. The first football game was two days later, on Sept. 10, when the Jacks defeated Drake, 56-28.

SDSU has gone on to post a 66-10 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its 10 seasons of operation, including a 17-1 mark in FCS playoff games.

The Jacks put together a 33-game home winning streak (including playoff games) that started with a 27-19 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 6, 2021, and ended with a loss to the rival Bison on Oct. 25, 2025.

In 2024, the Jacks completed their fifth undefeated season while playing at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, compiling an 8-0 record. SDSU previously posted perfect home records in 2018 (7-0), the 2020-21 spring season (5-0) and both 2022 and 2023 (9-0).

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium was designed by Kansas City-based Crawford Architects, with the construction firm JE Dunn serving as the project manager at risk and Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls serving as general contractor.

A new artificial turf surface was installed this past spring in preparation for the 2026 season. In addition, SDSU is on track to host the 1-millionth fan for Jackrabbit football games played at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in the Sept. 12 game versus New Haven.

WORKING OVERTIME: For the first time in program history, the Jackrabbit football team in 2025 won a pair of games decided in overtime in the same season.

The first SDSU victory in an extra session came in a Sept. 6 matchup at Montana State. After both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, Jackrabbit tight end Brayden Delahoyde hauled in a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of the second overtime period to give SDSU a 30-24 lead. The Jackrabbit defense then stopped Montana State on a fourth-down play inside the SDSU 5-yard line to hand the Bobcats their only loss to an FCS opponent before going on to win the national championship.

In SDSU's second overtime contest, wide receiver Grahm Goering made a leaping catch off a pass from a scrambling Jack Henry for a 23-yard walk-off touchdown for a 34-31 victory at North Dakota that sent the Jacks into the postseason.

The Jackrabbits are now 8-6 all-time in overtime games.

JACKS IN THE PROS: Nearing the start of the 2026 National Football League season right around the corner, more than a dozen former South Dakota State standouts have been in National Football League training camps this summer, continuing the Jackrabbits' long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.

Headlining the list are a pair of tight ends — Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers.

After being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Goedert has gone on to record 409 receptions for 4,676 yards and 35 touchdowns in eight seasons. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles during the 2024 season and followed that in 2025 with career highs of 60 receptions and 11 touchdowns while tallying 591 receiving yards..

Kraft put together a breakthrough second season with the Packers in 2024 and was on a pace to exceed that output with 32 receptions, 489 yards and six touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury midway through the 2025 campaign. A third-round draft choice of Green Bay in 2023, Kraft has career totals of 113 receptions, 1,551 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns through three professional seasons.

Linebacker Christian Rozeboom earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 season and is now entering his second season with the Carolina Panthers. Rozeboom has notched back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, registering 135 stops with the Rams in 2024 and a team-best 122 tackles last season in helping lead Carolina to a playoff berth.

SDSU had two players selected in the NFL Draft in 2024 when Mason McCormick was taken in the fourth round by Pittsburgh and Isaiah Davis was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets. McCormick has settled into a starting role at offensive guard with the Steelers, while Davis has seen spot duty for the Jets as a running back and kick returner over his two seasons.

Two other members of the Jackrabbits' back-to-back national championship teams are current members of the New Orleans Saints. Linebacker Isaiah Stalbird is in his third year with the Saints while cornerback Dalys Beanum is in his second season in the organization. Stalbird is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 25 total tackles while serving in a reserve role at linebacker and as a key contributor on special teams.

Beanum spent his first professional season on the Saints' practice squad.

Other former Jackrabbit standouts with previous professional experience who are in training camps this fall include quarterback Chris Oladokun (Kansas City), running back Pierre Strong Jr. (Green Bay) and running back Amar Johnson (Los Angeles Chargers).

Recent Jackrabbit additions to the professional ranks are offensive lineman Sam Hagen (Houston), quarterback Mark Gronowski (Miami) and offensive lineman Evan Beerntsen (Baltimore). Both Gronowski (Iowa) and Beerntsen (Northwestern) played their final collegiate seasons elsewhere in 2025 after previously earning All-Ameica honors at SDSU and playing key roles on SDSU's back-to-back national championship teams in 2022 and 2023.

Leading the list of Jackrabbit pro football alumni are Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Adam Vinatieri, both of whom are among the 23 undrafted players to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Vinatieri was a member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Langer who played football at SDSU from 1967-69 and also was an All-American in baseball, played center on every offensive down during the Miami Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. He was a first-team All-Pro four times and was selected to play in six Pro Bowl games. He played in three Super Bowl games with the Dolphins from 1970-79 before finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-81. Langer passed away in September 2019.

Vinatieri wrapped up his playing career after becoming the NFL's all-time scoring leader in 2018 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. Over Vinatieri's 24 seasons from 1996-2019, his totals include NFL bests of 599-of-715 on field goal attempts, 83.8 percent, and 2,673 career points. He also ranks second in career extra points with 874.

In all, Vinatieri set 15 NFL records, including 21 100-point seasons.

DAN JACKSON SHOW: The Dan Jackson Show airs throughout the 2026 season.

The weekly, hour-long show originates in front of a live audience at 6 p.m. Mondays at Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings. Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the show airs along the Jackrabbit Sports Network, including flagship station WNAX 570 AM, and can be heard through the Jackrabbit app and online at GoJacks.com.

In addition to radio, broadcasts also will be available for free live viewing on SDSU Athletics' Facebook and YouTube accounts (@GoJacksSDSU), as well as Midco Sports Plus. Re-broadcasts are scheduled to air on Midco Sports linear channels Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Fridays at 5 p.m..

Weekly segments include interviews with Jackrabbit coaches, student-athletes and others associated with SDSU football. Fans can submit questions through social media platforms and fans in attendance can register for weekly prizes.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will go on the road for their lone game against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent this season as they make their way to Evanston, Illinois, for a Sept. 5 contest at Northwestern of the Big Ten Conference. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.

-GoJacks.com-