South Dakota State
9-5 2025 finalSouth Dakota State is the FCS giant-killer that won back-to-back national titles and left the Dakotas humiliated, and now owns the sport's most famous state rivalry.
The Jackrabbits hold the line.
South Dakota State is the FCS giant-killer that won back-to-back national titles and left the Dakotas humiliated, and now owns the sport's most famous state rivalry.
South Dakota State went 9-5 in 2025 under new head coach Dan Jackson in his first season, a step back from the national-championship teams of 2022-23. The Jackrabbits remain a program on the rise but face questions about whether b…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on South Dakota State
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · South Dakota State
The baseline expectation.
The annual recruiting proof point.
Conference qualifier or at-large.
Championship weekend. Top-4 in the country.
South Dakota State · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Fanbase Health Index · South Dakota State · medium confidence
Growing (52)
Home-Field Advantage · South Dakota State · 2018-present
Strong
87% home win rate vs 75% on the road. margin runs +9.2 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
MVFC Standing · 2025
3rd in the MVFC
South Dakota State is 3rd in the MVFC at 9-5. 2 teams above — that's the direct path to the title game.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State | 12-5 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 10-5 |
| 3 | South Dakota State | 9-5 |
| 4 | Youngstown State | 8-5 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 8-6 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 7-5 |
| 7 | Indiana State | 3-9 |
| 8 | Northern Iowa | 3-9 |
| 9 | Murray State | 1-11 |
Schedule Strength · South Dakota State · 2025
Hard
Average opponent win rate 57% across 14 finalized games. No top-25 opponents, but mid-tier slate kept the schedule honest.
FCS → NFL Pipeline
2022–2024Strong
5 picks last 5 cycles. FCS programs that send 5+ to the draft move prospects.
Moment of the Year · South Dakota State · 2025
Won 20-3 vs Sacramento State
Week 1 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
Playoff History
Recent postseason (2022-2024): 6-1
Most recent: 2024 — loss 28-21 (away). Last 5 postseason: 4-1.
From the Archive — South Dakota State
2024: Won 45-24 vs Incarnate Word
In 2024, the program won 45-24 vs Incarnate Word — a comfortable home result that left the 21-point margin on the books.
Go Jackrabbits.