Being an FCS program in no way precludes the South Dakota State Jackrabbits from being one of the truly historic and accomplished programs in college football history. Of course, it’s a little easier to find cheap South Dakota State football tickets because the Jackrabbits play at the FCS level. But with over a dozen conference championships, multiple wins over FBS programs, a top-notch stadium, dozens of players who have moved on to the NFL, and one Hall of Famer, the Jackrabbits aren’t your average FCS program. They are a bonafide powerhouse, which is why last-minute South Dakota State football tickets are always in high demand.

A Long History

The Jackrabbits played their first football season in 1900. While most of that history was spent at the Division II level in the North Central Conference, South Dakota State was a force at that level. Between the 1920s and 1960s, the Jackrabbits won at least one conference title per decade, totaling 14 North Central Conference championships. Eventually, the Jackrabbits made the leap to the FCS level and settled in as members of the Missouri Valley Conference in 2008. While it was a big move, South Dakota State hasn’t looked back, continuing to climb the college football ladder.

Jumping to the Top

After joining the Missouri Valley Conference in 2008, it only took until 2009 for the Jackrabbits to reach the FCS Playoffs for the first time. Since 2012, South Dakota State has been a yearly playoff participant. Slowly but surely, the Jackrabbits started to go deeper and deeper into the playoffs every year, reaching the semifinals in 2017, 2018, and 2021 while making it to the national championship game in 2020. Finally, the Jackrabbits got over the hump in 2022, beating instate rival North Dakota State in the FCS title game to capture the program’s first-ever national championship. It was a long road, but the Jackrabbits finally got there, cementing their place as an FCS powerhouse.