For the third time in the last four years, South Dakota Corn Utilization officials announced Tuesday that South Dakota State has captured the South Dakota Showdown Series. 

The Jackrabbits earn bragging rights for the year after winning the point-based athletic and academic competition against the University of South Dakota, 16-11. SDSU won the inaugural Showdown Series, 14-13, in 2012-13 and, 18-9, in 2013-14. 

“All season long both SDSU and USD have been able to showcase academic and athletic excellence with the help of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council,” SDSU Director of Athletics Justin Sell said. “As Division I institutions, we are proud to place a high value on sportsmanship and community service to meaningful organizations, such as Feeding South Dakota.” 

Presented by South Dakota Corn, the Showdown Series is structured against a point system in which each school can earn 24 points per year based on head-to-head competition and conference championships between SDSU and USD in a total of 17 men’s and women’s sports. Additionally, points were also awarded for student-athletes’ GPAs and philanthropic efforts.”  

The Showdown Series raised $66,000 for Feeding South Dakota during the 2015-16 athletic season. Feeding South Dakota is the state’s hunger relief organization fighting to eliminate hunger in South Dakota. Feeding South Dakota assists in providing temporary food assistance to 21,000 hungry South Dakota families and individuals each week.