Six home games highlight the 2019 football season at South Dakota State as the Jackrabbits are slated to play a 12-game regular season schedule for the first time in five years.
SDSU kicks off the home season Sept. 7 by welcoming Football Championship Subdivision newcomer Long Island University to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium for the annual Dairy Drive game. LIU is in the process of merging its Brooklyn and Post campuses into one Division I athletics program that will transition football from NCAA Division II to the FCS level and compete in the Northeast Conference.
The Jackrabbits close out the nonconference portion of their schedule Sept. 21 by hosting Southern Utah in the Beef Bowl.
Both of SDSU’s road games during the nonconference slate will be against opponents in neighboring states. SDSU opens the 2019 season with a Thursday night game Aug. 29 at Minnesota, and also will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for a Sept. 14 contest against Drake.
Following a bye the last week in September, Missouri Valley Football Conference play begins Oct. 5, when SDSU hosts Southern Illinois on Hobo Day.
After consecutive road games at Youngstown State (Oct. 12) and Indiana State (Oct. 19), the Jackrabbits play three of their next four games at home, starting with the Battle for the Dakota Marker Oct. 26 versus defending national champion North Dakota State. The rivalry contest also has been designated as the Hall of Fame Game.
Illinois State is the opponent on Nov. 9 for Military Appreciation Day, while the final regular season home game of the season — Senior Day and Precision Ag Bowl — is set for Nov. 16 versus Northern Iowa. The UNI game will be a part of a big football weekend in Brookings as Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium also will be the site for the South Dakota high school state championship games starting Nov. 14.
Closing out the regular season are MVFC games at Missouri State (Nov. 2) and at South Dakota (Nov. 23).
