School Name: | South Dakota State University |
Location: | Brookings, South Dakota |
Arena: | Frost Arena |
Capacity: | 8,500 |
Conference: | Summit League |
Head coach: | Scott Nagy |
South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act. In step with this land-grant heritage and mission, SDSU has a special focus on academic programs in agriculture, engineering, nursing, and pharmacy, as well as the liberal arts. SDSU is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the state's six public universities and two special schools.
SDSU's athletic mascot is the jackrabbit. The homecoming celebration, Hobo Day, is billed as "The Biggest One-Day Event in the Dakotas." The 375+ member SDSU Marching Band, "The Pride of the Dakotas," given the special name the Millennium Band in 2000 by the South Dakota State Legislature, has marched in the 1981 and 1997 Presidential Inaugural Parades in Washington, DC; A Capital Fourth in 2000 in Washington DC which was broadcast on PBS; the 2003 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California; and the Korean War Monument Dedication at the state's capital Pierre in 2004, in the company of two other college bands and 60-some high school bands from across the state. The band has also been invited to march in the 2008 Rose Parade.
Women's Basketball[]
In 2003, the women's basketball team won the Division II Championship. In 2004, SDSU began a transition to NCAA Division I, ending its long association with the NCAA Division II North Central Conference and its century-old intrastate rivalry with the University of South Dakota.
The women's basketball team was also invited to compete in post-season action in the WNIT in the spring of 2007. This made them the only transition team (a team that is in the process of being certified for a new division) in WNIT history to do so. They received a bye in the first round and continued on to victories over Illinois State and Indiana, but were beaten by the eventual tournament champions, Wyoming, in the 4th round of the tournament. This was an exciting time at SDSU, as their home stadium, Frost Arena, was filled to capacity for both games with the game versus Indiana selling out in a matter of hours.
Men's Basketball[]
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits Men's Basketball team is the basketball team that represents South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. The school's team began competing in The Summit League in 2007-08. The team has never played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The Jackrabbits are coached by Scott Nagy.