State-U Rivalry Draws Historic Live Broadcast from Brookings Stadium

A live one-hour pre-game show will broadcast from Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings at 10 a.m. Central Time on Saturday. The program precedes the 119th edition of the State-U football rivalry, a matchup that will air on national television before a crowd expected to approach 20,000 fans.

The broadcast will be produced by Midwest Sports+ and distributed across multiple platforms. Viewers in the Sioux Falls metro area can watch on KSFL-TV channel 36 or Midco cable channel 616. In Rapid City, the show will run on the 21.3 subchannel of KNBN and via the NewsCenter1 website. Additional streaming options include the Midwest Sports+ app and various Forum Communications news sites, including Sioux Falls Live, Mitchell Republic, Madison Daily Leader, and Pierre Capital Journal.

The game marks the first time the two schools have met since their inaugural contest on May 5, 1889, in Sioux Falls. That original match occurred before South Dakota officially became a state on November 2 of the same year. The 1889 event was a two-day celebration featuring baseball, track, and oratory contests. The football game ended in a 6-6 tie.

South Dakota State holds a 58-53 advantage in the all-time series, with seven ties. The University of South Dakota Coyotes will visit the South Dakota State Jackrabbits for this Halloween afternoon game. The rivalry is the oldest in South Dakota football history.

Sioux Falls Live is sending its full reporting team to Brookings for the event. The group includes Matt Zimmer, identified as the dean of South Dakota sportwriters, along with reporters Marcus Traxler and Trey Houchin. Broadcast personnel John Gaskins, Zach Borg, and Brian Mueller will also be present. Mueller anchors the 9 p.m. newscast on KSFL.

The production team has handled live broadcasts for high school football, basketball, volleyball, and baseball for the past two seasons. This Saturday’s show represents a major expansion of their coverage scope. The outlet, which launched in August 2022, aims to provide local news and sports through multiple digital and television channels. The team emphasizes locally operated reporting that covers stories relevant to the metro area and surrounding communities.

The pre-game show serves as a centerpiece for the week’s coverage of the rivalry. Journalists from the organization will publish additional articles and video content leading up to the kickoff. The broadcast offers a direct look at the preparations for the most anticipated sporting event in the state this weekend.