Frisco, Texas — For the first time in program history, South Dakota State will play for a football national championship.
The top-seeded Jackrabbits, 8-1 overall, will square off against No. 2 Sam Houston Sunday afternoon in the Football Championship Subdivision national title game in Frisco, Texas. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Toyota Stadium, with the game played before a national television audience on ABC.
South Dakota State advanced to the title tilt by winning three consecutive playoff home games and enter Sunday’s matchup with a seven-game winning streak. The Jackrabbits opened the playoff run by defeating Holy Cross (31-3 on April 24) and Missouri Valley Football Conference rival Southern Illinois (31-26 on May 2). In a May 8 semifinal, the Jackrabbits pounded Delaware, 33-3.
Sam Houston also used home-field advantage to reach the FCS title game for the third time. The Bearkats, who lost back-to-back championship games to North Dakota State in 2011 and 2012, opened the 2020-21 playoffs with a 21-15 victory over Monmouth in the opening round, followed by a 24-20 quarterfinal win over North Dakota State. In its semifinal game, the Bearkats overcame a 24-3 halftime deficit against James Madison to rally for a 38-35 win in Huntsville, Texas.
Sunday’s game will mark the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Sam Houston.
The Jackrabbits last played a Southland Conference opponent in 2013, recording a 34-26 home win over Southeastern Louisiana. SDSU’s last game in the Lone Star State was the 2016 season opener, when the Jackrabbits dropped a 59-41 decision at TCU.
