Brookings, South Dakota — South Dakota State will host UC Davis in the opening round of the 2021 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Saturday afternoon at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Central Time. Tickets went on sale starting at 5 p.m. Sunday through JackrabbitTickets.com.
Both teams enter the matchup with 8-3 records and received at-large selections to the 24-team field. Television coverage of all playoff matchups for the first two rounds will be available through the ESPN+ streaming platform (subscription required).
The winner of Saturday’s matchup between SDSU and UC Davis will advance to face fourth-seeded Sacramento State on Dec. 4.
South Dakota State is making its 10th consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs and 11th overall. The Jackrabbits reached the semifinal round in both 2017 and 2018 before advancing to the national championship game during the 2020-21 spring season.
The Jackrabbits and UC Davis have met seven previous times in the regular season, with SDSU holding a 5-2 series advantage. The two programs met twice as NCAA Division II schools and were later charter members of the Great West Football Conference during the transition to Division I competition (2004-07). The squads last met during the 2012 season, when the Jackrabbits recorded a 12-8 victory at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
