The South Dakota State University football team begins its quest for a third consecutive Football Championship Subdivision national title as it hosts Montana in what will be a rematch from last season’s championship game.
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. In Brookings.
The third-seeded Jackrabbits closed out the 2024 regular season with a 10-2 overall record and earned the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s automatic bid to the 24-team FCS playoffs for the third season in a row via a tiebreaker after sharing the league title with North Dakota State and South Dakota with a 7-1 mark in the MVFC.
Montana is making its record 28th appearance in the FCS playoffs and enters the matchup with a 9-4 overall record. The 14th-seeded Grizzlies posted a 41-27 home victory over Tennessee State in opening-round action Nov. 30.
Saturday’s postseason matchup will mark the 10th all-time meeting between South Dakota State and Montana on the gridiron.
Montana holds an 8-1 advantage in the series, which includes a 2-1 record in the postseason.
The No. 4-seeded University of South Dakota football team is set to host an NCAA FCS Second Round Playoff game for the second consecutive year when they welcome the No. 13-seed Tarleton State University Texans to the DakotaDome on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 2:00 p.m. (CT) .
Since the 2021 season, South Dakota is 19-6 inside the DakotaDome.
The Coyote defense sits second the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 14.9 points per game.