FCS Playoffs: South Dakota State Gets Bye, South Dakota Opens on Road
South Dakota State and the University of South Dakota have been playing football for more than 125 years, but they have never both been in the post season in the same year.
Until now.
The Jackrabbits and Coyotes are in the 2017 Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs field of 24-teams.
SDSU (9-2) is a playoff team for the sixth straight year. For the second straight season, the Jacks are a Top Eight seed and will have a first round bye.
South Dakota State, the fifth seed overall, will host the winner of Monmouth and fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Northern Iowa, in Round Two, Saturday, December 2, in Brookings.
USD (7-4) grabbed one of the last at-large berths after dropping four of five to end the regular season. It is the first post season appearance for the Coyotes at the Division I level.
South Dakota opens the playoffs at Nicholls State, Saturday, November 25, at 3:00 PM Central, in Thibodaux, Louisiana.
The Colonels (8-3) finished tied for third in the Southland Conference. They had won six straight before losing the regular season finale at Southeastern Louisiana.
The winner of the USD-NSU game goes to sixth-seed Sam Houston State in Round Two.
Top Eight Seeds
- James Madison 11-0
- North Dakota State 10-1
- Jacksonville State 10-1
- Central Arkansas 10-1
- South Dakota State 9-2
- Sam Houston State 10-1
- Wofford 9-2
- Southern Utah 9-2
In all, the Missouri Valley Conference qualified five schools in the 24-team tournament.
Joining SDSU, USD, North Dakota State, and Northern Iowa, is Western Illinois.
The Leathernecks will open the playoffs on the road at Weber State (Big Sky) in Round One.