The NBA G League schedule was already a little different this year with the first part of the season leading into the G League Showcase with a regular-season to follow.

Now that the NBA G League Showcase is in the rearview mirror, the league is having to pivot the start of the season due to the raging surge of COVID-19 cases.

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Not only is the G League dealing with COVID-19 cases, but many of the players who aren't testing positive are also filling in for NBA players who have entered the health and safety protocols.

Here is the complete release from the NBA G League on the postponed start of their regular season.

NEW YORK, Dec. 24, 2021 – The NBA G League today announced that its regular season, originally scheduled to tip off on Dec. 27, will begin on Jan. 5, 2022.  The delay will give teams an opportunity to safely return players to market after the Christmas holiday and to replenish their rosters following NBA Call-Ups.

Information regarding games originally scheduled between Dec. 27 and Jan. 4 will be provided at a later date.

That also means that the Sioux Falls Skyforce will not be playing again until the new year so make sure and check out their website with information on tickets and more.

Know Your South Dakota College and University Mascots

The college football experience is an ultimate high for football fans and it takes several other teams to make that happen week after week during the season.
Just think about what goes into gameday? First and foremost, the players and coaching staff who put in hours and hours of practice and training to play in front of their fans. Then there's field prep, game officials, live broadcasts, concessions, and on-the-field entertainment. Yep, entertainment.

Second to the game, who do you watch? The cheerleaders? The band at halftime? What about the mascot? That's a job not many people can do.
I asked Sioux Falls native and former Cagey mascot for the Sioux Falls Canaries and Little Red & Herbie for the Nebraska Huskers Nate Welch about being a mascot:

  • What does it take to be a mascot?
  • "Losing a bet or filling an opportunity!" Welch says, "An internal energized desire to love life. After meeting great performers who are introverts out of costume, they become the center of attention when they take the stage. And also feeding off the performance of others."
  • Why does the mascot never talk?
  • "Know your role and shut your mouth. You are there to entertain. Tell the story with your actions and not your voice."
  • Advice to someone putting on that costume for the first time?
  • "Remember you are now in a costume. Have fun. Otherwise, you're just a dork in tights. If the fur ain't flying you ain't trying."

Nate Welch has moved on from his days as a mascot to Executive Director of the Vermillion Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Company in Vermillion, South Dakota.

So, can you name the mascots at our South Dakota Colleges and Universities? Check out the gallery below:

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