While August is a time for college football teams to sharpen their skills, install plays, and determine starters in position battles, it is also what experienced media consider "Kool-Aid season." Every team in the nation is undefeated and optimistic about how their season will unfold. Or, at least they sound optimistic when on the record. By Mid-August, two weeks before the first game, they're not just optimistic, they're excited if not foaming at the mouth to play the first game. So when you talk to them on "Media Day," you may compile plenty of material that you will look back on and shake your head about in a few months if their season falls apart. But with the 2026 South Dakota State Jackrabbits, it is not difficult to believe there is plenty of steak to go along with the sizzle of being strong Missouri Valley Football Conference favorites and an expected national championship contender from most respected people who follow the sport. This is despite SDSU's 9-5 record last season under first year coach Dan Jackson and the earliest playoff exit since 2019. The 50-29 loss to Montana in the Round of 16 broke a string of five straight FCS semifinal appearances. Yet, SDSU brings back wildly talented quarterback Chase Mason, four of its five starting offensive linemen, a spoil of riches at wideout and tight end, and most of a front seven that had plenty of roar for a top 10 scoring defense. That, plus the return of four key playmakers who missed at least several games last season, particularly the four losses in row that nearly derailed a 15th consecutive playoff berth — Mason, reciever Lofton O'Groske, defensive end Reis Kirschenmen and linebacker Chase Van Tol. Add some intriguing transfers including like Wayne State wrecking ball defensive end Carter Sitzman, and you have yourself some Kool-Aid. Happy Hour's trip to Brookings on 2026 SDSU Media Day was a chance to taste the steak behind the sizzle. Everyone Happy Hour chatted with didn't just exclaim that SDSU is far more advanced at this point than last season, but they explained why and gave examples. Enjoy conversations with: Head coach Dan Jackson Quarterback Chase Mason Defensive end and Wayne State transfer Carter Sitzman Wide receiver Lofton O'Groske Safety Dontay Johnson Defensive end Dawson Ripperda

Now, we're getting somewhere. In the last few days, the Minnesota Vikings and South Dakota Coyotes signaled that the football season is close to actually happening. Kyler Murray was (finally) named the Vikings starter on Tuesday, a few days after Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer reported freshman Austin Moderzewski is the front runner to take the Coyotes' reins. So, let's talk. Zimmer joined the Happy Hour host for their weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" get-together at Gateway Lounge to react to those developments, plus opine on South Dakota State quarterback Chase Mason's potential for a colossal senior season in Brookings for a Jackrabbits squad picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and slotted at No. 3 — behind Montana and Montana State — in the STATS Top 25 preseason poll. After all, August isn't just camp season. It's quarterback season. What about this whole situation makes die-hard fan Zim think the Vikings are destined to miss the playoffs and fire Kevin O'Connell? Why does the Happy Hour host disagree and expect a potentially big season?

Was the Murray vs. McCarthy "open competition" a sham? Did it stunt Murray's growth in learning and processing the Vikings' offense? (Yes, that's an intended pun. You're welcome).

Why does Modrzweski get the (so far) firm lion's share of the No. 1 reps at USD, and how does a freshman beating a couple seniors for a QB1 gig differ in 2026 from the days before NIL and the wild wild west transfer portal? Besides Mason's majestic arm, build, speed, and athleticism, what suggests he's in store for a monster 2026? That last question leads the talkers down the Mark Gronowski rabbit hole. The Jackrabbit GOAT QB was just cut by the Miami Dolphins, who had signed him as an undrafted free agent. Was playing his senior year at Iowa (for $1 million to $2 million in reported NIL) a mistake? Beyond the quarterbacks, Zim and the HHH dig into other positions at USD, the Minnesota Twins' continued drag toward contention for the wild card and even the A.L. Central title, and the "Dead Guy of the Week," an iconic basketball coach who didn't win an NBA title (as a coach) but certainly finished his post-hoops life winning... at life.

South Dakota native and SDSU alumnus Adam Vinatieri sure packed a lot into his nearly 19-minute Pro Football Hall of Fame speech on Saturday: * The common "thank you's" to people who helped get him there— parents, siblings, children, wife, NFL coaches and teammates * Common Hall of Fame speech messages about character, humility, dedication, determination, character, teamwork, and never giving up * His incredible resume of accomplishments (NFL all-time scoring leader, record for most career field goals, four Super Bowl titles, NFL's "All 100 team" of best 100 players in the first 100 years of the league) * Most famously, now-viral jokes directed at Vinatieri's Patriots coach Bill Bellichick (well, the 74-year-old North Carolina coach's 25-year-old girlfriend), Pats quarterback Tom Brady, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (specifically Manning's massive forehead), and sports talking head Pat McAfee ("who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife") In a speech that ran nearly nine minutes over the requested 10-minute limit, the Rapid City native never mentioned his high school alma mater, Rapid City Central. More shockingly, there was no mention of his time at SDSU (1991-94), despite the presence in Canton, Ohio, of Vinatieri's SDSU head coach Mike Daly and then-defensive coordinator John Stiegelmeier, who took over for Daly in 1997 and spent 26 seasons transforming SDSU from a middling Div. II program to an FCS national champion. Why did Vinatieri omit his entire high school and college career during the biggest moment of his life, in front of thousands in Canton and millions on live national television? That is unknown to the Happy Hour host, who sheds light on how Vinatieri's time as a Jackrabbit wasn't completely decorated in glory... and how Vinatieri missed a golden opportunity to send a powerful message by including his low point at SDSU. FCS Analyst Samuel Akem The FCS season's opening game week for SDSU and USD is just two weeks away. The Jackrabbits are picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are rated No. 3 in the STATS Preseason Top 25 FCS poll. USD is picked fifth in the MVFC and ranked No. 12 in the STATS poll. The team that knocked both the Jacks and Yotes out of the playoffs is slotted at No. 2 in the nation. That'd be Montana, whose arch rival Montana State received all 57 first place votes as the Bobcats begin a run at back-to-back national championships. How does former Griz wideout and current FCS podcast host Samuel Akem feel about these rankings, and why does he feel the Jacks should be rated ahead of his alma mater? Almost more intriguingly, why does Akem not see SDSU quarterback Chase Mason as a Top Five FCS QB at the moment? Why do the Montana schools and Dakotas schools seem to dominate the FCS year after year, and which teams outside those two states should be considered national title contenders? Oh, and what is the outlook for the future of the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and a potential move to the FBS like North Dakota State just made? Zach Borg talks prep football Two weeks from now will also mark the first game week of high school football season for the 11-man teams in the Sioux Falls metro area. Is defending 11AAA champion Brandon Valley still the team to beat in the state's largest class? What about the Lincoln squad that returns dazzling quarterback Brody Schafer? Zach Borg has covered prep pigskin in the Sioux Empire for nearly 15 years and joins the Happy Hour host to handicap the 11AAA field. He'll cover one school per day in the soon-to-be-released "Camp Confidential" series on Sioux Falls Live and Midwest Sports Plus. It is also Borg's first day as a full-time Midwest Sports Plus sports reporter, a title and position well-earned through his relentless work ethic and a treasure chest of feature stories he compiled this past year for Forum Communications.

Two weeks from now will also mark the first game week of high school football season for the 11-man teams in the Sioux Falls metro area. Is defending 11AAA champion Brandon Valley still the team to beat in the state's largest class? What about the Lincoln squad that returns dazzling quarterback Brody Schafer? Zach Borg has covered prep pigskin in the Sioux Empire for nearly 15 years and joins the Happy Hour host to handicap the 11AAA field. He'll cover one school per day in the soon-to-be-released "Camp Confidential" series on Sioux Falls Live and Midwest Sports Plus. It is also Borg's first day as a full-time Midwest Sports Plus sports reporter, a title and position well-earned through his relentless work ethic and a treasure chest of feature stories he compiled this past year for Forum Communications.

South Dakota native and SDSU alumnus Adam Vinatieri sure packed a lot into his nearly 19-minute Pro Football Hall of Fame speech on Saturday: * The common "thank you's" to people who helped get him there— parents, siblings, children, wife, NFL coaches and teammates * Common Hall of Fame speech messages about character, humility, dedication, determination, character, teamwork, and never giving up * His incredible resume of accomplishments (NFL all-time scoring leader, record for most career field goals, four Super Bowl titles, NFL's "All 100 team" of best 100 players in the first 100 years of the league) * Most famously, now-viral jokes directed at Vinatieri's Patriots coach Bill Bellichick (well, the 74-year-old North Carolina coach's 25-year-old girlfriend), Pats quarterback Tom Brady, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (specifically Manning's massive forehead), and sports talking head Pat McAfee ("who enjoyed holding my balls more than my wife") In a speech that ran nearly nine minutes over the requested 10-minute limit, the Rapid City native never mentioned his high school alma mater, Rapid City Central. More shockingly, there was no mention of his time at SDSU (1991-94), despite the presence in Canton, Ohio, of Vinatieri's SDSU head coach Mike Daly and then-defensive coordinator John Stiegelmeier, who took over for Daly in 1997 and spent 26 seasons transforming SDSU from a middling Div. II program to an FCS national champion. Why did Vinatieri omit his entire high school and college career during the biggest moment of his life, in front of thousands in Canton and millions on live national television? That is unknown to the Happy Hour host, who sheds light on how Vinatieri's time as a Jackrabbit wasn't completely decorated in glory... and how Vinatieri missed a golden opportunity to send a powerful message by including his low point at SDSU.

The FCS season's opening game week for SDSU and USD is just two weeks away. The Jackrabbits are picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference and are rated No. 3 in the STATS Preseason Top 25 FCS poll. USD is picked fifth in the MVFC and ranked No. 12 in the STATS poll. The team that knocked both the Jacks and Yotes out of the playoffs is slotted at No. 2 in the nation. That'd be Montana, whose arch rival Montana State received all 57 first place votes as the Bobcats begin a run at back-to-back national championships. How does former Griz wideout and current FCS podcast host Samuel Akem feel about these rankings, and why does he feel the Jacks should be rated ahead of his alma mater? Almost more intriguingly, why does Akem not see SDSU quarterback Chase Mason as a Top Five FCS QB at the moment? Why do the Montana schools and Dakotas schools seem to dominate the FCS year after year, and which teams outside those two states should be considered national title contenders? Oh, and what is the outlook for the future of the Bobcats, Grizzlies, and a potential move to the FBS like North Dakota State just made?

Every week, "South Dakota Sports Lounge" displays some of the most captivating and entertaining conversations from daily sports talk shows in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Fargo. Here are this week's segments: Happy Hour with John Gaskins (Sioux Falls): The hosts of the budding Jackrabbit Illustrated podcasts dive into the rivalry void left by North Dakota State's exit to the FBS and how much bigger (if at all) the annual battle with in-state rival South Dakota will become while there is no Dakota Marker at stake. Plus, the fan/alumni hosts explain the impact NIL and the transfer portal have on their enjoyment and investment in major sports like football and men's basketball, where some of the best SDSU players leave for big bucks at higher-profile schools. Plus, what are their predictions for Chase Mason and the '26 Jacks, who are picked to win the MVFC and contend for a national title? Hot Mic with Dom Izzo (Fargo): NDSU basketball star Avery Koenen, the Summit League Player of the Year, discusses her engagement to Bison quarterback Trey Drake. They first became aware of each other during a Hot Mic appearance. They also had a former SDSU basketball player (Ellie Colbeck) as the engagement photographer. The Nate Brown Show (Rapid City): Post 22 head coach Rich Downs discusses the state championship American Legion season and playing in the upcoming regional tournament in Mandan, ND. Zach Borg feature on Sioux Falls Canaries veteran Mike Hart, who has been with the Birds for almost a decade and carved a reputation as a Pete Rose-style player and leader for a team that has become a consistent winner. Why did he decide to come back in 2026 after contemplating retirement last season?

How do the "JI guys" feel about bitter football rival North Dakota State no longer being in the FCS and on SDSU's schedule? And how close can "the school down south" in Vermillion come to matching the intensity of the "Dakota Marker Game" and game week? How have NIL and the transfer portal — and therefore, more often than not, the departure of some of SDSU's best football and men's basketball players to bigger schools after one or two stellar seasons — skewed their outlook and enjoyment as fans? And, yes, how strong of a national championship contender will the 2026 Jackrabbits be?

Think back 20 years, and just look at how much South Dakota State football and its fan base have grown. From Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to the modern marvel of "The Dana." From coaching offices in trailers and outdoor winter practices on the windswept tundra to the Dykhouse (now Stiegelmeier Family Center) and the SJAC indoor palace. From FCS infancy and the janky Great West Conference to consistent MVFC national championship contention. Think back 10 years, to the year Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium opened and the Jackrabbits notched their first (share of an) MVFC Championship. Since then, they've secured two national championships, produced numerous All-Americans and NFL players, and drawn bigger and bigger crowds—including sellouts exceeding 19,000—on fall gamedays. That, plus a massive, growing website and podcast operation that has become an online gathering point for fans who can't get enough content. There is also a JI tailgate party at home games and national championship contests, serving as a literal gathering point impossible to miss if you're in Brookings (or Frisco, and maybe this year in Nashville) on a football gameday. The Jacks and the unaffiliated Jackrabbit Illustrated brand have both come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good. Mostly good. Today, the "JI" website has established itself as the top source for SDSU recruiting information. The weekly podcast—like the website, launched by SDSU alumnus Matt Tollefson—grew so popular that three more shows were added, with one focusing specifically on wrestling. How did "JI" and SDSU football fandom come so far? Why do the podcasts and their hosts seem to resonate so deeply with their listeners and viewers? Tollefson and fellow hosts Chad Meirose and Brendan Luedtke joined Happy Hour on Thursday to walk through the parallel universes of Jackrabbit fandom and Jackrabbit Illustrated's popularity and reach. Right away and for 80 minutes, you'll grasp exactly what makes them tick—three friends talking about their favorite team, organically and authentically.

Think back 20 years, and just look at how much South Dakota State football and its fan base have grown. From Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to the modern marvel of "The Dana." From coaching offices in trailers and outdoor winter practices on the windswept tundra to the Dykhouse (now Stiegelmeier Family Center) and the SJAC indoor palace. From FCS infancy and the janky Great West Conference to consistent MVFC national championship contention. Think back 10 years, to the year Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium opened and the Jackrabbits notched their first (share of an) MVFC Championship. Since then, they've secured two national championships, produced numerous All-Americans and NFL players, and drawn bigger and bigger crowds—including sellouts exceeding 19,000—on fall gamedays. That, plus a massive, growing website and podcast operation that has become an online gathering point for fans who can't get enough content. There is also a JI tailgate party at home games and national championship contests, serving as a literal gathering point impossible to miss if you're in Brookings (or Frisco, and maybe this year in Nashville) on a football gameday. The Jacks and the unaffiliated Jackrabbit Illustrated brand have both come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good. Mostly good. Today, the "JI" website has established itself as the top source for SDSU recruiting information. The weekly podcast—like the website, launched by SDSU alumnus Matt Tollefson—grew so popular that three more shows were added, with one focusing specifically on wrestling. How did "JI" and SDSU football fandom come so far? Why do the podcasts and their hosts seem to resonate so deeply with their listeners and viewers? Tollefson and fellow hosts Chad Meirose and Brendan Luedtke joined Happy Hour on Thursday to walk through the parallel universes of Jackrabbit fandom and Jackrabbit Illustrated's popularity and reach. Right away and for 80 minutes, you'll grasp exactly what makes them tick—three friends talking about their favorite team, organically and authentically. But can they always be fully authentic with their opinions? How have their raw feelings and emotions come back to bite them? How do they feel about bitter football rival North Dakota State no longer being in the FCS and on SDSU's schedule? And how close can "the school down south" in Vermillion come to matching the intensity of the "Dakota Marker Game" and game week? How have NIL and the transfer portal — and therefore, more often than not, the departure of some of SDSU's best football and men's basketball players to bigger schools after one or two stellar seasons — skewed their outlook and enjoyment as fans? And, yes, how strong of a national championship contender will the 2026 Jackrabbits be?