Oct. 31 USD-SDSU football game picked for national TV for third-straight year

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May 27—BROOKINGS — For the third consecutive season, the South Dakota-South Dakota State regular-season football game will air on an ESPN network.

ESPN announced it has selected the USD at SDSU game for Oct. 31 as one of its two Missouri Valley Football Conference television selections for the 2026 season. Network and game times for the SDSU-USD game will be announced later.

Two seasons ago, the two teams played a 6:30 p.m. game in Brookings that aired on ESPNU. In 2025, the teams played again on ESPNU with a 3 p.m. kickoff from the DakotaDome.

The other MVFC football game selected for ESPN's national linear distribution is Southern Illinois hosting 2025 national runner-up Illinois State on Saturday, Oct. 17.

On Wednesday, many TV networks announced their schedules for the opening weeks of the college football season, and both the Jackrabbits and Coyotes learned when and on what network they will play FBS opponents.

South Dakota State plays at Northwestern in the season opening game at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, which will air on Big Ten Network.

Two weeks later, the Coyotes will travel to Boise State to play the Broncos of the newly minted Pac 12. That game will be at 9 p.m. Central on Saturday, Sept. 19, and be shown on the CBS Sports Network.

The Coyotes were 10-5 in 2025 and reached the FCS playoff quarterfinals, and now have new head coach Matt Vitzthum. The Coyotes open the season Aug. 29 against Central Connecticut State in Vermillion.

SDSU was 9-5 in 2025 under first-year head coach Dan Jackson before falling in the second round of the FCS playoffs. The Jackrabbits host Stetson on Aug. 29 at Dykhouse Stadium.

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