South Dakota State's 2023 football season opener has been moved to a Thursday night contest.


Kickoff for the August 31 Dairy Drive matchup against Western Oregon is set for 7:00 PM at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Recognition of the Jackrabbits' 2022 national championship team will take place prior to the game and former head coach John Stiegelmeier also will be honored that evening.

SDSU has previously played a Thursday night opener four times as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision, including posting a 51-13 home victory over Duquesne on August 31, 2017.

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SDSU finished its historic 2022 campaign with a 14-1 record and the program's first ever national title.

A feature game this upcoming season will have the reigning national champion Jackrabbits hosting Drake University on September 16 at Target Field. It will be a home game for SDSU.

Season tickets for the Jackrabbits' six-game home schedule remain available and range from $99-215 for grandstand seating, plus the corresponding annual Jackrabbit Club per seat license (see chart). All new purchasers will be able to place a deposit for their desired number of tickets and will be contacted for seat allocation after the April 7 renewal deadline for existing accounts. The Jackrabbit Club contribution will be collected during seat allocation. Deposits are non-refundable.

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