SDSU-USD rivalry game picked for afternoon kickoff, airing on ESPNU in Halloween matchup

Oct. 19—BROOKINGS — The in-state college football showdown between South Dakota and South Dakota State will be a Halloween afternoon kickoff on Oct. 31.The game will be played at 3 p.m. and air on ESPNU.The rivalry game was selected prior to the season as part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference's contract to air games on one of the ESPN linear networks.It's the third-straight season that ESPN has aired the rivalry game between the Jackrabbits and Coyotes. Both games were on ESPNU, with the 2024 game in Brookings at 6 p.m., and the 2025 contest in Vermillion at 3 p.m.Under two weeks out from kickoff, the matchup is one of two top-10 nationally ranked teams and two of the leaders in the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings. SDSU (5-2, 2-1 MVFC) is ranked No. 5 in the Stats Perform Top 25, while USD (6-2, 3-1 Valley) is at No. 8.The Coyotes won the 2025 meeting in the DakotaDome, a 24-17 USD victory. The last meeting in Brookings was a 20-17 overtime win for SDSU.