Photo Gallery

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—For the second time in the last three years, South Dakota has topped South Dakota State 14-13 to win the annual South Dakota Showdown Series, a point-based athletic and academic competition between the two in-state university rivals. The official announcement was made by South Dakota Corn Utilization officials Thursday.
 
The Coyotes outscored the Jacks 11-10 in athletic competitions to bring the traveling trophy back to Vermillion. Those points were decided in head-to-head competitions and Summit League Championship finishes in 17 men's and women's sports. Both programs scored the maximum three points allotted for academic achievement for compiling a student-athlete grade point average above 3.0.
 
"This is such a unique partnership with the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council that has harnessed the rivalry between our schools for the betterment of those in the state," said University of South Dakota Director of Athletics David Herbster. "The sportsmanship, service and academic excellence showcased through the South Dakota Showdown Series has only been enhanced each year to benefit the philanthropic efforts of Feeding South Dakota."
 
Feeding South Dakota, the Series' philanthropic partner, will be able to provide 350,000 meals for adults and children throughout the state due to the $70,000 donation from generous funds raised and the efforts of USD and SDSU fans, students and campus communities. A significant portion of these monies for Feeding South Dakota resulted from the brand-new "Get Off the Bench" campaign which took place at several USD-SDSU rivalry games during the 2016-17 season. Both universities encouraged their fans and the community to "Get Off the Bench" in support of the overall goal to ultimately provide much-needed funding toward the state's fight against hunger.
 
"Farmers' No. 1 mission is to feed the world and do it in a sustainable manner," said South Dakota Corn's Marketing Director Teddi Mueller. "We're taking it a step further by partnering with Feeding South Dakota and making it a priority to provide nutritious meals for those who are less fortunate. Through a series of events throughout the year, we were able to raise a significant amount of money, which ensures that families don't go hungry. The Showdown Series plays an important role in these efforts."
 
Fans can visit www.sdcornshowdown.com, www.goyotes.com or www.gojacks.com to track progress and see point totals. Spearheading the initiative with the athletic departments and South Dakota Corn are Coyote Sports Properties and Jackrabbit Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holders for USD athletics and SDSU athletics, respectively. Both are properties of Learfield, which manages multimedia rights for nearly 125 collegiate properties around the country.
 
A breakdown of the scoring follows:
 
South Dakota (14)
3 – cumulative GPA above 3.0
2 – volleyball sweeps Summit series 2-0
1 – women's soccer
1 – women's cross country
1 – women's basketball splits season series 1-1
1 – men's basketball splits season series 1-1
1 – women's swimming and diving
1 – women's indoor track and field
1 – women's outdoor track and field
1 – women's tennis
1 – softball wins season series 2-1
 
South Dakota State (13)
3 – cumulative GPA above 3.0
2 – football
1 – women's basketball splits season series 1-1
1 – men's basketball splits season series 1-1
1 – men's cross country
1 – men's indoor track and field
1 – men's outdoor track and field
1 – men's swimming and diving
1 – men's golf
1 – women's golf
 
Showdown Series Results
2013 – SDSU wins 14-13
2014 – SDSU wins 18-9
2015 – USD wins 14-13
2016 – SDSU wins 16-11
2017 – USD wins 14-13