Tim Knutson

In a decision that was made a long time ago, the SDSU Athletic Department scheduled a home game at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. The department made this decision in hopes of creating a new market to draw fans for football. “We want to make SDSU South Dakota’s team,” said SDSU Athletic Director Fred Oien. The athletic department thought about using a site like Sioux Falls after looking at other Division-I programs. Teams like the University of Colorado, Florida and Alabama all use multiple sites throughout the season in an attempt to draw as big of fan base as possible. The athletic department chose Oct. 8 because the state high school soccer tournament is being held in Brookings this weekend. This was a way to market the team in the Sioux Falls area, without hurting the local economy. A lot of people will already be here for events other than football, and hotels might be hard to find for football fans.Sioux Falls, as well as outlying areas, has a lot of alumni to draw fans. By playing the game in Sioux Falls, fans that don’t want to travel to Brookings have a chance to support the team. People that don’t know a lot about Jacks football may come out and support the team, creating new fans. The plan to play in Sioux Falls has not gone over well with everyone. The Students’ Association is not opposed to playing in Sioux Falls, but did feel it would make it hard on students to see the game. The weekend of the game is a three-day weekend, making it hard for the Students’ Association to accomplish some of the goals they had in terms of getting students to and from the game. Students are also upset. Jessica Eikmeier, a senior and member of The “Pride of the Dakotas” Marching Band said, “I think there is a better way to market the football team than playing in Sioux Falls.” Tony Clodes, a senior construction site management major said, “I am excited about the road-trip. With the away games as far away as they are, we don’t get the chance to see the Jacks anywhere but Coughlin. It is going to be fun to see them in a new setting.” Eight home games are scheduled this season, including the game with UC-Davis at Howard Wood Field. With the large amount of home games, students should still have enough opportunities to see the Jacks, even if they cannot make it to Sioux Falls. SDSU Head Coach John Stiegelmeier said, ‘There is no place better than Coughlin, but we have had a chance to practice down there (Howard Wood) and become familiar with the field and locker rooms.” UC-Davis started the season slow and currently has a record of 2-2. They upset Division I-A Stanford University, which plays in the PAC-10 conference. The game between SDSU and UC-Davis could be one of the Jacks’ most exciting of the season. Student support is important to the football program which doesn’t want the distance to be a problem for students who want to support the team. Students will still be admitted into the game for free with their student I.D., so don’t forget them or the cowbells.”When playing at home, we need home fans. I hope to see a lot of students get involved in the game and help us get a win,” Stiegelmeier said. The Jacks have been seeing more students at each game this season than ever before. This is due in part to pre-game tailgating, which takes place north of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. Because tailgating has become so popular, the athletic department plans to keep it going by hosting a tailgate party in the Sioux Falls Stadium, home of the Canaries baseball team and just southeast of Howard Wood Field. The party starts at 10 a.m. on gameday, and will last until game time. Drinks and food will be for sale on site. Music will be on site as well. The “Pride of the Dakotas” Marching Band will also make an appearance, playing for fans at noon, and then march at Howard Wood Field during half time. UC-Davis’ band, almost 50 members, is making the trip with the football team. They will perform before the game.The athletic department has been marketing the game during the past few weeks, so a big crowd is expected. Free SDSU football posters were distributed in Saturday editions of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader to generate hype for the game.

For information on what to do in Sioux Falls this weekend (dining, fun and entertainment), read the Life section of the Juice, page three.