South Dakota State University’s biggest party is back.
Jacks Bash 3, set for Thursday, Aug. 28, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, will feature a concert lineup and celebrate the stadium’s 10th anniversary. Organizers expect a record crowd of 25,000 fans.
The event will kick off when doors open at 5 p.m., with music starting at 6 p.m. Attendees must be 16 or older.
This year’s lineup features country headliners Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett, along with special guests Ty Myers and DJ Blake Horstmann.
First launched in 2016 to celebrate the stadium’s opening, the event has grown into a larger tradition that celebrates the university with the backing of its exclusive sponsor, First Premier Bank.
Many say the university’s biggest event is Hobo Day, the annual homecoming celebration. But Dana J. Dykhouse, CEO of First Premier Bank, thinks Jacks Bash is catching up.
“We used to call Hobo Day the biggest one-day event in South Dakota, I think Jacks Bash could be pretty close this year,” Dykhouse said.
Dykhouse is an SDSU alum and longtime supporter of Jackrabbit Athletics. He has been instrumental in funding and supporting the stadium, which has become a cornerstone of the university and the Brookings community.
“You could call it just a big company picnic, but kind of a company picnic on steroids,” Dykhouse said. “It’s just a great way to celebrate our staff … and celebrate all things SDSU, all things South Dakota and all things Premier.”
Behind the scenes, a large team, including First Premier Bank, SDSU Athletics and Lifestyle, the main promoter for the artists, has been working to put together Jacks Bash 3.
This year, organizers focused on improving the parking and traffic experience.
“What we learned was there’s more than enough parking on campus, but we never had any parking attendants showing people where to park,” Dykhouse said. “We used to have huge traffic jams getting out of the stadium, and a logistics gentleman who worked for the Super Bowl helped teach us how to route traffic to exit the stadium in a rapid manner.”
Because of this, fans can expect to see parking attendants at sold-out football games to help bring people in and out of the lots.
Parking lots north of North Campus Drive will open at 3 p.m., with additional lots across campus opening closer to showtime. Drivers are encouraged to use Medary Avenue to avoid congestion near Highway 14 and the Sixth Street exit. North Campus Drive will close at 3 p.m.
Fans can also expect a more upbeat preshow atmosphere this year, with a DJ outside the stadium to welcome guests as they arrive.
“It’s just exciting to continue to celebrate SDSU and First Premier,” said Christi Williams, SDSU’s associate athletic director of ticket operations. “It’s super fun to see people come and enjoy themselves and bring ‘Jackrabbit Nation’ together.”
