More than 22,000 fans filled Dana J.Dykhouse Stadium on Aug. 28 for Jacks Bash 3, starring Blake Shelton and Thomas Rhett with special guests Ty Myers and DJ Blake Horstmann. The event brought together students, staff and community members for an evening filled with music. Christi Williams, associate athletic director of operations, helped oversee the planning and execution.
“It went extremely well,” said Williams. She said planning takes about a year and involves a large team, including First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard, vendors, contractors and SDSU staff.
“Those three entities, led by First PREMIER and PREMIER Bankcard, worked together, and it went very well.”
According to Williams, the event didn’t present major challenges, but adjustments were needed for food and beverage service, security, parking and scheduling with other campus activities.
Facilities and Services also played a key role in making this event happen.
“They were a huge help,” Williams said. “They helped a ton with some electrical stuff and some carpenter stuff. They were a great liaison for me to kind of lean on.”
Williams noted that much of the work for the event was handled by people within the university, including student athletes, staff and other student groups on campus. She said every program and team was expected to contribute in some way, whether before, during or after the event, making it a true team effort.
The concert made an impact beyond the stadium, reaching both the Brookings community and the university.
“It was a great exposure to the university,” said Mike Lockrem, director of university marketing and communications. “It was exciting to have that magnitude in the community and on our campus.”
Williams said the success of Jacks Bash 3 highlights the importance of the partnership with First PREMIER Bank and PREMIER Bankcard.
“We wouldn’t be able to have events like this on South Dakota State’s campus if it wasn’t for them,” she said.
As for the future of Jacks Bash, Williams added that no discussions have taken place yet about the next concert, with the focus still on wrapping up and reviewing this year’s concert.
