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The Sioux Falls, SD Argus Leader has some love for SU!
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Wednesdayfeature.shtml
Jacks to play I-AA power Southern
Chris Solari
[email protected]
published: 6/23/2004
Addition of Jaguars completes schedule
South Dakota State added some spicy Southern flavor to finalize this fall's football schedule.
What's missing, though, is a heaping of home cooking.
SDSU agreed to travel to Baton Rouge, La. in September to face Southern University. It was the 11th and final game needed for Jackrabbit Coach John Stiegelmeier and Athletic Director Fred Oien to complete this year's slate.
In its first year playing in Division I-AA for football, the NCAA's second-highest classification, SDSU will host four games and hit the road for seven. But four of those road opponents finished in the final ESPN/USA Today I-AA Top 25.
"The level of competition is tremendous," Stiegelmeier said. "The only wish is that we'd have one or two more at home. But in the first year (of the transition to Division I-AA), we're not able to dictate a lot. The kind of people we're playing are not going to come to our place in our first year because they are quality, quality programs." . . .
Seven of SDSU's eight I-AA opponents were ranked in the top 40 of last season's Gridiron Power Index (GPI), an unofficial, computer-generated ranking system which determines teams that are playoff-worthy.
"We were hoping to get into a conference, and we did," Stiegelmeier said. "Then, to be honest, I initially thought we'd have more Division II schools on our schedule. Not because it was what we wanted, but because of what we thought we'd get."
The only I-AA opponent not ranked in the GPI is NDSU which - like SDSU - enters its first season in I-AA.
"I really applaud our coaches. They really understand that we're not doing this just to win games," Oien said. "We're doing this to show the state and the region that we are serious about being a Division I school. That means we're going to play the best we can possibly find that will play us." . . .
In heading to Baton Rouge for some cajun food and zydeco music, the Jackrabbits will pick up a $50,000 guarantee for the game on the bayou. Stiegelmeier said it won't fully cover travel costs, but added that last year's trip to Western Oregon - with a limited travel roster - ran about $42,000.
Oien said SDSU will earn about $100,000 in guarantee money this year. That will go toward chartering flights to away games, on which the athletic department will sell seats to fans and players' families on a regular-fare basis to help recoup some of the costs. . . .
Southern Athletic Director Floyd Kerr told The Advocate in Baton Rouge that the $50,000 payout is, "at the top of (Southern's) scale that we can pay somebody to come down here."
The Jaguars are coming off a 12-1 season under Coach Pete Richardson, who has led them to the Black College National Championship three times since 1993. Southern was ranked 14th in the final I-AA poll in 2003.
Georgia Southern has won six national championships at the I-AA level since its inception in 1978. The Eagles finished 25th in I-AA at 7-4 last year, the same record the Jackrabbits had in their final season in Division II.
SDSU's game at Montana State, typically a big player in the Big Sky, was changed. It will now be played on Oct. 23, because the Bobcats scheduled a game with I-A Colorado State for Sept. 25. MSU was ranked 21st in last season's final I-AA poll. . . .
2004 SDSU football schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 4 at UC Davis* 8 p.m.
Sept. 11 WINONA STATE 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 WESTERN OREGON 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 at Southern (La.) 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Cal Poly* 8 p.m.
Oct. 9 NORTH DAKOTA ST.* 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 OPEN
Oct. 23 at Montana State 2:05 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Georgia Southern Noon
Nov. 6 AUGUSTANA (Hobo Day) 2 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Southern Utah* 4 p.m.
Nov. 20 at Northern Colorado* 1 p.m.
* Great West Football Conference game
(all times Central)
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Wednesdayfeature.shtml
Jacks to play I-AA power Southern
Chris Solari
[email protected]
published: 6/23/2004
Addition of Jaguars completes schedule
South Dakota State added some spicy Southern flavor to finalize this fall's football schedule.
What's missing, though, is a heaping of home cooking.
SDSU agreed to travel to Baton Rouge, La. in September to face Southern University. It was the 11th and final game needed for Jackrabbit Coach John Stiegelmeier and Athletic Director Fred Oien to complete this year's slate.
In its first year playing in Division I-AA for football, the NCAA's second-highest classification, SDSU will host four games and hit the road for seven. But four of those road opponents finished in the final ESPN/USA Today I-AA Top 25.
"The level of competition is tremendous," Stiegelmeier said. "The only wish is that we'd have one or two more at home. But in the first year (of the transition to Division I-AA), we're not able to dictate a lot. The kind of people we're playing are not going to come to our place in our first year because they are quality, quality programs." . . .
Seven of SDSU's eight I-AA opponents were ranked in the top 40 of last season's Gridiron Power Index (GPI), an unofficial, computer-generated ranking system which determines teams that are playoff-worthy.
"We were hoping to get into a conference, and we did," Stiegelmeier said. "Then, to be honest, I initially thought we'd have more Division II schools on our schedule. Not because it was what we wanted, but because of what we thought we'd get."
The only I-AA opponent not ranked in the GPI is NDSU which - like SDSU - enters its first season in I-AA.
"I really applaud our coaches. They really understand that we're not doing this just to win games," Oien said. "We're doing this to show the state and the region that we are serious about being a Division I school. That means we're going to play the best we can possibly find that will play us." . . .
In heading to Baton Rouge for some cajun food and zydeco music, the Jackrabbits will pick up a $50,000 guarantee for the game on the bayou. Stiegelmeier said it won't fully cover travel costs, but added that last year's trip to Western Oregon - with a limited travel roster - ran about $42,000.
Oien said SDSU will earn about $100,000 in guarantee money this year. That will go toward chartering flights to away games, on which the athletic department will sell seats to fans and players' families on a regular-fare basis to help recoup some of the costs. . . .
Southern Athletic Director Floyd Kerr told The Advocate in Baton Rouge that the $50,000 payout is, "at the top of (Southern's) scale that we can pay somebody to come down here."
The Jaguars are coming off a 12-1 season under Coach Pete Richardson, who has led them to the Black College National Championship three times since 1993. Southern was ranked 14th in the final I-AA poll in 2003.
Georgia Southern has won six national championships at the I-AA level since its inception in 1978. The Eagles finished 25th in I-AA at 7-4 last year, the same record the Jackrabbits had in their final season in Division II.
SDSU's game at Montana State, typically a big player in the Big Sky, was changed. It will now be played on Oct. 23, because the Bobcats scheduled a game with I-A Colorado State for Sept. 25. MSU was ranked 21st in last season's final I-AA poll. . . .
2004 SDSU football schedule
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 4 at UC Davis* 8 p.m.
Sept. 11 WINONA STATE 7 p.m.
Sept. 18 WESTERN OREGON 7 p.m.
Sept. 25 at Southern (La.) 7 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Cal Poly* 8 p.m.
Oct. 9 NORTH DAKOTA ST.* 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 OPEN
Oct. 23 at Montana State 2:05 p.m.
Oct. 30 at Georgia Southern Noon
Nov. 6 AUGUSTANA (Hobo Day) 2 p.m.
Nov. 13 at Southern Utah* 4 p.m.
Nov. 20 at Northern Colorado* 1 p.m.
* Great West Football Conference game
(all times Central)
