South Dakota State football earns No. 1 overall seed in FCS playoffs

Nov. 20—BROOKINGS, S.D. — After 10 consecutive wins to close the season, the South Dakota State University football team claimed the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoff bracket.

The seeding assures SDSU will have only home games on the route to getting to the national championship game in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 8. The Jackrabbits (10-1) will receive a first-round bye and play their first playoff game on Saturday, Dec. 3. They will host either Saint Francis (Pa.) or Delaware, who will play a first-round game on Saturday, Nov. 26, with the winner playing in Brookings at 2 p.m. on Dec. 3.

SDSU, which has been the No. 1 team in the media and coaches poll for the final month of the season, was believed to be in a battle with Sacramento State for the top seed. The Hornets were 11-0 and won the Big Sky Conference and had an FBS win over Colorado State, while the Jackrabbits' only loss was to FBS foe Iowa by four points and won at No. 3 seed North Dakota State. The Hornets were No. 2, NDSU was No. 3 and Montana State is No. 4.

"It's been a special season," SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said on the ESPNU selection show. "We've been through a lot. A lot of injuries, a lot of coaching changes coming in. But the guys pulled together, great chemistry, great culture, really proud of the team."

If SDSU wins its first game, it would face the Fordham/New Hampshire winner or Holy Cross, which earned the No. 8 seed with an 11-0 record, in the quarterfinals. The playoff path might resemble the spring 2021 season, when SDSU reached Frisco after defeating Holy Cross in the first round and Delaware in the semifinals. The Jacks were the No. 1 seed in those playoffs as well.

"It's one game at a time, one day at a time," Stiegelmeier said. "That's been our mission and our vision this year, so we're looking forward to having a great week with Thanksgiving and then looking forward to the winner of the Saint Francis/Delaware game."

Only three Missouri Valley Football Conference teams made the FCS playoff field, with North Dakota joining both NDSU and SDSU in the 24-team bracket. When asked by the selection show hosts, Stiegelmeier said he's OK with NDSU being on the opposite side of the bracket until a potential national title game meeting. SDSU has won the last three meetings between the rivals but NDSU has won nine titles in the last 11 seasons.

"We've played them in the playoffs a bunch in the past, so I'm not sure that's always a tournament feeling when you play a rival," Stiegelmeier said. "But it would be fun to play them in Frisco, that's for sure.

All times Central

Opening round — Saturday, Nov. 26

Elon (8-3) at Furman (9-2), 11 a.m.

Saint Francis (Pa.) (9-2) at Delaware (7-4), 1 p.m.

Fordham (9-2) at New Hampshire (8-3), 1 p.m.

Davidson (8-3) at Richmond (8-3), 1 p.m.

North Dakota (7-4) at Weber State (9-2), 3 p.m.

Gardner-Webb (6-5) at Eastern Kentucky (7-4), 4 p.m.

Idaho (7-4) at Southeastern Louisiana (8-3), 6 p.m.

Southeast Missouri State (9-2) at Montana (7-4), 9 p.m.

Second round — Saturday, Dec. 3

Saint Francis/Delaware winner at No. 1 South Dakota State (10-1), 2 p.m.

Fordham/New Hampshire winner at No. 8 Holy Cross (11-0), 11 a.m.

UND/Weber State winner at No. 4 Montana State (10-1), 1 p.m.

Gardner-Webb/EKU winner at No. 5 William and Mary (10-1), 2 p.m.

SEMO/Montana winner at No. 3 North Dakota State (9-2), 2:30 p.m.

Idaho/SELA winner at No. 6 Samford (10-1), 2 p.m.

Elon/Furman winner at No. 7 Incarnate Word (10-1), 1 p.m.

Davidson/Richmond winner at No. 2 Sacramento State (11-0), 4 p.m.

Quarterfinals — Dec. 9-10

Games at highest remaining seed

Upper bracket

SFU/Delaware/SDSU winner vs. Fordham/UNH/Holy Cross winner, time TBD.

UND/Weber/Montana State winner vs. G-W/EKU/WMU winner, time TBD.

Lower bracket

SEMO/Montana/NDSU winner vs. Idaho/SELA/Samford winner, time TBD.

Elon/Furman/UIW winner vs. Davidson/Richmond/Sac State winner, time TBD.

Semifinals — Dec. 16-17

Semifinal No. 1, 6 p.m., Dec. 16

Semifinal No. 2, 3 p.m., Dec. 17

Championship — Jan. 8 — at Frisco, Texas

Semifinal winners, 1 p.m. (TV: ABC)