For the second season in a row, South Dakota State has come out on top of in-state rival South Dakota in the head-to-head Interstate Series athletics competition. The Jackrabbits won the 2023-24 edition by a 14-12 score, matching the tally from the previous season.
The 2023-24 athletics season marked the first time the competition was sponsored by First Interstate Bank. The Interstate Series is presented in conjunction with Learfield and its respective Jackrabbit Sports Properties and Coyote Sports Properties divisions.
SDSU now holds a 7-5 overall advantage in the series, which dates back to the 2012-13 athletics season. The competition has been decided by two points or fewer seven times and neither school has claimed the title more than two seasons in a row.
“The Interstate Series is exactly what college sports is about — bringing passionate fans and competitive teams together,” said Jonathan Treiber, general manager of Jackrabbit Sports Properties. “We appreciate the support and vision of First Interstate Bank to allow us to grow this rivalry for many years to come.”
SDSU notched two points in three different sports, winning the football game between top-10 ranked squads on Oct. 28, 2023, as well as sweeping the regular season series in both men’s and women’s basketball. The Jackrabbits also earned points in head-to-head competition in women’s soccer and softball, while picking up additional points with higher finishes at Summit League championship events in men’s cross country, men’s golf and women’s golf.
Both programs were awarded three additional points for academic performance.
First Interstate is a community bank with more than 300 branches across 14 states, including branches in more than 20 cities across South Dakota.
INTERSTATE SERIES HISTORY
2012-13: SDSU (14-13)
2013-14: SDSU (18-9)
2014-15: USD (14-13)
2015-16: SDSU (16-11)
2016-17: USD (14-13)
2017-18: USD (14-13)
2018-19: SDSU (14.5-11.5)
2019-20: USD (14.5-6.5)
2020-21: SDSU (13-10)
2021-22: USD via tiebreaker (13-13)
2022-23: SDSU (14-12)
2023-24: SDSU (14-12)
Note: 2021-22 tiebreaker decided by winner of football game