Here is a very good article by Terry highlighting many accomplishments from this year.
One for the ages
SDSU claimed league titles, built Division I momentum
Terry Vandrovec • tvandrovec@argusleader.com • May 20, 2008
So much for having nothing to play for.
The final leg of the four-year NCAA Division I transition was arguably one of the most successful in the history of South Dakota State athletics. Most notably, on a single overcast Saturday - Nov. 17 - the Jackrabbits picked up two conference titles and an oversized check worth $6 million to be put toward a student-athlete development center.
"I think we all believed that we'd do good," athletic director Fred Oien said. "But I'm not sure we thought we'd win a conference championship in football, women's basketball and volleyball in the same year in Division I this year. It's a real credit to the coaches."
These were the top five sports stories of the year:
1. Football team ends title drought: Before a Coughlin-Alumni Stadium record crowd of 16,345, the Jackrabbits beat No. 1-ranked North Dakota State 29-24 in the season finale to win the Great West Football Conference title - their first championship crown since 1963.
It was the second year in a row that SDSU lost its first three games to wind up 7-4 and in the Football Championship Subdivision top 25.
The Jacks - who will move into the renowned Gateway Football Conference this fall - also set a new home attendance record, boasted more academic all-district picks than any other Division I program in a nine-state region and had two players sign NFL contracts.
(read more)
SDSU claimed league titles, built Division I momentum
Terry Vandrovec • tvandrovec@argusleader.com • May 20, 2008
So much for having nothing to play for.
The final leg of the four-year NCAA Division I transition was arguably one of the most successful in the history of South Dakota State athletics. Most notably, on a single overcast Saturday - Nov. 17 - the Jackrabbits picked up two conference titles and an oversized check worth $6 million to be put toward a student-athlete development center.
"I think we all believed that we'd do good," athletic director Fred Oien said. "But I'm not sure we thought we'd win a conference championship in football, women's basketball and volleyball in the same year in Division I this year. It's a real credit to the coaches."
These were the top five sports stories of the year:
1. Football team ends title drought: Before a Coughlin-Alumni Stadium record crowd of 16,345, the Jackrabbits beat No. 1-ranked North Dakota State 29-24 in the season finale to win the Great West Football Conference title - their first championship crown since 1963.
It was the second year in a row that SDSU lost its first three games to wind up 7-4 and in the Football Championship Subdivision top 25.
The Jacks - who will move into the renowned Gateway Football Conference this fall - also set a new home attendance record, boasted more academic all-district picks than any other Division I program in a nine-state region and had two players sign NFL contracts.
(read more)
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