Podcasts about south dakota state

They just can't believe it.  To some — especially college football fans outside of South Dakota and the FCS — it just doesn't make any sense. Why would 6'4, 230 lb., bodybuilder-framed, rocket-armed, runaway freight train fast Chase Mason stay at South Dakota State for his final season of college eligibility when he has already been offered over $1 million to play at least one Power Four school (according to his SDSU head coach)? Beyond the life-changing money, Mason could potentially raise his NFL stock — and there is plenty, according to NFL scouts Mason and Dan Jackson converse — by playing against the highest level of CFB competition in front of 70,000-plus seat stadiums and millions of weekly national TV viewers.  NFL stock aside, just the P4 QB1 experience alone appears intoxicating and once-in-a-lifetime, as one of Mason's former teammates Mark Gronowski made it appear at times at Iowa after leaving SDSU for a reported $1,000,000 to $2,000,000.  Mason made it clear in his 68-minute chat with Happy Hour on Monday — "never in a million years" did he consider transferring, and no prospects of seven figure NIL dough will change his mind and convince him to enter the CFB portal, which will be open Jan. 2-16. The former Viborg-Hurley state champion quarterback, FBS-offered, and University of Nebraska baseball player said NFL scouts have told Jackson that he does not need to play at a higher level in 2026 to raise his stock. But more than anything, Mason cited over and over again during the Monday chat that, to him, nothing compares to the culture and "brotherhood" he experiences at SDSU and he doesn't want to discover the downsides to exploring if the grass is greener beyond the Benjamins at a big-league school. Again, some wonder — there has to be a catch, right? Perhaps he isn't worth mondo money and knows it and he actually doesn't have any higher-level interest. Perhaps anyone who claims he is a legitimate NFL QB prospect is either overblowing that notion or flat-out lying. Listening to Mason's entire Happy Hour chat could clear some confusion, but for good measure, Tuesday's show features the Sioux Falls Live sports reporter who has covered Mason closer than anyone the last seven years back to his high school days. Matt Zimmer helps the Twitter keyboard warriors and fans of other fan bases make sense of all the Mason-is-staying hype from the last 24 hours. In particular, Zim revisits Mason's past and why he transferred from Nebraska to SDSU and changed sports in the first place four years ago. NFL? There's a Jackrabbit track record of the last decade that's beyond decent. There's a comparison between Gronowski and Mason regarding their NFL stock that Zim finds worth noting. And now that Mason is coming back, should we project SDSU to take a leap back to the status of the FCS elite after a 9-5 season that ended in the second round? What kind of talent can we assume is coming back to surround Mason to make a national championship run in 2026? (After all, the portal window isn't open until Jan. 2-16, so nobody really knows which 2025 Jacks besides Mason are going to stay). Zim lays out his current outlook and explains why Jackson is looking more to the Div. II and NAIA ranks than the FBS for transfers to fill positions of need. Speaking of South Dakotans announcing they are staying in their powerhouse programs, Zim dives into Kalen DeBoer's remaining the coach at Alabama despite being a floated name in the media as a candidate at Michigan and Penn State. Why is Alabama — as hot as the seat appears to be sometimes — a better gig for DeBoer than the jobs in Ann Arbor and Happy Valley? Then, some words about the 7-6 start for SDSU men's hoops, which included Monday's 87-72 loss to Wyoming. Does this feel like a "down" year without a clear Summit League star like Oscar Cluff, Zeke Mayo, Baylor Scheierman, David Jenkins, or Mike Daum?  

Dissecting some under-the-radar teams of intrigue, previewing some prime time matchups on the horizon, and more with Jamie Steyer Johnson and Helen Williams. HerHoopStats.com: Unlock better insight about the women's game.The Her Hoop Stats Newsletter: https://herhoopstats.substack.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Know what you call a group of Panthers? A claw.Know what we call our group of calls of the game for Panther Women's Basketball? Claw Calls of course.Hear game highlights plus post-game thoughts from Head Coach Tanya Warren, Jenna Twedt, and Abby Tuttle.The UNI Panthers dropped a pair of non-conference matchups to South Dakota State and Iowa State. UNI has one more non-conference tilt at St. Thomas before heading back into Valley play on 12/29 at Valpo. All UNI women's basketball games can be heard locally on 106.5 FM Corn Country and anywhere via the Varsity Network App.This is the Panther Point of View, your source for all things Panthers. Listen on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAnd MORE! Follow UNI Athletics onXFacebookInstagramYouTube Follow the Voice of Panther Volleyball and WBB Chris Kleinhans-Schulz:XSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about the return of Keon Loud, the accelerated performance of Solomon Tuliapupu and the Griz defense morphing into an elite unit + we preview the quarterfinal game against South Dakota in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.

Most college football observers did a double-take when reading last Saturday’s FCS small college playoff scores. The undefeated defending FCS champion North Dakota State Bison lost – at home!  They were eliminated from the playoffs by Illinois State 29-28. NDSU’s loss has opened the door for a new national champion to be crowned in less than one month.  Villanova’s 2008 national championship was the most recent title won by a member of this year’s remaining eight quarterfinalist teams. What happened to North Dakota State last weekend? North Dakota State came into last Saturday’s home playoff game with Illinois State with a perfect 12-0 record in 2025.  The Bison had already defeated the Redbirds 33-16 at Illinois State a couple of months ago. However, my weekly FCS report last week noted, “That game saw the Bison leading by only two points (18-16) after three quarters before NDSU tacked-on two late scores for the final margin of victory”. Illinois State came into Fargo, North Dakota last Saturday with the knowledge that they had come really close to taking down the Bison in that previous meeting. By contrast, North Dakota State confidently entered last week’s game knowing they had won 14 straight games against their Missouri Valley Football Conference rivals. The Bison wasted no time in taking a 14-0 first quarter lead in NDSU’s always-noisy FargoDome stadium last Saturday. The first offensive play from scrimmage produced a 79-yard touchdown pass completion to Bryce Lance (yes, he is the younger brother of former Bison and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance).  North Dakota State tacked-on a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown to take a 14-point lead in the opening quarter. North Dakota State’s usually punishing offense was throttled all day. Illinois State held the Bison to just six first downs – for the entire game!  NDSU still led 28-14 early in the fourth quarter as Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse tossed five interceptions which allowed the Bison to maintain the lead. However, the Redbirds’ quarterback saved his best for last. Rittenhouse tossed two touchdowns in the game’s final three minutes plus a two-point conversion to give Illinois State a thrilling 29-28 win. Illinois State controlled the ball – well, when they weren’t throwing one of those five interceptions to North Dakota State. The Redbirds kept possession of the football for 42 minutes compared to just 18 for the Bison. NDSU finished its season at 12-1. Illinois State improved to 10-4 and now travels west this week to play UC-Davis on Saturday afternoon. Let’s preview this week’s four FCS quarterfinal playoff games! #7 seed Stephen F. Austin (11-2) at #2 seed Montana State (11-2) – FRIDAY – 8PM CST on ESPN Two mirror image teams will meet on Friday night in Bozeman, Montana. The SFA Lumberjacks opened the season with two straight losses and have reeled-off a school-record 11 straight victories to reach Friday’s FCS quarterfinal game. The Southland Conference champions defeated the United Athletic Conference winner Abilene Christian 41-34 at home Saturday in Nacogdoches, Texas to advance to this weekend’s game. Ditto for Montana State! The Bobcats dropped a road “money game” at Oregon and were surprised in their home opener by South Dakota State. After an 0-2 start, Montana State’s defense has only allowed one team (Montana) to score more than 17 points in their current 11-game winning streak.  The Big Sky Champion Bobcats edged Ivy League winner Yale 21-13 last Saturday in Bozeman to advance into the quarterfinals at home on Friday night. Stephen F. Austin’s defense is doing its part this season, too.  The Jacks have allowed just 16 points per game over their current 11-game winning streak. Offensively speaking, Montana State ranks #9 nationally in scoring 36.8 points per game. Stephen F. Austin is #14 in the FBS in scoring by producing 36 points per game. The explosive Lumberjacks’ offense has produced 57 plays of more than 20 yards this season. Montana State expects nearly 20,000 fans for Friday night’s game.  The weather will be chilly with gametime temperatures around 40 degrees and brisk winds of 15-20 mph during this game. 11-2 Villanova at #4 seed Tarleton State (12-1) – Saturday at 11AM on ESPN The Wildcats come into Saturday’s quarterfinal game in north Texas on a 10-game winning streak. Villanova went on the road last Saturday to end the season for previously undefeated Lehigh 14-7 in a game played in Bethlehem, PA.  The Wildcats from the Coastal Athletic Conference took advantage of two Lehigh turnovers to secure a win in this tightly-contested game. Villanova’s fans must travel nearly 1,600 miles southwest to Stephenville, Texas (near Fort Worth) to attend this Saturday’s quarterfinal game. The Tarleton State Texans prevailed 31-13 over the University of North Dakota last week to advance into Saturday’s quarterfinals. The 12-1 Texans’ only blemish on its record came after a last minute field goal gave eventual United Athletic Conference champion Abilene Christian a 31-28 win on November 1. Tarleton State’s defense is ranked #10 nationally and allows just 18 points per game. The weather in north central Texas should be terrific on Saturday.  Sunny skies with gametime temperatures in the mid-60’s and light winds will make for perfect football weather conditions. Univ. of South Dakota (10-4) at #3 seed Montana (12-1) – Saturday 2:30PM on ABC The Coyotes of South Dakota and the Grizzlies of Montana will meet on Saturday afternoon for the first time in a playoff setting. These two FBS schools are spaciously separated by nearly 1,100 miles.  The University of Montana football team has never lost to USD (5-0) since the Coyotes moved up into the FCS football group in 2008. South Dakota wants to change that on Saturday. The Coyotes’ 10-4 record is deceiving.  Their losses came at FBS member Iowa State and against three other FCS playoff qualifiers (Lamar University, Illinois State, and North Dakota State). USD from the Missouri Valley Football Conference has blasted two consecutive playoff opponents. Last week’s 47-0 ambush at #6 seed Mercer raised a lot of eyebrows.  The Coyotes’ offense ran for 309 yards and passed for another 241 on Saturday in Macon, Georgia.  South Dakota’s defense stifled Mercer’s vaunted passing attack as it produced four interceptions. The Montana Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference will have the home field advantage on Saturday.  This will mark the first-ever football game to be televised by ABC at picturesque Washington/Grizzly stadium in Missoula.  Montana is the FCS’ all-time leader in post-season appearances (29) with national championships won in 1995 and 2001. The Griz is #3 nationally in scoring (41.5 points per game). Their prolific passing attack produces almost 300 yards per game with an efficient 70% completion percentage. The weather forecast for Saturday’s game calls for afternoon sunshine and a balmy (by Montana standards) high temperature of 52 degrees. Illinois State (10-4) at #8 seed UC-Davis (9-3) – Saturday at 4PM on ESPN+ The final FCS quarterfinal game of this weekend will be played just west of Sacramento on the campus of UC-Davis.  UC-Davis and Illinois State are both seeking their schools’ first FCS national football championship. These two teams played each other in the second round of last year’s FCS playoffs.  The Aggies of UC-Davis cruised in a 42-10 home field decision over the Redbirds from Normal, Illinois. As we covered earlier, Illinois State (which finished in 3rd place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference regular season) will not be intimidated after traveling to #1 seed North Dakota State last weekend and taking a 29-28 victory over the defending champs. The “Road-birds” are now 13-1 over the past two seasons as a visiting team against FCS opponents.   Senior wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz added three touchdowns against North Dakota State last week. He now owns the Illinois State school record with 36 TD catches in his career. Meanwhile, the UC-Davis Aggies of the Big Sky Conference feature one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the entire FCS.  Last week’s home playoff win over Rhode Island saw the Aggies pass for 277 yards and rush for 276 more as they pulled away in the second half in a 47-26 victory over the Rams. UC-Davis is hosting a quarterfinal game at home for the first time since 2001. Saturday’s weather in northern California will feature plenty of sunshine and a kick-off temperatures at a cool 47 degrees.  Enjoy this weekend’s FCS quarterfinal games! The post FCS Quarterfinals – No Mo’ Bison to worry about! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out!Is it time for the Coyotes to take a seat at the FCS "grownup" table? In other words, to make room to expand the "Big Four" of FCS football — North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Montana State, Montana — to the "Big Five?"USD has made three consecutive quarterfinals, something NDSU and SDSU — who have split the last four national titles, two apiece — can't say after losing in the round of 16 on Saturday (but the Bobcats and the Grizzlies can).Unlike the Big Four, the Coyotes haven't played in an FCS national title game within the last four years, or ever. We'll find out how they stack up against a blue blood Saturday on ABC in a time window when Army-Navy will be the only other football game to watch on over-the-air TV.But Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer and Happy Hour host John Gaskins dig in to what three years of USD reaching this round means, particularly for a 2025 team that has won five consecutive games — four against ranked teams — and left a 47-0 bruise on SoCon champ Mercer, the nation's best (statistical) offense and rush defense, by holding the Bears to 277 total yards (227 short of their average) and bulldozing them for 316 rushing yards (226 over their average).So, will the Coyotes stack up to the Grizzlies better than the Jackrabbits, who were 50-burgered? Zim and John kick that around as well in this week's edition of their five-years-and-running weekly podcast "Nobody's Listening Anyway."Also on the docket:* Why is Zim happy for Jimmy Rogers at Iowa State, and why does he find it nonsense to bash his character for leaving Washington State after less than a year to take his third head coaching job in four years? And why, in hindsight, was he still the best choice to take over for John Stiegelmeier?* Why does Zim feel Chase Mason doesn't need to go to the Big Ten or SEC or any FBS school to show NFL pros he is worthy of an early rounds NFL Draft selection?* What is Zim's sense of how many SDSU players who aren't out of eligibility will stick around?* Does NDSU's early round exit from the FCS Playoffs make the postseason more interesting or more boring? Does it make the FCS stronger? Does it strengthen or weaken the case that the Bison should want to stay in the FCS?* Oh, and should James Madison's entry into the CFB Playoffs make the case for NDSU and SDSU to "move up?" Actually, Zim says no. Why?* Bowl games — yeah, their prestige has been weakened over the decades by the sheer volume of them, the number of top players sitting them out, and now the number of teams refusing to play in them. Does that mean they should all go away? Zim says no. Hear why.

Colter Nuanez opens the show with Pete Hamill of Vertical Raise to break down Montana's latest win over South Dakota State  from the game's biggest momentum swings to standout performers and what the victory means moving forward. The two also unveil the final Prep AA Vertical Raise Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. (3:11)Next, Geoff Safford sits down with Sentinel women's basketball head coach Maddie Kiest for a full preview of the Spartans' upcoming season as they prepare to tip off this Friday. (22:18)To close the show, Colter delivers his Treasure State Stars of the Week, spotlighting standout performances from across Montana. This week's honorees include Griz Football's Dillon Botner, the newly named FCS National Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and 2019 world champion steer wrestler Ty Erickson, who is off to a blazing start this season. (40:14)

From South Dakota State to Virginia Tech—Hannah Whitbred shares her journey in collegiate strength and conditioning.As an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports at Virginia Tech, Hannah works with student-athletes across multiple sports, each with unique physical demands and performance goals. In this conversation, she breaks down what it's really like to train diverse athletes, from track and field to soccer to swimming, and how she tailors programs to meet each sport's specific needs.We discuss her transition from South Dakota State to a Power 4 conference program, the lessons she learned working with Jackrabbit athletes, what it takes to succeed in collegiate strength and conditioning, and the realities of building relationships with coaches and athletes across multiple teams.Whether you're a student interested in strength and conditioning, a practitioner looking to break into college athletics, or simply curious about what happens behind the scenes in Olympic sports training, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the profession.

Former Montana running back Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about message boards, disagreements and the things UM showed in a 50-29 win over South Dakota State that helps make the Griz a true national title contender.

Colter Nuanez opens the show by breaking down the biggest matchups across the FCS landscape, starting with Illinois State's unbelievable upset win over NDSU, UC Davis' impressive performance in their victory over Rhode Island, and South Dakota's dominant showing against Mercer.From there, Colter dives into a wild weekend in Montana football, unpacking the Grizzlies' statement win over South Dakota State and Montana State's nail-biter against Yale. He digs into the defining moments of each game and what they signal for both teams moving forward. The episode also features conversations with coaches Brent Vigen, Bobby Hauck, and Dan Jackson, as well as players Solomon Tuliaupupu and Drew Deck, offering fresh insight straight from the field and locker rooms. Whether you follow the Griz, the Cats, or the wider FCS landscape, this episode delivers sharp, timely analysis from top to bottom.

Colter Nuanez is joined by former Griz quarterback and longtime NFL coach Marty Mornhinweg to break down Montana's huge win over South Dakota State, highlighting Ay Yat's standout performance and a Griz offense that erupted for 50 points. They also dig into the postgame scuffle involving Brent Vigen and Julius Davis and what it reveals about the rivalry's intensity.From there, Colter and Marty turn to the NFL, unpacking the Chiefs' surprising loss to the Texans, the Packers' huge divisional win over the Bears, and their take on a big Monday Night Football matchup between the Eagles and Chargers. 

Montana posted a 50-29 win over South Dakota State on Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs for the 15th time in program history. UM head coach Bobby Hauck, senior DE Kellen Detrick and senior RB Stevie Rocker Jr., addressed the media ahead of the Elite 8 game against South Dakota State.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central recap all the second-round games of the 2025 FCS Football Playoffs. The duo discusses Illinois State's historic upset over North Dakota State, Montana's offensive explosion against South Dakota State, South Dakota's statement win against Mercer, Tarleton State's impressive performance against North Dakota, Villanova's defensive battle against Lehigh, and Stephen F. Austin's exciting win over Abilene Christian. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I recap all the FCS Playoff games from the 2nd round (outside of Montana vs SDSU; you can see that in the other recap). There were some wild games in the 2nd round, and one that is historic. Stay tuned for the entire episode this week.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:01 - Montana State/Yale Recap13:38 - NDSU/Illinois State Recap21:28 - UC Davis/Rhode Island Recap28:32 - South Dakota/Mercer Recap35:12 - SFA/ACU Recap41:08 - Tarleton State/North Dakota Recap47:51 - Villanova/Lehigh Recap54:39 - Final Thoughts 56:30 - End  

In this week's Akems Analysis, Keenan and I recap a wild 2nd Rd Montana playoff victory over South Dakota State. We get into the highs and some of the lows we saw on Saturday. Stay tuned for the whole episode.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior captain linebacker Solomon Tuliapupu and wide receiver Drew Deck + South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson, defensive tackle Logan Green and quarterback Chase Mason addressed the media following UM's 50-29 win over SDSU in Missoula in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. 

Know what you call a group of Panthers? A claw.Know what we call our group of calls of the game for Panther Women's Basketball? Claw Calls of course.The UNI Panthers won their fourth game in their last five tries, 68-52 over Toledo on the road on Saturday. Ryley Goebel led the way with 17 points, while Elise Jaeger notched 10 points and 10 rebounds, her 3rd double double in the last four games. UNI plays their final home game of the 2025 calendar year on Wednesday night against South Dakota State at 6 PM. All UNI women's basketball games can be heard locally on 106.5 FM Corn Country and anywhere via the Varsity Network App.This is the Panther Point of View, your source for all things Panthers. Listen on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyAnd MORE! Follow UNI Athletics onXFacebookInstagramYouTube Follow the Voice of Panther Volleyball and WBB Chris Kleinhans-Schulz:XSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colter Nuanez breaks down the latest hardwood action for both the Griz and Bobcat men's and women's basketball teams. (2:16)Then Colter sits down with South Dakota State head football coach Dan Jackson to preview the Jackrabbits' upcoming showdown with Montana at Washington–Grizzly Stadium on Saturday. (12:26)Next, Geoff Safford delivers rink-side insight, featuring interviews with Bobcats captain Hayden Klem (33:45) and defenseman Mack Kline (41:46) as we gear up for the Brawl of the Wild: Hockey Edition this Friday at Glacier Ice Rink in Missoula.And finally, Colter reacts to Josh Margolis's tip about an NAIA playoff team reportedly being removed from the postseason. (50:10)

Former Griz All-American and NFL linebacker Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about his impressions of Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula plus key matchups as the Griz get ready for the FCS Playoffs with a second round matchup against No. 14 South Dakota State. 

Colter sits down with Medium contributor and South Dakota State insider Tanner Castora to break down the Jackrabbits' roller-coaster season and analyze their high-stakes showdown with Montana inside a roaring Washington–Grizzly Stadium this Saturday. Tanner brings sharp insight, key matchups to watch, and what SDSU must do to survive in Missoula. (2:24)Then, Colter catches up with Montana star running back Eli Gillman, fresh off an 11–1 regular season. Gillman reflects on the Griz's dominant year, the mindset in the locker room, and what it will take to punch their ticket past South Dakota State. (32:42)

Colter Nuanez is joined by FCS expert and HERO Sports contributor Sam Herder to break down the latest action across the FCS landscape and preview the upcoming playoff matchups—including Montana's showdown with South Dakota State and Montana State's clash with Yale. (6:17)Then, Colter sits down with Missoula native Adam Jones to discuss the Cats securing the outright Big Sky title, what it means for a hometown kid to win inside Washington–Grizzly Stadium, and how Montana State is gearing up for Saturday's matchup with Yale.(31:35)To close the show, Colter shares his thoughts on Eli Gillman being left off the Walter Payton Award watch list despite his standout season for the Grizzlies. (40:18)

Montana running back Eli Gillman joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to talk about winning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and UM's second-round playoff matchup against South Dakota State this week. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I'm previewing all the 2nd round FCS Playoff matchups. There are a lot of interesting games, for a lot of reasons. Only 8 teams will remain after this weekend. Find out what I think about all the matchups.

This week, the so-called “big names” of college football are still waiting and arguing about which teams should be selected for their upcoming 12-team College Football Playoffs. The television networks will feature a limited slate of major conference championship games this weekend.  Most of this weekend’s FBS teams (win or lose) will probably make the 12-team playoff field. Yawn! By contrast, the FCS small college playoffs are now entering week #2 of their 24-team competition.  Yes, that is double the number of playoff teams compared to the major college football teams! Here’s how the FCS Playoffs work The 11 FCS playoff conferences do not play championship games. In the event of a tie for first place, each conference utilizes a set of tiebreaker rules to determine the league’s top team. Each of the 11 conference winners received an “automatic bid” into the 24-team FCS playoff field.  The other 13 teams were selected by the FCS Playoff Committee (comprised of one Athletic Director from each of the 11 participating conferences). The 11 conference winners are not guaranteed to host a home playoff game.  In fact, the winners of the Ivy League (Yale), Northeast Conference (Central Connecticut State), and Pioneer Football League (Drake) played on the road in Week #1. Last weekend’s first round had the top eight FCS seeds with a bye.  The remaining 16 teams were in action, though.  The next eight highest seeded teams (Seeds #9-16) hosted first round games last Saturday.  Their opponents were selected by the playoff committee with geographic considerations to minimize team travel costs (a very smart idea). Three road teams pulled Week #1 upsets last weekend. Surprising North Dakota clobbered #13 seed Tennessee Tech 31-6 in Cookeville.  Yale scored the final 29 points of the game in the second half to surprise #15 seed Youngstown State 43-42.  Illinois State prevailed over #16 Southeastern Louisiana 21-3 in Hammond. The other five teams eliminated last weekend were Central Connecticut State, Harvard, New Hampshire, Drake, and Lamar. The FCS is now down to its “Sweet 16” round on Saturday.   Let’s review each of the match-ups!  (All kickoffs shown are CST) #12 Villanova (10-2) at #5 Lehigh (12-0) – 11AM on ESPN+ When you’re hot, you’re hot!  The Villanova Wildcats lost two of their first three games of the season (to FBS Penn State and 9-3 FCS member Monmouth).  Since then, Villanova has won nine straight games.  That includes last Saturday’s 52-7 opening round shellacking of formerly 9-1 Harvard.  The Coastal Athletic Association runner-up Wildcats ran for 319 yards as part of a 519-yard offensive output in their home rout over Harvard. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks of the Patriot League enjoyed a first round bye.  Lehigh features the fourth best rushing offense in the FCS with more than 235 yards per game on the ground.  Lehigh (which was the SwampSwamiSports.com #1 regular season team) has limited eight of its 12 opponents to 14 points or less during the season.  Tickets for the first Lehigh home playoff game in Bethlehem, PA since 2004 are scarce.  Saturday’s game will be played in dry but chilly (upper 30’s) weather conditions. #11 South Dakota (9-4) @ #6 Mercer (9-2) – 11AM on ESPN+ South Dakota’s Coyotes from the Missouri Valley Conference eliminated Pioneer Football League champion Drake 38-17 last week in Round 1.  USD has won seven of their last eight games.  This week’s game is the first-ever football match-up of South Dakota and Mercer.  The Coyotes have advanced into the second round of the FCS playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The pass-happy Mercer Bears had a first round bye.  Mercer is second in the FCS with nearly 334 passing yards per game.  Alas, the forecast for Macon, Georgia features a 60% chance of rain with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees.  The weather conditions may dampen the effectiveness of the So-Con champion Bears’ dangerous passing attack. Illinois State (9-4) @ #1 North Dakota State (12-0) – 12 Noon on ESPN+ This is a Missouri Valley Football Conference rematch of North Dakota State’s 33-16 win over the Redbirds on October 4th in Normal, Illinois.  That game saw the Bison leading by only two points (18-16) after three quarters before NDSU tacked-on two late scores for the final margin of victory. Indiana State’s Redbirds are led by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.  He passed for 28 touchdowns and ran for seven more scores this season. North Dakota State is the defending FCS champion and is participating in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season.  The Bison score 42 points per game (#3 nationally) and are #1 in defense by allowing less than 12 points per outing.  Expect another sell-out crowd in the noisy 18,700 seat FargoDome to cheer-on the unbeaten Bison this Saturday afternoon. North Dakota (8-5) @ #4 Tarleton State (11-1) – 12 Noon on ESPN+ I admit it.  It was quite surprising to learn that the 7-5 North Dakota Fighting Hawks were being selected to participate in the FCS playoffs over several other teams with much better season records.  UND finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Missouri Valley Conference.  They were dispatched 1,200 miles to the south to play a first round road game at 11-1 Ohio Valley/Big South champion Tennessee Tech.  The Fighting Hawks soared in the final quarter as North Dakota scored 21 points to secure a 31-6 win and advance into the second round. This week’s “reward” is a nearly 1,300 mile road trip to #4 seed Tarleton State of Stephenville, Texas (runner-up in the United Athletic Conference).  The North Dakota defense forced six turnovers last week in its win over Tennessee Tech. Tarleton State is no slouch on defense, either.  The Texans lead the FCS in turnover margin with a 2.42 “plus” turnover ratio.  Quarterback Victor Gabalis passed for 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions this year to lead Tarleton State’s offense.  Sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-60’s should make for a perfect day for playoff football in north Texas. Yale (9-2) @ #2 Montana State (10-2) – 1PM on ESPN+ Yale may be destiny’s darling in this year’s FCS playoffs.  After handing unbeaten Harvard its first loss and winning the Ivy League, the Bulldogs found themselves down 35-7 at the half at Youngstown State in last Saturday’s first round playoff game.  A furious second half rally saw Yale escape with an improbable 43-42 win to advance into Round 2. This week’s opponent is also on a roll.  Montana State defeated previously unbeaten Montana two weeks ago to win the Big Sky Conference title.  After a first round bye, the Bobcats can’t wait to play Yale this Saturday in Bozeman, Montana as snow and 38 degrees await the visitors from Connecticut.  Montana State rushes for more than 230 yards per game, so expect a ball-control offensive effort from the Bobcats on Saturday. #14 South Dakota State (9-4) @ #3 Montana (11-1) – 1PM on ESPN+ It took an overtime win in the regular season finale at North Dakota for the Jackrabbits to end their shocking four-game losing streak.  South Dakota State was rewarded by the FCS Playoff committee with a playoff spot.  The Jackrabbits (which finished 4-4 in the Missouri Valley this year) quickly dispatched New Hampshire 41-3 to advance to Round 2 and earn a visit to Missoula to play the University of Montana this Saturday. The hungry Montana Grizzlies are still seething from a season-ending 31-28 loss to rival Montana State.  Even with the loss, the Big Sky runner-up received a first round bye based on their sterling 11-1 regular season record.  The Griz want to avenge last season’s 35-18 playoff loss to South Dakota State in a game played in Brookings, SD.  Running back Eli Gillman (the Big Sky offensive player-of-the-year) leads the team with 105 yards per game and a team-high 17 touchdowns.  Light freezing rain and snow showers are expected during Saturday’s game with temperatures in the upper 30’s. #10 Abilene Christian (9-4) @ #7 Stephen F. Austin (10-2) – 1PM on ESPN+ These two Texas-based conference champions will tee-it up for a second time this season.  This time, the game will be played in Nacogdoches on Saturday.  The Wildcats beat Stephen F. Austin 28-20 in Abilene in early September.  United Athletic League champion Abilene Christian has won seven of its last eight games.  ACU dispatched third-place Southland Conference finisher Lamar 38-20 last weekend in Abilene during Round #1 of the FCS playoffs. The SFA Lumberjacks went 8-0 in the Southland Conference this year to take the league title for the first time since 2010.  Stephen F. Austin has won its last ten games and is allowing only 15 points per game on defense.  SFA was awarded a first round bye, and the school is “jacked” about hosting a home playoff game against the team which beat them in Week #2. #9 Rhode Island (11-2) @ #8 UC-Davis (8-3) – 9PM on ESPN2 “Road” Island is making a 3,000 mile cross-country trip to play this game on Saturday night in northern California.  The CAA regular season champion Rams earned the trip west by winning an opening round playoff game 27-19 at home last weekend over the stubborn Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.  Rhode Island quarterback Devin Ferrell leads the Rams’ offense with nearly 3,500 yards via the air and 22 touchdowns passes. UC-Davis finished third in the Big Sky Conference behind Montana State and the University of Montana.  The Aggies’ explosive offense passes for 258 yards per game and rushes for another 180.  Saturday’s match-up against Rhode Island will be the first-ever for these two teams.  This game will kick-off under clear skies with temperatures falling into the upper 40’s. Enjoy the second round of the FCS Playoffs this Saturday! The post FCS – Previewing the “Sweet 16” Playoff games appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Colter Nuanez is joined by University of Montana Assistant Club Sports Director Tucker Sargent to break down the latest developments in UM club athletics. Tucker also weighs in on the New England Patriots holding the best record in the NFL, and, as an East Coast native, offers his unique perspective on Yale traveling to Montana to face Montana State on Saturday. (1:35)Later, Colter catches up with Havre native Kellan Detrick after practice for a quick interview to preview the Grizzlies' huge showdown with South Dakota State this Saturday at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. (40:43)

State of the playoff race (1:02)Friday games (11:46): Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State, Troy at James Madison, UNLV at Boise State, North Texas at TulaneSaturday noon games (20:25): BYU vs. Texas Tech, Miami (OH) vs. Western MichiganSaturday afternoon (25:41): Georgia vs. AlabamaNight games (31:31): Indiana vs. Ohio State, Duke vs. VirginiaFCS games (40:24): Villanova at Lehigh, South Dakota at Mercer, Illinois State at North Dakota State, Abilene Christian at Stephen F. Austin, North Dakota at Tarleton State, Yale at Montana State, South Dakota State at Montana, Prairie View A&M at Jackson State, Rhode Island at UC DavisPredictions (44:13): South Dakota State at Montana, Kennesaw State at Jacksonville State, Western Michigan vs. Miami, UNLV at Boise State, Troy at James Madison, Duke vs. Virginia, Georgia vs. Alabama, BYU at Texas Tech, North Texas at Tulane, Indiana at Ohio State 

Skyline Sports analyst Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez to talk about final reactions to the Cat-Griz rivalry, the draws for the FCS playoffs, the results of the first round of the postseason + the matchups for the three Big Sky Conference teams playing in the second round.  

South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson ahead of Saturday's second round game in the FCS Playoffs against Montana.

Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to break down home renovations, Christmas options, Montana's playoff draw + the reasons Montana will and the reasons Montana will not make a run in the FCS Playoffs with No. 14 South Dakota State coming to town on Saturday.

In this week's ESPN Roundtable on 102.9 FM ESPN Montana, Colter Nuanez is joined by Tanner Castora, a journalist and author who covers South Dakota State with multiple mediums as the Jackrabbits make their way to Missoula for the second round of the FCS playoffs to play the No. 3 Montana Grizzlies. 

South Dakota State first-year head coach Dan Jackson joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to discuss the Jacks' trip to Missoula for the third playoff matchup in as many years against Montana.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck along with first-team All-Big Sky wide receiver Michael Wortham and defensive end Hunter Peck addressed the media ahead of the No. 3 seeded Grizzlies' second round playoff matchup against South Dakota State. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I look back at all the games from the 1st Round of the FCS Playoffs. Yale was the headliner with its big-time upset victory over Youngstown State. Another Ivy League brother of Yale's didn't fare as well; Harvard got dominated by Villanova on the road. SDSU had Chase Mason back, and they look to be back to their early-season form. All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro 1:48 - Yale/YSU Reaction 8:06 - North Dakota/Tenn Tech Reaction15:35 - SDSU/New Hampshire Reaction21:25 - Villanova/Harvard Reaction28:11 - ACU/Lamar Reaction33:45 - South Dakota/Drake Reaction39:48 - Rhode Island/CCSU Reaction 44:45 - Illinois State/SELA Reaction49:55 - Final Thoughts 51:09 - End

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to the full slate of FCS playoff round 1 games. Yale shocked Youngstown State, South Dakota State is back to form & the MVFC is rolling Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

NOTICE: This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out! Just how big of a win was South Dakota State's 34-31 thriller at North Dakota? Ask the reporter who has been on the Jackrabbit beat for 10 years and gets far more access than most college football beat reporters, and he'll tell you it changed the tenor of the entire 2025 season. Ask him if it may have changed the tenor of where the program is headed after the first full season of a new head coach and entirely new staff, and, well, you'll want to hear the answer. Sioux Falls Live's Matt Zimmer was in Grand Forks and gives you even more insight into the relevance of the victory than he does in his articles. It can't be underestimated. But, how much does it evaporate all the issues that led to SDSU losing four games in a row, particularly the embarrassment against Indiana State and the swift, early 35-0 tailspin against Illinois State? How did that latter loss actually fuel Saturday's win? Can we now definitively say the Jacks can beat New Hampshire or even No. 3 Montana — which awaits the winner — without Chase Mason? We might not ever know the answer to that question, because head coach Dan Jackson on Monday told Happy Host John Gaskins he is "confident" in Mason being able to play in Saturday's home playoff game. So how does this change things for SDSU's postseason, if Mason indeed plays?  And, what do we make of others who cover the FCS accusing Jackson — we're paraphrasing here — of trying to use Jedi mind tricks and keep opponents guessing if Mason will play or not each of the last few weeks? On his daily "Hot Mic" show in Fargo, WDAY-TV's Voice of the Bison Dom Izzo said this on Monday: "The Chase Mason thing is beyond infuriating. And, I said it after the Bison game. FCS writer/analyst) Craig Haley and got ripped for it — and Craig was dead-on about it — it's just completely unnecessary. They warmed up Chase Mason again just for this illusion for the (FCS Playoffs) Committee that, 'Hey, he might be coming back.' He's not! "Jack Henry played and won the game. I think it was out there, like, 'Hey, if we lose, we might get our quarterback back. It's just so stupid unnecessary." You'll want to hear what Zimmer, who regularly goes to practice and was on the field observing Saturday's warmup, has to say about that assertion. SDSU also scored what appears to be a major recruiting victory on Friday night when Sioux Falls Lincoln quarterback Brody Schafer announced on social media his commitment to SDSU. Schafer is on pace to easily break older brother Tate Schafer's career passing and total yards and touchdowns in Class 11AAA, the state's highest level of high school football. Sanford Sports Academy's football director and veteran high school football analyst Kurtiss Riggs has called Schafer the best high school football quarterback talent to come from South Dakota. Riggs also feels like USD missed a golden opportunity to offer Schafer a scholarship before SDSU. Does Zimmer agree? Also in this episode, our latest conversation about a watered-down FCS playoff field thanks to the numerous departures from the subdivision to FBS the last several years. Does it make watching these playoffs so uninteresting that Zimmer pines for the Jacks to move up to the FBS the way many Bison fans and media do?  

FCS games (00:53): Tuskegee State at Alabama State, Southern at Grambling State, Harvard at Villanova, Central Connecticut at Rhode Island, Drake at South Dakota, Illinois State at Southeast Louisiana, Drake at South Dakota, Lamar at Abilene Christian, New Hampshire at South Dakota State, North Dakota at Tennessee TechThanksgiving (FBS): Navy at Memphis (2:44)Friday noon games (3:33): Iowa at Nebraska, Utah at Kansas, Ole Miss at Mississippi StateFriday afternoon games (8:38): Georgia at Georgia Tech, Temple at North TexasFriday night games (14:34): Texas A&M at Texas, Indiana at Purdue, Arizona at Arizona State Saturday noon games (19:02): Ohio State at Michigan, Miami at Pitt, Clemson at South Carolina, Kentucky at Louisville, Texas Tech at West Virginia, UCF at BYUSaturday afternoon games (28:25): WKU at Jacksonville State, Boston College at Syracuse, Oregon at Washington, Vanderbilt at Tennessee, LSU at Oklahoma, Wake Forest at Duke, Wisconsin at Minnesota, Troy at Southern Miss, Florida State at FloridaSaturday night games (37:02): Oregon at Washington State, Virginia Tech at Virginia, Charolette at Tulane, Northwestern at Illinois, UCLA at USC, Alabama at Auburn, SMU at Cal, Notre Dame at Stanford Predictions (43:02): Wake Forest at Duke, Arizona at Arizona State, Ole Miss at Mississippi State, Miami at Pitt, Oregon at Washington, Vanderbilt at Tennessee, Alabama at Auburn, Texas A&M at Texas, Georgia at Georgia Tech, Ohio State at Michigan 

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central discuss the official 2025 FCS Playoff bracket and recap all the FCS football action from Week 13. The duo discusses Montana State's impressive victory over Montana, South Dakota State's overtime thriller against North Dakota, & Yale's dominant win over Harvard. The two also analyze the official 2025 FCS Playoff bracket, highlighting the key matchups, potential upsets, and some questionable seeding choices by the playoff committee. All this & more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us a textWe dive into a chaos-heavy sports week where FCS seeding flips, MLS redraws the calendar, and World Cup qualifying opens doors for surprise entrants. The stakes spike across rivalry games, while a few programs and federations make bold, risky bets on timing, talent, and identity.• South Dakota State's slide and what the committee values• Bracketology snapshots, seeds, and the real bubble• Rivalry week impact: Brawl of the Wild, Lehigh–Lafayette, Harvard–Yale• MEAC decider in Dover and Celebration Bowl path• FBS vs FCS upsets worth monitoring and why they matter• MLS's fall-to-spring pivot and USL's opportunity• International breaks, player availability, and transfer timing• CONCACAF chaos: Suriname and Curacao push for first World Cup trips• UEFA qualification pressure points and Nations League backdoors• NHL pulse check: pace-setters, slides, and the Sweden series“Stay tuned for tomorrow because I have a poem, maybe even an epic to read of the return of the rise of the ashes of Mason Rudolph.” Support the showMake sure to follow the Dad Hat Chronicles: https://linktr.ee/TheDadHatChronicles

NOTICE: This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out! What is there to say that hasn't already been said about South Dakota's 24-17 win over South Dakota State on Saturday, or already been written in columns like this one by Matt Zimmer or this one by John Gaskins?As it turns out, of course, plenty.In their weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast from Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls, Zim and John sink their teeth into the following aftermatch topics:* Are both teams now playoff-worthy at seven wins apiece, no matter what happens in the No. 17 Coyotes' final game at No. 21 Southern Illinois on Saturday, or the No. 16 Jackrabbits' two games remaining against No. 14 Illinois State and at No. 13 North Dakota?* Why does Zim feel USD has what it takes to go on a run and contend for the national championship?* For that matter, what can SDSU's ceiling still be, with or without Chase Mason?* Would SDSU have won the game if Chase Mason had played?* How can the Jacks win either or both of their last two games if Chase Mason doesn't return?* How do we look at NDSU and UND after the Fighting Sioux almost took down the Bison?* Should Jacks fans be upset about the coaching this year, particularly the last three games?* How do we now look at the final season of Aidan Bouman and his USD legacy no matter what?* How do we see the Missouri Valley Football Conference's quality now that we've seen several Top 25 teams play each other close?* Is NDSU still head-and-shoulders above the rest of the Valley, if not the entire FCS?Then, some words about Augustana and University of Sioux Falls suffering blowout home losses in the snow. How much do those losses hurt the Div. II Sioux Falls teams' postseason picture?Next, a review of the wins for No. 1 Brandon Valley and No. 2 Lincoln in the Class 11AAA state semifinals, setting up a rematch of last year's championship game, where the Patriots repeated as champions.Will it be a Lincoln three-peat? Mark Gronowski continued to rip off monster runs and even had a couple clutch passes in Iowa's 18-16 loss to Oregon. Is Tim Tebow (Light) a fair comparison for what the former Jackrabbit has brought to Iowa City? Even further, have the Hawkeyes wasted Gronowski's arm and throwing ability by becoming so run-heavy? Finally, an examination of the wild pendulum swings of J.J. McCarthy. After a dagger-throwing, season-saving win in Detroit, the Vikings quarterback regressed to rookie mode in Sunday's loss to Baltimore, but how much was he really to blame? How much slack should we cut him and how much time should we give him?And we dare bring it up — can we now say things would have gone better if Minnesota signed Aaron Rodgers? 

NOTICE: This weekly show is now part of the "Happy Hour with John Gaskins" daily podcast, which you can find at SiouxFallsLive.com, MidwestSportsPlus.com, and most podcast platforms like the one you find here! So, if you enjoy the topics Matt & John cover, you'll get those topics, plus relevant local guests, every Monday through Thursday on Happy Hour... so we highly recommend you check that out! It was brutal. It was comical. It was full of "third grade mistakes" and looked like a football team "disinterested in playing competent football.There aren't big enough words to describe South Dakota State falling behind 35-0 at home and eventually suffering a fourth consecutive loss after starting the season 7-0.Matt Zimmer tried in his game column on Saturday. With three days to process the debacle — which was followed by an inspired, dizzying 21-point SDSU comeback to lose 35-21 to Illinois State — Zim has even more words and searches for reasons for all the mistakes that had Jackrabbits made.Was it a lack of confidence? A lack of experience in facing this kind of a slump and adversity? How about coaching and play-calling?No matter what it was, it led to a chorus of "boos" from the crowd in Brookings. Was such howling warranted? Should it be in college athletics?Zim tackles all this, plus the latest Chase Mason Magical Mystery Tour that heads to Grand Forks for the regular season finale and what appears to be a "do or die" and "win and you're in" showdown with North Dakota. What is Zim's sense of Mason's availability and playability based on what Dan Jackson is saying — including here on Happy Hour — and how much difference Mason playing would make in the Jacks' chances of beating the Fighting Hawks.  If Mason plays, and plays decent, and the Jacks lose, do they still deserve a playoff spot?Other saucy topics — SDSU's offer to Brody Schafer, his older brother Tate's FCS marketability after lighting things up at USF, the screwiness of the polls, Zim and John's unworn Jackrabbit and Coyote apparel, Outkast, The Replacements, New Kids on the Block, and Larry Bird's trash talking before NBA All-Star 3-point shooting contests.Oh, and how about those USD Coyotes? Yes, Zim has plenty of thoughts on the three-game winning streak, all against Top 25 teams, to finish the season and assure a playoff spot.The Yotes deserve plenty of time. The Jacks, though — with their playoff uncertainty, wild recent tailspin, and the storylines of the game they are playing Saturday while USD is off — take up most of the hour.

I have been providing a weekly ranking of my Top 25 NCAA Division I FCS small college football teams every week since early October.  Below are the SwampSwamiSports.com rankings (expanded to show some additional teams this week) through the week ending November 15, 2025: This is my first season covering the FCS group.  I am using the same guidelines which have served me well in determining a weekly Top 25 ranking list for the major college FBS football teams over the past seven years. There are only a few major media services which provide significant weekly coverage of the FCS smaller college football teams.  My weekly rankings (click here for my FCS methodology) give you the chance to compare my top teams  vs. the long-time American Football Coaches Association FCS Poll.   The website for the Coaches Poll indicated that 26 FCS Board of Coaches determine their weekly Top 25 rankings for the smaller division teams. This week, we agree on 17 teams in our Top 25 rankings Below are the eight teams in my latest poll which were left out of the Coaches’ Top 25: #8 – 9-2 Presbyterian College (Pioneer Football League) #14 – 8-2 Alabama State (SWAC)* #16 – 7-2 Dartmouth (Ivy League) #18 – 8-3 Sacred Heart (Independent) #21 – 8-3 UT-Rio Grande Valley (Southland) #23 – 8-3 Delaware State (MEAC)* #24 – 8-3 South Carolina State (MEAC)* #25 – 8-3 Prairie View A&M (SWAC)* Here are the eight teams in the Coaches’ Top 25 which differ from my rankings: #14 – 7-4 UC-Davis (Big Sky) #16 – 7-4 North Dakota (Missouri Valley) #17 – 7-4 Youngstown State (Missouri Valley) #18 – 7-4 Abilene Christian (United Athletic Conference) #21 – 8-4 South Dakota Coyotes (Missouri Valley) #23 – 8-3 West Georgia Wolves (United Athletic Conference) #24 – 8-3 Lafayette Leopards (Coastal Athletics Association) *Denotes teams/conferences which will not compete in the FCS playoffs.  Instead, the MEAC and SWAC winners will play each other in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. Who should be included in the 24-team FCS Playoff field? There is (of course) a national committee which will determine the 24 teams to be included in this year’s FCS playoffs.  The 2025 FCS Playoff Committee is comprised of one athletic director from each of the 11 FCS conferences which are participating in the playoff field.  This will be the first year for the Ivy League to send one or more representatives into the field. As previously noted, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) send their conference champions to compete in the Celebration Bowl for the HBCU title on December 13.  The MEAC and SWAC do not have a voting representative determining the 24 teams heading into the FCS playoffs beginning on November 29.    Each of this year’s 11 participating conferences will send their league champion team to the FCS playoffs.  The other 13 teams are considered “At-large” and will be determined by the selection committee on Sunday, November 23. First, let’s predict the 11 Conference Champions.  “Come on down!” All rankings shown are from the SwampSwamiSports.com FCS Top 25 published on Monday, November 17, 2025: Missouri Valley – #2 North Dakota State Bison (11-0) – clinched last week Southern (So-Con) – #7 Mercer Bears (10-1) – clinched last week Southland – #11 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (9-2) – clinched last week Here are my predictions for the other eight conference champions receiving automatic bids: Big Sky Conference – #3 Montana Grizzlies (11-0) Coastal Athletic Association – #10 Rhode Island Rams (9-2) Ivy League – #4 Harvard (9-0) Northeast Conference– #36 Central Connecticut State Blue Devils (7-4) Ohio Valley/Big South Alliance – #6 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (10-1) Patriot League – #1 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (11-0) Pioneer Football League – #28 Drake Bulldogs (7-3) United Athletic Conference – #31 Abilene Christian (7-4) Who should receive the other 13 “at-large” bids?  My personal belief is that the remaining 13 teams should be determined based on their performance on the field this season.  Wins and losses matter.  For example, a 9-2 team from Conference A has clearly sustained more on-field success than a 7-4 squad from Conference B. Determining the relative strength of schedule between teams at this level is even harder than evaluating the major college FBS teams.  Most fans are able to see the top major college teams on television several times during the football season. Let’s stick with my ranking system to select the following 13 teams to receive an At-Large invitation into Sunday’s FCS selection show (11AM CST on ESPNU): Tarleton State Texans (UAC – #5 ranking) – The 10-1 Texans won their first nine games of the year before losing 27-24 at Abilene Christian.  The Texans opened the season with an impressive 30-27 road win against 5-4 FBS member Army. Presbyterian Blue Hose (Pioneer and #8 ranking) – Presbyterian (9-2) plays in what is considered to be a relatively weak football conference.  However, the Blue Hose went to Macon, Georgia and gave the 10-1 Mercer Bears (champions of the So-Con) their only loss in 2025.  That’s good enough to justify a spot in my playoff field! Monmouth Hawks (CAA and #9 ranking) – The 9-2 Hawks lost one of their two games on the road at FBS member UNC-Charlotte 26-20.  When compared against fellow CAA member 8-2 Villanova, Monmouth wins my tiebreaker by virtue of their 51-33 drubbing of Villanova on September 20. Montana State Bobcats (Big Sky and #12 ranking) – Montana State is 9-2 heading into this weekend’s game with unbeaten Montana (11-0).  The Bobcats blew-out 7-3 UC-Davis 38-17 two weeks ago and receive my vote. Villanova Wildcats (CAA and #15 ranking) – Villanova (8-2) is red hot right now.  The Wildcats have won seven straight games heading into this weekend’s season finale against a very tough 8-3 Sacred Heart team.  Villanova’s only losses are to FBS member Penn State and at 9-2 Monmouth earlier this season. Dartmouth Big Green (Ivy League and #16 ranking) – Dartmouth is 7-2 with its only losses coming at 9-0 Harvard and 5-4 Penn.  If the FCS committee needs to be reminded, Dartmouth beat 7-2 Yale 17-16 earlier this season.  I expect Yale to lose at Harvard on Saturday.  If I’m wrong (it happens), then Yale should make the field, too. Sacred Heart Pioneers (Independent and #18 ranking) – The 8-3 Pioneers have played a fairly tough schedule.  Their three losses have come at 11-0 Lehigh (28-10), at 7-4 Central Connecticut State (42-35) and at 11-0 Montana (43-21).  Saturday’s season finale is at 8-2 Villanova. Another loss could knock Sacred Heart out of the playoffs, but their losses have come against likely FCS Playoff teams. Lamar Cardinals (Southland and #19 ranking) – Lamar (8-3) ran off seven straight wins earlier this season.  The Cardinals from Beaumont lost on Saturday at Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin 26-15 but hold my tiebreaker with wins over 8-3 Southeastern Louisiana and 8-3 UT- Rio Grande Valley. Southeastern Louisiana Lions (Southland and #20 ranking) – The 8-3 Lions lost two of their games on the road at FBS members Louisiana Tech and LSU.  The other loss came in a 14-12 thriller at 8-3 Lamar.  Southeastern has one of the top defenses in the FCS this year and has allowed less than 12 points per game to non-FBS opponents.  They are definitely in my 2025 playoff field! UT – Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (Southland and #21 ranking) – In case you are counting, this would be the fourth Southland Conference team in the FCS playoffs.  This is UTRGV’s first full season in the FCS, so I fully expect the playoff committee to shun them.  Not me.  The Vaqueros’ only three losses came on the road against playoff-bound Stephen F. Austin, Lamar, and Southeastern Louisiana. Illinois State Redbirds (Missouri Valley and #22 ranking) – Illinois State (8-3) lost its opener at FBS #8 ranked Oklahoma.  The Redbirds’ other two losses came – at home – to 11-0 North Dakota State (33-16) and 7-4 Youngstown State (40-35).  Illinois State is on a four game winning streak heading into Saturday’s home finale against 6-5 rival Southern Illinois.  They must beat the Salukis to get into the playoffs. Lafayette Leopards (Patriot and #26 ranking) – The 8-3 Leopards are playing at home Saturday in “The Rivalry” game against the 11-0 Lehigh Mountain Hawks.  If Lafayette wins, they’re in the playoffs as Patriot League champs and Lehigh will still receive an at-large bid. Should Lafayette lose on Saturday, they are at risk of being left out of the playoff field.  The Leopards’ “best win” came over 6-5 Richmond 35-28.  Another four-loss team with a better resume is likely receive this spot. West Georgia Wolves (UAC and #27 ranking) – West Georgia (8-3) has been omitted from my FCS Top 25 most of this season for good reason. The Wolves have swept teams with lousy records but lost all three games to tougher competition.  West Georgia (located in Carrollton or about 45 miles west of Atlanta) lost games at 7-4 Austin Peay, at home to 7-4 Abilene Christian, and at 10-1 Tarleton State. The Wolves’ weak non-conference schedule may be a hard sell to the FCS playoff committee. Let’s include two “stand-by” teams with the best chance to shout “Pick me!” to the FCS playoff committee: UC Davis Aggies (Big Sky and #29 ranking) – UC-Davis (7-3) had its season opener at So-Con champion Mercer canceled due to possible tropical storm conditions in Georgia.  The Aggies have one less victory than other competitors affected my rankings (eight wins beats seven in the SwampSwamiSports.com rankings).  Having only three losses, though, helped to elevate UC-Davis over the 18 FCS teams which have four defeats through last weekend’s games.  The UC Davis Aggies must beat conference rival Sacramento State (7-4) on Saturday to have a chance at securing a playoff spot. South Dakota Coyotes (Missouri Valley and #30 ranking) – The 8-4 Coyotes concluded their season last week on November 15.  South Dakota lost a “money game” at FBS opponent Iowa State to start the season.  They dropped to 0-2 after losing another road game at 8-3 Lamar (20-13).  The Coyotes can point to a win over likely Pioneer Conference champ 7-3 Drake (42-21) and a pair of 7-4 MVC foes in South Dakota State and North Dakota. Best of luck to all of the FCS teams this weekend!  Happy Thanksgiving!  The post Predicting all 24 FCS Playoff Teams! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central preview the biggest FCS games on the Week 13 slate. The duo discusses the Brawl of the Wild between No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State, a massive Ivy League clash between No. 8 Harvard and Yale, the battle for the Patriot League auto bid between No. 4 Lehigh and Lafayette, and another Top 25 matchup between No. 13 North Dakota and No. 22 South Dakota State. We also make our “Superdog” upset picks of the week and preview multiple other key Week 13 matchups. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OSN's full broadcast of Oregon men's basketball's 83-69 win over South Dakota State.Timestamps are approximate based on podcast player ads.TIP OFF / FIRST HALF 32:3034:30 - OR 4-0 Evans dunk Bittle assist35:30 - OR 7-0 Bittle 349:30 - OR 21-16 Shelstad 3 55:15 - OR 25-20 Evans dunk Lin assist1:05:30 - OR 31-29 Shelstad logo 31:17:25 - OR 41-31 Evans defensive battleSECOND HALF 1:37:201:38:35 - OR 47-36 Bittle block and 3 Shelstad assist2:06:00 - OR 65-58 Evans layup2:22:00 - OR 74-65 Shelstad 32:30:00 - OR 80-67 Bittle pick and roll with Pryor2:47:00 - OR FINAL CALL2:49:00 - Evans postgame interview3:02:00 - Coach Altman postgame interviewSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joe DeLeone & Sean Anderson react to all of the action coming out of FCS week 12 action including Montana State, URI & South Dakota picking up huge wins as well as South Dakota State & Western Carolina dropping rough losses Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central preview the biggest FCS games on the Week 12 slate. The duo discusses the major Big Sky matchup between No. 3 Montana State and No. 9 UC Davis, a huge MVFC battle between No. 14 Illinois State and No. 16 South Dakota State, as well as another Top 25 MVFC clash between No. 17 South Dakota and No. 21 Southern Illinois. We also make our “Superdog” upset picks of the week and preview multiple other key Week 12 matchups. All this and more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Sam and Zach discuss:-3 Game Balls and a Flag from Week 11-USD, Mercer, Lamar, YSU, and NDSU all pick up wins in ranked matchups-Playoff scenarios for teams and conferences, and how some Week 12 games impact the postseason picture-Notable games include No. 14 Illinois State at No. 16 South Dakota State, No. 19 Lamar at No. 15 Stephen F. Austin, No. 17 South Dakota at No. 21 Southern Illinois, No. 9 UC Davis at No. 3 Montana State, and No. 11 Rhode Island at MaineThe podcast is presented by HERO Sports and BetMGM. Visit HERO Sports for FCS coverage and BetMGM for online betting odds.

On this episode of The Bluebloods, Zach McKinnell and Timothy Rosario from FCS Football Central recap all the FCS football action from Week 11. The duo discusses Mercer's thrilling shootout victory over Western Carolina, North Dakota State escaping with a 15-10 win over North Dakota, South Dakota's impressive win over South Dakota State, & Lamar winning a defensive slugfest over Southeastern Louisiana. The two also break down the current FCS Playoff picture after Week 11, highlighting potential bubble teams and what each team needs to do to secure their spot in the field. All this & more right here on The Bluebloods! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“[The marathon] rewards people that are patient, consistent, and build up strength. I've got a good engine, so late in the race I feel like my cardio holds up very well. As long as the body holds up, it's going to be a good day!”My guest for today's episode is Joel Reichow, who could be viewed as a surprise story of the New York City Marathon and the top American finisher in 2025.In a race packed with Olympians and pros backed by some of the biggest brands in running, Joel — a 32-year-old unsponsored athlete from Minnesota — ran the best race of his life, clocking 2:09:56 to finish sixth overall and claim top American honors.At 24 miles, he was still in 12th and starting to get a bit tired. Then he saw the front starting to come back and ripped a 4:45 mile to catch them. He held strong through Central Park and won out for the U.S. honors over the likes of Charles Hicks and Joe Klecker.Joel's marathon journey hasn't been flashy. He ran for South Dakota State under Rod DeHaven, grinded through years on the roads, and is working at a running store while chasing marathon miles.Patience paid off, and finally, he put it all together on one perfect day in New York.We talk about what it takes to break through, how he's supporting the dream and his recollection of Sunday's race. Joel may have come into New York as a name few knew but now he's certainly on most people's radars.____________Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠Guest: Joel Reichow | @joelreichow on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠⁠____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSNOMIO: Made with 80% broccoli sprout juice, 15% lemon juice, and 5% sugar, Nomio activates your body's natural defense systems to reduce lactate, speed recovery, and enhance muscle adaptation. Take one 60 ml shot three hours before training or racing and feel lighter, stronger, and more resilient. Available at The Feed — use code CITIUS15 for 15% off | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thefeed.com/collections/nomio⁠⁠⁠WAHOO: The KICKR RUN isn't just another treadmill; it's a complete rethink of indoor running. With Dynamic Pacing, it automatically adjusts to your stride—no buttons, no breaking form, just pure running freedom. Its Terrain Simulation makes the deck feel like a track or trail, while lateral tilt mimics real-world conditions so you're always prepared for race day. So whether you're chasing your first half-marathon finish, a marathon PR, or your next trail adventure, the KICKR RUN is built to help you Run Your Run. Check it all out at WahooFitness.com and use code CITIUS at checkout.OLIPOP: Olipop's Crisp Apple: it's like sparkling apple juice meets those gummy apple rings from your childhood. It's sweet, fizzy, and comforting. Crisp Apple started as a holiday special, but people went absolutely wild for it. You begged, Olipop listened, and now it's officially part of the family. Like every Olipop, it's made with real ingredients that do good. 50 calories, 5g of sugar, and full of prebiotics and plant fiber that help your gut feel right. You can find Olipop at Target, Whole Foods, Walmart, or just head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 for 25% off your orders.