Here's Who Every South Dakota CFB Program Faces Week 1

We're just over a week away from getting the College Football season 'officially' started, but some games will occur as soon as this week!

For the State of South Dakota and its 10 College Football programs, kickoff is right around the corner.

Here's the full list of programs and their opening games/opponents:

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*MT. All other times CT.

FCS

South Dakota State Jackrabbits - @ Oklahoma State - Saturday, August 31st - 1:00 PM

South Dakota Coyotes - vs. Northern State - Thursday, August 29th - 7:00 PM

D-II

Augustana Vikings - @ UMary - Thursday, September 5th - 6:00 PM

Black Hills State Yellow Jackets - vs. SW Baptist - Saturday, September 7th - Noon

Northern State Wolves - @ South Dakota - Thursday, August 29th - 7:00 PM

South Dakota Mines Hardrockers - vs. CSU-Pueblo - Thursday, August 29th - 6:00 PM*

Sioux Falls Cougars - @ St. Thomas - Thursday, August 29th - 6:00 PM

NAIA

Dakota State Trojans - vs. Dakota Wesleyan - Thursday, August 29th - 7:05 PM

Dakota Wesleyan Tigers - @ Dakota State - Thursday, August 29th - 7:05 PM

Mt. Marty Lancers - @ Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) - Saturday, August 31st - 5:00 PM

Don't miss out on any of the South Dakota College Football action this Fall, and best of luck to all our area programs!

Know Your South Dakota College and University Mascots

The college football experience is an ultimate high for football fans and it takes several other teams to make that happen week after week during the season.

Just think about what goes into gameday? First and foremost, the players and coaching staff who put in hours and hours of practice and training to play in front of their fans. Then there's field prep, game officials, live broadcasts, concessions, and on-the-field entertainment. Yep, entertainment.

Second to the game, who do you watch? The cheerleaders? The band at halftime? What about the mascot? That's a job not many people can do.

I asked Sioux Falls native and former Cagey mascot for the Sioux Falls Canaries and Little Red & Herbie for the Nebraska Huskers Nate Welch about being a mascot:

What does it take to be a mascot?
"Losing a bet or filling an opportunity!" Welch says, "An internal energized desire to love life. After meeting great performers who are introverts out of costume, they become the center of attention when they take the stage. And also feeding off the performance of others."
Why does the mascot never talk?
"Know your role and shut your mouth. You are there to entertain. Tell the story with your actions and not your voice."
Advice to someone putting on that costume for the first time?
"Remember you are now in a costume. Have fun. Otherwise, you're just a dork in tights. If the fur ain't flying you ain't trying."

Nate Welch has moved on from his days as a mascot to Executive Director of the Vermillion Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Company in Vermillion, South Dakota.

So, can you name the mascots at our South Dakota Colleges and Universities? Check out the gallery below:

Gallery Credit: Dave Roberts