Showdown Series hosts ninth year of friendly competition

Nothing brings people together in South Dakota like the love of sports. That is, as long as the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbits aren’t playing the University of South Dakota (USD) Coyotes. Then it’s a friendly competition.

This weekend, the state’s two largest public universities will take to the court for Showdown Series basketball games. The women’s teams kick off the series at 5 p.m. on Friday, followed by the men’s teams squaring up at 7:30.

On Saturday, the teams meet again starting at 5 p.m. with the women’s matchup and followed by the men’s at 7:30. All of the series games will take place at Frost Arena in Brookings, where the atmosphere is sure to be electric despite a limited in-person crowd.

Since 2012, this series sponsored by South Dakota Corn tracks head-to-head matchups between the teams in 16 sporting events, plus points are added for academic achievements. Not to mention, it helps bring awareness to consumers about the state’s agriculture industry and provides an avenue for outreach and education.

“This series is a great platform for us to reach a wider audience,” said Teddi Mueller, SD Corn marketing director. “We can tell our organization’s story to consumers while also supporting one of the greatest rivalries in college sports.”

SDSU Athletic Director Justin Sell is also excited for the upcoming games and the chance to promote the largest industry in our state and the two largest public universities.

“Partnering with South Dakota Corn on the Showdown Series is a natural fit given SDSU’s mission as a land-grant institution and the importance of agriculture to our state and regional economies,” said Sell. “Over the past decade, this series has not only showcased our student-athletes and coaches in competition, but in other areas away from the fields of play that are essential to a well-rounded experience. We look forward to the continued and successful partnership with South Dakota Corn and the South Dakota Showdown Series.”

“Since agriculture is the state’s No. 1 industry, it makes perfect sense for South Dakota Corn to team up with USD and SDSU to showcase the best of both universities and their respective student-athletes,” said David Herbster, USD athletic director. “The South Dakota Showdown Series highlights the region’s premier sporting competition while showcasing the importance of agriculture in our state. We truly appreciate the ongoing support of South Dakota Corn as we strive for excellence in athletics, academics and sportsmanship and look forward to the upcoming head-to-head competition!”

We’re excited to announce we’ve teamed up with MidcoSN, giving a new look and feel for this year as well as the future of the series. Not to mention, we’ve also updated the logo to a fresh and clean look, including both MidcoSN and SD Corn logos and an outline to the crest with SDSU blue and USD red.

There won’t be any general public sales or day-of-game walk-up tickets available and attendance is limited to season ticket holders and university students, but there are several options to watch the games from anywhere.

Fans customers can watch the games live via stream through a Midco Sports Plus subscription. For other options visit www.gojacks.com for the details.

All of these platforms, plus many more, let us reach an even bigger audience than ever before, as well as allowing both universities to utilize new direct marketing strategies to reach fans.

The basketball games at this year’s Showdown Series will feature our latest “This is Farming” TV spot played on the screen at the games both days. Be sure to check out the digital game brochure, found on the SDSU athletics page, for our latest full-page “This is Farming” ad, as well as more information about South Dakota Corn and our mission to promote the state’s largest industry—both remind people that farming means so much more than just cornfields and combines, and that Farmers and Consumers have more in common than they think.

Fans can visit www.sdcornshowdown.com or the website of either the Jacks or Yotes to track the series totals and keep up with progress throughout the school year. Jackrabbit Sports Properties and Coyote Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holders for SDSU and USD athletics, spearheaded the initiative between the athletic departments and South Dakota Corn. Be sure to check out social media before the games for posts with our “This is Farming” theme.