Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Think back 20 years, and just look at how much South Dakota State football and its fan base have grown.
 
From Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to the modern marvel of "The Dana." From coaching offices in trailers and outdoor winter practices on the windswept tundra to the Dykhouse (now Stiegelmeier Family Center) and the SJAC indoor palace.
 
From FCS infancy and the janky Great West Conference to consistent MVFC national championship contention. 
 
Think back 10 years, to the year Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium opened and the Jackrabbits notched their first (share of an) MVFC Championship.
 
Since then, they've secured two national championships, produced numerous All-Americans and NFL players, and drawn bigger and bigger crowds—including sellouts exceeding 19,000—on fall gamedays.
 
That, plus a massive, growing website and podcast operation that has become an online gathering point for fans who can't get enough content. There is also a JI tailgate party at home games and national championship contests, serving as a literal gathering point impossible to miss if you're in Brookings (or Frisco, and maybe this year in Nashville) on a football gameday.
 
The Jacks and the unaffiliated Jackrabbit Illustrated brand have both come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good.
 
Mostly good.
 
Today, the  "JI" website has established itself as the top source for SDSU recruiting information. The weekly podcast—like the website, launched by SDSU alumnus Matt Tollefson—grew so popular that three more shows were added, with one focusing specifically on wrestling.
 
How did "JI" and SDSU football fandom come so far? Why do the podcasts and their hosts seem to resonate so deeply with their listeners and viewers?
 
Tollefson and fellow hosts Chad Meirose and Brendan Luedtke joined Happy Hour on Thursday to walk through the parallel universes of Jackrabbit fandom and Jackrabbit Illustrated's popularity and reach.
 
Right away and for 80 minutes, you'll grasp exactly what makes them tick—three friends talking about their favorite team, organically and authentically.
 
But can they always be fully authentic with their opinions? How have their raw feelings and emotions come back to bite them? 
 
How do they feel about bitter football rival North Dakota State no longer being in the FCS and on SDSU's schedule? And how close can "the school down south" in Vermillion come to matching the intensity of the "Dakota Marker Game" and game week?
 
How have NIL and the transfer portal — and therefore, more often than not, the departure of some of SDSU's best football and men's basketball players to bigger schools after one or two stellar seasons — skewed their outlook and enjoyment as fans?
 
And, yes, how strong of a national championship contender will the 2026 Jackrabbits be?

Imagine having a career where you are the boss of five different organizations for 45 years, then all of a sudden are no longer the boss.
 
Since 1978, shortly after graduating from Dakota State, all Kim Nelson knew in coaching high school football was being the head coach, from Milbank to Rapid City Central to Sioux Falls Washington to Edian (MN) to Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
 
Then, the all-time South Dakota wins leader stepped down as Roosevelt's head coach in 2023 and called it a retirement from head coaching. 
 
But Nelson could not and still cannot get coaching out of his system. He joined the University of Sioux Falls staff briefly in the spring of 2024 before deciding the college game just wasn't his jam. 
 
So, he pivoted back to Roosevelt to coach the freshman team that fall. After one season, he accepted an offer from Sioux Falls Christian coach Jared Smith — a former assistant under Nelson at RHS — to become the Chargers' offensive coordinator.
 
It went well. Like, really well. SFC was an offensive juggernaut, averaging over 40 points a game and coming from 17 points behind to beat Lennox for the South Dakota 11A state championship.
 
So, what was that experience like, particularly the part in the second half of the title game when Smith — who had ran the offense prior to Nelson's arrrival — decided to take over the play-calling? 
 
Remember, Nelson had been a boss who called his own offensive plays for 45 of 46 seasons prior.
 
In his casual yet candid manner, Nelson — who joined Happy Hour last summer to walk through his life and career in football — takes us through his SFC journey so far, less than a week before the Chargers' first practice ahead of their 2026 title defense campaign.
 
 
Guest: Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer
Can the games just begin?
 
Early August days always leave football fans anxiously starving for the actual season to kick off, especially with the abundant coverage of teams' camp practices.
 
Fans of football and every collegiate sport are pining to watch actual competition, if only to distract them from the barrage of offseason news and media discussions about NIL, the transfer portal, and the NCAA's ongoing melodrama regarding the future of eligibility.
 
The "5 for 5" rule became the new model of eligibility for "student-athletes" in June, but lawsuits have already been filed and won against it. 
 
How does it affect the local colleges? Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer drilled into the depths of the matter in a three-part series and shared some of the most pertinent information during his Wednesday appearance on Happy Hour from Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls.
 
Also discussed: The Sioux Falls Canaries are hoping "money talks" during Thursday night's "AC/DC" promotion at The Birdcage.
 
The team is using its 6:35 p.m. game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks as a fundraising event for pitcher Ryan Richardson, who has been unable to play this season as he battles cancer.
 
The 36-year-old, a trusted reliever (4-2, 2.97 ERA) on the 2025 squad that reached its league championship series, learned of his diagnosis in May during the routine preseason physical exam the American Association requires all players to take. 
 
Richardson has been living and receiving treatment in Sioux Falls throughout the season, but affording that health care has been a struggle since the Canaries cannot pay him while he is not on the team roster.
 
So, how did the Canaries — specifically, their general manager and a couple long-time season ticket holders — make sure Richardson would not fight his financial battle alone?
 
The Happy Hour host has the details. So does this article.
 
And, oh, by the way... the Canaries on Wednesday confirmed Richardson has been cleared to play and is rejoining the squad soon.

Imagine having a career where you are the boss of five different organizations for 45 years, then all of a sudden are no longer the boss.
 
Since 1978, shortly after graduating from Dakota State, all Kim Nelson knew in coaching high school football was being the head coach, from Milbank to Rapid City Central to Sioux Falls Washington to Edian (MN) to Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
 
Then, the all-time South Dakota wins leader stepped down as Roosevelt's head coach in 2023 and called it a retirement from head coaching. 
 
But Nelson could not and still cannot get coaching out of his system. He joined the University of Sioux Falls staff briefly in the spring of 2024 before deciding the college game just wasn't his jam. 
 
So, he pivoted back to Roosevelt to coach the freshman team that fall. After one season, he accepted an offer from Sioux Falls Christian coach Jared Smith — a former assistant under Nelson at RHS — to become the Chargers' offensive coordinator.
 
It went well. Like, really well. SFC was an offensive juggernaut, averaging over 40 points a game and coming from 17 points behind to beat Lennox for the South Dakota 11A state championship.
 
So, what was that experience like, particularly the part in the second half of the title game when Smith — who had ran the offense prior to Nelson's arrrival — decided to take over the play-calling? 
 
Remember, Nelson had been a boss who called his own offensive plays for 45 of 46 seasons prior.
 
In his casual yet candid manner, Nelson — who joined Happy Hour last summer to walk through his life and career in football — takes us through his SFC journey so far, less than a week before the Chargers' first practice ahead of their 2026 title defense campaign.

Can the games just begin?
 
Early August days always leave football fans anxiously starving for the actual season to kick off, especially with the abundant coverage of teams' camp practices.
 
Fans of football and every collegiate sport are pining to watch actual competition, if only to distract them from the barrage of offseason news and media discussions about NIL, the transfer portal, and the NCAA's ongoing melodrama regarding the future of eligibility.
 
The "5 for 5" rule became the new model of eligibility for "student-athletes" in June, but lawsuits have already been filed and won against it. 
 
How does it affect the local colleges? Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer drilled into the depths of the matter in a three-part series and shared some of the most pertinent information during his Wednesday appearance on Happy Hour from Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls.
 
Also discussed: The Sioux Falls Canaries are hoping "money talks" during Thursday night's "AC/DC" promotion at The Birdcage.
 
The team is using its 6:35 p.m. game against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks as a fundraising event for pitcher Ryan Richardson, who has been unable to play this season as he battles cancer.
 
The 36-year-old, a trusted reliever (4-2, 2.97 ERA) on the 2025 squad that reached its league championship series, learned of his diagnosis in May during the routine preseason physical exam the American Association requires all players to take. 
 
Richardson has been living and receiving treatment in Sioux Falls throughout the season, but affording that health care has been a struggle since the Canaries cannot pay him while he is not on the team roster.
 
So, how did the Canaries — specifically, their general manager and a couple long-time season ticket holders — make sure Richardson would not fight his financial battle alone?
 
The Happy Hour host has the details. So does this article.
 
And, oh, by the way... the Canaries on Wednesday confirmed Richardson has been cleared to play and is rejoining the squad soon.

* The USD quarterback battle and other Coyote positions of intrigue
 
* Augustana and USF first practices, which include a glowing report on both teams' presumed starting quarterbacks
 
* The Minnesota Twins actually making some trades before trade deadline to shore up the area they needed the most help