It was funded through private gifts and long-term revenue streams, including expanded club seats, loge boxes, and a premium suite level. Lead gifts totaling $12.5 million from Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford were announced in October 2013 and the stadium opened in 2016.
The stadium project was approved by the state Legislature during the 2014 session and signed into law by Governor Dennis Daugaard. Construction began in the fall of 2014 with the east and south stands completed in August 2015; the remainder of the project was finished by the next football season in August 2016.[2]
History
The opening event at the stadium in 2016 was the Jacks Bash concert, which featured country music artists Lee Brice, Little Big Town, and Luke Bryan on September 8. Two days later, the football team opened up the stadium with a 56–28 win over the Drake Bulldogs. SDSU posted a 6–1 record at home during the 2016 season, including a playoff win over the Villanova Wildcats.
South Dakota State posted a 30–5 (.857) record at the stadium in its first five seasons.
Attendance records
Rank
Attendance
Date
Game Result
1
19,431
November 4, 2023
1 South Dakota State 33,11 North Dakota State 16
2
19,376
September 14, 2024
1 South Dakota State 24, Augustana 3
3
19,371
October 26, 2019
3 South Dakota State 16, 1 North Dakota State 23
4
19,357
October 14, 2023
1 South Dakota State 41, Northern Iowa 6
5
19,351
October 26, 2024
3 South Dakota State 20,4 South Dakota 17
6
19,332
October 8, 2022
2 South Dakota State 28, South Dakota 3
7
19,332
September 9, 2023
1 South Dakota State 20, 3 Montana State 16
8
19,331
October 12, 2024
1 South Dakota State 63, Youngstown State 13
9
19,321
September 7, 2024
1 South Dakota State 45,12 Incarnate Word 24
10
19,041
October 29, 2022
1South Dakota State 49, Indiana State 7
11
18,130
November 4, 2017
10 South Dakota State 33, 2 North Dakota State 21
12
18,122
November 6, 2021
9 South Dakota State 27, 2 North Dakota State 19
13
17,730
October 22, 2016
7 South Dakota State 24, 13 Youngstown State 10
14
16,889
October 23, 2021
6 South Dakota State 17, 20Northern Iowa 26
15
16,887
September 17, 2016
9 South Dakota State 31, Cal Poly 38
16
16,414
September 17, 2022
2 South Dakota State 45, Butler 17
17
16,258
August 31, 2023
1 South Dakota State 45, Western Oregon 7
18
15,806
September 16, 2017
4 South Dakota State 51, Drake 10
19
15,345
November 12, 2016
11 South Dakota State 28, South Dakota 21
20
15,237
October 1, 2022
2South Dakota State 34, Western Illinois 10
Student Section
The Student section for South Dakota State sits on the south end of the stadium with the band centered in the middle. The student section often fills the end zone and helps to create a loud environment inside of Dana J Dykhouse Stadium. On August 31, 2017, South Dakota State broke a student attendance record when 4,251 students packed the stands against Duquesne in the stadiums first ever Thursday night game. South Dakota State won the game 51-14.
South Dakota State's student section has an official student organization called the Barnyard Cadets. This group organizes a student gathering on campus before each Jackrabbit home game before the whole student body walks toward the stadium from the south.
