South Dakota
10-5 2025 finalSouth Dakota is the Coyotes rising under new coach Travis Johansen — a 10-5 season (6-2 MVFC) in his first year proves the program belongs at the top of the Missouri Valley.
The Coyotes hold the line.
South Dakota is the Coyotes rising under new coach Travis Johansen — a 10-5 season (6-2 MVFC) in his first year proves the program belongs at the top of the Missouri Valley.
South Dakota finished 10-5 overall (6-2 MVFC, second place) in 2025 under new head coach Travis Johansen. The Coyotes' strong season proved the coaching hire was successful and positioned South Dakota as an MVFC contender. Year tw…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on South Dakota
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · South Dakota
The season's first milestone.
Competitive for the conference crown.
24-team bracket qualifier — realistic in a strong year.
The FCS championship weekend. A generational leap.
South Dakota · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Fanbase Health Index · South Dakota · medium confidence
Growing (58)
Home-Field Advantage · South Dakota · 2018-present
Elite
79% home win rate vs 45% on the road. margin runs +11.8 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Warming
Four of five. The board favors this trend.
MVFC Standing · 2025
2nd in the MVFC
South Dakota is 2nd in the MVFC at 10-5. 1 team above — that's the direct path to the title game.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State | 12-5 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 10-5 |
| 3 | South Dakota State | 9-5 |
| 4 | Youngstown State | 8-5 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 8-6 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 7-5 |
| 7 | Indiana State | 3-9 |
| 8 | Northern Iowa | 3-9 |
| 9 | Murray State | 1-11 |
Schedule Strength · South Dakota · 2025
Hard
Average opponent win rate 56% across 14 finalized games. 1 FBS top-25 opponent played (Iowa State).
FCS → NFL Pipeline
2024–2024Developing
1 picks last 5 cycles. The pipeline is real but still building volume.
Moment of the Year · South Dakota · 2025
Lost 7-55 at Iowa State
Week 1 of 2025. A reckoning loss — the data point the next season must answer.
Playoff History
Recent postseason (2023-2024): 1-2
Most recent: 2024 — loss 31-17 (away). Last 5 postseason: 1-2.
From the Archive — South Dakota
2023: Won 24-0 vs St. Thomas (MN)
In 2023, the program won 24-0 vs St. Thomas (MN) — a comfortable home result that left the 24-point margin on the books.
Go Coyotes.