Jackrabbit Athletics Records

Download Finding Aid

Collection Summary

Identifier

UA 46.0

Title

Jackrabbit Athletics Records

Dates

1901-2019

Physical Description

16.42 linear feet (16 records boxes, 1 document case), photographs, digital images, DVDs, CD-Rs

Name of Creator(s)

Jackrabbit Athletics, South Dakota State University

Language

English

Repository

South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections
Hilton M. Briggs Library (SBL) Room 241, Box 2115
1300 North Campus Drive, Brookings, SD 57007
Phone: 605-688-5094

Access Note

Open. This material does not circulate and may be used in-house only.

Preferred Citation

Name of item, UA 46.0, box #, folder #, Jackrabbit Athletics Records, South Dakota State University Archives and Special Collections, Hilton M. Briggs Library, Brookings, South Dakota.

Abstract

South Dakota State University has been active in intercollegiate athletics since the 1920s. The university participated in Division II North Central conference until the start of the 2008-2009 academic year when the university became an active member of NCAA Division I. This collection is composed of material related to athletics at South Dakota State University. Included are files regarding administration, the Athletics Committee, publications, the Women’s Recreation Association, and files related to specific sports (e.g. baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, football, rodeo, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling).

Historical Note

Administrative interest and support for varsity athletics was non-existent in the early history of South Dakota State College. This situation was not unique at South Dakota State but very similar to the attitude that existed at other land-grant colleges. College administrators looked upon competitive athletics as frivolous, dangerous and unnecessary pursuits, which were totally incompatible with the philosophy and objectives of higher education. It was left to students interested in competitive athletics to provide the leadership, organization and administration of early athletic endeavors.

Football was organized in the fall of 1885 and like baseball, track and field participation was of the intramural nature. Early athletic endeavors usually found competition between classes or divisions within the college.

Before the turn of the century, intercollegiate athletic competition included a variety of sports and activities: baseball, football, track and field, tennis, bicycle races and oratorical contests were all popular. It is claimed that athletic contests among colleges actually got started as the result of oratorical contests. Contestants in state oratorical competition decided that the value of their meet might be enhanced by the inclusion of some form of physical endeavor.

One of the major obstacles in the development of early athletics was the disregard of the necessity for hiring a coach. Older students or an interested volunteer from the faculty often coached early teams.

The year 1922 marked a new era for South Dakota State athletic teams as the North Central Conference had been formed. Dr. Harry Severin, Professor of Zoology at South Dakota State, played an important role in the formation and administration of the conference and served continuously for 40 years as conference secretary. The first championship contested by the conference was won by South Dakota State College.

South Dakota State University has been very active in intercollegiate athletics since the 1920s. In addition to a great deal of success in North Central conference participation, SDSU has pioneered and promoted many new sports such as: wrestling, gymnastics, field hockey, swimming, and a variety of outstanding sports clubs.

South Dakota State University became an active member of NCAA Division I, starting at the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year.

CONTENT and ARRANGEMENT

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into series:

• Administration
• Athletic Committee
• Baseball
• Cross Country
• Football
• Men’s Basketball
• Publications
• Rodeo
• Soccer
• Softball
• Swimming and Diving
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Women’s Basketball
• Women’s Recreation Association
• Wrestling

Contents Note

This collection is composed of material related to athletics at South Dakota State University. Included are files regarding administration, the Athletics Committee, publications, the Women’s Recreation Association, and files related to specific sports (e.g. baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, football, rodeo, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling).

The administrative material consists of material dealing with academic advising, development, compliance, equipment, facilities and operations, the Jackrabbit Sports Network, marketing and promotion, and the ticket office. Folders are composed of annual reports, programs, handbooks, brochures, photographs, mascot designs, newsletters, schedules. The series also contains banners, caps, t-shirts, and jerseys. The Athletics Committee consist of meeting minutes and budget files. Files regarding of the individual sports consist of media guides, clippings, record books, programs, brochures, fact books, and photographs. A large amount of cross country and track and field files are included and consist of results from meets and workouts and research. The publications series includes the Rabbit Report from 1978-2014 and The Bum from 1956 to 2017. These files are not complete as they are missing some issues.

ACCESS

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers without restrictions. The materials in the Archives do not circulate and may be used in-house only.

Researchers conducting extensive research are asked to make an advance appointment to access archival material. Please call or e-mail prior to visiting the collection and indicate as much detail as possible about a particular topic and intended use.

Physical Access

South Dakota State University supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted as a result of their fragile condition or by contractual agreements with donors.

RELATED MATERIALS

Related Archival Materials

Athletic task force: a study of intercollegiate athletics at SDSU, 1975. ARCHIVES: S537.S6 A73 1975

Attitudes and opinions of South Dakota State College faculty toward physical education and athletics, Duane C. Quail, Physical Education Department, 1959. ARCHIVES: LB2385.Q23

Demographic characteristics of donors to South Dakota State University athletics, Keith warren Randklev, Physical Education Department, South Dakota State University, 1982. ARCHIVES: LB2385.R156

Final report: an evaluation of SDSU athletic programs for Athletics, Intramural and Recreation Committee, 1976. ARCHIVES: S537.S6S6094 1976

The historical development of intercollegiate track and field athletics at South Dakota State University, Russel Lee Schmeichel, Physical Education Department, South Dakota State University, 1971. ARCHIVES: LB2385.Sch44

A history of intercollegiate athletics at South Dakota State College, Arthur Peter Zahorsky, Physical Education Department, 1959. ARCHIVES: LB2385.Z13

Jackrabbit Athletics website

Jackrabbit winter sports, South Dakota State University. S537.S6 A36

Rabbit tracks, Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department, South Dakota State University, 1991-2014. ARCHIVES: 796.01915 R112

SDSU winter sports, South Dakota State University, 1969-1970. ARCHIVES: S537.S6A36

The track capital of the prairies: 7 for 9, the story of track and field athletics, South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, 1955. PRAIRIE STRIDERS COLLECTION: S537.S6 A355 1955

Online Content

Jackrabbit Athletics Collection, Digital Library of South Dakota

Subject Headings

• Athletics
• College athletes
• South Dakota State University – Baseball
• South Dakota State University – Cross Country
• South Dakota State University – Football
• South Dakota State University – Men’s Basketball
• South Dakota State University – Rodeo
• South Dakota State University – Soccer
• South Dakota State University – Softball
• South Dakota State University – Swimming and Diving
• South Dakota State University – Tennis
• South Dakota State University – Track and field
• South Dakota State University – Track and Field
• South Dakota State University – Volleyball
• South Dakota State University – Women’s athletics
• South Dakota State University – Women’s Basketball
• South Dakota State University – Wrestling
• South Dakota State University. Women’s Recreation Association

RIGHTS

Copyright Status

In copyright.

Copyright Notice

Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair use provision of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Requests to publish should be arranged with the SDSU Archives and Special Collections.