South Dakota Football
South Dakota is an NCAA Division I FCS football program in the MVFC, based in Vermillion, SD. The 2026 record stands at 7-3. The Cooper Predictor rates South Dakota at +18.4, No. 6 of 127 FCS teams and No. 4 of 9 in the MVFC. The model projects an 8-4 finish, with Playoff Odds of 67.3%. The model's pre-game picks are 9-0 in South Dakota games this season. Most recent result: lost to South Dakota State 21-31 on Oct 31. Next up: vs Northern Iowa on Nov 14 — the model projects South Dakota 31-20, giving South Dakota a 78% chance to win.
Open South Dakota in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FCS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 | vs Central Connecticut | no pick on record | W 59-20 |
| Sep 5 | @ Northern Colorado | W 34-17 89% ✓ | W 38-23 |
| Sep 12 | vs Eastern Washington | W 38-20 87% ✓ | W 41-23 |
| Sep 19 | @ Boise State | L 17-38 5% ✓ | L 24-38 |
| Sep 26 | @ Youngstown State | L 31-34 45% ✓ | L 28-47 |
| Oct 3 | vs Indiana State | W 41-21 87% ✓ | W 44-14 |
| Oct 10 | vs Southern Illinois | W 34-27 73% ✓ | W 31-10 |
| Oct 17 | @ Murray State | W 41-17 96% ✓ | W 48-20 |
| Oct 24 | vs North Dakota | W 31-28 62% ✓ | W 26-23 |
| Oct 31 | @ South Dakota State | L 24-31 30% ✓ | L 21-31 |
| Nov 14 | vs Northern Iowa | W 31-20 78% | — |
| Nov 21 | @ Illinois State | L 24-28 41% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and South Dakota's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
MVFC by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Dakota State | 7-2 | +23.9 |
| 2 |  Youngstown State | 7-2 | +21.6 |
| 3 |  Illinois State | 7-2 | +19.7 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 7-3 | +18.4 |
| 5 |  North Dakota | 6-4 | +17.5 |
| 6 |  Southern Illinois | 4-5 | +10.5 |
| 7 |  Northern Iowa | 4-4 | +10.3 |
| 8 |  Indiana State | 2-7 | +0.7 |
| 9 |  Murray State | 1-8 | -9.5 |
High schools on the South Dakota roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
Get the rankings & picks every week
Free. One email a week during the season with the updated rankings, the Super Six and the biggest movers. Unsubscribe anytime.
More college football
NCAA Division I FCS power rankings · Every division · Weekly predictions & matchup predictor