South Dakota State Football
South Dakota State is an NCAA Division I FCS football program in the MVFC, based in Brookings, SD. The 2026 record stands at 7-2. The Cooper Predictor rates South Dakota State at +23.9, No. 2 of 127 FCS teams and No. 1 of 9 in the MVFC. The model projects a 10-2 finish, with Playoff Odds of 93.0%. The model's pre-game picks are 6-2 in South Dakota State games this season. Most recent result: beat South Dakota 31-21 on Oct 31. Next up: at Northern Iowa on Nov 7 — the model projects South Dakota State 28-17, giving South Dakota State a 78% chance to win.
Open South Dakota State 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 Stetson | no pick on record | W 70-7 |
| Sep 5 | @ Northwestern | L 20-21 33% ✓ | L 18-34 |
| Sep 12 | vs New Haven | W 45-10 98% ✓ | W 57-14 |
| Sep 19 | vs Youngstown State | W 38-28 74% ✓ | W 27-20 |
| Sep 26 | vs Eastern Illinois | W 45-14 97% ✓ | W 42-7 |
| Oct 3 | @ Illinois State | L 27-28 45% ✗ | W 31-14 |
| Oct 17 | @ North Dakota | W 34-27 73% ✗ | L 10-21 |
| Oct 24 | vs Murray State | W 45-7 99% ✓ | W 42-9 |
| Oct 31 | vs South Dakota | W 31-24 70% ✓ | W 31-21 |
| Nov 7 | @ Northern Iowa | W 28-17 78% | — |
| Nov 14 | @ Southern Illinois | W 31-20 78% | — |
| Nov 21 | vs Indiana State | W 41-14 95% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and South Dakota State'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 State 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