TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State football makes their Missouri Valley Football Conference home debut on Saturday, October 11, as the Sycamores welcome No. 23/RV South Dakota to Memorial Stadium for the Sycamores' annual Homecoming Game. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET and will be carried live on ESPN+ and 105.5 The Legend.
Game Day Activities and Promotions
Sycamore Homecoming Parade
The Indiana State Homecoming Parade is scheduled to start on the morning of Saturday, October 11, at 9 a.m. running down Wabash Avenue. Applications to march can be found at the form (
Click Here)
Homecoming Activities
Indiana State Homecoming events are in full swing throughout the week. Click the link here:
https://indianastate.edu/homecoming for more information.
Memorial Stadium Tailgating Guidelines and Information
Tailgating is to take place in the area designated by Indiana State University. Tents and awnings must by 12' x 12' or smaller. Exceptions may be made for season-long partners. Contact the Indiana State Athletic Department at 812-237-3047 for more information. Tailgating participants are responsible for keeping Memorial Stadium and the surrounding area clean. Trash bins are located throughout the grounds. Buses and RV's are to park on the east side of Memorial Stadium and are subject to the same rules and regulations of the tailgating area. (Click Here for more information)
Blue Out
Indiana State Football and Sycamore Athletics is hosting a Blue Out at Saturday's game as the team will wear their all-blue uniform set against South Dakota. Fans are invited to wear blue for the game in support of the team!
Clear Bag Policy
Indiana State Athletics clear bag policies are in effect for the 2025-26 athletic year. The policies are consistent with other members in both the Missouri Valley Conference and Missouri Valley Football Conference. (
Click Here for more information)
Game Day Sponsor
Toyota of Terre Haute is Saturday's game day sponsor. Looking to make car shopping easy, while providing exception customer service and keeping you going, Toyota of Terre Haute provides a vast selection of new and used vehicles, exceptional car care, and customer service with a smile.
Click Here to find out more.
Notes
About the Matchup
Indiana State and South Dakota face off for just the 10th time in their respective program histories on Saturday afternoon as the Coyotes head to Memorial Stadium for the first time since the 2023 season. The Yotes lead the all-time series, 7-2, but the series is even at 2-2 in Terre Haute with the Sycamores' most recent win coming in the 2018 season, 51-48.
Last Time Against South Dakota
The Yotes have won each of the last four contests in the series, including last season's 49-0 win inside the DakotaDome. Quarterback Aidan Bouman guided USD to 622 yards of total offense in a balanced attack that featured 317 yards on the ground and 322 passing.
Indiana State was led by
Elijah Owens' 131 passing yards in the contest, including a 45-yard connection to
Zavion Taylor putting the Sycamores inside the USD red zone. However, the Sycamores were unable to convert a late fourth down in their lone scoring opportunity in the contest.
Geoffrey Brown had a game-high nine tackles and 0.5 tackles-for-loss in the contest, while
Ahmond Glass recorded a career-high eight stops.
Sycamores in MVFC Home Opening Games
Indiana State looks to run their stretch to two MVFC home opener wins in a row as the Sycamores welcome the No. 23/RV Coyotes to Memorial Stadium. The Sycamores' 31-27 win last season against Murray State marked Indiana State's second Valley home opening win since the 2019 season as the Sycamores look to move to 3-0 inside Memorial Stadium.
Last season in their Valley home opener, the Sycamores utilized a late
Rocco Ciocca touchdown plunge for the go-ahead touchdown with 11 seconds remaining to top the visiting Racers, 31-27.
Elijah Owens went 25-of-34 through the air for 218 passing yards, while adding a touchdown pass to
Kai Rios, and a touchdown run.
Plez Lawrence added a 25-yard first quarter score in the win.
The Sycamores' are 2-5 in their Valley home openers over the Mallory coaching era, including a 20-10 victory over Western Illinois in 2019. Indiana State has not recorded their first home game against South Dakota since the Yotes joined the conference.
Scouting South Dakota
South Dakota heads into the weekend remaining inside the FCS national polls as the Coyotes sit No. 23 overall in the STATS FCS poll, while receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll. South Dakota has picked up key wins over Northern Colorado, Drake, and Murray State, while falling to Lamar, Iowa State, and North Dakota State.
South Dakota is one season off a berth to the FCS National Semifinals as the Yotes fell on the road to the No. 1 overall see, Montana State, in Bozeman last fall. The loss to the Bobcats ended an 11-3 overall season, 7-1 mark in MVFC play, that featured the Yotes tying for the conference regular season title. South Dakota entered the season selected third overall in the MVFC Preseason Poll, receiving 349 total points and three first-place votes.
Key to South Dakota's success in the 2025 season includes NCAA FCS rushing leader L.J. Phillips Jr., as the running back has totaled 799 yards over USD's six games on the season. This includes an NCAA FCS leading 301 total rushing yards recorded on Sept. 13, 2025, against Northern Colorado, while he added a 244-yard effort this past weekend against Murray State.
The rushing attack has taken center stage in the USD offense, but the passing game remains potent sitting 20th in the NCAA FCS in passing yards per completion (13.64). The success of the rushing game and offense overall is due in part to the success of the Coyote offensive line. USD is sixth in the NCAA FCS allowing just 0.67 sacks per game and second in the country in tackles for loss allowed at 2.83 per game.
Defensively, USD flies to the football with three players posting at least 40 tackles on the season. Gabriel Hardman, Roman Tillmon, and Matt Walsh all have 40 tackles to date, while Caden Crawford is the team leader averaging 1.17 tackles for loss per game. Mikey Munn paces the defensive back line with five passes defended and three interceptions on the year.
2025 Indiana State Single Game On Sale Now
Indiana State single game tickets went on sale in mid-July starting at $15 for adults, $5 for kids, and group rates of $5 for 15+ attendees. Single game rates are higher for the 2025 Homecoming Game against South Dakota on October 11 with prices rising to $18 for adults, $8 for kids, and a group rate of $8.
Indiana State will employ mobile ticketing as the default option for all home games during the 2024 football season, enabling contactless entry into athletics venues. Offering greater convenience and safety, fans can access their ticket online and transfer to family and friends. Fans will also have the option to get their tickets printed for an additional $5 charge.
For more information on season tickets, fans can contact Assistant Manager of Athletic Ticketing
Grant Manning by phone at 812-237-8972 or via email at Grant.Manning@indstate.edu. Fans can also call 877-ISU-TIXS or email
ISU-Tickets@indstate.edu. Fans have the opportunity to also buy or renew season tickets online by clicking
HERE.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on Sycamore Football, visit
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media, including
Twitter,
Facebook,
Instagram and
YouTube. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
