Sam Houston, S. Dakota St. vie for first title

FRISCO — There are more twists to this FCS championship game than just being played in midMay to wrap up a unique spring season.

Top-seeded South Dakota State takes on No. 2 seed Sam Houston at 1 p.m. Sunday (TV: ABC), guaranteeing that one of the Football

Championship Subdivision playoff regulars will become a first-time champion. This is the 43rd title game in the division formerly known as I-AA.

A different Dakota is in Frisco with eight-time champion North Dakota State not there from Fargo for only the second time in 10 seasons. Sam Houston (9-0) has a shot at a perfect season while K.C. Keeler can become the winningest coach in FCS playoff history and the first to win titles at multiple schools.

Delaware grad Keeler won a championship in 2003 at his alma mater, which is what South Dakota State alumnus John Stiegelmeier is now attempting in his 24th season coaching the Jackrabbits (8-1).

For anyone who thinks an asterisk should be attached to the champion of this shortened and most unusual season for FCS, consider all it took to get to this point since the last title game in January 2020. There were constant COVID-19 tests, the uncertainty if they would play at all and now a finale only 3½ months before kicking off another season.

The Jackrabbits, in their ninth consecutive playoffs, are in their first championship game. Sam Houston is in its 12th FCS playoff, and twice lost in the title game played about 200 miles from its campus in Huntsville.

Keeler got his 23rd FCS playoff victory last week to match the record mark Jim Tressel had at Youngstown State before going to Ohio State and winning an FBS national title.

“I just think it’s hilarious that they’re mentioning me with Jim Tressel,” Keeler said. “To me, it’s just recognition of all the people that have worked for me or all the players that I’ve coached.”

Stiegelmeier’s 174-106 record is all at South Dakota State, including 15 winning records in 17 seasons at the FCS level.