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The Jackrabbit Athletics Records document the history, administration, and activities of South Dakota State University's athletics programs. The materials cover a wide range of sports and administrative functions from the early years of athletic participation to the university's transition to NCAA Division I status.

The collection includes administrative files related to academic advising, compliance, development, equipment, facilities, marketing and promotion, operations, the Jackrabbit Sports Network, and the ticket office. These are represented through annual reports, brochures, event programs, handbooks, newsletters, photographs, mascot design materials, and promotional mailers. Physical artifacts include banners, jerseys, t-shirts, and caps.

Records of the Athletics Committee consist of extensive meeting minutes and budget files. These documents provide insight into the financial and policy decisions guiding SDSU athletics.

Sport-specific files include materials on baseball, men's and women's basketball, cross country, equestrian, football, gymnastics, rodeo, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. These records contain media guides, fact books, programs, clippings, record books, and photographs. Cross country and track and field are especially well represented, with detailed documentation of results, workout plans, training strategies, and performance research.

The publications series features long-running serials such as the Rabbit Report (1978 to 2014) and The Bum (1956 to 2017). While incomplete, these publications offer a chronological narrative of SDSU athletics, including coverage of team performance, individual athletes, and university sports culture.

Other notable contents include materials related to special events such as the Beef Bowl, Festival of Champions, Jackrabbit Stampede Rodeo, and Jackrabbit Jamboree. There are also records documenting strategic planning for the transition to Division I, including the Division I Study and related correspondence.

The collection also reflects broader aspects of campus athletics, such as intramural sports, recreational programming, student wellness, and athlete recognition.

This collection provides a view of the development of collegiate athletics at South Dakota State University. It is a valuable resource for researchers studying the history of intercollegiate sports, athletic program administration, the student-athlete experience, gender in sports, sports marketing, and the evolution of athletics at land-grant institutions.

The Jay Dirksen Papers document his tenure as Track and Field and Cross Country coach at South Dakota State University from 1969 to 1977. The collection is composed primarily of files on student-athletes coached by Dirksen, containing record sheets of training programs, correspondence, clippings, photographs, and data related to the running careers of individual athletes. These records provide detailed insight into the development, performance, and achievements of numerous SDSU runners during this period.

In addition to athlete files, the collection includes extensive materials from Dirksen’s research on cross country running, spanning from 1957 to 1981. This research encompasses training methods, physiological data, and evaluations of performance, reflecting both experimental and applied approaches to distance running. The presence of running articles compiled between 1979 and 2008 further demonstrates Dirksen’s long-term engagement with the field of cross country and track.

The collection is a resource documenting collegiate athletics at South Dakota State University during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as its contribution to the study of endurance training and cross country running. The athlete files illustrate the careers of numerous individuals who competed under Dirksen’s guidance, while the research files highlight his role in advancing training practices that influenced distance running programs at SDSU and beyond.

These records document the governance and organization of women’s intercollegiate athletics in South Dakota. Administrative materials include affidavits of eligibility, handbooks, certificates, correspondence, financial statements, and meeting minutes that record decision-making processes and coordination with the national Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. Event and competition materials include programs and results for basketball, volleyball, and track and field meets, along with documentation for Region 6 tournaments and Division I championships. Photographs, primarily of women’s basketball teams and activities, provide visual documentation of athletic participation during this period. Additional files from the South Dakota Athletic and Recreation Federation of College Women contribute context for statewide athletic governance and institutional engagement.

The records document the development and administration of women’s collegiate athletics during the period surrounding the implementation of Title IX and the transition from AIAW to NCAA oversight. They provide evidence of eligibility practices, governance structures, and competitive opportunities for female student athletes in South Dakota, as well as the relationship between state, regional, and national athletic organizations.