NDSU vs. SDSU Football Dakota Marker Rivalry Bobblehead Unveiled

NDSU vs. SDSU Football Dakota Marker Rivalry Bobblehead Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State Dakota Marker Football Rivalry Bobblehead ahead of the rivalry game on Saturday. The bobblehead features NDSU’s mascot, Thundar, and SDSU’s mascot, Jack the Jackrabbit, along with a bobbling replica of the Dakota Marker. The bobblehead commemorates the longtime football rivalry, which has been called the Dakota Marker Series since 2004.The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

Standing side-by-side on a football field base that reads “BISON” in one end zone and “JACKRABBITS” in the other end zone, the mascots are wearing their respective uniforms while giving the No. 1 signal. Positioned in between Thundar and Jack the Jackrabbit is a replica of the Dakota Marker trophy, which also bobbles. The front of the base features the logos for each team with a VS in the middle.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered to 1,903 in honor of the year of the first-ever matchup in the rivalry. The bobbleheads are only available through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in January, are $50 each, plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

The special edition bobblehead is being released in conjunction with the 115th meeting between the teams which is on Saturday, November 4th at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. South Dakota State enters the game undefeated with a record of 8-0 while North Dakota State enters with a 6-2 record. North Dakota State will look to give the Jackrabbits their first loss of the season and get revenge for last year’s loss in the National Championship game.

The 17th-oldest rivalry in NCAA Division I college football across the FBS and FCS, North Dakota State and South Dakota State first met on the gridiron in 1903. At the time, NDSU was known as North Dakota Agricultural and posted an 85-0 victory in the first meeting. In all, the teams have met 114 times, including their first-ever meeting in the NCAA Division I Football Championship game on January 8th, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. SDSU scored a convincing 45-21 victory, earning the Jackrabbits their first FCS championship. Heading into the 115th meeting between the teams on Saturday, November 4th at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota, NDSU leads the all-time series, 63-46-5, but SDSU has won the last four matchups.

NDSU and SDSU regularly played each other for several decades as members of the Division II Norh Central Conference. Both teams became members of the newly formed Great West Football Conference, and the annual NDSU-SDSU game took on more importance from a regional bragging rights standpoint as the “closest neighbor” football rivalry. The series continued when both teams joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2008. The series often proves decisive in determining the winner of the MVC each season and both teams have been regular FCS playoff participants. The teams have met five times in the FCS playoffs, with the Bison holding a 4-1 lead against the Jackrabbits.

In 2004, when both schools moved up to Division I, a traveling trophy called the Dakota Marker was created to celebrate the heated and close rivalry. The 75-pound trophy, which is commonly carried around the field immediately after the game’s conclusion by the winning team, is a replica of the quartzite monuments that marked the border between North and South Dakota when Dakota Territory split into two states. The inscriptions include N.D., S.D., and 190 M (the 190-mile distance between Fargo, N.D., and Brookings, S.D., along Interstate 29). NDSU currently leads the Dakota Marker series, 10-9, but SDSU is in possession of the trophy after winning the latest game in the regular-season series, a 23-21 victory in Fargo on October 15th, 2022.

“We’re excited to release this bobblehead commemorating the fierce rivalry between North Dakota State and South Dakota State on the football field,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “No matter the records, the NDSU-SDSU game is always one to keep an eye on during the college football season. Fans of the Dakota Marker series will love this bobblehead!”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.