# Dakota Marker

The Dakota Marker is the trophy awarded to the winner of the annual football game played between the rival Division I Championship Subdivision North Dakota State University Bison and the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits. Both schools are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

## The Marker

The trophy is a model replica of the quartzite monuments that marked the border between North and South Dakota when Dakota Territory split into two states along the Seventh Standard Parallel (45°56'07" N). The monuments were seven feet tall and ten inches square at the top, and were mined and inscribed near Sioux Falls. Charles Bates placed 720 markers at half-mile intervals along the border in the summers of 1891 and 1892. The monuments inscribed with the initials "N.D." on the north side and "S.D." on the south side.
Adam Jones, then-President of the NDSU Chapter of Blue Key National Honor Society, proposed the trophy itself and unveiled it to the public on April 21, 2004 at a ceremony just outside Hankinson, North Dakota, a community near the North Dakota/South Dakota border.
The inscriptions include: N.D., S.D., and 190 M (the distance between Fargo, ND and Brookings, SD along Interstate 29). The trophy weighs nearly 75 pounds and is commonly carried around the field immediately after the game's conclusion by the winning team.

## Rivalry history

NDSU and SDSU regularly played each other for several decades as members of the Division II North Central Conference. In 2004, the move by both schools to Division I FCS prompted the creation of the trophy, as both schools lost their primary in-state rivals (NDSU/UND and SDSU/USD) who both remained in Division II at the time. 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 Missouri Valley conference championship winner each season and both teams have been regular playoff participants at the FCS level.
In addition to the regular season game played for the Marker each year, the two teams have met six times in FCS playoff games, with the Bison holding a 5-1 lead against the Jackrabbits in the postseason. 5 of these games were played in Fargo as playoff matches, all of which resulted in victories by North Dakota State; NDSU would later go on to win the championship in all of those seasons. However, in their first ever meeting in the NCAA Division I Football Championship game in Frisco, South Dakota State defeated NDSU in the 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game with a score of 45–21, earning the Jackrabbits their first FCS championship as well as their sole postseason win against the Bison.
The Dakota Marker series currently stands in favor of NDSU at 11–10. NDSU is currently in possession of the trophy after winning the latest game in the regular season series, a 13–9 victory in Fargo on October 19, 2024. The 2019 Marker Game in Brookings was notable for the visit of College GameDay, the flagship college football pregame show broadcast by ESPN. The show originated live from the SDSU campus on the morning of the game as the Bison entered the contest ranked #1 in FCS and undefeated at 7-0, with SDSU ranked #3 and coming in 6–1. The home team has won 12 of the 19 Marker games since the inception of the series.
The two teams have now met 117 times in their history, and the Bison lead the overall series 65–47, with 5 ties. Their 100th meeting was the first time they met in the playoffs (2012), with the Bison claiming a 28–3 victory.

## Game results

| North Dakota State victories | South Dakota State victories | Tie games |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 1 | October 19, 1903 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 85–0 |
| 2 | October 23, 1908 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 11–5 |
| 3 | October 22, 1909 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota Agricultural | 11–5 |
| 4 | October 21, 1910 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 6–3 |
| 5 | October 28, 1911 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 14–3 |
| 6 | October 18, 1913 | Sioux Falls, SD | South Dakota State | 7–6 |
| 7 | November 13, 1915 | Watertown, SD | South Dakota State | 21–0 |
| 8 | November 16, 1917 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 21–14 |
| 9 | October 25, 1919 | Fargo, ND | Tie | 0–0 |
| 10 | October 23, 1920 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 28–7 |
| 11 | October 22, 1921 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 54–0 |
| 12 | November 11, 1922 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 13–0 |
| 13 | October 13, 1923 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 14–13 |
| 14 | October 4, 1924 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 14–0 |
| 15 | October 17, 1925 | Brookings, SD | Tie | 3–3 |
| 16 | October 16, 1926 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 21–0 |
| 17 | October 15, 1927 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 33–0 |
| 18 | November 10, 1928 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 27–6 |
| 19 | October 19, 1929 | Fargo, ND | Tie | 0–0 |
| 20 | November 15, 1930 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota Agricultural | 24–0 |
| 21 | October 24, 1931 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 7–0 |
| 22 | October 8, 1932 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota Agricultural | 12–6 |
| 23 | October 14, 1933 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 13–7 |
| 24 | November 10, 1934 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 38–0 |
| 25 | October 12, 1935 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 7–6 |
| 26 | November 14, 1936 | Sioux Falls, SD | North Dakota Agricultural | 7–0 |
| 27 | October 9, 1937 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 13–6 |
| 28 | November 12, 1938 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota Agricultural | 13–6 |
| 29 | October 14, 1939 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 6–0 |
| 30 | November 1, 1940 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 7–0 |
| 31 | October 11, 1941 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 25–0 |
| 32 | October 31, 1942 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 14–0 |
| 33 | October 12, 1946 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 6–0 |
| 34 | November 1, 1947 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 7–0 |
| 35 | October 16, 1948 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 7–6 |
| 36 | November 4, 1949 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 33–13 |
| 37 | October 14, 1950 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 60–0 |
| 38 | October 20, 1951 | Brookings, SD | Tie | 7–7 |
| 39 | October 11, 1952 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 48–14 |
| 40 | October 24, 1953 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 32–14 |
| 41 | October 16, 1954 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 50–13 |
| 42 | October 22, 1955 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 33–7 |
| 43 | October 27, 1956 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 26–9 |
| 44 | October 26, 1957 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 32–14 |
| 45 | October 25, 1958 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota Agricultural | 33–20 |
| 46 | October 24, 1959 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota Agricultural | 8–6 |
| 47 | October 22, 1960 | Fargo, ND | Tie | 14–14 |
| 48 | October 28, 1961 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 41–12 |
| 49 | October 27, 1962 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 17–6 |
| 50 | October 26, 1963 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 40–25 |
| 51 | October 3, 1964 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 20–13 |
| 52 | October 2, 1965 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 41–13 |
| 53 | October 1, 1966 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 35–6 |
| 54 | September 30, 1967 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 34–14 |
| 55 | September 21, 1968 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 21–3 |
| 56 | November 8, 1969 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 20–13 |
| 57 | October 31, 1970 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 35–0 |
| 58 | October 30, 1971 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 20–13 |
| 59 | October 28, 1972 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 34–16 |
| 60 | October 27, 1973 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 24–14 |
| No. | Date | Location | Winner | Score |
| 61 | October 5, 1974 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 28–0 |
| 62 | October 4, 1975 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 13–8 |
| 63 | October 2, 1976 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 13–0 |
| 64 | October 1, 1977 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 27–14 |
| 65 | November 4, 1978 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 28–26 |
| 66 | October 27, 1979 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 38–14 |
| 67 | October 18, 1980 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 23–16 |
| 68 | October 10, 1981 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 48–24 |
| 69 | October 2, 1982 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 10–3 |
| 70 | October 15, 1983 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 24–12 |
| 71 | October 13, 1984 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 55–30 |
| 72 | October 12, 1985 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 41–7 |
| 73 | October 11, 1986 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 49–7 |
| 74 | September 19, 1987 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 43–7 |
| 75 | September 17, 1988 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 55–26 |
| 76 | September 23, 1989 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 33–12 |
| 77 | September 22, 1990 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 40–28 |
| 78 | September 28, 1991 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 35–0 |
| 79 | September 26, 1992 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 47–10 |
| 80 | October 9, 1993 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 42–30 |
| 81 | October 8, 1994 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 52–39 |
| 82 | October 14, 1995 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 26–17 |
| 83 | October 19, 1996 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 31–7 |
| 84 | October 25, 1997 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 34–27 |
| 85 | October 24, 1998 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 35–32 |
| 86 | October 16, 1999 | Brookings, SD | North Dakota State | 28–7 |
| 87 | October 14, 2000 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 21–3 |
| 88 | October 20, 2001 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 45–38 |
| 89 | October 26, 2002 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 25–20 |
| 90 | September 27, 2003 | Fargo, ND | North Dakota State | 24–0 |
| 91 | October 9, 2004 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 24–21 |
| 92 | November 12, 2005 | Fargo, ND | #22 North Dakota State | 41–17 |
| 93 | November 18, 2006 | Fargo, ND | #4 North Dakota State | 41–28 |
| 94 | November 17, 2007 | Brookings, SD | South Dakota State | 29–24 |
| 95 | November 22, 2008 | Fargo, ND | South Dakota State | 25–24 |
| 96 | October 17, 2009 | Brookings, SD | #14 South Dakota State | 28–13 |
| 97 | November 13, 2010 | Fargo, ND | #24 North Dakota State | 31–24 |
| 98 | October 22, 2011 | Brookings, SD | #3 North Dakota State | 38–14 |
| 99 | November 10, 2012 | Fargo, ND | #1 North Dakota State | 20–17 |
| 100 | December 1, 2012^ | Fargo, ND | #1 North Dakota State | 28–3 |
| 101 | September 28, 2013 | Brookings, SD | #1 North Dakota State | 20–0 |
| 102 | November 1, 2014 | Fargo, ND | #1 North Dakota State | 37–17 |
| 103 | December 6, 2014^ | Fargo, ND | #2 North Dakota State | 27–24 |
| 104 | October 3, 2015 | Brookings, SD | #3 North Dakota State | 28–7 |
| 105 | October 15, 2016 | Fargo, ND | #11 South Dakota State | 19–17 |
| 106 | December 10, 2016^ | Fargo, ND | #4 North Dakota State | 36–10 |
| 107 | November 4, 2017 | Brookings, SD | #8 South Dakota State | 33–21 |
| 108 | September 29, 2018 | Fargo, ND | #1 North Dakota State | 21–17 |
| 109 | December 14, 2018^ | Fargo, ND | #1 North Dakota State | 44–21 |
| 110 | October 26, 2019 | Brookings, SD | #1 North Dakota State | 23–16 |
| 111 | April 17, 2021 | Fargo, ND | #4 South Dakota State | 27–17 |
| 112 | November 6, 2021 | Brookings, SD | #9 South Dakota State | 27–19 |
| 113 | October 15, 2022 | Fargo, ND | #2 South Dakota State | 23–21 |
| 114 | January 8, 2023^ | Frisco, TX | #1 South Dakota State | 45–21 |
| 115 | November 4, 2023 | Brookings, SD | #1 South Dakota State | 33–16 |
| 116 | October 19, 2024 | Fargo, ND | #2 North Dakota State | 13–9 |
| 117 | December 21, 2024^ | Fargo, ND | #3 North Dakota State | 28–21 |
| 118 | October 25, 2025 | Brookings, SD |
| Series: North Dakota State leads 65–47–5 |||||
^The Marker was not at stake in these six games, as they were playoff games.