Jackrabbit Ilustrated hosts on the growth of SDSU fandom (and their own shows)

Think back 20 years, and just look at how much South Dakota State football and its fan base have grown.   From Coughlin-Alumni Stadium to the modern marvel of "The Dana." From coaching offices in trailers and outdoor winter practices on the windswept tundra to the Dykhouse (now Stiegelmeier Family Center) and the SJAC indoor palace.   From FCS infancy and the janky Great West Conference to consistent MVFC national championship contention.    Think back 10 years, to the year Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium opened and the Jackrabbits notched their first (share of an) MVFC Championship.   Since then, they've secured two national championships, produced numerous All-Americans and NFL players, and drawn bigger and bigger crowds—including sellouts exceeding 19,000—on fall gamedays.   That, plus a massive, growing website and podcast operation that has become an online gathering point for fans who can't get enough content. There is also a JI tailgate party at home games and national championship contests, serving as a literal gathering point impossible to miss if you're in Brookings (or Frisco, and maybe this year in Nashville) on a football gameday.   The Jacks and the unaffiliated Jackrabbit Illustrated brand have both come a long, long way together, through the hard times and the good.   Mostly good.   Today, the  "JI" website has established itself as the top source for SDSU recruiting information. The weekly podcast—like the website, launched by SDSU alumnus Matt Tollefson—grew so popular that three more shows were added, with one focusing specifically on wrestling.   How did "JI" and SDSU football fandom come so far? Why do the podcasts and their hosts seem to resonate so deeply with their listeners and viewers?   Tollefson and fellow hosts Chad Meirose and Brendan Luedtke joined Happy Hour on Thursday to walk through the parallel universes of Jackrabbit fandom and Jackrabbit Illustrated's popularity and reach.   Right away and for 80 minutes, you'll grasp exactly what makes them tick—three friends talking about their favorite team, organically and authentically.   But can they always be fully authentic with their opinions? How have their raw feelings and emotions come back to bite them?    How do they feel about bitter football rival North Dakota State no longer being in the FCS and on SDSU's schedule? And how close can "the school down south" in Vermillion come to matching the intensity of the "Dakota Marker Game" and game week?   How have NIL and the transfer portal — and therefore, more often than not, the departure of some of SDSU's best football and men's basketball players to bigger schools after one or two stellar seasons — skewed their outlook and enjoyment as fans?   And, yes, how strong of a national championship contender will the 2026 Jackrabbits be?