The radio voice of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, Tyler Merriam, has been named the 2022 winner of the Bill Schwanke Award. The Bill Schwanke Award, named after the longtime radio voice of the Montana Grizzlies, is awarded annually to the top play-by-play radio broadcaster in DI 

 Football. A voting panel including Tim Brando from Fox Sports, Paul Pabst of the Dan Patrick Show, Freddie Coleman from ESPN, Kevin Marshall and Stone Labanowitz of FCS Nation Radio and other media and broadcasters who cover FCS Football decide the winner. Past winners include 

. Congratulations to all of the finalists, every one of them was deserving of the award.

Finalists for the 2022 Bill Schwanke Award

Merriam wins 2022 Bill Schwanke Award for FCS Football Broadcasters

September 14, 2019. Howard and Hampton brought their storied rivalry to the Windy City for the first time. Hopes were high that the storied rivalry between two name brands of Black College Football would bring a good draw for the Chicago Football Classic. However, only 19,425 fans showed up to Soldier Field that day. This is the last Chicago Football Classic to date.

While the Classic's website promotes a return on Labor Day Weekend of this season, hopes are bleak for Midwest classics like the Chicago Football Classic, especially after the Circle City Classic 

e in 2022 and the Detroit Football Classic has 

 from the pandemic after scheduling a return in 2020. 

The Chicago Football Classic tried everything, They tried bringing name brands, but Grambling drew less than 17,000 in 2017, despite being the defending Celebration Bowl champs. They tried bringing schools that were underexposed to classics like West Virginia State and 

The one thing they never had was a home team, and they may have that team soon. Yesterday, Chicago State 

 that will conduct its football feasibility study.

Yes, I am aware that Chicago State is not an HBCU, but it’s student base is predominantly Black. During the 

, 76% of Chicago State’s students were African Americans. If Chicago State were to get a football team, HBCUs would provide the most interest for the student and local fanbase.

A root problem with the Chicago Football Classic’s attendance figures may have been the fact that the HBCUs they brought to play each year had small alumni bases in Chicago. Now, the Classic would not have to rely solely on tourists and local alumni, but would have a school based in the city.

Chicago State against a rotation of Tennessee State, Kentucky State, and Central State would make the most sense. The Classic can throw in an occasional appearance from a namebrand like Grambling or Florida A&M to create a “statement game” for a young Chicago State program.

Aside from fan interest, the Classic benefits immensely from needing to only pay for one school’s travel each year with Chicago State being the home team. The possibility of an increased payout could draw more schools to play in the Classic again.

While the start of Chicago State football may be seasons away, the Chicago Football Classic has reason to be optimistic. Having a hometown school with a predominantly Black student base has potential to take the Classic to new heights. 

Can Chicago State Rejuvenate the Chicago Football Classic?

Earlier this week, South Dakota State announced it would play Drake at Target Field, or "The House That Joe Mauer Built" on September 16th. Earlier this week, I looked at 

Drake's history of ballpark football games

, so it's natural, I do the same for the Jackrabbits. 

The Jackrabbits' first ballpark game was against Creighton in 1924 at Omaha's 

, home of the Omaha Packers of the Western League. 

Despite Creighton outgaining South Dakota State 340-176

, the Jackrabbits left Omaha with a 10-7 win.

Two years later, in 1926, the Jackrabbits would make its first of two appearances in Sportsman's Park to play St. Louis. The Jackrabbits used two fourth quarter touchdowns to beat 

In 1929, St. Louis returned the favor at Sportsman’s Park as they outgained the Jackrabbits 242-103

 in a 6-0 win. St. Louis completed eight of their 17 passes for 85 yards, very respectable totals for 1929.

Another ballpark game of note in the Roaring Twenties, was South Dakota State's visit to Honolulu Stadium to play Hawaii on Christmas Day in 1926. Honolulu Stadium was famously host of the Hula Bowl from 1948-1975 and the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League.

In a Calvin Coolidge Administration precursor to the Aloha Bowl, South Dakota State won 9-2 on 

. The Jackrabbits stopped Hawaii on a fourth and goal situation with less than a minute to go to preserve the situation. Interestingly enough, 

In the 1930s, South Dakota State made trips to two iconic ballparks of the National League. In 1932, the Jackrabbits lost a 34-12 game to Duquesne in front of 

, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Five years later, the results would be similar as DePaul 

The Jackrabbits lost their other ballpark appearance in the 1930s with a

(I would put a hyperlink, but all of the Stockyards Park articles are paywalled)

 in Sioux City, Iowa. Three interceptions doomed South Dakota State despite passing for 171 yards and outgaining Morningside by 63 yards.

Like Drake, the Jackrabbits also played in 

, the home of the Peoria Red Wings of the All-America Girls Professional Baseball League. Unlike Drake, who went 7-0 at the stadium, the Jackrabbits would like to forget its appearance at Peoria Stadium, as they lost 32-7 to Bradley in 1949. 

It would be nearly three decades before South Dakota State would play another game at a ballpark, when they would play Louisville at Fairgrounds Stadium and Portland State at Portland's Civic Stadium. 

Louisville’s Fairgrounds Stadium, later known as Cardinal Stadium, was home to the Louisville Colonels and Redbirds of the American Association and International League. Civic Stadium in Portland was home to the Pacific Coast League’s Portland Beavers as well as the USFL’s Portland Breakers.

Neither game would go well, as the Jackrabbits 

 to a Neil Lomax-led Portland State squad. Interceptions doomed the Jackrabbits in both games as they threw for nine of them between the two games. 

South Dakota State would play twice more at Portland’s Civic Stadium in 1980 and 1984. Neil Lomax 

 in a 48-17 Portland State win in 1980 and the Vikings 

Like their opponent on September 16, South Dakota State has a well-traveled ballpark football history. As a result, this only adds nostalgia and intrigue to September 16th's game. 

Looking at South Dakota State's History At The Ballpark

Earlier this week, South Dakota State announced they will play in the first football game at Target Field since 2019 as they host Drake at "The House That Joe Mauer Built" on September 16. While this is both schools' first appearance in the Minneapolis ballpark, it is far from Drake's first football appearance on the diamond.

Drake's ballpark football history began at the Fourth Street Ballpark where the Bulldogs played its home games from 1900-1903. In those years, the Bulldogs' best win was a 17-0 victory against Missouri in 1903.

Three years later, the Bulldogs would travel to St. Louis to play in the "House That Bobby Wallace Built", Sportsman's Park. The Bulldogs became another victim of Eddie Cochems' 

 that fueled Saint Louis to a 37-point-per-game average in 1906. The Bulldogs fell to Saint Louis 

Drake would not play in another ballpark for another two-and-a-half decades, but 1931 would be the "Year of the Diamond" for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs would play in three ballparks, including two iconic Major League ballparks. On October 24th, Fordham completed 

 on the way to a 46-0 trouncing of Drake at the Polo Grounds. 

Over a month later, Drake kicked off a West Coast road trip with a game against Wrigley Field, not that Wrigley Field, but the one in Los Angeles. Loyola fought back from a 7-6 deficit to 

. Many people remember Wrigley Field as the home of the 1960s TV series, 

, the home of the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League and American League, but it was also the 

Drake's West Coast and ballpark tour ended with a trip to Honolulu Stadium to play Hawaii. A 

 that put the Rainbow Warriors on the Drake 13-yard line set up the game-winning score as Hawaii beat the Bulldogs 19-13. 7,000 fans showed up at Honolulu Stadium which most notably hosted the Hula Bowl from 1948-1975, a World Football League team (The Hawaiians), and a Pacific Coast League baseball team (The Islanders from 1961-1975).

Drake would frequent ballparks the most from the 1950s through the 1970s thanks to a pair of Missouri Valley Conference cohorts. Arguably the most unique ballpark the Bulldogs played in at this time, or any time in their program's history was 

Peoria Stadium was home to the Peoria Redwings of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, the subject of the 1992 classic movie 

The Bulldogs made Peoria Stadium "A Home of Their Own", going undefeated there in eight meetings with the Braves from 1949-1963. 

Speaking of Braves, the Bulldogs traveled to Braves Field to play Boston College in 1952, when Warren Spahn anchored the Braves' rotation. The Eagles' strong ground game, which 

, was too much for the Bulldogs in a 20-14 loss in front of 

. Joe Johnson led the charge for the Eagles with 99 yards rushing and the defense picked off four passes.

Drake also became familiar with Fairgrounds Stadium in Louisville, home of the Louisville Cardinals football team and the Louisville Redbirds and Colonels of the American Association and International League. The Bulldogs won three of seven meetings in the Kentucky ballpark from 1964-1977 including a thrilling 38-37 win in 1968, where 

In this time period, the Bulldogs made a one-off trip to Rosenblatt Field, not for the College World Series, but for a road game against Nebraska-Omaha. Drake intercepted 

 to take home a 32-14 win in front of 1981 fans. While Rosenblatt was most famous for hosting the College World Series and Omaha Royals, it was also home to the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. 

Drake's final ballpark appearance was one to forget as Temple ran for a school-

 at Philadelphia's Veterans' Stadium in 1977. This was Drake's only appearance in a multi-purpose, "cookie-cutter" ballpark. 

While football at Target Field is new to the Drake fanbase, games at America's most iconic ballparks. September 16th's game will provide a fun throwback to interesting times in Drake's football history.

The Playing Grounds of College Football: A Comprehensive Directory, 1869 to Today

 was an integral resource in this piece. Additionally, newspaper research and combing through Drake Football's 2015 Media Guide helped clarify Drake's stadium history. You can read that media guide 

Merriam wins 2022 Bill Schwanke Award for FCS Football Broadcasters

Finalists for the 2022 Bill Schwanke Award

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