By Dana Hess

For the S.D. NewsMedia Association

PIERRE — Fans headed for the high school football championships at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion had better have some cash handy to pay for parking. At its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, the South Dakota High School Activities Association board of directors learned that the University of South Dakota will charge $5 per vehicle for parking at the championship games.

“We’re not collecting any of this money,” SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos told the board. He said the money was something USD officials thought they needed to collect for that particular event.

Swartos said a check with the association’s lawyer found that the contract for the football championships is for the inside of the Dakota Dome and that USD controls the parking.

“It’s something they do on their game days,” Swartos said.

Board chairman Jeff Danielsen of Watertown said this time the parking charge will be paid by a different clientele. “Ninety percent of those folks (who park on USD game days) are supportive of the college” and are accustomed to paying for parking.

Danielsen said he hoped that the venues used by SDHSAA for state events would “care for the mission of the activities association.” Part of that mission is trying to keep costs down so families can afford to go to state events.

The $5 fee must be paid in cash. There will be no charge for handicapped parking or for high school students with a valid school I.D.

Swartos said the championship games next year are the last games of the current contract with USD. He said parking would be addressed in negotiations for a new contract. He also noted that while other venues could bid on hosting the championship games, USD has the only covered football field in the state.

USD will charge for parking in the four lots to the east of the Dakota Dome, in Lot 39 to the south and in the west grass lot. There will be free parking in Lot 36 which is to the south of Lot 39.

Games will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, through Saturday, Nov. 15. On Thursday the Class 9B game will be at 11 a.m. and the Class 9AA game will be at 7 p.m. On Friday the Class 9A game will be at 10 a.m., the Class 11B game will be at 2 p.m. and the Class 11AA game will be at 7 p.m. On Saturday the Class 11A game will be at noon and the Class 11AAA game will be at 5 p.m.

SDHSAA sets goals for new school year

PIERRE — Some familiar challenges and some new ones are among the goals that the board of directors of the South Dakota High School Activities Association set for the coming year when it met Wednesday, Nov. 5.

One familiar goal is developing a sportsmanship initiative concerning fan, coach and player behavior. In the past the association has sought out and highlighted school initiatives in this area. It has worked with the student council advisory council and the “Bench Bad Behavior” initiative from the National Federation of High School Associations. It also developed a fan ejection policy.

For the coming year, the board will attempt to implement a targeted sportsmanship initiative with an estimated completion date of June 2026.

Another goal held over from last year is studying the concept of using a success factor in sports classifications. Currently high school sports are classified by enrollment. A success factor would use a variety of factors to move teams up or down in classification.

In the past, the association established the framework for a committee, sought input from the committee and member schools and reviewed success factor models from around the country.

SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos said a success factor may be a way to “throw a lifeline to a program that’s drowning.”

In April of next year the association is due to present its findings to the board. If accepted by the board, adopting a success factor could lead to constitutional amendments or bylaw changes.

Another goal for the year is developing an initiative highlighting the value of the state high school activities association. In the past, social media posts with this message have been implemented and the association has used ideas from and contributed to the “Protect the Purpose” campaign sponsored by the NFHS.

At its meeting on Wednesday, Swartos showed the SDHSAA board of directors a fact sheet prepared by the staff. It lists the benefits of participating in high school sports and activities as higher GPAs, higher graduation rates, greater career aspirations, fewer school absences, fewer discipline problems and lower risk of drug use.

By June of 2026 the association hopes to incorporate that messaging with corporate partners, distribute materials to schools and other stakeholders.

The association also has the goal of working on the retention of more activities directors. To accomplish that goal the association will seek input from member schools on AD retention and develop ideas from that feedback. Recommendations will be presented to the board in June 2026.

“It’s a tough gig,” Swartos said of the job of high school activities director. In most years, 25% to 30% of the state’s activities director jobs are open. According to Swartos, some schools have a new activities director every year, hurting the school’s chance for its offerings to develop any sort of consistency. 

Another goal concerns the recruitment of coaches. In the coming year the association will seek input from members on coach recruitment and develop ideas from member feedback. Recommendations are due to the board of directors in April 2026.

SDHSAA works on policy to keep fans off the courts

PIERRE — The South Dakota High School Activities Association is working on a policy to keep fans from storming the court after state events.

“It’s not a big occurrence,” said SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos. “We’re not trying to be fun haters but there are legitimate safety concerns.” 

At its July meeting, the SDHSAA board of director passed the first reading of a policy that said fans who enter the playing area prior to the awarding of medals and trophies would be removed from the facility immediately. It also said the offending school would be fined $1,000 payable to the opposing team. Physical altercations between fans and players would be referred to law enforcement.

At its meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 5, the board considered an alternate version of the rule that removed the fine. Swartos said some bars offered to pay their school’s fine if students storm the court.

Swartos said he was for removing the fine from the policy because it “almost serves as a permission slip” to storm the court.

Instead of taking action on the second reading, Swartos was instructed to develop a new policy for the board to consider that states that the school administration at the hosting venue is responsible for keeping fans off the court. The new wording will state that SDHSAA reserves the right to sanction a school that blatantly disregards the policy.