If it was possible to bottle a feeling, I would bottle the energy in Brookings and SDSU surrounding ESPN’s College GameDay visit in October. When a moment arrives, you can either embrace it or let it pass without recognition. Brookings and SDSU embraced the moment in ways that are almost hard to describe in words.
I had a front-row seat to see our community and campus come together to prepare for one of the biggest things to happen in SDSU history in just five days. It would be impossible to call out all of the community leaders, businesses, individuals, campus entities, etc., who came together to #BringTheBlue, but they exceeded every expectation or imagination that ran through my mind Sunday when ESPN announced it was coming to Brookings.
Don’t get me wrong, this has been decades in the making. While we had five days to get ready for broadcast, getting there took the efforts of so many for so long. It is an unbelievable privilege to be associated with the people who worked to make this moment come together.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019, the eyes of the college football world were upon us and Jackrabbit Nation showed up and showed out. More than 2 million people saw a glimpse of what makes South Dakota State so special. They got to see what happens when people come together with a shared vision to make something great.
Who wouldn’t want to capture that in a bottle?
With loyal heart so true,
Andi Fouberg
President & CEO of Alumni Association
