{
  "id": 6502321,
  "title": "Big Sky Conference challengers prepare USD football for the FCS season still ahead",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/big-sky-conference-challengers-prepare-usd-football-for-the-fcs",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-09T23:54:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/big-sky-conference-challengers-prepare-235400335.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vermillion, South Dakota - The South Dakota football team faces a challenging preseason as they prepare for the FCS season, encountering two Big Sky Conference opponents in their first two games. On Saturday, they welcome Eastern Washington to the DakotaDome, marking their second consecutive matchup against a Big Sky team. Coach Matt Vitzthum emphasizes the difficulty of these opponents, citing their strong offenses and defensive capabilities. The Coyotes have won three of their last four against Big Sky teams, but Eastern Washington's up-tempo offense and spread-style passing game will present a new challenge. USD's recent 2-0 start, including a victory over Northern Colorado, has solidified their position as a strong team heading into the Missouri Valley Football Conference, where they are expected to compete fiercely over the coming weeks.",
  "summary": "Sep. 9—VERMILLION, S.D. — For the South Dakota football team, the Missouri Valley Football Conference is never far from sight. Even before the Coyotes begin conference play, the challenge that awaits them each fall is difficult to miss. The MVFC has established itself as one of the premier conferences in the FCS, and USD will get another opportunity to prepare for that grind Saturday when it ...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}