Patrick Lalley on Sioux Falls' new mayor (probably) and the Republican Primary race for governor

FULL SHOW: NDSU logo deal (USD & SDSU next?), Sioux Falls falls short in NCAA men's hoops bid & veteran reporter Patrick Lalley on the mayor and governor races

The recount is in. Sioux Falls has a new mayor. Christine Erickson is the first female leader in city history. Well, probably. Probably the mayor, that is. Turns out Erickson won the election runoff against Jamie Smith by four votes instead of two — that's out of about 37,000 votes — after the recount that ended last week. But why isn't her inauguration a done deal, as of Monday night? That's one of many questions a steely veteran Sioux Falls and South Dakota political reporter like Sioux Falls Live editor Patrick Lalley answered in Monday's edition of "Lalley-Gagging" on Happy Hour at the Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls. Another one — what kind of mayor is Erickson expected to be? How about another — what kind of boost will current mayor (until Friday, probably) Paul TenHaken's endorsement give Gov. Larry Rhoden in the July 28 Republic Primary runoff for governor against Toby Doeden? What will be TenHaken's legacy? Is Doeden helping or hurting himself more with continued scorched earth rhetoric and campaign signs that save "Vote Doeden: Save SD" Does South Dakota need to be saved? If so, from what? Lalley-gag with us for the answers. Also today: NDSU goes to the Bank for rental space on unis, athletics funding North Dakota State played a game of "Let's Make a Deal," and now Bison athletes will literally wear the deal. And likely, so, too, will Jackrabbit and Coyote athletes. Someday. On Monday, NDSU athletics announced a multi-year partnership with a local corporation to wear that company's logo on all of its athletic uniforms for lots and lots of money — all in the name of staying competitive nationally in the arms race of Div. I sports, especially in the FBS realm the football program is entering. So, where is the school going to get the money? From a bank, of course. Gate City Bank, a Fargo-based institution worth almost $4 billion. Its president since 2019 Kevin Hanson sat at a podium Monday in Fargo with as wide a grin as smiles of NDSU's athletics director Matt Larsen and football coach Tim Polasek. The three spent a half-hour glowing in the radiance of a partnership they all said repeatedly was more than transactional. After that, four student-athletes — two of them football players — walked up next to the podium to model the Gate City Bank logo, which took up a small portion of their threads: 4 inches by 4 inches. "One thing we heard from student-athletes across the country is they don't want to look like NASCAR," said Larsen, who's served on multiple NCAA committees and helped shape the organization's jersey patch policy. According to the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, NDSU becomes the fourth school in the Mountain West Conference to make a corporate patch deal and that partnership is believed to be worth around the same as Wyoming's recently-inked deal in April with Tallgrass Energy out of Kansas worth a reported $4.5 million over five years. Deals at UNLV (Acesso Biologics, a Las Vegas-based leader in medicine, a five-year deal worth $11 million) and Air Force (five years, $10 million deal with USAA) are about twice as big as NDSU's. So, what should fans make of this? Is it college sports selling its soul? Yep. But is the price worth it? Only if you want your team to afford winning at all costs. Is it coming to South Dakota's Div. I teams? South Dakota athletic director Jon Schemmel and SDSU A.D. Justin Sell both responded promptly to Sioux Falls Live's inquiry. "Yes, we absolutely are seeking those types of parnerships moving forward," Schemmel wrote in a text. "We aren't in a hurry to do it but confidentwe will find the right partner(s) for those kind of partnerships in the future." Sell's text was similar: "We are actively working on all revenue streams and opportunities, including jersey patches." The Happy Hour host plays a couple of the most important soundbites from the NDSU presser and weighs in on what this means for the ever-growing, ever-branding new world of college sports, especially in South Dakota. Sioux Falls falls short in NCAA Div. I men's hoops bid Also, Sioux Falls is was not the city the NCAA chose to be the other host city for the newly-expanded "play-in" rounds of the men's Div. I basketball tournament. The nod went to Wichita to join Dayton for those games, which take shape on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the real March Madness of the round of 64 tips off on Thursday and Friday, all as a result of the recently-approved expansion of the field from 68 to 76 teams. Boise, Des Moines, and Albuquerque were other reported bidders. Twice this spring Happy Hour chatted with Sioux Falls Sports Authority project director Jerry Palleschi about the city's bid to add that crown jewel event to the expanding list of college events coming to the city, a list that includes two NCAA men's hockey regionals, an NCAA women's hoops regional (featuring South Carolina) and multiple Div. II national championships in basketball, wrestling and volleyball. So, why didn't our fair city get the call this time? The Happy Hour host suggests there are good reasons—none of which mean Sioux Falls wasn't a worthy option—and we should have seen it coming. Dan Patrick shows Kevin O'Connell how to answer the QB inquiry The Minnesota Vikings head coach tried his best to deliver his company line about the "open competition" between veteran Kyler Murray and struggling sophomore J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. Kevin O'Connell was not in welcoming company for that line. Legendary sports talk host Dan Patrick not only refused to accept KOC's tapdance but also told O'Connell what he should say. Needless to say, DP does not feel it is actually an open competition. Hear him hilariously pick KOC apart in a good natured, poke-in-ribs sort of way.

Patrick Lalley on Sioux Falls' new mayor (probably) and the Republican Primary race for governor

The recount is in. Sioux Falls has a new mayor. Christine Erickson is the first female leader in city history. Well, probably. Probably the mayor, that is. Turns out Erickson won the election runoff against Jamie Smith by four votes instead of two — that's out of about 37,000 votes — after the recount that ended last week. But why isn't her inauguration a done deal, as of Monday night? That's one of many questions a steely veteran Sioux Falls and South Dakota political reporter like Sioux Falls Live editor Patrick Lalley answered in Monday's edition of "Lalley-Gagging" on Happy Hour at the Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls. Another one — what kind of mayor is Erickson expected to be? How about another — what kind of boost will current mayor (until Friday, probably) Paul TenHaken's endorsement give Gov. Larry Rhoden in the July 28 Republic Primary runoff for governor against Toby Doeden? What will be TenHaken's legacy? Is Doeden helping or hurting himself more with continued scorched earth rhetoric and campaign signs that save "Vote Doeden: Save SD" Does South Dakota need to be saved? If so, from what? Lalley-gag with us for the answers. Also today:

Logos on unis? NDSU doing it; What about SDSU & USD? Also, Sioux Falls' NCAA men's bid falls short & Dan Patrick calls out Kevin O'Connell's tap dancing

North Dakota State played a game of "Let's Make a Deal," and now Bison athletes will literally wear the deal. And likely, so, too, will Jackrabbit and Coyote athletes. Someday. On Monday, NDSU athletics announced a multi-year partnership with a local corporation to wear that company's logo on all of its athletic uniforms for lots and lots of money — all in the name of staying competitive nationally in the arms race of Div. I sports, especially in the FBS realm the football program is entering. So, where is the school going to get the money? From a bank, of course. Gate City Bank, a Fargo-based institution worth almost $4 billion. Its president since 2019 Kevin Hanson sat at a podium Monday in Fargo with as wide a grin as smiles of NDSU's athletics director Matt Larsen and football coach Tim Polasek. The three spent a half-hour glowing in the radiance of a partnership they all said repeatedly was more than transactional. After that, four student-athletes — two of them football players — walked up next to the podium to model the Gate City Bank logo, which took up a small portion of their threads: 4 inches by 4 inches. "One thing we heard from student-athletes across the country is they don't want to look like NASCAR," said Larsen, who's served on multiple NCAA committees and helped shape the organization's jersey patch policy. According to the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, NDSU becomes the fourth school in the Mountain West Conference to make a corporate patch deal and that partnership is believed to be worth around the same as Wyoming's recently-inked deal in April with Tallgrass Energy out of Kansas worth a reported $4.5 million over five years. Deals at UNLV (Acesso Biologics, a Las Vegas-based leader in medicine, a five-year deal worth $11 million) and Air Force (five years, $10 million deal with USAA) are about twice as big as NDSU's. So, what should fans make of this? Is it college sports selling its soul? Yep. But is the price worth it? Only if you want your team to afford winning at all costs. Is it coming to South Dakota's Div. I teams? South Dakota athletic director Jon Schemmel and SDSU A.D. Justin Sell both responded promptly to Sioux Falls Live's inquiry. "Yes, we absolutely are seeking those types of parnerships moving forward," Schemmel wrote in a text. "We aren't in a hurry to do it but confidentwe will find the right partner(s) for those kind of partnerships in the future." Sell's text was similar: "We are actively working on all revenue streams and opportunities, including jersey patches." The Happy Hour host plays a couple of the most important soundbites from the NDSU presser and weighs in on what this means for the ever-growing, ever-branding new world of college sports, especially in South Dakota. Sioux Falls falls short in NCAA Div. I men's hoops bid Also, Sioux Falls is was not the city the NCAA chose to be the other host city for the newly-expanded "play-in" rounds of the men's Div. I basketball tournament. The nod went to Wichita to join Dayton for those games, which take shape on the Tuesday and Wednesday before the real March Madness of the round of 64 tips off on Thursday and Friday, all as a result of the recently-approved expansion of the field from 68 to 76 teams. Boise, Des Moines, and Albuquerque were other reported bidders. Twice this spring Happy Hour chatted with Sioux Falls Sports Authority project director Jerry Palleschi about the city's bid to add that crown jewel event to the expanding list of college events coming to the city, a list that includes two NCAA men's hockey regionals, an NCAA women's hoops regional (featuring South Carolina) and multiple Div. II national championships in basketball, wrestling and volleyball. So, why didn't our fair city get the call this time? The Happy Hour host suggests there are good reasons—none of which mean Sioux Falls wasn't a worthy option—and we should have seen it coming. Dan Patrick shows Kevin O'Connell how to answer the QB inquiry The Minnesota Vikings head coach tried his best to deliver his company line about the "open competition" between veteran Kyler Murray and struggling sophomore J.J. McCarthy at quarterback. Kevin O'Connell was not in welcoming company for that line. Legendary sports talk host Dan Patrick not only refused to accept KOC's tapdance but also told O'Connell what he should say. Needless to say, DP does not feel it is actually an open competition. Hear him hilariously pick KOC apart in a good natured, poke-in-ribs sort of way.

SD Sports Lounge: Mike Daly (SDSU legend), Mike McFeely (Forum columnist) on NDSU's foray into FBS), Jerry Brewer (The Athletic) on covering World Cup, and Zach Borg on Kairos Volleyball Club

The man who changed the face of South Dakota State football isn't John Stiegelmeier. It was the head coach who preceded Stig: Mike Daly. At least, that is what Stigelmeier said in his recently-released biography book Stig & The Rise of South Dakota State Football by Tanner Castora. A Fairmont, Minnesota, and Augustana football standout, Daly was a young SDSU defensive coordinator when he hired Stiegelmeier as a volunteer student assistant in 1977. After Daly spent 12 seasons away from SDSU from 1979-90 — as DC under Don Morton for successful stints at North Dakota State and Tulsa before a three-year disaster at Wisconsin — Daly was hired as Jackrabbits' head coach after the 1990 season. The Jacks had suffered back-to-back losing seasons, including 3-8 in 1990. Daly encountered an underfunded and under-prioritized program and immediately turned it around. After six winning seasons — SDSU won six or seven games every year, was 40-24 overall and 31-22 in the North Central Conference — Daly walked away from the school and from coaching for the rest of his life. Stiegelmeier took over. It took a while, but the rest is history— SDSU became an FCS powerhouse and eventual national champion. Daly detailed his time at SDSU and other captivating stories from his football journey in a 100-minute interview on [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/happy-hour-mike-daly-the-man-who-changed-the-face-of-sdsu-football]Happy Hour with John Gaskins [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/happy-hour-mike-daly-the-man-who-changed-the-face-of-sdsu-football]. A portion of that conversation — Daly creating and producing his own weekly TV show to bring more attention to the Jackrabbits — leads off this week's South Dakota Sports Lounge, a weekly show that features the hand-picked "best" local segments of the week from daily sports programs in the Forum Communications family, concluding with a feature story from Zach Borg. Here are the other shows' picks for July 6-10: Hot Mic with Dom Izzo (Fargo): Veteran Forum of Fargo-Moorhead columnist Mike McFeely previews North Dakota State's maiden voyage in the FBS and next week's Mountain West Conference media days. Will the Bison contend for the title right away? The Nate Brown Show (Rapid City): Jerry Brewer (senior columinst at The Athletic) shares his his experience covering the World Cup. Zach Borg feature: A close-up look at the Kairos Volleyball Club in Sioux Falls, rated as a Top 40 club in the United States. It has pumped out dozens of eventual college players and stars like Nebraska's three-time Big Ten Setter of the Year, Bergen Reilly.

FULL SHOW: MVFC top topics on a Thirsty Thursday & SD prep hoops legend Nate Malchow on his prolific career and surviving cancer

Nobody prepares to be diagnosed with cancer. But nobody seems better equipped to handle and battle it than Nate Malchow. After 40 years of competing and coaching sports (and some music) at a high level and with unrelenting focus and conviction, Malchow says he had the right mindset to tackle the chemotherapy, radiation, physical and mental fatigue, worries and doubts, and ability to keep loved ones uplifted. The Sioux Falls Washington activities director details that experience with the same down-to-earth and exacting way he drew up game plans and inspired girls basketball players to reach their full potential when he was the Warriors' head coach from 2005-14. In those nine years, Malchow turned a flattened program into a state powerhouse that won three titles and reached an additional championship game. At 36, the former Aberdeen Central and Concordia-Moorhead post player stepped down from coaching to take the WHS A.D. job. Why? With plenty of adversity and winning under his belt, Malchow told stories about these life events and more in an hour-plus conversation at Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls, appropriately on the east side of the city, 2.5 miles from WHS. He also had stories about being ACHS teammates with current Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel, and playing against some of the Universtiy of Minnesota players who led the Golden Gophers to the Final Four in 1997. He also shared stories about his first coaching job as a graduate assistant for SDSU legend Scott Nagy, and his several years under Fred Tibbetts, one of the best girls' coaches in state history. All along the way, you'll find out why Malchow had the fight in him to overcome cancer and far more basketball opponents that overcame him. Thirsty Thursday MVFC '26 overview News flash: North Dakota State is no longer in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Safe to say, the league is now up for grabs without the team that won 12 titles in 15 years, right? Or will South Dakota State just perk back up to No. 1, as the Jackrabbits did for three out of four seasons in 2020-23? That's one MVFC topic the Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sports reporter Trent Singer covered on a "Thirsty Thursday" from kRav'N Bar & Grill. But, there are so many more topics to toss ahead of Tuesday's MVFC Media Day in Sioux Falls. You can watch Sioux Falls Live's coverage live starting Tuesday at 9 a.m. here on Sioux Falls Live [https://www.siouxfallslive.com/ksfltv] or on KSFL-TV (Ch. 36 over-air, Ch. 616 Midco). A subscription to Midwest Sports+ [https://www.midwestsportsplus.com/] — which includes access to live local high school football games this fall and dozens of prep football and basketball games from last season — will allow you to watch the coverage on your television with the MS+ app. The Thirsty Thursday guys also talk about the most intriguing things about the MVFC in '26, topics to bring up on Tuesday: * What is in place at SDSU to prevent the late-season four-game collapse after Chase Mason (and other key players) was hurt? * Who is in the Jacks' running back stable to give the run game and "explosive play" game a much needed boost? * Who, if anyone, emerged from the pack during the spring in USD's three-horse quarterback race under new head coach Matt Vitzthum? * What is in store for the SDSU and USD defenses? * Which of the non-South Dakota teams seems most equipped to win the league? After kicking around these topics, the hosts dig into the recent surges of the Minnesota Twins and Sioux Falls Canaries.