Jacks JFPA president & former All-America center Ryan McKnight on the '26 squad, possible future in FBS, and other CFB issues

Jacks JFPA president & former All-America center Ryan McKnight on the '26 squad, possible future in FBS, and other CFB issues

Ryan McKnight tackles the meatiest issues facing South Dakota State football the same way he blocked tacklers in the old Great West conference: He comes right at you, fearlessly and with abandon. The former All-American center who was part of the Jackrabbits' first FCS playoff team in 2010 returns to Happy Hour a year after walking us through his unique football journey [http://sports/happy-hour-sdsu-all-america-center-ryan-mcknight] from Sioux Falls Washington Warrior to SDSU walk-on to All-American. This time around, McKnight looks back on the 2025 season and predicts big things for 2026. He also weighs in on a possible FBS future for SDSU, how well NDSU will compete right away in the Mountain West, and the Brendan Sorsby gambling saga at Texas Tech. McKnight is closer to the players and coaches in the Jacks program than most people on the planet. He is the founder and president of the Jackrabbit Former Players Association (JFPA), which regularly uses former players' resources to help fund the program's endeavors. For example, players consume thousands of pounds of beef during the summer months—beef sourced directly from farms owned by alumni who are cattle ranchers. Another example: Next Friday's JFPA Football & Cheer Youth Camp and the following days JFPA golf outing. Both events will feature "A-List" former SDSU football players, including some who currently play in the NFL.

NLA: Zim on SDSU hoops newcomers, Buxton bombs, Sorsby leaving CFB, grown men wearing jerseys, World Cup interest, Dawn Plitzuweit extension, and Murray vs. McCarthy

There are weeks when Matt Zimmer and the Happy Hour host are flooded with wild local sports events or crazy controversies to react, with passionate opinions bursting like fireworks for a full hour on the weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcasts. And then there are weeks like this one in the middle of June. It's that time of the year when the mellow and dreamy 1967 Dr. Saxlove song "Groovin' on a Sunday Afternoon" comes to mind. Except, well, it's Tuesday. Which brings to mind the 1967 Moody Blues song "Tuesday Afternoon." Just as the weather shifts with every season and the sporting calendar changes speeds from "drinking from a firehose" to "a nice light sip here and there," so, too, does the nature of the weekly NLA chat. Perhaps you enjoy the more leisurely pace of baseball and golf to fill the time between the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Finals and the start of August football training camps. If so, you'll enjoy the lighter side of life this week with Matt and John. Oh, sure, they covered the latest on the Brendan Sorsby gambling scandal at Texas Tech, which took the turn Zim predicted last week. And, a deluge of incoming transfers to South Dakota State's basketball team certainly has Zim's tentacles perked about what changes are in store in Bryan Petersen's second season. But for the most part, this is about 45 minutes of lounging on the porch with an ice cold beer to the tune of topics like: * Zim's rules for grown men wearing (or not wearing) jerseys of college and professional athletes— at least in public. Hint: It depends on the age. * The Happy Hour hosts strories of 90's A-list comedians David Spade and Tom Green being naughty at University of Nebraska homecoming pep rallies * What to make of Byron Buxton putting on a bomb show night after night while the rest of the Twins struggle to generate a spark? * What to make of Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy splitting mini-camp reps? Is this really going to be an actual QB1 battle? * Dawn Plitzuweit & Mark Coyle's contracts were extended at the University of Minnesota. While Plitzuweit's deal is a no-brainer, how much does Coyle deserve to continue leading all the Gophers sports? This requires a dissection of his football and basketball coaching hires. * From this, a South Dakota-related Richard Pitino story emerges. Hey, it's June. And we're just groovin' on a Tuesday afternoon. Pull up a lawn chair, grab a beer, and groove with us.

FULL CHAT: Mike Begeman, SD Sports Hall of Fame basketball player and coach

It is difficult to find a more beloved sports figure in South Dakota than Mike Begeman. But being a gregarious and gracious good guy is not what earned the Parker native an upcoming spot in the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Begeman scored 1,477 points, was a three-time All-State shooting guard, and won 70 games (to just 10 losses) in three seasons for legendary coach Gayle Hoover in Parker in the early 1970's. At Augustana, Begeman was part of a 1978 squad that captured the North Central Conference title. Begeman was far from done winning. He immediately became a high school head coach in Colman, then secured a dream job at West Central in Hartford, close to his family farm. He did well enough there to achieve another dream: Coaching at the highest level in Class AA. O'Gorman may seem like a plum gig now, but in 1986, the Knights had gone almost 20 years without reaching the state tournament. So, how did Begeman jump start the small Sioux Falls private school back to a tourney team in just his second season? By the 1990's, the Knights were a fixture in the event, reaching the championship game four times from 1992-2005. This included each of Begeman's final two seasons at O'G, with son Mitch at point guard. And, then, poof, it was over. Begeman called it quits before age 50, choosing to accept a "private sector" job that allowed him to attend plenty of Mitch's games at USD—something being a prep bench boss would not allow. And Begeman never returned to the bench, spending over 15 years as a public relations manager, then vice president at Sanford Health. Did he miss leading young men on the hardwood? Did he have any regrets about switching gears? With a 329-212 record over 26 seasons as coach and 399-222 mark when factoring in his Parker playing days, the only coaching feat Begeman did not reach was hoisting the state title trophy. So, what did it mean to Begeman when Mitch led Sioux Falls Roosevelt to wins over O'Gorman and Begeman's replacement, Derek Robey in back-to-back seasons of 2021 and '22? Now over four years retired from Sanford, Begeman still spends time in leadership roles and recently won a landslide election to be a Minnehaha County precinct committeeman. Begeman sits down with the Happy Hour host for almost 80 minutes for a look back at a basketball life well lived... and one that's still going strong.

Mike Begeman, part 2: Augie, the coaching years & a career change

The Parker High School star was part of a 1978 NCC title team with Augustana, then jumped straight into head coaching at the varsity high school level— Colman, West Central, and O'Gorman. Hear about the revival of the Knights program, some epic state championship games, and the emotion of watching son Mitch lead Roosevelt to two state titles. Why did Mike hang it up before age 50, and why does he have no regrets about it? Begeman is going into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame this September.

Mike Begeman, part 1: Retirement & The Parker Years

The former O'Gorman, West Central, and Colman coach who became a Sanford Health executive describes what retirement has been like and takes us back to his formative years on the farm near Parker and playing for prep legend Gayle Hoover.