Coyote pride is alive and well on USD's campus.The women's team is playing for a national title this weekend, and Vermillion is right at the center of the action.
Madness will take over the DakotaDome once more when the USD women's team battles for a WNIT championship this weekend. A sea of red and white is likely to fill the stands.
"Kind of have to. It's kind of fun to see them doing so well," USD Sophomore Nicole Rindfleisch said.
"I'm hoping we can pull out a 'W' and I'd want to be there for that," USD Sophomore Nicholas Wood said.
USD Sophomore Nicholas Wood calls the national success and exposure surreal.
"I had faith in our girls to really start pulling out the 'W's, but I mean it's just crazy to think that we've had that much success that we'd get to host a national championship," Wood said.
Fan dedication played a role in scoring the championship game. High attendance numbers and fan reaction make a school's bid to host a game more attractive to the WNIT.
"Because we have 5,000 people show up for the semi finals, we're able to announce and host the finals. Every time is was a community effort from our administration, to the fans coming out, to our team winning, and the excitement," USD Senior Associate Athletic Director Dan Gaston said.
Gaston says the championship game could potentially sell out.That's thanks to the fans who are hoping for a happy ending as the Coyotes make one last run in the DakotaDome.
"You can tell that everybody is super proud of our girls team and everyone would love nothing more than to have them take home a championship, especially one hosted in Vermillion," Wood said.
The game tips off on Saturday at 2:00 in Vermillion.