South Dakota Mines Hardrockers

The South Dakota Mines Hardrockers (also referred to as the South Dakota Tech Hardrockers, SDSMT Hardrockers, and SDSM&T Hardrockers) are the athletic teams that represent South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, located in Rapid City, South Dakota, in Division II intercollegiate sports of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Hardrockers primarily compete as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for all 11 varsity sports.

South Dakota Mines Hardrockers
Logo
UniversitySouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology
ConferenceRocky Mountain Athletic Conference
NCAADivision II
Athletic directorJoel Lueken
LocationRapid City, South Dakota
Varsity teams11
Football stadiumO'Harra Stadium
Basketball arenaKing Center
Soccer stadiumSioux Park Stadium
MascotGrubby the Miner
NicknameHardrockers
ColorsNavy blue and Vegas gold[1]
   
Websitegorockers.com

The men's soccer team competed in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) from the 2013 to the 2014 fall seasons, and football, which also joined the GNAC from the 2014 to the 2015 fall seasons.[2]

On January 20, 2014, South Dakota Mines had accepted an invitation to join the RMAC; most Hardrockers teams joined the RMAC on July 1, 2014 while men's soccer and football moved from the GNAC after the 2014 and 2015 fall seasons respectively.[3]

History

The South Dakota Mines (SDSM&T) athletic teams are called the Hardrockers, coming from its mining background. Miners would use a rocker box as a more efficient means of panning for gold. The history of the athletic programs stretch back to 1895 when the first school football team formed, originally named the "Longhairs".[4]

The Hardrockers formerly competed as members of the Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2000–01 to 2010–11, and were former members of the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) (also from the NAIA) until after the 1999–2000 school year. South Dakota Mines completed the transition form the NAIA to the NCAA in July 2013.[5]

South Dakota Mines' chief rival is Black Hills State University, located less than 50 miles away in Spearfish, South Dakota. The last football game of the regular season between the two schools is called the Black Hills Brawl, whose winner gets the traveling Homestake Trophy. The Hardrockers' other current rivalries include Colorado School of Mines and Chadron State College. The Eagle-Rock Trophy was created in 2016 to commemorate the past football games and proximity with Chadron State.

Varsity sports

Teams

References
  1. South Dakota Mines Branding Guidelines. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  2. Looney, Josh (July 15, 2013). "Division II adds new conference, members". NCAA. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2013.
  3. "South Dakota School of Mines & Technology approved as 15th member of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference".
  4. "1890s". Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
  5. "'Rockers enter final year to becoming NCAA member". Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
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