South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski, the reigning FCS player of the year, has entered the transfer portal, The Athletic confirmed Sunday. ESPN first reported Gronowski’s portal entry.

Gronowski guided the Jackrabbits to national titles in 2022 and 2023 and a semifinal appearance this fall. During the 2023 season, Gronowski swept nearly every national honor, including the coveted Walter Payton Award, FCS’s version of the Heisman Trophy. He is a Walter Payton Award finalist again this year.

This season, Gronowski completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 2,721 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also rushed for 380 yards and 10 scores. In four seasons with the Jackrabbits, Gronowski threw for 10,330 yards, 93 touchdowns and 20 interceptions while rushing for 1,767 yards and 37 scores.

As a true freshman in 2020-21, Gronowski guided the program to a championship appearance in the spring of 2021 but suffered an injury that cost him the 2021 fall season. He was 49-6 as the Jackrabbits’ starting quarterback.

Gronowski, who stands 6-feet-3 and weighs 230 pounds, also could declare for the NFL draft. Three weeks ago, he accepted an invitation to compete in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

A mechanical engineering major from Naperville, Ill., Gronowski’s portal entry comes one day after coach Jimmy Rogers left South Dakota State for Washington State. Gronowski joins sophomore receiver Griffin Wilde (71 catches, 1,154 yards, 12 touchdowns) as coveted South Dakota State players entering the portal this weekend.

Where could Gronowski go?

If Gronowski chooses to transfer, three schools immediately stand out as possible destinations. He could join Rogers at Washington State, which lost star quarterback John Mateer to Oklahoma. Gronowski could transfer to Northwestern, where former offensive coordinator Zach Lujan enters his second year at that position with Northwestern. A potential wild card is Iowa, which is located about three hours west of Gronowski’s Chicagoland hometown and needs a starting quarterback.

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(Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Tradition and symbolism of freedom, peace and hope carry the holiday known as the Festival of Lights.

For Rabbi Mendel Alperowitz of the Chabad Jewish Center of South Dakota, Chanukah has always been a joyous time.

“The best memories I have as a child growing up are of Chanukah, lighting those candles, those colorful candles, spinning that dreidel,” recalled Alperowitz.

The eight-day celebration is observed annually to remember the rededication of the Jewish temple following an important battle between the Assyrian Greeks and the Maccabees. It’s often called the Maccabean Revolt, which took the temple back for the Jewish people, and the word Chanukah means “dedication.”

Every year, the Jewish community of South Dakota holds an event to celebrate together. Notably, the biggest change of this year’s celebration event was the new location to accommodate a growing Jewish community in South Dakota. Last year was hosted at the Empire Mall, but this year was hosted at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance.

They were grateful for local leadership who they believed helped to foster the growth of the community and partnering with different faiths. The Chabad Jewish Center of South Dakota brought in Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken to help light the menorah.

“I think it’s very important when we can have events like this just to remember how different we are, but how alike we are at the same time and to be able to come out and just publicly express that we are one Sioux Falls,” TenHaken explained. “I use that term all the time whether it’s our Jewish community, our Muslim community, our Christian community or people who practice no religion at all. We’re all part of one community. We coexist together.”

The menorah was one of many fun touches to this year’s gathering. The gelt drop, where chocolate coins are dropped for children, was done with assistance from Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. The seven-foot menorah itself was made out of Legos by children of the South Dakota Jewish community.

“It was exciting to watch them build it and it’s going to be very exciting to light it this evening,” Alprerowitz said.

For Rabbi Alperowitz, there was an emphasis on creating something for the whole family and involving youth in their longstanding traditions of the Jewish faith.

“Like so much of Judaism, Chanukah is really all about the children,” described Alperowitz. “It’s a time for families and children especially to gather, to learn the traditions, learn the sacred ideas of our heritage and our faith and to keep that going for the next generation. ”

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