On Saturdays in the fall of 2014 you could find Luke Krempges and his family in Brookings cheering on the South Dakota State football team. Krempges’ dad works at Sanford with the Jackrabbits team doctor so his family has been the beneficiary of plenty of extra tickets.
Fast forward 10 years to June 10, 2024 and Krempges was back in Brookings. The Lincoln defensive linesman was in the South Dakota State players lounge, accompanied by the Jackrabbits coaching staff after competing in their camp earlier in the day. In a “full-circle” moment, SDSU football coach Jimmy Rogers brought Krempges and his family into a room where he told them he felt like Krempges could make a real impact on their team and offered him a scholarship to play for the Jackrabbits.
“We all just immediately lit up because we’d been hoping for it for so long, and I’ve been working for it for so long,” Krempges said. “It was just a great feeling.”
On the drive home to Sioux Falls, Krempges thought about his options aloud with his parents.
The Lincoln rising senior held offers from Augustana, the University of Sioux Falls, and Minnesota State Mankato, but South Dakota State was the best option for him. Not only had it always been a dream for him to wear the SDSU football jersey, but he also quickly developed a bond with the coaching staff and appreciated how they treated him and his family.
Krempges announced his commitment to South Dakota State on Wednesday, June 12.
“My goal for a long time has been SDSU,” Krempges said. “So if I was going to get the offer, I was going to pull the trigger pretty quick.”
Krempges will join a Jackrabbits roster that includes his Patriots teammate Jack Smith.
“We’d always kind of talk about teaming up again,” Krempges said. “It’s cool to finally have it be official.”
The commitment has brought a weight off the rising senior’s shoulders. He’s excited to focus on his senior year and compete for another state championship with Lincoln, the reigning 11AAA state champions.
Krempges will join an SDSU team that just went 15-0 in 2023 en route to their second consecutive FCS national championship and are favorites to repeat this season.
Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at@JFERN31
