South Dakota high school football team uses “Star Wars” theme for its 2025 schedule reveal

6 hours ago 1

Many college football and NFL teams have utilized creative and innovative elements to unveil its respective season schedules in recent years.

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) May 12, 2023— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) September 21, 2021

Now, one high school football program is using its own creative twist to hype its upcoming season.

Pierre (South Dakota) T.F. Riggs High School released a video promoting its 2025 schedule, using the opening text crawl made popular by the opening scene in the 1977 original “Star Wars” movie and its subsequent sequels.

Or, if you will, the 1980s classic parody movie “Spaceballs” and its upcoming sequel.

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 12, 2025

For Pierre, nicknamed the Governors due to its location in South Dakota’s capital city, it used the “Star Wars” text crawl to describe what the team plans to accomplish in 2025.

2025 Schedule is set! #gogovs #theempirestrikesback https://t.co/ccTpsP4l5F

— Pierre Governor Football (@pierre_football) June 25, 2025

“It is a new era for The Governors,” the crawl reads. “With a legacy forged in championships and a hunger that never fades, they enter the 2025 season with renewed and unshakable purpose.

“Now, as the 2025 season dawns, The Governors return - not to defend a title, but to reclaim their legacy.

“Their sights are set on redemption. Their resolve is unbreakable. And the league will soon be reminded…..

“The dynasty is far from over.”

Then the crawl shows the Governors’ opponents this season, starting with their Week 1 game against Aberdeen Central, which will be played in Pierre on Aug. 29.

At the end of the video is the Governors’ season theme, “The Empire Strikes Back,” which, of course, was the name of the sequel movie to “Star Wars,” which came out in 1980.

— Matt Kerney (@MattKerney) June 25, 2025

It’s also a reference to the Governors’ mission to reclaim championship glory. Pierre has won eight South Dakota state titles since 2013, including a run of seven straight from 2017-23 until that streak was broken last season with a 14-13 loss to Watertown in the Class 11AA state championship game.

So, should Pierre recapture a title trophy this fall, it may be interesting to see what the theme and motif the Governors will use to hype up the 2026 season.