Bob Burns dreamed up the idea of opening the 1978 football season with a festive day-long event centered around one thing – a football game against North Dakota’s Fargo Shanley High School. The event, he hoped, would provide family entertainment while drawing in enough corporate support to fund the entire O’Gorman Athletic Department for a year. It was to be held at Howard Wood Field to accommodate the almost certain huge crowd.
Currently, the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl is the largest high school bowl game in South Dakota, raising more than $140,000 annually for all eight of Bishop O’Gorman Catholic Schools! Many other high schools and communities across the state have tried to duplicate the Dakota Bowl, but ours is the ORIGINAL. It brings together the Sioux Falls community to showcase our talented high school athletes and to celebrate football. Families enjoy all-day tailgates, football and cheerleading camps for kids, fireworks, airplane flyovers and even skydivers landing on the football field.
A big Knights thank you to everyone that came out to the big game, had fun at the tailgate, watched from home or at a participating business. The day was filled with fun and excitement! A special thank you to all of our awesome sponsors and volunteers who helped make Dakota Bowl XLII a success!
Go Knights!
View our slideshow for photos from the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl XLII.
In 2019, we celebrated the 41st annual Dakota Bowl filled with family, friends, fun and, of course, Knights football.
We want to extend a very big thank you to all of our students, families, alumni, volunteers and supporters of the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl XLI for making it a fun-filled event.
View our slideshow below for photos from the day of Bob Burns Dakota Bowl XLI including football and cheer camps, tailgating and pre-game.
Forty years of football tradition were on display at this year’s Bob Burns Dakota Bowl XL with the O’Gorman Knights celebrating a victory over the Washington High School Warriors, 42-33. The Knights wore green in honor of their predecessors, the Cathedral Irish, who battled the Warriors decades ago.
An “XL” thank you to all of our students, families, alumni and supporters of this year’s Bob Burns Dakota Bowl XL, celebrating fun, fundraising and football!
View our slideshow for photos from the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl XL.
