Chadron State College has made sure there will be plenty of seats for Saturday’s NCAA D-II football playoff game with West Texas A&M by leasing 4 additional sets of bleachers from Rapid City.

The city council approved the $3,000 deal yesterday during a special session called for that single issue.

Chadron State Athletic Director Brad Smith says the NCAA requires the host school in the playoffs to provide a certain number of seats for the visiting team, and the permanent seating at Elliot Field falls short of that.

The city-owned bleacher in Rapid City proved to be the best option, and Smith says the college was able to avoid any transportation costs because two local companies…Henken’s Implements and Eagle Chevrolet…provided the trucks and drivers.

Smith says Eagle Chevrolet, Wahlstrom Ford, and Tommy’s car lot are also providing vehicles free of charge for use by the president of West Texas A&M and other dignitaries…adding that such responses are just indicative of the support the community shows to Chadron State and the desire to show off the region and its people to visitors.

Chadron State is responsible for the transportation of the bleachers and any damage they might sustain while leased, but Keith L’Esperance, Rapid City’s Risk Manager, says there’s only been one incident of damage in all the years the city has been leasing out bleachers.