Sunday, Jun 21, 2026
Has anyone from South Dakota played in Major League Soccer?
At least one person from South Dakota has played professional soccer at the highest level in the United States.
Chris Houser, who was born in Pierre and graduated high school from Sioux Falls Washington, was selected in the second round of the Major League Soccer Draft by the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1998 after he spent three years at Southern Connecticut State.
Houser played three seasons for Tampa Bay as a defender and was a Rookie of the Year nominee after his first season. While in college, he played for the national team in the World University Games in 1997.
When it comes to professional athletes, South Dakota has produced no shortage of standouts in football, basketball and baseball, but the same can’t be said for soccer. A Wikipedia page for noteworthy soccer players from South Dakota features just three names, including Houser.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Sioux Falls Live Local soccer legend Chris Houser set to bring spring showcase to Sioux Falls
- Sioux Falls Argus Leader Pro soccer beckons for Washington High School grad
- Wikipedia Soccer players from South Dakota
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by newsrooms in the Gigafact network.
See all fact briefsLatest Fact Briefs
Can Democrats change parties and vote in the SD Republican primary?
Sunday, Jun 21, 2026
Is it possible to add a fifth face to Mount Rushmore?
Monday, Jun 15, 2026
Did Larry Rhoden beat Toby Doeden in West River, South Dakota voting?
Sunday, Jun 7, 2026