The North Dakota Fighting Hawks have added the Valparaiso Beacons to their 2027 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned. A copy of the official game contract with Valparaiso University was obtained from the University of North Dakota via a state public records request.
North Dakota will host Valparaiso at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D., on Saturday, September 4, 2027. The game will mark the fourth overall meeting between the two schools on the gridiron.
North Dakota and Valparaiso first met in football in 1920. The two schools met most recently in 2025, with the Fighting Hawks coming out on top 58-7 to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
North Dakota competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), while Valparaiso plays in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League (PFL). The Fighting Hawks finished the 2025 season 8-6 overall, while the Beacons recorded a 2-10 mark.
With the addition of Valparaiso, North Dakota now has all four of its non-conference opponents for the 2027 season. The Fighting Hawks will open the season on the road against LIU on August 28 before later hosting Idaho on Sept. 11 and visiting Iowa on Sept. 18.
North Dakota is the second known non-conference opponent for Valparaiso in 2027. The Beacons are also slated to visit Illinois State on Sept. 11.
North Dakota is scheduled to open the 2026 season on Thursday, Aug. 27 at home against LIU (8:00pm ET, ESPN+). Valparaiso also kicks off its campaign two days later on Saturday, Aug. 29 with a home tilt against Lawrence Tech (2:00pm ET, ESPN+).
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