North Dakota State, The Citadel schedule football series for 2025, 2027

By Kevin Kelley -

The North Dakota State Bison and The Citadel Bulldogs have scheduled a home-and-home football series for the 2025 and 2027 seasons, both schools announced on Tuesday.

In the first game of the series, North Dakota State will travel to take on The Citadel at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, S.C., on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. The series will conclude two seasons later when the Bison host the Bulldogs at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2027.

The 2025 contest will mark the first-ever gridiron matchup between North Dakota State and The Citadel. The Bison are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), while the Bulldogs compete in the Southern Conference (SoCon).

After opening the 2025 season at The Citadel, North Dakota State is scheduled to visit the Tennessee State Tigers on Sept. 6, marking the first time the Bison will open with back-to-back road games since 2014. North Dakota State is also slated to host the St. Thomas Tommies on Nov. 22 that season and can schedule one additional non-conference contest because 2025 is a 12-game season for the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

“This series will be great for our football program and our institution,” said The Citadel head coach Maurice Drayton. “These games will be a good barometer of where our program stacks up against the elite programs in the FCS. For us to be a championship level team, these are the games we are going to need to play and win.”

The Citadel can also add one additional non-conference opponent to their 2025 slate. After hosting the Bison to start the season, the Bulldogs travel for a pair of road games at the Ole Miss Rebels on Sept. 6 and at the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs on Sept. 13.

“The Citadel is very excited to be entering into a home-and-home series with one of the top FCS programs in the country,” said The Citadel director of athletics Mike Capaccio. “I believe our fans will be looking forward to hosting a game against NDSU.”

Football Schedules

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Comments (7)

I wonder if/when NDSU and/or SDSU will move up to FCS.
I can understand why they might want to keep their other sports in the Summit League, but I wonder if the MAC, C-USA, or MWC could invite them as football-only members.

It’s possible, but why?

Evan , go to FCS Division 1 Playoffs/ Championships on Wikipedia.

None of the former 1AA Teams, Championship Subdivision Now, on the List has been able to gain entry to a Trust 6, Trust 5 Conference.

The FWAA, the AP sports writers Poll, the Sports Information Directors “Coaches”(Poll), the Exec. Director Bill Hancock selected CFP Administration, LLC’ s Committee, ESPN, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, CBS Sports Network Polls won’t rank a MAC, SBC, MW, C-USA Team in the Top 25 @ the same Time, EVER.
They’ll rank 1 AAC or MW Team, 1 SBC, MAC or C-USA Team, occasionally there will be 3 of those Five Conferences ranked, always 1 in the Teens & Spots 20-25.

¿ What’s the Point of going to 1 invisible exhibition bowl Game in the Post season for a few of these former 1AA, 🏈 Championship Division Teams each Year?

Check it out @ FCS Division 1 Championship on Wikipedia & you’ll see.

ALL the MAC, ALMOST all the SBC, several of the MW, about half of the New AAC, (I didn’t even count how many) C-USA Teams were FCS.
None of those Teams receive more Opportunity now than they did when they participated in the Division 1 🏈 Championship Playoffs.

You’re not wrong Todd. Although schools like Boise State, UCF, App State, Marshall, Liberty, and Coastal Carolina (and JMU looks like they’re trending in the right direction), have moved up and have had pretty good years at the FBS level.

Dan-ke Evan,
I didn’t realize UCF was. 1AA Team 1st.

After 2023.07.01. Big 12 Entrance becomes Official; UCF will be the Ceiling breaker for a former 1AA 🏈 Championship Program in 1A Bowl Division History.

Considering football only generated revenue, the average Group-of-5 school earns $10.5 million per season. Currently North Dakota State ($5,914,804 million) and South Dakota State ($4,322,782 million) average less than half the FCS figure. Don’t wonder too much; they would bring nothing to an FBS conference.