The North Dakota State Bison will move up from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and join the Mountain West Conference in 2026, the school officially announced Monday.
North Dakota State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) since the 2008 season. Prior to joining the MVFC, the Bison competed in the Great West Conference from 2004 through 2007.
“This is a proud moment for NDSU,” said David Cook, 15th president of North Dakota State University. “We’ve built something special here by being thoughtful, disciplined, and willing to take bold steps when the time is right. We’ve made a move like this before, and it strengthened our university in lasting ways. Joining the Mountain West builds on that legacy and reflects our confidence in the people, programs, and purpose that define NDSU. It allows us to extend our impact, expand our national connections, and create new opportunities for our students and community while staying true to our mission.”
North Dakota State’s résumé is among the strongest in FCS history. The Bison have claimed 10 national championships since 2011, won 10 Missouri Valley Football Conference titles, and compiled a 51‑6 playoff record since 2008—the most postseason victories in subdivision history. The Bison are also 9‑5 against FBS opponents, with wins over Kansas State, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Iowa.
“This is a historic day for NDSU Athletics. Our football program has earned this opportunity through the sustained success and leadership of our student-athletes and coaches past and present,” said NDSU Director of Athletics Matt Larsen. “Joining the Mountain West is an exciting new opportunity for our team to compete at the highest level, for our fans to see FBS opponents coming to Fargo, and for Bison football to reach a wider national audience through expanded television coverage.”
With the addition of North Dakota State in 2026, the Mountain West Conference will have a roster of 10 football-playing members. NDSU will join Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Illinois, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP, and Wyoming.
“We are thrilled to welcome North Dakota State University’s football program to the Mountain West,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “The Bison bring a championship mindset and a bold vision for growth that aligns with the unwavering commitment to the excellence of the Mountain West. Their dedication to elevating the student‑athlete experience — on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community — will energize the Mountain West and help propel our football profile to new heights nationwide.”
As a member of the Mountain West Conference, North Dakota State will play an eight-game league schedule with four non-conference opponents. NDSU will begin a two-year reclassification period this fall and will not be eligible for a postseason bowl game or the College Football Playoff until 2028. However, the Bison could be selected for a bowl game if there are not enough bowl-eligible teams nationally.
North Dakota State has non-conference opponents scheduled out to the 2030 season, and it remains to be seen which of those games, if any, will be played as scheduled.
It also remains to be seen whether the Bison will continue their annual rivalry against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, a contest which is dubbed the Dakota Marker.
I thought North Dakota State would jump to FBS more sooner at least that NDSU got something that been long overdue & I am feeling excellent that they are taking a chance with it & confident that NDSU will succeed in G6.
Mountain West now in an interesting position with 10 full members, but two non-football (UC Davis & GCU), and two football-only members (NIU & NDSU). Of course there is a chance that UC Davis will have FBS in the next 10 years, but nothing is guaranteed right now. You also have to wonder if South Dakota State will join for football only as well.
I imagine the Thanksgiving weekend matchups will be:
Hawai’i-SJSU
Nevada-UNLV
UNM-UTEP
Wyoming-Air Force
NDSU-NIU
I like those Thanksgiving weekend matchups. I hope the MWC schedules that way, but already there is an issue for this year. Hawaii plays Massachusetts that weekend.
Evan Excellent suggestion for Thanksgiving weekend games especially NIU-NDSU.
Good catch Dave. That means someone will have to have a bye on Week 13.
Aside from Hawai’i, I see that UNLV is the only other team that plays on Week 0. NDSU also has a game scheduled for that weekend, but I imagine it will be cancelled. That means UNLV would be a good candidate to have a Week 13 bye. Here’s my revised version:
Hawai’i-UMass
SJSU-Nevada
UNM-UTEP
Wyoming-Air Force
NDSU-NIU
Bye: UNLV
Also, Wyoming is suppose to face UConn that weekend
We have been waiting 55 years for the North Dakota State vs Northern Illinois rivalry to resume. It’s about damn time!
Well then, I guess it will be:
Hawai’i-UMass
Wyoming-UConn
Nevada-UNLV
UNM-UTEP
SJSU-Air Force
NDSU-NIU
As an FCS fan, I hate to see them leave, but this is the right move. They’re a geographic fit and the Mountain West is not full of juggernauts. They’ll be fine right away and should contend for conference titles. They’ll never win a CFP championship, but after Indiana, maybe I should never say never.
When Tim Polasek decided to stay and not leave for Oregon State last fall, we should have known that something was up.
I thnk the fans in Fargo are happy. Yes, they will no longer dominant FCS, but think about those who have season tickets. Most games, it’s 28-3 at halftime. In the third quarter, it’s 41-10.
It’s BORING.
Now, when you play at home versus UNLV, and Hawaii et al, there will be some drama, some white knucklers. Yes, you want your team to win every game, but if you’re paying $250 per seat for your six hime games, you want to be entertained. Winning by 21 plus points each game gets old, in my opinion.
I’m looking forward to this. I rooted against them in FCS–they were the bully–now, I’ll root for them.
I don’t think I’m alone here.
Your allowed to feel however you want but I would´ve thought that since your an FCS fan you would be celebrating now that they´re insane run of dominance is over. The FCS is about to get really exciting.
Good points, but to be the best, you must beat the best and NDSU was the best and if you beat them, you know you did something special. Illinois State did that in 2025, but let the FCS Championship Game get away by not being able to kick FGs and PATs.
But, yes, FCS is up for grabs. Montana is looking for a new coach, Montana State is the new champ. And, for the record, assuming Montana and Montana State are next up for FBS, let’s slow down here.
I can´t argue with that. Knocking off a team of that caliber brings a certain joy and satisfaction unlike any other and losing NDSU takes one of those opportunities.
*You’re allowed …
I guess too late for the Mountain West to switch to a nine game conference schedule as every team would have to cancel one non-conference game at this late date or they all play 13 games
The move should have been effective for the 2027 season. that would eliminate the rush to alter/change the 2026 schedules with little notice.
Air Force has told MWC in the past, if they went to a 9-game conference schedule they would leave the conference because they need that fourth OOC game because of the Commander in Chief trophy takes two OOC games from them. So, unless they have changed their stance on that, I don’t see MWC going to a 9 game schedule.
Also last I read/heard when a 9 game conference was brought up, it didn’t have a lot of support from other members either.
I could be wrong, but I think if NDSU had announced their intentions to move up, but decided to wait until after next year, they would be ineligible for the FCS playoffs next year. This way, they’re only postseason ineligible for one year.
8 games is fine
Should there soon be talks about the Dakota Marker coming into the FBS?
Congrats to Carson Wentz’s Alma mater.
At least Nick Foles proved that my underdog Eagles can win a Super Bowl which they hoist its first Lombardi Trophy.
ESPN 30 for 30 had a fantastic documentary about Philly Special a few evenings ago.
We lived it in January 2018. You could not miss any replay or retelling of that play either on local TV or radio. Nick Foles, Corey Clement, and Trey Burton, pure magic. And to see the Pats and TB 12 try to replicate it at midfield, only to have it doink off Not Julian Edelman’s finger tips was even sweeter.
Wow, its really happened.
Very happy for NDSU!! The closest conference member now to them is Northern Illinois?
I am very happy that NIU now have NDSU went leap frogging to FBS & heading for Mountain West.
Yep, NIU is 523 miles away. Wyoming is the next closest at 580 miles away.
Luckily for NIU and NDSU, they will compete in the Mountain West for football only, meaning their other sports will not have to travel lengthy distances all the time.
NIU will join the Horizon League (with other Great Lakes schools), while NDSU will stay in the Summit League (with other Dakota and Midwest schools).
Channeling Howard Schnellenger upon arrival at FAU decades ago, “NDSU is on a collision course with a national title. The only variable is timing.”
Good luck, Bison!
Well, now the MWC has to change their entire schedule for 2026. Shouldn’t take too long to add one team to the mix. Each team will only miss out on one team from the league.
Look forward to watching the Bison play in the MWC. Now it’ll be interesting to see who the PAC grabs as their 9th and maybe 10th football members.
The MWC never released a schedule for 2026, only opponents.
And since MWC had been talking to NDSU and Tarleton St for over a year about joining and things were pushing toward NDSU this upcoming year, I bet MWC had some sort of backup schedule or at least teams wise for if NDSU joined so there might not be changes just grabbing that backup one
All the Dakota schools should move to the MWC then.
Maybe South Dakota State but the other two have no business being in the FBS.
There are no mountains in North Dakota, but at least they are also not particularly far west.
TCU was in the Mountain West for a bit.
I remember how TCU marched right in and almost took over the MWC instead of it just being BYU and Utah dominating every year.
Texas State is now in a conference that is no longer Pacific, and no longer 12 either.
Because our opinions matter, but I want to see a new MWC:
Air Force
Hawaii
Nevada
New Mexico
San Jose St
UNLV
UTEP
Wyoming
Northern Illinois
North Dakota St
South Dakota St
Montana
Montana St
Sam Houston St
Sacramento St
Tarleton St
For all sports.
That would basically be a worse version of the 1996-99 WAC
It may be a very long time that Mountain West will have 16 teams & They are excellent with 10 teams that they have currently including newcomer North Dakota State.
Way too big
Now, 8 of the 9 MVFC need an extra conference game due to NDSU’s departure. Murray State is the only school that’s unaffected.
I went through all the schedules, and found the common open dates for their 8th conference game to be played:
8/29:
SDSU @ SIU
9/26:
ILL St @ UND
Ind St @ UNI
YSU @ USD
However, this now means that Youngstown State has only 3 home conference games, while Southern Illinois has 5. Therefore, the YSU @ SIU game would be played in Youngstown instead of Carbondale to even it out.
If the revised MW schedule has NDSU playing at Hawai’i this season, then NDSU might be USC’s week zero opponent.
Whomever it is, USC must have had a heads-up that the MW schedule was not final, so they have to wait to announce their week zero opponent given that only a team playing a game in Hawai’i this season could play USC in week zero.
Lincoln Riley isn’t going to want any part of NDSU.
And Jenny-Jen-Jen will indulge him.
Yeah why would Lincoln Riley want to schedule a potential loss when this is a make the CFP or get fired season for him?
USC is looking for an opponent to play them at the LA Coliseum in week zero, and that team has to be playing in Hawai’i in the same season and hasn’t already scheduled a week zero game.
Teams currently scheduled to play in Hawai’i but already have a week zero game on the schedule: Hawai’i (of course), NMSU, UMass, UNLV.
That leaves SJSU, Air Force, and New Mexico. USC’s week zero opponent will either be one of those three or possibly NDSU if the revised MW schedule has NDSU playing in Hawai’i in 2026.
IMO the best guess is still SJSU because there is no P4 team on their announced schedule. New Mexico has a game at Oklahoma. Air Force isn’t funded like a public university and doesn’t need to play buy games to balance its budget.
One last thing, with the MVFC down to 9 members, will they consider adding anyone?
Some people have suggested Ferris State from D2. Grand Valley State, who also plays in the GLIAC, might be a good possibility. Those two could join the Horizon League for other sports.
From the FCS ranks, perhaps Northern Colorado? I know they aren’t very good historically, but they’re not far out of the geographic footprint, and many Big Sky fans want them out. Afterall, the MVFC recently added Murray State, who is not good at football. Northern Colorado could join the Summit League for other sports, which will soon be down to 8 members.
Eastern Illinois is also an interesting candidate. The alma mater of Tony Romo and Jimmy Garoppolo hasn’t made the FCS playoffs since 2015, but was an MVFC member from 1985-95 (then-called the Gateway Football Conference). Western Illinois is another OVC member that was once an MVFC member. if EIU or WIU were to join, they would join the MVC in all other sports.
Why is everybody making a big deal of miles between schools? These football teams are fine. They fly to the games. They leave Thursday, practice Friday and leave right after the game Saturday or early Sunday morning.
Some schools have their own planes and almost all of them charter flights. Who cares how far the schools are? Buffalo is 1,388 miles from Miami–does anybody care?
Football travel is not that a big of a deal as you have noted, but travel for olympic sports is a real concern in current conference realignment. I guess that doesn´t really apply here though.