North Dakota State vs. Charleston Southern tabbed as Division I opener

FCS national champion North Dakota State will open the 2016 season on Aug. 27 against Big South Conference champion Charleston Southern for the first Division I game of the year, the university announced.

The game will be broadcast on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. ET.

“The FCS Kickoff is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our football program and university on national television, and we are excited to be part of it for a second time,” NDSU athletic director Matt Larsen said in a statement. “We appreciate the relationship we have with ESPN for making this possible, and are excited about the six quality opponents coming to the Fargodome this year.”

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The Bison finished last season 13–2 with a victory over Jacksonville State in the FCS Championship Game. They became the first NCAA football team to win five consecutive championships.

The Buccaneers missed out on a trip to the FCS Championship Game as they lost to Jacksonville State in the semi-final 58–38. They finished the year with a 10–3 record after having gone 6–0 against Big South Conference opponents.