Fcs Football Central

Report: North Dakota State Receives Football-Only Invite To Join Mountain West

Could North Dakota State finally make the jump to the FBS level?
Zachary McKinnell|
The North Dakota State Bison football team runs onto the field before an FCS Playoff game against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
The North Dakota State Bison football team runs onto the field before an FCS Playoff game against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

North Dakota State Bison

It's the announcement that many FCS fans have been waiting for the past few seasons. The North Dakota State Bison could finally be headed to the FBS level, joining the Mountain West.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the Mountain West is in serious discussions with North Dakota State to add the Bison as a football-only member starting this season. Dellenger reported the deal could be finalized as soon as this weekend.

This report comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed or covered the subdivision. The Bison administration has been extremely vocal in the past few years about their intentions to make the jump to FBS when the opportunity presents itself.

If the deal is finalized, NDSU will become the 10th football-playing member of the conference. They would join Northern Illinois as the football-only members, while Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV, San Jose State, Wyoming, Hawaii, and UTEP are the full-time members.

The Bison have dominated the FCS subdivision since 2011, winning 10 FCS national championships in the past 15 seasons. They are 51-6 in postseason play since 2008, which is more FCS Playoff wins than any other program in the subdivision's history.

This past season, the Bison finished 12-1 overall, winning the Missouri Valley Conference for the 12th time since joining in 2008. Their season ended in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, losing to Illinois State by one point.

Dellenger also reported that NDSU and the Mountain West have been in discussions for more than a year, but negotiations over an entrance fee are still ongoing. The Bison will also have to pay a $5 million NCAA entry fee before moving to the FBS level.

North Dakota State AD Matt Larsen recently told Dom Izzo that the program's interest in exploring a move to FBS was as strong as it's ever been.

"I would say in terms of our position, I think both myself and President Cook, we want to play at the highest level," Larsen said. "And right now, the highest level is FBS football. And so, I think the things we've done over the course of the last decade have positioned us to be able to do that.

"And if there's an opportunity, I think it's something we would absolutely explore. If there's not an opportunity, we're poised to continue competing at FCS at a really, really high level and compete for championships. So, I would say in terms of our position, it hasn't changed at all, and our interest of at least exploring that is as strong as it's ever been."

Now we wait for an official announcement. It's a move that's been brewing for a while and one that I think will be beneficial for North Dakota State and the FCS level. We'll have more on that after the deal is finalized.

Stay tuned for more information and key updates.

Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.

Published
Zachary McKinnell
ZACHARY MCKINNELL

Zach McKinnell is the Founder and Senior Editor of FCS Football Central. He is also a columnist for HERO Sports and a contributor for Athlon Sports. In 2022, he became an official voter in the FCS Stats Perform Top-25. He is a former contributor for Vols Wire, part of the USA TODAY Sports Network, and Fly War Eagle on FanSided. Zach graduated from Auburn University in 2018.

Share on XFollow @zachmckinnell
Home/MVFC