Why NDSU football's Jump to FBS Should Catch the Gophers' Attention

There will be a new Midwest FBS team next season.

North Dakota State Bison football runs out to the field for their semi-final game against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Fargodome in Fargo, Nouth Dakota. | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

North Dakota State has officially announced its long-awaited jump to the Football Subdivision (FBS) level to join the Mountain West Conference after dominating the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for two decades. Here's why the move could impact the Gophers as soon as next season.

Any Midwest college football fan is fully aware of the Bison's dominance. Since officially jumping to Division I in 2004, they've won 10 FCS national championships. Longtime head coach Craig Bohl won the first three titles, but Chris Klieman, Matt Entz, and Tim Polasek all proved that their success is much more than coaching. They found an identity that resulted in one of the greatest dynasties in the history of college football, regardless of level.

NDSU will compete in the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member in 2026. Other teams in the conference include New Mexico, UNLV, UTEP, Wyoming, Northern Illinois, San Jose State, Nevada, Air Force, and Hawaii. The Bison will have a real chance of competing for a title as soon as next season, but their postseason chances will be impacted by the transition period due to the jump in levels.

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Why this impacts the Gophers

As much as things change, college sports are still regional at their core. NDSU is now the second closest FBS program in the country to the University of Minnesota, in terms of home stadium to home stadium.

1. Iowa State, 220 miles
2. North Dakota State, 245 miles
3. Wisconsin, 268 miles
4. Iowa, 303 miles
5. Northwestern, 408 miles

Recruiting

Minnesota always competes against its Big Ten peers, such as Wisconsin and Iowa, for local recruits. Iowa State's emergence under Matt Campbell caused the Cyclones to recruit the state of Minnesota quite well, landing notable players such as two-time Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year Carson Hansen, and Coon Rapids standout Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman, among others.

Campbell is now at Penn State, so there is a crop of local Minnesota recruits for new head coach Jimmy Rogers, P.J. Fleck, or now North Dakota State to pursue. As much as the transfer portal and NIL have changed the sport, local recruiting is still a huge factor in college football roster construction. The Bison have developed Minnesota stars like Trey Lance and Dillon Radunz into NFL Draft picks at the FCS level, so they will certainly have a strong recruiting pitch at the FBS level.

Will they play each other?

The Gophers have played the Bison three times since they became a Division I program. NDSU has won the last two matchups, in 2011 and 2007, and Minnesota's lone win was 10-9 in 2006. The Bison's jump from FCS to FBS doesn't change the fact that they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by playing the Gophers.

There's not an opponent Minnesota could schedule out of conference that would generate more buzz locally than NDSU. It's almost guaranteed to be a sellout, and it would result in a lot more interest than playing an FCS team like Eastern Illinois or a MAC team like Akron, which are two games currently on Minnesota's 2026 schedule.

Minnesota would still likely have to pay NDSU a fee to play, since they're a G6 team. It's hard to find a reason why playing each other would benefit the Gophers more than facing a MAC team, outside of the fact that it would generate significantly more fan interest. Their chances of scheduling a series were probably less than 5% when the Bison were an FCS team, and now, Minnesota has one less excuse it can lean on.

The Gophers haven't played Iowa State in a regular-season game since 1997, and that would actually be a resume-building opportunity against a Power Conference program. I'd be pleasantly surprised if the Bison are on their schedule anytime soon, but it will be a fun storyline to keep an eye on.