$1.6 Million Head Coach Sends Clear Message After College Football Realignment News

A head coach of a college football program has sent a message following his team's involvement in conference realignment.

Iowa offensive line coach Tim Polasek talks with reporters during Hawkeyes football media day | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen via Imagn Content Services, LLC

A new wave of conference realignment has overtaken college football in the last five years.

In the Power Four ranks, the new movement began with the announcement of the SEC's future acquisition of Oklahoma and Texas during the summer of 2021. One year later, the end of the Pac-12 as the college football world knew it began when USC and UCLA announced their future plans to join the Big Ten, something Oregon and Washington would follow suit with during the summer of 2023.

The Big 12 acquired Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and UCF prior to the 2023 season, and it would acquire Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado as a result of the Pac-12's dissolution in the 2024 season. Stanford and California joined the ACC in 2024, leaving Washington State and Oregon State as the lone two members of the Pac-12.

The Mountain West did Oregon State and Washington State a favor by allowing them to play its members as "conference games" during the 2024 and 2025 football seasons. However, the Pac-12 ended up taking Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State from the Mountain West for the 2026 football season, leaving the league scrambling to find new members.

The Mountain West is bringing in UTEP as a member for all sports and Northern Illinois as a football-only member in 2026. The realignment took a new turn on Feb. 8 when it was announced perennial FCS power North Dakota State was making the jump to FBS and joining the Mountain West as a football-only member.

North Dakota State Bison running back Kobe Johnson (4) reacts after a play against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Following the announcement that the Bison were bound for the Mountain West, Pete Nakos of On3 spoke with North Dakota State Tim Polasek about the upcoming transition. Polasek could not help voicing is eagerness for the Bison's decision to join the Mountain West.

"Right now, it's all gas and no brakes, and we're really excited. Could there come a time that we look back, 'Hey, many of those FCS years were great.' Sure. For me, personally, being connected to the program the way I was, even going back to the time when I left -- there's always been this little bit of eagerness," Polasek said. "The truth of the matter is, where college football is headed, where North Dakota State University wants to go, it's perfect timing."

Polasek is entering his third year as North Dakota State's head coach, leading the Bison to a 26-3 record with an FCS National Championship victory in the previous two seasons. He is among a group of legendary North Dakota State coaches, including Craig Bohl, Chris Klieman, and Matt Entz, to have won national championships at the FCS level.