Newly minted FBS faculty North Dakota State discovered itself ready just like Alabama followers throughout the heyday of Nick Saban’s dynasty: It merely gained an excessive amount of. The college has captured 10 nationwide championships in 15 years. Inside the fan base, the expectation is not only success, however success on the highest degree.
Attendance for early-round house playoff video games that NDSU is anticipated to win handily has suffered. This yr’s loss to Illinois State drew an official attendance of 10,464 to the 19,000-seat Fargodome, roughly half full. Regardless of 5 interceptions from Redbirds quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, the No. 1 Bison misplaced. It marked the primary time NDSU had fallen earlier than the quarterfinal spherical since 2009 and the primary time a No. 1 seed misplaced its playoff opener since 2004.
Few knew it on the time, however it was NDSU’s remaining sport on the FCS degree. A course of that started ramping up in late fall accelerated in January, when athletic director Matt Larsen started to imagine this system was transferring up from the division it had dominated since 2004. For a section of the Bison fan base, the transfer to FBS will present a brand new problem.
“I do suppose there’s a component of our fan base of what is subsequent we have had nice success, is there a subsequent iteration at the next degree for Bison soccer?” NDSU AD Matt Larsen informed CBS Sports activities. “And so I feel that is the place, if you happen to would ask me, six or seven years in the past, the place the fan base was, they most likely weren’t there but, proper? However 4 nationwide championships later, and I feel nearly all of Bison nation would let you know that that is the proper subsequent step, and it is the proper time to do it.”
To compete within the FBS, North Dakota State needs to be as much as par not solely on the sphere, but additionally financially. NDSU can pay $5 million to the NCAA to transition and a $12.5 million entry payment to the Mountain West over six years.
Contemplate the Fargodome. the longtime house to the Bison is owned by the town of Fargo and requires voter approval for renovations. A referendum has failed twice lately. Larsen mentioned the Fargodome has a reserve fund earmarked for renovations, however the 32-year-old constructing wants updates, notably for extra premium seating. A pending conference heart venture — which can or might not be situated on the Fargodome web site — additionally components into the decision-making.
North Dakota State opened a 117,000-square-foot, $54 million soccer facility in 2022. Its complete athletic division price range is about $30 million yearly, and Sportico reported the college spent $8.4 million on soccer within the final fiscal yr. Larsen expects that determine to double inside two years, accounting for staffing, scholarships, income sharing and training compensation.
The college’s major athletics fundraising arm mentioned it has “tentatively raised” $25 million for the transfer. NDSU doesn’t count on so as to add sports activities to offset the rise in soccer scholarships from 65 to 85 upon transferring to FBS.
The college will obtain a full share of Mountain West tv income by 2032, however as CBS Sports activities beforehand reported, it would gather 50% of Faculty Soccer Playoff and bowl income distributed to full members this yr and 100% after its second postseason look. The college plans to problem the NCAA’s two-year probationary interval that bars it from postseason play.
As with many realignment instances, the lack of custom is a part of the price. South Dakota State and North Dakota State have met 118 occasions and have performed for the Dakota Marker trophy since 2004. The rivalry has typically decided FCS supremacy, with one or each groups ranked within the prime 5 once they meet. After the 2022 season, they confronted one another within the nationwide championship sport.
“I might say for the foreseeable future, it is most likely on maintain,” Larsen mentioned. “I feel our rivalry was one out of actually nice respect between packages that did it the proper manner. And so I feel there’s so many positives to this transfer, I feel the one factor you can say that our followers are going to overlook it is enjoying for the Dakota Marker, as a result of there have been some epic video games over the course of the final 10-15, years which have created nice reminiscences and nice alternatives for our followers.”
As one FCS administrator cautioned to CBS Sports activities, there’s a “cautious what you want for” component to transferring up — buying and selling double-digit win seasons and championship runs for years that would finish in a lower-tier bowl sport in a far-flung locale that’s tough to achieve. The novelty will be interesting at first, however it fades with out profitable.
Nonetheless, there may be motive for optimism concerning the Bison’s capability to compete shortly. Applications with much less FCS pedigree have made profitable transitions lately.
The most recent FCS-to-FBS members, Delaware and Missouri State, each completed 7-5 and reached bowl video games of their debut seasons. After struggling in its 2024 debut, Kennesaw State went 10-2 beneath new coach Jerry Mack and gained a convention championship over Jacksonville State, which moved up in 2023 and has gained no less than eight video games in every of its first three FBS seasons beneath two totally different coaches. Sam Houston additionally moved up in 2023 and, in its second yr, narrowly missed a Convention USA title whereas profitable 10 video games. James Madison transitioned in 2022 beneath Curt Cignetti and has gained no less than eight video games yearly since. The 2025 season beneath Bob Chesney culminated in a Faculty Soccer Playoff berth.
The relative ease of these transitions raises questions concerning the hole between the highest half of the FCS and the Group of 5 conferences.
In lots of respects, North Dakota State achieved all it may on the FCS degree. Now, the FBS journey begins.
