North Dakota State football jumps to Mountain West

Perennial FCS power North Dakota State will move up to the FBS level this season and join the Mountain West for football, the conference and university announced Monday.

The Bison, who won 10 of the last 15 FCS championships, will give the revamped Mountain West an even 10 members for football starting in 2026. North Dakota State went 12-1 in 2025, losing 29-28 at home in the second round of the playoffs to eventual runner-up Illinois State. They're 9-5 all-time against FBS opponents.

“The Bison bring a championship mindset and a bold vision for growth that aligns with the unwavering commitment to the excellence of the Mountain West. Their dedication to elevating the student-athlete experience — on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the community — will energize the Mountain West and help propel our football profile to new heights nationwide,” Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement distributed by the conference.

New Mexico interim Athletic Director Ryan Berryman said he found out about North Dakota State’s possible addition “two or three weeks ago,” noting the process quickly accelerated from there. Adding a team of the Bison’s stature stands to help the league’s scheduling and overall perception, he said.

“It’s a historically proud football program that has had a lot of success over the years,” he told the Journal on Monday. “And I think anytime you can add a brand and a program like that to your league, it ultimately strengthens your strength of schedule, how people perceive your league, all of that."

North Dakota State’s move will take effect on July 1, mirroring the departure Northern Illinois is making for a football-only status from the Mid-American Conference. Texas-El Paso will become a full member for all sports starting with the 2026-27 school year, along with Hawaii, which was already playing football in the Mountain West. UC Davis, which will remain in the FCS, will join the Mountain West for all sports except football. Grand Canyon, which does not play football, joined the Mountain West this season in all other sports.

The holdovers are Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming. Departing the Mountain West for the rebuilt Pac-12 starting in 2026-27 are Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State, a move that has pitted the two conferences against each other in court over exit fees.

ESPN, citing unnamed sources, reported on Sunday that NDSU is expected to pay nearly $12 million to the Mountain West and $5 million to the NCAA for the move. The Bison moved all of their athletic teams to Division I in 2004, after winning eight NCAA Division II football titles.

NDSU will immediately play a full eight-game conference schedule but won't be eligible for the Mountain West title game or the College Football Playoff until the 2028 season. For the next two years, they can play in a bowl game only if there aren't enough eligible teams to fill all the spots, as Delaware and Missouri State were able to do in 2025.

The school will appeal all of those restrictions, North Dakota State Athletic Director Matt Larsen said in a news conference Monday.

North Dakota State will remain in the Summit League in other sports. The Bison spent 18 seasons in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, winning 12 titles in the most consistently competitive FCS league. The MVFC sent six of its 10 teams to the FCS playoffs in 2025, including Illinois State, North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Youngstown State.

South Dakota State, which won FCS national titles in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, has played North Dakota State for the Dakota Marker Trophy since both programs moved to Division I in 2004. New Mexico head coach Jason Eck was an assistant with the Jackrabbits from 2016-2021, compiling a 4-4 record in the rivalry against the Bison — including two wins at the 18,700-seat Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

“We had some great battles,” Eck said in a news conference Monday. “(The) Fargodome will be one of the toughest places to play, if not the toughest place to play, coming into the league.”

Eck said he believes North Dakota State will be one of the league’s “top half” teams next season and said their addition to the Mountain West was a "no-brainer."

“They probably missed the bargain, missed the sale to move up a few years ago, and now it’s very expensive to move up,” said Eck, referencing the FCS-to-FBS transition fee rising from $5,000 to $5 million in 2023. “But they’re well-funded and will be a great addition.”

Monday, the Mountain West said it has started “rebuilding” its 2026 schedule matrix to accommodate North Dakota State’s addition. It is unclear if the Lobos will play the Bison next season. In league play, UNM was set to host Air Force, Northern Illinois, UNLV and UTEP, and travel to San Jose State, Nevada, Wyoming and Hawaii, though that schedule will now likely change.

“I don’t want to trade that trip to Hawaii for a trip to Fargo, North Dakota,” Eck laughed.

Sean Reider contributed to this story on behalf of the Journal. You can reach him at sreider@abqjournal.com or via X at @lenaweereider.