An outdated rule might finally be overhauled this offseason.
The NCAA Football Oversight Committee advanced legislation that would get rid of the two-year postseason probationary period for teams moving up to the FBS, according to Yahoo Sports.
And that would have huge implications for two particular programs, one of them being the most dominant team the FCS has ever seen.
North Dakota State and Sacramento State are both moving up from the FCS this year. They’re immediately making the jump up, so they otherwise would have to wait through those two years before they were fully postseason eligible.
But if this rule change does happen, and it seems more and more likely it will, then NDSU and Sac State wouldn’t have to worry about that.
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NCAA Postseason Ban Rule Change
This rule change could ultimately have implications for the College Football Playoff. North Dakota State is expected by some to be competitive immediately in the Mountain West – and even predicted by some to make the CFP.
The Bison aren’t my favorite to make the CFP among Group of Six teams. But I don’t blame anyone for thinking they should be.
Since 2011, the Bison won 10 FCS national championships, the most any team ever has. They’re 9-5 against FBS teams all time. And in ESPN’s SP+ rankings this past year, the Bison would’ve been second among Mountain West teams behind only UNLV, which played in the conference championship.
And, maybe most importantly in the NIL and transfer portal era, the Bison have a pretty good financial backing.
I could also see Sacramento State being competitive in the MAC. While I don’t expect the Hornets to be in the mix for the CFP, I could see a world in which they’re in the hunt for a MAC title either this year or in 2027.
Why Can’t Sacramento State & North Dakota State Play In The CFP Right Away?
North Dakota State and Sac State can’t play in the College Football Playoff, conference championships, or possibly bowls even if they win enough games to do so because of NCAA rules.
The rules are put in place with the intent of forcing schools to be sure that moving up is right for them in the long-term. It’s also meant to give the programs an adjustment period for things like increased scholarship numbers.
But because of the heavy financial investment needed to move up, and because of the fluidity of rosters in the transfer portal era, this rule became outdated.
Within just the last few years, James Madison, Delaware, Missouri State, Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, and Kennesaw State all played in bowl games within the first two years of jumping up to the FBS. In fact, JMU, Jax State, and Kennesaw State have all won conference titles already.
How Long Is The Postseason Ban For NDSU & Sac State?
The Bison and Hornets won’t be able to play in postseason games for two years. That means the soonest they can compete in a postseason would be 2028 – as of now.
Can Sac State & NDSU Still Play In Bowl Games?
The Hornets and Bison can play in a bowl game if there aren’t enough bowl-eligible teams in the FBS. So they would have to win six games and hope enough teams also don’t meet that benchmark.
This has happened a few times for FCS teams moving up to the FBS. Missouri State and Delaware both played in bowl games in their first seasons in the FBS in 2025.
As was the case last year, there’s also the possibility of some teams dropping out of playing in their bowl games, which would open up opportunities for NDSU and Sac State.
