College Football Column: NDSU Might Just Dominate The Mountain West

Faithful in the tens of thousands were deafening for hours, and they could’ve gone for days more it seemed. As all that noise funneled toward the football field, I was at the front of it. I can’t quite explain it, but it felt like the air – not just the people or even the stadium – was shaking.

I’m someone who lives off of articulating thoughts and concepts about sports. But I don’t think I’ll ever fully be capable of explaining what was happening in that moment.

But it was a memory that reminds me of why NDSU is more than ready for the FBS and the Mountain West, a move announced this week. The talent level, the coaching, and the support of the program all seemed to be heading for something greater.

I was in the front row of the Fargodome’s student section in December 2012 when North Dakota State was playing Georgia Southern in the FCS semifinals. Me being in my first year at NDSU, it felt like everything was on the line.

Not just a game. Not just a chance to defend a national championship. The way the people screamed from the stands was as if their lives were at stake, creating a college sports environment that many would think impossible in a state as sparsely populated like North Dakota.

I really didn’t think the Bison would pull off the win. But with a late touchdown run by quarterback Brock Jensen on fourth down and a blocked field goal by Carlton Littlejohn, the Bison did just that. And then they kept winning. And winning. And winning.

And winning. Does that feel repetitive yet? Well good because that’s kind of the point.

Since 2011, the Bison won 10 FCS national championships, the most any team ever has. It got to a point where even the Bison fans, as evidenced by their gradually declining attendance, got bored of the same storyline every year. 

I can’t blame them. Sure there was the occasional hiccup, like 2025 when the Bison lost in the second round of the FCS playoffs. But they didn’t happen often.

Except for the fact that the Bison are from the FCS, there’s no reason to think they won’t be successful in the Mountain West in the short- or long-term. 

The Bison are 9-5 against FBS teams. 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. North Dakota is third in the United States in oil production, and with that comes a good amount of money flowing to the state and those who care about NDSU football.

And as someone born and raised in the Peace Garden State, let me say this: the “it just means more” slogan out of the SEC is preposterous. Maybe there’s fewer people, but NDSU football means just as much to the 39th state of the union.

There are no pro sports teams. Until now, there weren’t even FBS teams. Very few famous people are from there. I mean, we even think it’s a big deal when celebrities just pass through North Dakota to make a stop for some Borscht soup.

That’s why we lost our minds when Carson Wentz was selected second overall in the 2016 NFL Draft and when Trey Lance went third in 2021. Them getting drafted puts the words “North Dakota” on the TV. And it represents tangible confirmation of a notion that’s ingrained in people from my state.

Yes, we have electricity. No, we don’t exclusively get around on horseback. And maybe our state is capable of remarkable things, too.

This is why North Dakota State football means everything.

I’ve covered the Group of Five, now Group of Six, for a few years. I think many of the programs in those conferences can share the “something to prove” sentiment. 

But right now, a lot of those G6 programs can’t match the fan environment or energy that NDSU will carry with it into the Mountain West.

New Mexico head coach Jason Eck, a former assistant at South Dakota State, recently remarked that the Fargodome is a tough place to play. He’s not wrong.

When comparing what NDSU has done the past decade with the rest of the Mountain West, it’s not a stretch to say the Bison should be competitive. With several offensive linemen drafted in the past few years, they rely on a smashmouth brand of football that could rival Wyoming and Air Force. And four NDSU quarterbacks have been drafted since 2016 with another one receiving an NFL Combine invite, so they could have the offensive firepower to keep up with UNLV and New Mexico.

We at HERO Sports have long suggested that the top tier of the FCS is just as good as – or better – than a lot of the teams in the G6. And that’s been pretty accurate so far.

Delaware and Missouri State were competitive enough in their first seasons in Conference USA to make it to bowl games. Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State have won the last two CUSA titles.

And, of course, there’s James Madison. The Dukes of JMU were instantly successful when they joined the Sun Belt, and after going through the coaching change from Curt Cignetti to Bob Chesney, still appeared in the College Football Playoff this past season.

And JMU was a really good FCS program. But NDSU was mostly better when the two faced off in the postseason in the past decade.

Even after Boise State and four others left for the Pac-12, the Mountain West is a better league than CUSA, in my opinion. So the competition will be different for NDSU compared to Jax State and KSU.

But NDSU has been significantly better than those programs. And just based on the eye test, I have no doubt the Bison will make this jump up successfully. 

NDSU going to the FBS has long been speculated about. So maybe it’s not a hot take to say the Bison are ready for the Mountain West. 

So here’s the strongest take I have: The Mountain West may not be ready for NDSU.