Tag: North Dakota State

North Dakota State Bison wide receiver Jackson Williams (81) rushes the ball through South Dakota State defense on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Fargodome in Fargo, Nouth Dakota.

Reports: North Dakota State joining Mountain West

Posted on | by Field Level Media

North Dakota State has reached an agreement to join the Mountain West Conference for football, multiple outlets reported on Sunday.

The Bison, a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) heavyweight over the last 15 years with 10 national championships over that span, have long been rumored to be a candidate to jump up to the next level.

According to ESPN, the school will pay roughly a $12 million entrance fee to its new league, as well as $5 million to the NCAA in order to move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. Per standard NCAA arrangement, the NDSU football team will not be eligible for a bowl or College Football Playoff berth until 2028.

The school had yet to confirm the move Sunday evening. On Saturday, a statement was posted to social media.

“North Dakota State University is regularly involved in conversations about the future of collegiate athletics, including conference affiliation. We are aware of media reports and will have no further comments,” the school said.

The Mountain West has been active about pursuing new members since a split occurred among its membership and five schools (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State) left for the new-look Pac-12 in 2024.

North Dakota State becomes the league’s 10th football team for 2026, joining newcomers Northern Illinois (football only) and UTEP along with Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming.

North Dakota State most recently won the FCS national title in 2024. The Bison finished 12-1 last season, losing to Illinois State in the second round of the playoffs.

–Field Level Media

Mountain West Conference logo on the yardage chains. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-Imagn Images

Report: North Dakota State in talks with Mountain West

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North Dakota State is in a “serious dialogue” with the Mountain West about joining the conference as a football-only member starting this coming season, Yahoo Sports reported.

The Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse’s long-awaited move to the Football Bowl Subdivision could be finalized as soon as this weekend, according to Friday’s report.

The terms are presumably still being hammered out, including a potentially substantial entry fee for the Fargo-based school to join the Mountain West.

North Dakota State would become the league’s 10th football team for 2026, joining newcomers Northern Illinois and UTEP along with Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming.

North Dakota State has won 10 of the past 15 FCS national championships, most recently in 2024. The Bison finished 12-1 last season, losing to Illinois State in the second round of the playoffs.

–Field Level Media

Illinois State’s frantic rally KOs defending FCS champs North Dakota State

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Tommy Rittenhouse threw two touchdown passes to Daniel Sobkowicz and found Scotty Presson Jr. on the go-ahead two-point conversion as Illinois State scored 15 unanswered points in the final 2:44 to post a stunning 29-28 victory over top-seeded North Dakota State on Saturday in Fargo, N.D., in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

The unseeded Redbirds (10-4) had lost 14 straight games to the Bison, the defending FCS champions. Powerful North Dakota State (12-1) has won 10 FCS national titles since 2011.

The Bison appeared on their way to advancing when Barika Kpeenu scored on a 4-yard run to give North Dakota State a 28-14 lead with 12:38 remaining in the contest.

But Rittenhouse, who was intercepted five times, pulled Illinois State within 28-21 on an 8-yard touchdown pass to Sobkowicz with 2:44 remaining.

A short time later, Jake Anderson made a big play with a third-down, strip-sack of Bison quarterback Cole Payton and Anderson recovered the ball at the North Dakota State 23-yard line with 1:51 left.

Six plays later, Rittenhouse tossed an 6-yard scoring pass to Sobkowicz to bring the Redbirds within one with one minute left. Illinois State then followed its plan and went for the two-point conversion and Rittenhouse connected with a wide-open Presson.

“I thought to myself earlier in the week, we gotta (go) for two,” Redbirds coach Brock Spack said after the victory. “We met as a staff and I said, ‘Listen fellas, if it gets to that down here we need to go for two.’ Lo and behold, it came up and we did. So, there was really no waffling. Everybody knew.”

North Dakota State didn’t advance past midfield on its final possession before turning the ball over downs.

Rittenhouse completed 35 of 52 passes for 249 yards and three touchdowns, all of the scoring throws going to Sobkowicz.

Illinois State will face either eighth-seeded UC Davis or Rhode Island in next week’s quarterfinals. Those two schools play Saturday night.

–Field Level Media

North Dakota State Bison running back CharMar Brown (25) gets tackled by South Dakota State defense on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, at Fargodome in Fargo, Nouth Dakota.

Top FCS freshman CharMar Brown transfers to Miami

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CharMar Brown, who ran for more than 1,100 yards in 2024 for FCS national champion North Dakota State, is transferring to Miami.

The 247Sports transfer portal list was updated with the move Wednesday afternoon.

Brown ran for 1,181 yards and 15 touchdowns. He carried the ball 244 times in 16 games, including the playoffs.

The 5-foot-11 Brown, a Nebraska native, won the Jerry Rice Award, given each year to the top FCS freshman. He had four 100-yard games.

At the running back position, Miami returns Mark Fletcher and Jordan Lyle. Fletcher ran for 607 yards and nine TDs last season, with Lyle contributing 400 yards and four touchdowns. Leading rusher Damien Martinez, who had 1,002 yards and 10 scores, was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the draft last weekend.

The Hurricanes finished the 2024 season with a 10-3 (6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) record. They open the new season Aug. 31 at home against Notre Dame, who lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game.

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) prepares to pass the ball in the first quarter against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado holds off upset-minded North Dakota State

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In the end, Colorado’s star power was too much for FBS power North Dakota State on Thursday, as the Buffaloes held off the upset-minded Bison 31-26 in Boulder, Colo., in the season opener for both teams.

Colorado quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns, while wide receivers Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. accounted for all four of those scores in a game North Dakota State actually lead at halftime.

Bison quarterback Cam Miller threw for 277 yards and a score and ran for another 81 yards and a touchdown in a game that was not decided until its final play — a 49-yard Hail Mary from Miller that Tyler Terhark caught four yards short of the end zone with no time left.

Sanders completed 26 of his 34 passes and also threw an interception. Hunter caught seven balls for 132 yards and three scores, while Horn Jr. had seven catches, 198 yards and one touchdown.

NDSU scored first when Miller’s 48-yard pass to TK Marshall on the second play of the game led to Griffin Crosa’s 36-yard field goal less than three minutes into the game.

Colorado responded with Hunter’s first touchdown — a short pass from Sanders that he turned into a 41-yard score to cap a six play, 75 yard drive to give Colorado a 7-3 lead.

Joe Stoffel’s 7-yard touchdown catch gave the Bison a 10-7 lead on the game’s next drive. The key play in that one was Miller’s for a 27-yard completion to Braylon Henderson that split the Colorado secondary and took the ball to the 6-yard line.

Colorado needed only two plays and 44 seconds to regain the lead as Horn Jr. caught a quick Sanders pass and broke free down the sideline for a 70-yard score and 14-10 lead.

Again, the Bison answered, with Miller running it in for a 7-yard score. The Buffaloes then finally blinked, turning the ball over on downs and watching NDSU answer with Crosa’s 31-yard field goal with 4:33 left in the first half.

Colorado kicker Alejandro Mata converted a 21-yard field goal on the final play of the half to cut the NDSU lead to 20-17.

After Sanders was intercepted by Nick Kubitz in the end zone for a touchback in the first drive of the second half, the Buffaloes forced a punt then took a lead they would not relinquish.

Hunter scored his second touchdown of the game on a 13-yard catch with 7:45 left in the third quarter, then scored on a 3-yard pass to cap a 17-play, 80-yard drive with 7:57 left in the game to give Colorado a 31-20 lead.

Miller scored on a 20-yard run with 2:19 left in the fourth quarter for what turned out to be the game’s final score.

Colorado had lost six straight to end last season.

–Field Level Media

South Dakota State s Isaiah Davis runs the ball in for a two-point conversion while playing Holy Cross in the FCS quarterfinals on Saturday, December 10, 2022, in Sioux Falls. Fcs Quarterfinal 016

South Dakota State reaches FCS title game, will face North Dakota State

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Isaiah Davis rushed for 158 yards and one touchdown to help top-seeded South Dakota State roll to a 39-18 home victory over fourth-seeded Montana State on Saturday to reach the FCS title game for the second time in three seasons.

The Jackrabbits (13-1) will face third-seeded North Dakota State in the championship game in Frisco, Texas on Jan. 8. This will be the Bison’s 10th trip in 12 seasons, and they have won nine national titles during that span.

North Dakota State (12-2) qualified for its latest title appearance with a 35-32 win over seventh-seeded Incarnate Word (12-2) on Friday in Fargo, N.D.

South Dakota State has won a school-record 13 straight games, including a 23-21 road win over North Dakota State on Oct. 15 in Missouri Valley Conference play.

The Bison will bring a seven-game winning streak into the title clash.

Montana State finishes 12-2.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Jayden de Laura (7) against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona rallies past FCS power North Dakota State

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Jayden de Laura threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jacob Cowing with 4:53 left as host Arizona beat the top-ranked FCS team, North Dakota State, 31-28 on Saturday night in Tucson, Ariz.

The Bison (2-1) were forced to punt with 2:55 to go, and Arizona (2-1) gained one first down before running out the clock.

The winning drive came after the Wildcats’ defense stopped the Bison on fourth-and-2 from the Arizona 23 with 8:59 left. Arizona then marched 78 yards on 10 plays, including a fourth-and-1 conversion pass to Cowing from the NDSU 27.

de Laura completed 20 of 28 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran for 50 yards and a score.

North Dakota State’s Hunter Luepke ran for 115 yards and scored three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving), accounting for 180 yards of offense. The Bison ran for 283 yards.

North Dakota State, which has won nine of the past 11 FCS championships, had won six consecutive games against FBS competition, with the last such matchup coming six years ago to the day (Iowa).

Luepke rushed for two scores in the third quarter as North Dakota State took a 28-24 lead.

His second rushing touchdown came on a 38-yarder after he appeared to be stopped for a short gain, but he broke free from arm tackles and emerged through the traffic to score with 2:07 to go in the quarter.

The Arizona defense made a key play in the first half.

With the score tied at 7 in the second quarter, NDSU reached the Arizona 5 before Hunter Echols sacked Cam Miller and forced a fumble, recovered by the Wildcats. Arizona then went 83 yards, capped by de Laura’s 7-yard touchdown run, for a 14-7 lead at the 5:45 mark.

The Bison responded with quarterback Miller’s 2-yard keeper at the end of a 75-yard drive to tie the game with 50 seconds to go before halftime.

That was enough time for Arizona to go 56 yards to set up Tyler Loop’s 36-yard field goal on the last play of the half for a 17-14 lead.

–Field Level Media

Jan 8, 2022; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison running back Kobe Johnson (4) rushes for a touchdown against the Montana State Bobcats during the first half of the FCS Championship at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

North Dakota State beats Montana State for fourth FCS title in five years

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North Dakota State, a winner of three straight national championships from 2017-19, put the finishing touches on what might be the start of a new streak, defeating Montana State 38-10 Saturday to win the FCS title for the fourth time in the past five seasons.

The Bison raced to a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

The Bison (14-1) used their typical dominance on the ground, outrushing the Bobcats 380-156, paced by Kobe Johnson, who had 106 yards on just four carries with a touchdown. Five different players rushed for at least 40 yards for North Dakota State.

Teammates Quincy Patterson ran for 98 yards on 11 carries, and Hunter Luepke rushed 14 times for 82 yards and three touchdowns.

Despite losing regular starting quarterback Tommy Mellott early in the contest, the Bobcats (12-3) outgained the Bison 179-126 in passing yardage thanks to 156 yards and a touchdown from Tucker Rovig.

–Field Level Media

North Dakota State kicker Nathan Whiting warms up his leg during a huddle in the Dakota Marker rivalry game on Saturday, April 17, 2021, at the Fargodome in Fargo. Dakota Marker 015

North Dakota State’s FCS semifinal streak halted by Sam Houston

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North Dakota State’s streak of reaching the FCS semifinals ended at nine with Sunday’s 24-20 quarterfinal loss to Sam Houston State.

The Bison last failed to reach the semis in 2010 when they lost 38-31 in overtime to Eastern Washington in the quarterfinals.

The following season, the streak began as North Dakota State won eight national championships and lost in the semifinals to James Madison in 2016.

Eric Schmid passed for 227 yards and accounted for two touchdowns as the Bearkats (8-0) upended North Dakota State (7-3) at Huntsville, Texas.

Quarterback Trey Lance, who guided North Dakota State to a 16-0 record in 2019, skipped the spring season and was selected third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL draft on Thursday.

–Field Level Media

Jan 11, 2020; Frisco, Texas, USA; North Dakota State Bison head coach Matt Entz reacts to a touchdown on a fake field goal in the second quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

North Dakota State-South Dakota canceled due to COVID

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An FCS game between North Dakota State and South Dakota was canceled hours before kickoff Saturday due to COVID-19 issues within the Bisons’ program.

The game will not be rescheduled, the Missouri Valley Conference announced.

The Bison, who saw their FCS-record 39-game winning streak come to an end earlier this season, had a positive test and were doing contact tracing.

North Dakota State (5-1, 4-1 MVC) has won the past three FCS titles and eight of the past nine.

The Bison posted a 34-13 win over rival North Dakota last week that saw them overtake the top spot in the conference standings.

South Dakota (1-3, 1-3) has lost its past three games.

–Field Level Media