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 presumably are still being hammered out, including a potentially substantial entry fee for the Fargo-based school to join the Mountain West.
North Dakota State released a statement on Saturday.
“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 posted on social media.
“Our focus remains on supporting our students, faculty and staff, and honoring our academic and research commitments as a student focused, land grant, research university, and communicating directly with our community when there is definitive information to share.”
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
