North Dakota State, the Football Championship Subdivision powerhouse, is in talks with the Mountain West to move up and join the conference as a football-only member for this upcoming season, a person briefed on the discussions told The Athletic.
NDSU has won 10 FCS national championships since 2011 and has long considered a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, especially as longtime FCS rivals like James Madison and Sam Houston moved up to FBS over the years. Yet, NDSU’s location had always made the move a more difficult fit. The Bison are currently in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, with most other sports in the Summit League.
The school released a statement on social media Saturday morning addressing “media reports.”
“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 statement read. “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.”
NDSU football is 9-5 against FBS opponents since moving up to FCS in 2004, including wins against Iowa, Iowa State and Minnesota twice.
The Mountain West is set to split this summer, with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State transitioning to the rebuilt Pac-12. In response, the MW is adding UTEP as a full member and Northern Illinois as a football-only member, along with non-football members in Grand Canyon and UC Davis. The Mountain West and Pac-12 remain in a legal fight over $150 million in exit and poaching fees owed to the MW.
The league’s remaining members include Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming. The potential addition of NDSU would give the Mountain West 10 football members.
Coached by Tim Polasek for the past two seasons, the Bison won the 2024 FCS championship and started the 2025 season 12-0, before an upset loss to Illinois State in the playoffs.
A deal is not complete, but the sides are in deep conversations that will likely continue into next week. Such a move would require a hefty entry fee to join the Mountain West, along with a $5 million NCAA fee to move up from FCS to FBS, which would grow to 137 members if the move happens.
The Mountain West completed its new TV deal on Tuesday, which spans from fall 2026 to summer 2032 with Fox Sports, CBS Sports and The CW.
Yahoo Sports first reported the discussions.
