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North Dakota State is jumping to the Mountain West as a football-only member starting July 1, 2026. The conference made it official Monday.
The Bison are paying the NCAA $5 million to make the FCS-to-FBS transition. They’re also expected to fork over an entry fee north of $10 million to the Mountain West itself, according to sources who spoke with CBS Sports.
“We are thrilled to welcome North Dakota State University’s football program to the Mountain West,” MWC commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement. “The Bison bring a championship mindset and a bold vision for growth that aligns with the unwavering commitment to the excellence of the Mountain West.”
A Powerhouse Making the Jump
This isn’t just any FCS program moving up.
North Dakota State has won 10 national championships since 2011 – including their most recent title in 2024. The Bison are 9-5 all-time against FBS opponents, with five of those wins coming against power conference programs. CBS Sports had previously reported that progress on bringing the FCS powerhouse to the Mountain West had been made in recent days.
Athletic director Matt Larsen and outgoing university president David Cook have been pushing publicly for the FBS move in recent months. Cook’s heading to Iowa State University as president on March 1, and his final day at North Dakota State was Sunday — making this transition one hell of a parting gift.
“This is a historic day for NDSU Athletics,” Larsen said in a statement. “Our football program has earned this opportunity through the sustained success and leadership of our student-athletes and coaches past and present.”
The league is also preparing for some big departures. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State are all leaving for the re-formed Pac-12 next fall.
Timing and Transition
Joining the Mountain West is exciting for North Dakota State fans who’ll now see FBS opponents coming to Fargo. The expanded television coverage through the conference’s new media deals should help the program reach a wider national audience too.
Those media rights agreements were announced just last week – CBS Sports, FOX Sports, and Kiswe are on board through the 2031-32 season. The CW signed a five-year deal running through 2030-31.
The Mountain West has been busy backfilling those openings with UTEP, UC Davis, and Northern Illinois. Hawaii was added as a football-only member back in 2012 but joins in all sports beginning in 2026. Northern Illinois will also join as football-only in 2026, while UC Davis’ football program will stay in the FCS as a Big Sky Conference member.
There’s a catch, though – North Dakota State will have to complete a two-year transition period at the FBS level. That makes them ineligible for the College Football Playoff and bowl games in 2026 and 2027. They could still accept a bowl bid if there aren’t enough bowl-eligible teams to fill available slots.
The conference will stick with an eight-game schedule for football next season, according to a source. Matchups for the 2026 season were announced back in December, though dates haven’t been finalized yet. Projected schedules that include North Dakota State are being modeled now and would require some minor adjustments.
Delaware and Missouri State just completed their first full FBS seasons in 2025. There are currently 136 FBS programs — North Dakota State will make it 137.
