North Dakota State is officially moving up.
The Bison are joining the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member beginning July 1, 2026, NDSU and and the Mountain West jointly announced Monday.
NDSU is making the move to the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision after being the dominant program in the Missouri Valley Football Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision the past 15 years. Since 2011, the Bison won 10 FCS championships, including the 2021 and 2024 national titles over Montana State.
“This is a historic day for NDSU athletics," NDSU director of athletics Matt Larsen said in the news releases. "Our football program has earned this opportunity through the sustained success and leadership of our student-athletes and coaches past and present.
“Joining the Mountain West is an exciting new opportunity for our team to compete at the highest level, for our fans to see FBS opponents coming to Fargo, and for Bison football to reach a wider national audience through expanded television coverage.”
Though speculation of NDSU's shift to the Mountain West has run rampant for years, news of this imminent move started to circulate late last week. ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Sunday NDSU is expected to pay the Mountain West $12 million to join the league in addition to the $5 million fee owed the NCAA to move from the FCS to FBS.
North Dakota State will play a full Mountain West schedule in 2026 as it begins its two-year transition process. The Bison will not be eligible for the MW football championship game or postseason play, including the College Football Playoff or a bowl game, until 2028. However, NDSU could be selected for a bowl game if there are not enough bowl-eligible teams nationally.
The MW has begun rebuilding its football opponent matrix to include North Dakota State in the 2026 schedule, which is expected to be announced within the coming weeks.
“We are thrilled to welcome North Dakota State University’s football program to the Mountain West,” said MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “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.
"Their dedication to elevating the student‑athlete experience — on the field, in the classroom and throughout the community — will energize the Mountain West and help propel our football profile to new heights nationwide.”
The Mountain West's full-time members are Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, San Jose State, UTEP and Wyoming. NDSU and Northern Illinois are football members.
NDSU will continue to compete in the Summit League in non-football sports.
NDSU's departure from the FCS continues a trend of the level's top football programs leaving for the more profitable grasses of the FBS. Delaware, Missouri State, Kennesaw State, Sam Houston State, Jacksonville State and James Madison have all made the transition in the past four years.
James Madison is coming off a historic season in which it went 12-2 and reached the College Football Playoff out of the Sun Belt Conference.
The Bison went 12-1 in 2025, ending their season with a shocking loss to Illinois State in the second round of the FCS playoffs. Prior to that loss, NDSU had advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs every season since 2009.
NDSU is scheduled to play Montana State in the Las Vegas Classic in September 2027.
