North Dakota State makes $17 million FCS-to-FBS decision that changes college football originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It’s really happening.
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North Dakota State is going to move up from the FCS level to the FBS level in a landscape-altering move in college football.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Sunday that NDSU has “agreed to a deal to join the Mountain West in football only for 2026.”
Thamel writes that it’ll cost $12 million for the school to join the league, in addition to the $5 million it has to pay the NCAA to move up to FBS.
NDSU has won 10 of the last 15 national championships at the FCS level, which was formerly known as Division I-AA. The FCS schools are all Division I, but they compete outside of the top-tier, which is the FBS level.
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FBS features the more well known College Football Playoff and approximately 130 schools (compared to the 350-plus D-I basketball schools). Any other Division I school that competes in football but isn’t an FBS program competes in FCS.
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North Dakota State has won 10 conference titles in the Missouri Valley Conference since 2011, as well.
It was first reported on Friday that this was a possibility.
North Dakota State athletic director Matt Larsen, via Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, has said previously he wants the Bison to compete at “the highest level” of D-I football.
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The Mountain West looks a lot different after losing schools to the reformed Pac-12.
Adding NDSU is a coup, at least on the football field.
The dynasty of the FCS level has decided it wants more. North Dakota State is moving up to FBS.
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