In a significant development for college football, North Dakota State University (NDSU), a dominant force in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), is currently engaged in discussions with the Mountain West Conference to potentially join as a football-only member starting in the 2026 season, according to insights shared with The Athletic.
NDSU has claimed an impressive total of ten FCS national championships since 2011, which has led to ongoing speculation about their potential elevation to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). This interest has grown particularly strong due to the movements of other FCS rivals, such as James Madison and Sam Houston, who have successfully transitioned to the FBS over recent years. However, geographical considerations have made it challenging for NDSU to fit into a new conference structure. Currently, the Bison compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for football while participating in the Summit League for most other sports.
Notably, NDSU has demonstrated its competitiveness against FBS teams, holding a record of 9 wins and 5 losses against such opponents since they moved to FCS in 2004. Their victories include notable wins against teams from major programs like Iowa, Iowa State, and Minnesota on two occasions.
The Mountain West is poised for a significant transformation this summer, as several member schools—Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State—are transitioning to a restructured Pac-12. In response to these changes, the Mountain West plans to welcome UTEP as a full member and Northern Illinois as a football-only member, alongside non-football institutions like Grand Canyon and UC Davis. This shake-up includes ongoing legal disputes between the Mountain West and Pac-12 concerning substantial exit and poaching fees totaling $150 million.
As it stands, the Mountain West's roster will include remaining members like Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, and Wyoming. If NDSU joins, the conference would expand to ten football members.
Under the leadership of head coach Tim Polasek for the past two seasons, NDSU achieved remarkable success by winning the 2024 FCS championship and starting the 2025 season with an undefeated record of 12-0, before facing a surprising defeat to Illinois State in the playoffs.
While no agreement has been finalized yet, the two parties are deeply engaged in negotiations that are expected to progress into the following week. Should this transition occur, it would entail a significant entry fee for joining the Mountain West, in addition to a $5 million NCAA fee required for moving up from FCS to FBS, which would increase the total membership to 137 if the transition is realized.
On a related note, the Mountain West has recently finalized a new television rights deal that extends from the fall of 2026 through the summer of 2032, involving major networks such as Fox Sports, CBS Sports, and The CW.
