A North Dakota class A misdemeanor is punishable with a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment and/or $2,000 fine.
Supposing the impacts of potential imprisonment for NDSU players, although more likely far-fetched, is not beyond the realm of the possible outcomes.
And yes, the NDSU fiasco has everyone on watch: Faison and the recent UND Hockey incident, and I'm guessing it also impacted how Minnesota handled their over-the-weekend issue involving their hockey team (and losing a player for the season due to injury).