Rivalries[edit]
North Dakota State University[edit]
North Dakota's primary rival was the North Dakota State University Bison. The two schools are separated by just 70 miles of interstate along the Eastern border of the state and have spent well over a century competing against one another for players, students, fans, resources and recognition. They first met in 1894 and have played 110 times. UND enjoys a healthy 62–45–3 lead in the all-time series. The winner of the game was awarded the Nickel Trophy, a 75 pound likeness of a 1937 U.S. nickel. What used to be an annual meeting, the game has not been played since 2003, when NDSU left the North Central Conference and elevated their programs to the Division I level. NDSU desired at the time to continue the series, however North Dakota declined because of potential negative Division II playoff implications, and also because NDSU would be playing with 27 more scholarships. North Dakota eventually moved to Division I also, and since then the two schools have been negotiating terms to resume the series. The two schools announced that they would renew the rivalry in the 2015 season. Initially it was not an annual series however, as the schools play in different conferences at the time. The Nickel Trophy was not up for grabs in the 2015 game. The annual rivalry will resume in 2019 in part of the contract that includes the 2015 game and the conference change to the Missouri Valley Football Conference. It currently resides in Grand Forks and the University of North Dakota. The rivalry has been featured in documentaries by ESPN and Prairie Public TV.
-Wikipedia