I think ndsu is 15 years ahead. NDSU has been building toward this since before coach Bohl.
As college football consolidates NDSU will be one of the few FCS programs needed in the FBS, probably MWC or a greatly changed Big 12. Maybe, as some think a new conference.
A new conference with FCS schools is UNDs best chance, if the university actually has the will to do it
The region is growing. The old D2 NCC schools are now D1 playing FCS because they grew into it. It will be the same for FBS. To be realistic, the only school ready to make that jump is NDSU.
Why
fargos growing population and prominence.
NDSUs generational dominance of regional college football including D2 and FCS
their demonstrated ability to compete with top FBS programs which has built them a huge regional audience and a solid national following.
Their program resembles an FBS football program in all phases including recruiting, fund raising and coaching.
They have hosted Gameday twice!
Their stadium is famous, adequate and can add a large number of suits and several thousand seats. They own 100% of the ticket revenues.
For the next 10-15 years UND gives half of football ticket revenues of a much smaller arena to pay for the hockey rink. Tough to support an FBS program when you only have claim to revenue from 6,000 seats half of which have been empty for 10 years.
Media deals
NDSU fans travel and spend money much to the delight of Frisco and the FBS cities conquered by the bison.
If UND goes undefeated in the scheduled FBS games they will take a big step toward NDSU’s current football status. Financially UND has been weakened by the expensive and abandoned foray into the big sky Revenues from the FCS games is much needed
