2026 UND Football Season Thread

[AJS]

20 hours ago, Siouxdaddy said:

https://www.inforum.com/sports/bison-media-zone/mens-sports/mcfeely-is-history-repeating-itself-with-bisons-move-to-fbs?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

I was not alive when NDSU made the jump or for when anything Mcfeely is talking about happened. Was what he said generally true? And that being said, should Chaves position UND for a FBS move if truly a school like SDSU or the Montanas is debating jumping up too? Genuinely asking.

Quote

UND knew NDSU wanted to move up someday, but didn’t think the Bison were close.

Never believed a sentence more. I've ranted on this before, so will keep it brief. There's a lot of similarities between the D2 decision and the early 2000s and what's happening now. UND is a few peer institutions (most importantly SDSU, but also Montana's) from leaving away from being in the same place they were 20-some years ago. Maybe in a worse spot since the Summit League is so unstable (St. Thomas is on their way out, NDSU will take all-sports, same with SDSU in the scenario they leave). 

So yes, give me a poorly attended bowl game over an FCS playoff with no one left. I'm not saying FBS or bust, but I am saying, they need to be proactive in this. Plan accordingly. They cannot get left behind, again. 

[Undertherock]

20 hours ago, UND69er said:

Kupchella and Thomas made a huge mistake with the decision not to move when the SUs did. Not sure the current situation now with NDSU moving to FBS is the same. But if Montana, MSU, SDSU and USD decide to move then we should probably go too. My 5cents worth.

As an SDSU fan, I was opposed to the DI move and thought that it was foolish.  23 years later, while some suggest that we've just seen a golden age of SDSU athletics, I think the reality is a little more mixed, even though I admit to being wrong about the move.  Football has been wildly more successful at DI than at DII, because the institution and donors decided to start funding FB.  BB, VB and the Olympic sports have all prospered at the conference level but realistically, the hopes for these teams go no further than winning a conference tournament. And while Frost (now FBT) Arena is one of the best Summit environments, attendance pales in comparison to DII days and the bedlam that was old Frost against even non-NCC foes like Northern State.   Even as arguably the top mid-major women's basketball program, the woman are lucky to win one NCAA tournament game.  Of course in 2003, no one envisioned what the portal and NIL would do to men's college basketball.  Still, I doubt anyone would go back to DII/NCC days. 

I think the big difference between moving from DII to DI vs moving from FCS to FBS is that for the the xDSUs and UxDs, and even some of the schools that stayed behind, those institutions looked more like their soon-to-be peers in the Summit/MVFC than they did the Morningsides, the Augies, or the Marys, etc.  In retrospect, its easy to see that we would become the class of our conferences.  But whereas our institutions look like the class of FCS institutions, we don't look like the class of FBS.  Short of a reckless multi-billionaire throwing lavish money at an institution, there isn't a scenario where our institutions even sniff sustained competitiveness against the P4, let alone the P2.  My hang-up with a potential move to FBS for SDSU would be taking the one sport where national championships are possible, and reducing it to a scenario like all the other sports, to wit: The conference championship game (if it still exists), is the pinnacle of that sport's success.  

The only attraction I see to FBS is if there is a some kind of a split where the G6 has their own playoff but as noted earlier, G6 won't instigate this for fear of losing access to CFP.  If it would become a reality, effectively creating a new second tier of CFB, that's where I'd want SDSU to be, and I think the AD has made it clear that that is where SDSU belongs.  Unfortunately, I'm afraid that the admin feels like the window to move is closing, whether because of pending legislation or otherwise, and is feeling pressure from the NDSU move, and that we'll hear sooner, rather than later, that SDSU is ransoming their way into FBS as well.  This belief is entirely uninformed but AD Sell plays things pretty close to the vest and it wouldn't surprise me one iota to learn that a lot of discussions are being held behind closed doors on just how to fund such a move and backchanneling to potential conferences.  

[jdub27]

21 hours ago, Siouxdaddy said:

https://www.inforum.com/sports/bison-media-zone/mens-sports/mcfeely-is-history-repeating-itself-with-bisons-move-to-fbs?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

I was not alive when NDSU made the jump or for when anything Mcfeely is talking about happened. Was what he said generally true? And that being said, should Chaves position UND for a FBS move if truly a school like SDSU or the Montanas is debating jumping up too? Genuinely asking.

All the puff pieces must not be getting enough views so decided to go with the tried and true method of click-bating rival fans....
*yawn*

 

36 minutes ago, AJS said:

Never believed a sentence more. I've ranted on this before, so will keep it brief.

More accurately, no one thought they were going to convince donors to pay an unprecedented ransom on top of revenue concessions to buy their way in. Plenty of people knew things going on behind the scenes, they just didn't think NDSU would actually give into the demands that were out there. And the money still isn't there. Hopefully the ones that already opened their checkbook are willing to do so even more because they need some big checks.
On the flip side, everyone knew Sac St would do whatever it took, their president is either a genius or a clown, which time will be the judge of.

[NDRA]

1 hour ago, Goon said:

What is the benefit of joining FBS Football? We already saw what happened to James Madison and how bad they were beaten in the FBS playoffs. UND is probably right where they need to be as far as Division I football goes. Feel free to tell where I am wrong, just saying. Do we really want to go play in a poorly attended mediocre bowl game or compete in the FCS playoffs? 

To be fair a lot of FCS playoff games are poorly attended as well, exception for Dak/Mont home games.  If SU makes a bowl game you can bet it will be quite well attended by Bison fans.

[Big Green]

TBH, I move to FBS football would kill my interest in UND Football.  In hindsight UND should have moving to FCS at the same time NDSU moved, but this feels much different.  The d2 days were just a more fun time.  Knowing if things fell into place they could compete for a natty in basically every sport.  Now the only 2 sports are Football and Hockey.  I think that has basically killed Basketball interest.

 

[SiouxHawkGuy]

16 minutes ago, Big Green said:

TBH, I move to FBS football would kill my interest in UND Football.  In hindsight UND should have moving to FCS at the same time NDSU moved, but this feels much different.  The d2 days were just a more fun time.  Knowing if things fell into place they could compete for a natty in basically every sport.  Now the only 2 sports are Football and Hockey.  I think that has basically killed Basketball interest.

 

Making March Madness is pretty awesome

[Big Green]

6 minutes ago, SiouxHawkGuy said:

Making March Madness is pretty awesome

Winning the Conference Tournament is great and fun.  Making March Madness just to get killed by AZ does nothing for me.  Making the Elite 8 in D2 was so much more fun.

[Undertherock]

25 minutes ago, SiouxHawkGuy said:

Making March Madness is pretty awesome

SDSU has won the men's Summit tourney 7 times.  The women 13 times.  The women winning is slightly more intriguing because they have a better than zero chance of winning a game.  But the men, especially in the NIL/Portal era, have zero chance at playing the Cinderella, and the players that lead them there are gone come next season.  

[Undertherock]

2 hours ago, NDRA said:

To be fair a lot of FCS playoff games are poorly attended as well, exception for Dak/Mont home games.  If SU makes a bowl game you can bet it will be quite well attended by Bison fans.

They will make a bowl game.  While its possible they win 5 or fewer, it seems almost improbable.  That said, NDSU moved to FBS in a year where they probably have more question marks on their roster then they've had in 15 years.  Still, if NDSU flounders this year, then a lot of us are probably wrong in our assessment of the level of FB being played in the MVFC vs the dogwater FBS conferences like MWC, MAC and CUSA.  And when they do go bowling, they'll get a pretty big contingent.  There are more than a handful of Bison sycophants who seem to think they can only leave North Fargo when there is a FB related charter out of town.  

[Goon]

2 hours ago, Big Green said:

TBH, I move to FBS football would kill my interest in UND Football.  In hindsight UND should have moving to FCS at the same time NDSU moved, but this feels much different.  The d2 days were just a more fun time.  Knowing if thin,gs fell into place they could compete for a natty in basically every sport.  Now the only 2 sports are Football and Hockey.  I think that has basically killed Basketball interest.

 

I agree that UND should've moved up to FCS football when NDSI did. Sure, it was short-sightedness by the UND Athletic Department. 

[Goon]

On 8/5/2026 at 6:02 PM, Siouxdaddy said:

https://www.inforum.com/sports/bison-media-zone/mens-sports/mcfeely-is-history-repeating-itself-with-bisons-move-to-fbs?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

I was not alive when NDSU made the jump or for when anything Mcfeely is talking about happened. Was what he said generally true?

IRC, it was accurate from his perspective. Yeah, UND dropped the ball and should have jumped to FCS when NDSU did. Hindsight is 50/50, however, I also feel he's trying to get a rise out of UND football fans. Maybe it's a bit of a clickbait. I am not going to dissmiss everything he's saying. Take it for what its worth. I think it would be really hard to fully fund FBS Football and UND Hockey. One program would suffer and I've been told by someone higher up the food chain football doesn't get as much funding/money as UND hockey. 

[SiouxFan100]

We have discussed this all over and over again. 
 

I wouldn’t mind FBS but doubt we can afford it.

[goyotes]

Good read from a new USD fan site 

[UND69er]

Early bowl predictions have NDSU facing Toledo in the Famous Idaho Potato bowl. 

[SiouxHawkGuy]

Early FCS prediction: North Dakota plays Montana State in Nashville for a National Championship 

[Undertherock]

1 hour ago, goyotes said:

Good read from a new USD fan site 

Good read except there isn't a single rational person who thought, at any time, that NDSU would ever get a P4 invite under any iteration of FBS FB.  

[SIOUXFAN97]

2 hours ago, SiouxFan100 said:

We have discussed this all over and over again. 
 

I wouldn’t mind FBS but doubt we can afford it.

und AND ndac can afford it.....But at what level..

if la Monroe and Sam Houston are fbs und can too.....but if winning a junk bowl is your goal go for it.....but in no world will und/ndac or sam Houston ever ever make noise in the cfp ever.

[UND-FB-FAN]

17 hours ago, Hawkster said:

The big difference now is it probably won't be our decision if we want to move up. 

Not entirely wrong but not entirely true. The amount of $ and politicking involved to go from FCS to FBS needed means there needs to be some degree of intentionality. 
 

Of course, realignment may likely happen in the future, but relying on that is not a great strategy. It is weak. No one can predict the future. 
 

UND football and UND athletics should be proactive and chart its own course.

[UND-FB-FAN]

17 hours ago, Goon said:

What is the benefit of joining FBS Football? We already saw what happened to James Madison and how bad they were beaten in the FBS playoffs. UND is probably right where they need to be as far as Division I football goes. Feel free to tell where I am wrong, just saying. Do we really want to go play in a poorly attended mediocre bowl game or compete in the FCS playoffs? 

Devils advocacy here; do you want to UND football to make more money or not? Do you want to be more successful or be satisfied with the status quo? That is the difference. FBS is the next and best level. 

I completely get the bowl game vs FCS playoff argument, and winning a national championship is definitely better for fans than winning a mediocre bowl game (unless the travel would be a perk in December/January), but that is the format and heterogeneity of FBS football at this time. What the P4 does in the future will influence that. In the meantime, while focusing on current state, the national notoriety and dollars associated with FBS football is what should make it attractive to UND and UND football if they want to keep growing. It won’t happen overnight. Will take time; years of planning, fundraising, success at FCS, and quite frankly some luck outside of UND’s control, so enjoy FCS while it’s here, but striving to be better should not be a deterrent. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

12 hours ago, Goon said:

IRC, it was accurate from his perspective. Yeah, UND dropped the ball and should have jumped to FCS when NDSU did. Hindsight is 50/50, however, I also feel he's trying to get a rise out of UND football fans. Maybe it's a bit of a clickbait. I am not going to dissmiss everything he's saying. Take it for what its worth. I think it would be really hard to fully fund FBS Football and UND Hockey. One program would suffer and I've been told by someone higher up the food chain football doesn't get as much funding/money as UND hockey. 

Trying to grow UND athletics beyond its current scope will be hard (if not impossible) if this arrangement stays as it. Not really an opinion, I’m afraid, but really just the reality. 

[Bison Dan]

17 hours ago, Goon said:

What is the benefit of joining FBS Football? We already saw what happened to James Madison and how bad they were beaten in the FBS playoffs. UND is probably right where they need to be as far as Division I football goes. Feel free to tell where I am wrong, just saying. Do we really want to go play in a poorly attended mediocre bowl game or compete in the FCS playoffs? 

Both Texas Tech and Alabama had worst losses and losing to Oregon 51-34 is hardly a beat down.  You guys act like you've had deep runs into the FCS playoffs.  Mostly one and done.

[SiouxHawkGuy]

Bowl games are cool. 

[GoodGood]

26 minutes ago, Bison Dan said:

Both Texas Tech and Alabama had worst losses and losing to Oregon 51-34 is hardly a beat down.  You guys act like you've had deep runs into the FCS playoffs.  Mostly one and done.

Buddy it was 48-13 halfway through the 3rd quarter. Hang a banner for the all time back door cover against Oregon’s 3rd stringers

[UND-FB-FAN]

10 hours ago, SiouxHawkGuy said:

Early FCS prediction: North Dakota plays Montana State in Nashville for a National Championship 

I agree, actually. Will be a fun game and atmosphere. Fun travel in January 2027 down to the Music City

[Undertherock]

34 minutes ago, UND-FB-FAN said:

Devils advocacy here; do you want to UND football to make more money or not? Do you want to be more successful or be satisfied with the status quo? That is the difference. FBS is the next and best level. 

I completely get the bowl game vs FCS playoff argument, and winning a national championship is definitely better for fans than winning a mediocre bowl game (unless the travel would be a perk in December/January), but that is the format and heterogeneity of FBS football at this time. What the P4 does in the future will influence that. In the meantime, while focusing on current state, the national notoriety and dollars associated with FBS football is what should make it attractive to UND and UND football if they want to keep growing. It won’t happen overnight. Will take time; years of planning, fundraising, success at FCS, and quite frankly some luck outside of UND’s control, so enjoy FCS while it’s here, but striving to be better should not be a deterrent. 

I'm curious where these dollars you speak of will come from?  Not ticket sales.  See NDSU.  Also see your small stadium with limited expansion potential. 

While there might be a few bucks from media rights, those dollars will disappear fast when the FB budget will need to double, or in the case of UND, maybe triple to get to a MWC or equivalent median.  

Not from the CFP.  You won't sniff it.  

NDSU has to double their FB budget.  They might have the scyophants, for now, to do it.  But they are in full bake sale mode to get there.  They were duped into propping up the failing MWC in the hopes that "if you play UTEP, they will come." They ain't coming.  NDSU ain't going to CFP, and even the $2m in media rights won't be there when NDSU becomes eligible.  When UNLV and AF bolt for the PAC and AAC respectively after 2032, MWC will my vying with MAC and CUSA for worst media deal.  The math ain't mathing.