Championship Subdivision Football | FCS Football | Stadiums | Blogs | Forums

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/702853 ... -football/

North Dakota State in talks with Mountain West to join as football-only member in 2026: Source

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Fri Feb 06, 2026 11:00 pm https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/702853 ... -football/

North Dakota State in talks with Mountain West to join as football-only member in 2026: Source

They should make the jump completely

They should be immediately competitive to make the playoffs.

AshevilleApp wrote: ↑Sat Feb 07, 2026 7:47 am They should be immediately competitive to make the playoffs.

You could be right. I wonder why the Pac 12 didn’t go after them instead of Texas State. The P12 has some potential with Boise, Wazzu, Oregon State, San Diego State, and Fresno State.

AshevilleApp wrote: ↑Sat Feb 07, 2026 7:47 am They should be immediately competitive to make the playoffs.

Absolutely!

JMU did it so no reason at all why the Bison can’t do it as well

While it doesn't mean much anymore, ND State is just a bit east of the Mountain West for me to like the expansion of the travel footprint.

That said, as far as expected immediate success, all of you are probably right. It just might rival what Liberty and Coastal Carolina have done at the FBS level, and it might even exceed it because the MWC likely has more "street cred" than Conference USA and the Sun Belch have.

If the State of North Dakota is anything like the State of Idaho was when Boise State first left the Big Sky, you might want to beware of political pressure for North Dakota to be taken along with ND State. And due to rivalry issues, SD State and perhaps South Dakota may go with them. Of course, I don't think anything official on any of that has come out; it's just a personal impression on my part....

SuperHornet wrote: ↑Sat Feb 07, 2026 1:08 pm While it doesn't mean much anymore, ND State is just a bit east of the Mountain West for me to like the expansion of the travel footprint.

That said, as far as expected immediate success, all of you are probably right. It just might rival what Liberty and Coastal Carolina have done at the FBS level, and it might even exceed it because the MWC likely has more "street cred" than Conference USA and the Sun Belch have.

If the State of North Dakota is anything like the State of Idaho was when Boise State first left the Big Sky, you might want to beware of political pressure for North Dakota to be taken along with ND State. And due to rivalry issues, SD State and perhaps South Dakota may go with them. Of course, I don't think anything official on any of that has come out; it's just a personal impression on my part....

Northern Illinois is farther east and a member of the MWC.

It's a done deal. $12 million entry fee, $5 million addition to the NCAA.

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 2:47 pm It's a done deal. $12 million entry fee, $5 million addition to the NCAA.

Just saw this on Twitter

Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

lol. No.

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

FCS No

CAA Yes

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:37 pm

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

FCS No

CAA Yes

True

Patriot and Ivies taking over

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

I think this is good for both FCS and the bizumbs.

Caribbean Hen wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 9:26 am

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:37 pm

FCS No

CAA Yes

True

Patriot and Ivies taking over

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:37 pm

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

FCS No

CAA Yes

CAA died right after the SoCon. FCS is dead in the water. It's such an inferior product and it's not because my Hens aren't there anymore. It's because you can't take away the best 20 teams and pretend nothing has changed.

89Hen wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 2:03 pm

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:37 pm

FCS No

CAA Yes

CAA died right after the SoCon. FCS is dead in the water. It's such an inferior product and it's not because my Hens aren't there anymore. It's because you can't take away the best 20 teams and pretend nothing has changed.

Do you count stepping stone teams like Georgia St, Kennesaw, Liberty Biberty and ODU? UMass imploded in FBS. Idaho came back.

Computer rankings have more 2025 FCS teams rated above 2025 former FCS schools in the top 20. Looks like other teams have stepped up and replaced the old guard.

1. JMU
2. NDSU
3. Montana St
4. ODU
5. Boise St
6. Montana
7. Texas St
8. Tarleton
9. Illinois St
10. WKU
11. UND
12. SDSU
13. SFA
14. Troy
15. Nova
16. GSU
17. Marshall
18. UCD
19. SIU
20. South Dakota

SuperHornet wrote: ↑Sat Feb 07, 2026 1:08 pm While it doesn't mean much anymore, ND State is just a bit east of the Mountain West for me to like the expansion of the travel footprint.

That said, as far as expected immediate success, all of you are probably right. It just might rival what Liberty and Coastal Carolina have done at the FBS level, and it might even exceed it because the MWC likely has more "street cred" than Conference USA and the Sun Belch have.

If the State of North Dakota is anything like the State of Idaho was when Boise State first left the Big Sky, you might want to beware of political pressure for North Dakota to be taken along with ND State. And due to rivalry issues, SD State and perhaps South Dakota may go with them. Of course, I don't think anything official on any of that has come out; it's just a personal impression on my part....

Well that is setting an awfully low bar.

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

Pretty much. SDSU and the Montana schools should jump off the sinking ship..

AshevilleApp wrote: ↑Sat Feb 07, 2026 7:47 am They should be immediately competitive to make the playoffs.

They could. JMU in its second year 2023 was an OT loss to App and a transition rule from making SBC CCG & the NY6 which would be playoffs now. Course that team had Cignetti and a boat load of talent that went to Indiana..The biggest difference is JMU announced moving late up late 2021, year 1 of the portal AND not having to sit a year. As I recall The 1st year of mass transfers wasn’t till the 2023 offseason, with 2024 the 1st year of complete free for all unlimited transfers/Big Pay to Play NIL $$$. JMU was able to keep the bulk of their talent the 1st 2 FBS seasons until Cignetti went to IU. That would not have been the case if the Portal transfer rules had been in place a couple years earlier. It was 2022? that JSU, SHSU & KSU announced were moving up, and UD announced 2023. I believe UD was the first move FCS to FBS after the Portal/NIL complete free for all had started. But they, and Mo St 2024, didn‘t have the talent of JMU or NDSU when they moved up to lose, so I don‘t believe they had the double digit losses to P4s.

I imagine NDSU lost a lot to Portal last month, but also reloaded. The biggest question will be how well they do in the Portal next year as a transitioning FBS team. No G5s can compete with the P4’s NIL $$$ wise. The P4s will rob them blind. They can reload through:
-Non 2 deep P4
-G5s starters that don’t get poached by P4’s that they can offer similar $$ to to come play for a winning program.
-FCS Div II All Conference & All Americans. Heck even Div III AA.

HS recruiting is secondary. How well NDSU does will be determined by how much Pay to Play NIL they can raise, and how well they can reload in the Portal.

BDKJMU wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 7:30 pm

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

Pretty much. SDSU and the Montana schools should jump off the sinking ship..

This is neither a promo for FCS or CUSA

It’s just a Massey rankings of CUSA and the FCS rankings merged together

Middle Tennessee St and UTEP are bad football teams

I think Illinois State would be really good in CUSA

1. Montana St 7.45
2. N Dakota St 7.45
3. Montana 7.11
4. WKU 6.97
5. S Dakota St 6.86
6. Illinois St 6.86
7. Tarleton St 6.84
8. Louisiana Tech 6.77
9. Kennesaw 6.78
10. North Dakota 6.73
11. Jacksonville State 6.70
12. South Dakota 6.68
13. Villanova 6.60
14. Missouri state 6.59
15. UC Davis 6.55
16. SF Austin 6.53
17. FIU 6.50
18. Delaware 6.49
19. S Illinois 6.43
20. Abilene Chr 6.42
21. Yale 6.32
22. Lehigh 6.32
23. Liberty 6.32
24. Youngstown St 6.31
25. Tennessee Tech 6.26

Others receiving votes

26. CS Sacramento 6.26
27. Northern Arizona 6.20
28. Harvard 6.18
29. Mercer. 6.18
30. SE Louisiana 6.15
31. Idaho St 6.14
32. Rhode Island 6.13
33. Southern Utah 6.13
34. Austin Peay 6.12
35. New Mexico state 6.10
36. West Georgia 6.07
37. MTSU 6.03
38. Monmouth 5.97
39. New Hampshire 5.97
40. Idaho 5.96
41. Sam Houston St 5.90
42. Eastern Washington 5.89
43. UTRGV 5.88
44. Dartmouth 5.84
45. Lamar 5.84
46. Eastern Kentucky 5.82
47. UTEP 5.82

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 2:47 pm It's a done deal. $12 million entry fee, $5 million addition to the NCAA.

Congrats! Welcome to the big boy pool. It’s about time y‘all stepped out of the kiddie pool .

That can‘t be chump change for ya‘ll.
Plus:
+ forgo TV $$$ for 6 years
https://www.inforum.com/sports/bison-me ... ntain-west
Isn‘t current one 2.5 mil a year ballpark?
+Double (mas/menos) coaches salaries + a couple additional assistant coaches I believe.
+BIG jump in NIL funding
+42 full ride scholarship equivalents.
+ I see fly to every opponent.

Y‘all got some 9-10 figure fracking sugar daddy stroking an 8 figure check?

BDKJMU wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 8:19 pm

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Sun Feb 08, 2026 2:47 pm It's a done deal. $12 million entry fee, $5 million addition to the NCAA.

Congrats! Welcome to the big boy pool. It’s about time y‘all stepped out of the kiddie pool .

That can‘t be chump change for ya‘ll.
Plus:
+ forgo TV $$$ for 6 years
https://www.inforum.com/sports/bison-me ... ntain-west
Isn‘t current one 2.5 mil a year ballpark?
+Double (mas/menos) coaches salaries + a couple additional assistant coaches I believe.
+BIG jump in NIL funding
+42 full ride scholarship equivalents.
+ I see fly to every opponent.

Y‘all got some 9-10 figure fracking sugar daddy stroking an 8 figure check?

Sac St offered $10 million.

School has $112 million escrow for football. Already raised $25 million from fans, I've heard. Teammakers turned over $6 million for the move.

Already fly to most places. Not much additional cost there.

UNI88 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 10:09 am

89Hen wrote: ↑Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:46 am Now can we call I-AA/FCS dead?

I think this is good for both FCS and the bizumbs.

It might be good for the fans of FCS teams, but I don’t think losing North Dakota State is really going to help grow the FCS fan base.

The number of voters in the AGS poll are dwindling rapidly and it’s gonna take another big hit as Bison fans move out

I wouldn’t be surprised if they have to retire it

Gil Dobie wrote: ↑Tue Feb 10, 2026 3:41 pm Computer rankings

Gil, you know these don't work for comparing I-A with I-AA... there's simply not enough data. NDSU no games against I-A, Montana State got stomped by Oregon, Illinois State got stomped by Oklahoma, etc...

It's OK. Your Bizen are moving on, you don't need to blindly defend I-AA anymore. EVEN IF the computer rankings are correct, which they aren't, there's more to I-AA being dead. From 2010 FCS has lost many of it's top draws, in fact 9 of the top 20 in attendance:

1. Appalachian State
4. Old Dominion
5. Delaware
6. Georgia Southern
7. Jacksonville State
9. James Madison
10. Liberty
11. North Dakota State
20. Massachusetts

35 schools averaged over 10k in 2010. That number is down to 21 (taking NDSU out). To say teams are replacing those that left is folly.