The Big Sky Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, affiliated with the NCAA's Division I with football competing in the Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2024, ten full member institutions are located in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Two affiliate members from California are football–only participants.
The Great West Conference (GWC) was an NCAA college athletic conference in the continental United States. Originally a football-only league, it became an all-sports entity during the 2008–09 season. The GWC stopped sponsoring football following the 2011 season. The conference became defunct when four of the remaining five full member schools became members of other conferences on July 1, 2013.
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks are the athletic teams that represent the University of North Dakota (UND), located in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level as a member of the Summit League. With 17 varsity teams, North Dakota is best known for its Ice Hockey team and American Football team. North Dakota's main rivalries are with the North Dakota State Bison and the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The Alerus Center is an indoor arena and convention center in the north central United States, located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The facility is owned and operated by the city of Grand Forks and opened on February 10, 2001.
The North Dakota Fighting Hawks represent the University of North Dakota, competing as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in the NCAA Division I's Football Championship Subdivision. From 1973 to 2008, they played in the NCAA's NCAA Division II, winning the national championship in 2001. From 1955 to 1972, they competed in the NCAA's College Division where they participated in and won three bowl games.
The 2008 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team represented The University of North Dakota as a member of the Great West Conference during the 2008 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Chris Mussman, the Fighting Sioux compiled an overall record of 6–4 with a mark of 1–2 in conference play, tying for third place in the GWC. North Dakota played home games at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The 2011 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team represented the University of North Dakota as a member of the Great West Conference (GWC) during the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Chris Mussman, the Fighting Sioux compiled an overall record of 8–3 with a mark of 3–1 in conference play, sharing the GWC title with Cal Poly. North Dakota played home games at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. This was the team's final year as a member of the Great West Conference as North Dakota became a full member of the Big Sky Conference in 2012.
The 2012 University of North Dakota football team represented the University of North Dakota in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Chris Mussman and played their home games at the Alerus Center. This was their first year as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The 2013 University of North Dakota football team represented the University of North Dakota in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. They were led by fifth-year head coach Chris Mussman and played their home games at the Alerus Center. North Dakota the season 3–8 overall and 2–6 in Big Sky play to place tenth.
The 2015 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota during the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second year head coach Bubba Schweigert and played their home games at the Alerus Center. The Fighting Hawks are a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The 2016 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Bubba Schweigert and played their home games at the Alerus Center. The Fighting Hawks were a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 9–3, 8–0 in Big Sky play to share the conference championship with Eastern Washington. They received an at-large bid into the FCS Playoffs where they lost to Richmond in the second round.
The 2017 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert and played their home games at the Alerus Center. The Fighting Hawks were a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 3–8, 2–6 in Big Sky play to finish in a three-way tie for 9th place.
The 2018 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert and played their home games at the Alerus Center. The Fighting Hawks competed as an FCS independent. They finished the season 6–5.
The 2019 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert, they played their home games at the Alerus Center. They finished the season 7–5. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs, where they would lose to Nicholls in the first round.
The 2020 South Dakota Coyotes football team represented the University of South Dakota in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Bob Nielson and played their home games in the DakotaDome. They played as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The 2020 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Bubba Schweigert, they played their home games at the Alerus Center as first-year members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The 2021 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota in the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Fighting Hawks competed as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and were led by eight-year head coach Bubba Schweigert. They played their home games at Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The 2021 North Dakota State Bison football team represented the North Dakota State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison competed as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and were led by third-year head coach Matt Entz. They played their home games at Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.
The 2022 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by ninth-year head coach Bubba Schweigert, the Fighting Hawks compiling an overall record of 7–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. North Dakota received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff, losing to Weber State in the first round. The team played home games at Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The 2024 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team represented the University of North Dakota as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Fighting Hawks were led by eleventh-year head coach Bubba Schweigert, and played their home games at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
