North Dakota State University first fielded a football team in 1894, among the first 70 universities in the nation to do so. The first game North Dakota State Farmers (until they adopted the Aggies mascot in 1902) played was against future rival, University of North Dakota Flickertails (until they adopted the Fighting Sioux mascot in 1930), North Dakota State won the game 20–4. [1]
North Dakota State officially joined the North Central Conference in 1922 as a founding member. They stayed a member of this conference until 2004 when they moved to Division I (FCS).
The Bison have amassed a 774–378–34 (.667) record since 1894 and have won 17 National Championships, 9 as a member of Division I FCS, and 8 as a member of Division II. NDSU has won 35 Conference Championships, and only have 3 losing seasons since 1964. They have won 9 out of the last 12 FCS National Championships, the most in FCS history.
North Dakota State has won more games than any other FCS school founded after 1876.
Eddie Cochems, known as the 'father of the forward pass', coached North Dakota State from 1902 to 1903, leading them to a 9–1 record and outscoring their opponents 499–49 in two seasons. It is said he experimented with the forward pass at NDSU, but it was not officially legal until 1906.
Years in Postseason: 36
DII Post-Season Record: 35-13 (.729)
DI Post-Season Record: 44-4 (.917)
OVERALL PLAYOFF RECORD: 79-17 (.823)
National Championships: 17 (1965, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 2011–2015, 2017–2019, 2021)
National Runner-Up: 4 (1967, 1981, 1984, 2022)
National 3rd Place: 6 (1970, 1976, 1977, 1982, 2000, 2016)
North Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as the state's land-grant university. As of 2021, NDSU offers 94 undergraduate majors, 146 undergraduate degree programs, 5 undergraduate certificate programs, 84 undergraduate minors, 87 master's degree programs, 51 doctoral degree programs of study, and 210 graduate certificate programs. It is classified among "R1-Doctoral Universities – Very High Research Activity".
Fargodome is an indoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. Opened 32 years ago in late 1992, the facility is owned by the City of Fargo and built on university land. Not an actual dome, its seating capacity is 18,700 for football and over 25,000 for full arena concerts. Its approximate elevation at street level is 900 feet (275 m) above sea level.
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 North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in the 19,000-seat Fargodome located in Fargo. The Bison have won 17 national championships and 37 conference championships. They have won nine NCAA Division I AA FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2021. The Bison hold the record for most overall NCAA national championships and the record for the most consecutive championships with five titles between 2011 and 2015 for Division I FCS.
Craig Philip Bohl is a retired American college football coach and former player. Prior to announcing his retirement from coaching at the conclusion of the 2023 football season, he was the head football coach at the University of Wyoming for 10 seasons. Before being hired in Laramie, he was the head coach at North Dakota State University in Fargo from 2003 to 2013, where he led the Bison to three consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championships in his final three seasons.
The North Dakota State Bison are the athletic teams of North Dakota State University (NDSU), which is located in the city of Fargo, North Dakota. The teams are often called the "Thundering Herd". The current logo is a bison.
The North Dakota State Bison wrestling team represents North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. The Bison currently compete in the Big 12 Conference and wrestle their home duals at the Scheels Center. NDSU is currently coached by Obe Blanc.
The Dakota Marker is the trophy awarded to the winner of the annual football game played between the rival Division I Championship Subdivision North Dakota State University Bison and the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits. Both schools are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The James Madison Dukes football program represents James Madison University in the sport of American football. The Dukes compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), beginning play within the conference for the 2022 season. The university first fielded a football team in 1972, and the Dukes play at the on-campus Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Dukes are currently coached by Bob Chesney.
The 2011 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison were led by ninth year head coach Craig Bohl and played their home games at the Fargodome. They are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 14–1, 7–1 in MVFC play to share the conference title with Northern Iowa.
The 2012 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by tenth-year head coach Craig Bohl and played their home games at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota. North Dakota State entered the season as the defending NCAA Division I Football and Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) champions. In 2012, the Bison won their second straight MVFC title posting, a 7–1 conference record and 10–1 overall mark in the regular season. In the FCS playoffs they defeated South Dakota State, Wofford, Georgia Southern, and Sam Houston State to finish the season 14–1 and win their second consecutive national title.
The 2013 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2013 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach Craig Bohl, in his 11th and ultimately final season, as he left to become the head coach at Wyoming after the season. The team, which played their 21st season in the Fargodome, entered the season as the two-time defending national champions. The Bison have been members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference since the 2008 season.
Christopher Paul Klieman is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Kansas State University, a position he has held since the 2019 season. Klieman served as the head football coach at North Dakota State University from 2014 to 2018. He succeeded the retiring Bill Snyder at Kansas State after leading the North Dakota State Bison to four NCAA Division I Football Championship titles in five seasons.
The 2015 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Chris Klieman. The team, which played its 23rd season in the Fargodome, entered the season as the four-time defending national champions. The Bison have been members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) since the 2008 season.
The 2010 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison were led by eighth-year head coach Craig Bohl and played their home games at the Fargodome. They were a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 9–5 overall and 4–4 in MVFC play to finish tied for third place. They received an at-large qualifier bid into the FCS playoffs, their first FCS playoff bid in school history since moving to Division I in 2004 and being eligible for the playoffs in 2008.
The 2017 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Chris Klieman. The team played their 25th season in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison finished the season 14–1, 7–1 in MVFC play to win the MVFC championship for the seventh consecutive year. As a result, the Bison received the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs as the No. 2 seed. In the playoffs, they defeated San Diego, Wofford, and Sam Houston State to advance to the National Championship game. There they defeated James Madison 17–13 to win the school's sixth National Championship in seven years. The September 30 game against Missouri State was the 700th victory since the team's founding in 1894.
Matthew John Entz is an American college football coach. He is the linebackers coach and assistant head coach for defense at the University of Southern California. He was the head football coach at North Dakota State University from 2019 to 2023. Entz took over from the departing Chris Klieman after Klieman led the 2018 North Dakota State Bison football team to the program's seventh NCAA Division I Football Championship in eight seasons. Entz was the defensive coordinator for the Bison from 2014 until his promotion following the 2018 season.
The North Dakota State Bison volleyball team is the NCAA Division I women's volleyball team at North Dakota State University located in Fargo, North Dakota. The program began its first season in 1965 under head coach Collette Folstad. The current Bison head coach is Jennifer Lopez in her 6th season. Lopez took over after former coach Kari Thompson resigned after the 2016 season.
The 2020 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Matt Entz. The team played in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, for the 28th season as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). They entered the season as defending national champions, having won eight of the prior nine FCS titles.