North Dakota State Sticking with Same Recruiting Philosophies

Jan 8 USA TODAY Sports

North Dakota State Sticking with Same Recruiting Philosophies

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Apr 29, 2026 12:36 PM ET

When North Dakota State announced its intentions to make their long-awaited move from the FCS to the FBS, it created a great deal of curiosity. How would the FCS powerhouse compete at the highest level? And how would they adjust to the move?

Almost three months later, while there have been some adjustments, there haven’t been many. Which makes sense, considering the old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” fits perfectly in this situation for the Bison.

To say North Dakota State was dominant at the FCS level is putting it mildly. Since the 2011 season the Bison won 10 National Championships, 12 Missouri Valley Conference Championships and compiled a record of 198-22. This stretch included winning streaks of an FCS record 39 games, but also 33 games, 16 games and 14 games twice.

Jan 8, 2022; Frisco, TX, USA; North Dakota State Bison head coach Matt Entz holds up the championship trophy as the Bison celebrate the win over the Montana State Bobcats in the FCS Championship at Toyota Stadium.

The changes that the Bison have made since the announced transition include doubling their football budget, increasing the number of scholarships and adding more specialized pieces to the coaching staff.

But when it comes to recruiting, for now it has been more of the regular.

On Tuesday, the Bison received their 12^th Class of 2027 commitment from three-star offensive lineman Bryce Vigness (Papillion, Neb.). This is noteworthy, because he is the first commitment in this class who is rated by recruiting sites. While Vigness had several other FBS offers, including from P4 programs (Iowa State and Pittsburgh), most of the other 11 commitments were holding FCS offers.

The Bison also aren’t branching out into new recruiting territories. Instead, they are mining the areas they are already very familiar with for talent. This has resulted in 10 of the 12 Class of 2027 commitments coming from North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin or Minnesota. Vigness is from Nebraska, while the only true outlier is safety Robenson Duclona, who is from Fort Myers, Florida.

Only time will tell if the recruiting philosophy that dominated FCS football for 15 seasons will translate to the FBS. In the meantime, everyone will find out in only a few months if the current roster will experience a similar level of success.

The season opener at home against Jacksonville State will be a solid initial test, while Mountain West Conference road trips to UNLV, New Mexico and Hawaii will determine the level of success in 2026. But as we sit here in late April, nobody should bet against the Bison and their philosophies.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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