Dynamic FCS Era Coming to An End

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Feb 7, 2026 8:10 AM ET

Conference realignment has suddenly become a never-ending feature of college football. But the next move, which at this point seems inevitable, will end one of the most dynamic eras in college football history.

As first reported by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports late Friday night, North Dakota State is in serious discussions to join the Mountain West Conference in 2026. The Bison have been the definition of FCS football since making the transition from DII in 2004, which makes this expected move very noteworthy.

The Bison have won 10 FCS National Championships since 2011, including five straight from 2011 to 2015. Since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2008, NDSU has won 12 conference titles. During this time, they set the FCS record for consecutive wins with 39 (2017–2020), which surpassed their own previous record of 33.

And along the way they have proven themselves against FBS competition with wins against Iowa, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Now, they’ll have an opportunity to prove themselves against FBS competition on a weekly basis. The Mountain West Conference is in flux after the departure of their top programs (Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State) to the Pac-12, but it will still be a consistent step up in competition for the Bison.

But it will be a step up that they’ll be able to handle.

Recent FCS to FBS movers have proven that this is very possible. James Madison is the most obvious example, but there are plenty of others that have navigated the transition successfully during this century.

Appalachian State, Western Kentucky, UTSA, Texas State, Liberty, Coastal Carolina are on this list, and more recently, Sam Houston, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Missouri State and Delaware have quickly found success.

North Dakota State will join this list of success stories. Their foundation is stronger than any program that has made the move previously and will continue to be so.

Overall, this move isn’t surprising. And many have been wondering how the Bison would perform at the FBS level. Everyone will find out in 2026.

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

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