What if North Dakota State Transitioned to FBS Football?

The North Dakota State Bison have been the class of the FCS for the last decade.

If you’re sick of the Alabama dominance, imagine how fans of FCS programs feel about North Dakota State.

The Bison are on an incredible run: they’ve won nine of the last eleven National Championships, made multiple appearances on College Gameday (which includes their mascot being named Corso after the Gameday analyst), and have defeated a few FBS opponents in their run of dominance.

Our own John Scimeca took a look at how the Bison have led the FCS for the last decade-plus and why it’s a good and bad problem to have.

The most comparable time to this North Dakota State is Oklahoma of the late 1940s and 1950s. Between 1948-1958, Oklahoma had an insane 107-8 record – or a 93% winning percentage- that included college football’s greatest win streak: 41 consecutive wins. Still, Oklahoma only won (as awarded by the AP) three National Championships.

Over 11 seasons for North Dakota State, the Bison have a record of 139-12 – a 92% rate – with nine National Championships. That’s right: this run is as good as the Oklahoma run of 1948-1958.

Alabama’s current run seems like it’s gone on forever. In reality, it’s been 13 seasons – and the Tide have only won six titles in those 13 years.

With all that being said: What if North Dakota State decided to take its talents to the FBS level? It would send shockwaves through both levels of football with effects that haven’t been felt possibly ever. How competitive would the Bison be? What league would they fit in best not only short term but long term?