What if North Dakota State Transitioned to FBS Football?
North Dakota State wouldn’t survive as an independent.
Straight out of the gate: absolutely no football independence for the Bison. They need conference payouts to offset travel costs that could be astronomical. And besides, unless you’re Notre Dame, BYU or Army, independence is where football goes to die. Don’t believe me? Ask New Mexico State, UConn, and UMass.
The first conference that comes to mind is the MAC. No offense to MACtion, but that league isn’t good enough for the Bison. While Tuesday night matchups against Toledo, Northern Illinois, and Kent State would no doubt be exciting, the program belongs in a more prominent spot, not on ESPNU while a bad NBA game is on ESPN and a cornhole final takes up ESPN2. Again, no offense, MAC.
The choice I think is correct is the Mountain West, at least in the short term. The Mountain West is one of the premier Group of Five leagues, probably number two behind the AAC. And when Cincinnati, UCF, and Houston leave the American for greener pastures in the Big 12, the Mountain West will likely be kings of the Group of Five again.
North Dakota State against the likes of Fresno State, San Diego State, and especially Boise State when the Broncos are at the top of their game would make for great spectacles. North Dakota State/Boise State is a game I could see evolving into a solid rivalry. The Fargodome would be rocking in a late November showdown where a New Year’s Six bowl berth is on the line.
Long term, the Bison’s home should be in a Power Five league. If you want to go geographically, it’s tough with North Dakota in the middle of the country. It’s hard to make the argument that they don’t geographically fit in the ACC but they do in the Pac-12, even though the Pac-12 footprint is much larger in terms of cross-country movement.
The ACC is mostly along the east coast, save for Louisville and Notre Dame in some sports. They’re out just for that. The SEC is out too, but geographically and competitively (we’ll get to that.)
The Big Ten is probably the best geographic fit. Minnesota is their next-door neighbor and Iowa, Wisconsin, and Nebraska are also relatively close. Their current home, the Missouri Valley Conference, has a footprint in many Big Ten states. Plus, the conference is nearly a lock for College Football Playoff talk every season.
But two conferences that aren’t locks by any stretch are the Pac-12 and Big 12. Both offer benefits but come with some big drawbacks as well.
With the Pac-12, you can’t mention the conference without their awful tv deal, thanks to the Pac-12 Network. The schools should be in line for a big raise in the next negotiation in a few years, but it’s not a lock. They’d also be looking at travel issues with routine trips to California and Arizona. The good thing is the Pac-12 is very winnable after the program gets its footing within the conference.
The same can be said for the Big 12 especially with the departures of Texas and Oklahoma. The conference would be at its weakest point potentially ever and it would be a great opportunity for a new program to step up and take hold. But also like the Pac-12, the travel is dicey. Now you’re factoring in trips to states like Texas, West Virginia, and eventually Florida. That might be a deal-breaker.
If it were to ever happen, look at the Big 10 and Pac-12 as the favorites.
Of course, at some point, you have to play the games. But who would North Dakota State be successful against? If we take all 130 FSB teams and divide them into five categories: games North Dakota State would easily win, games they should win, toss-up games, close losses, and games they have no shot in.