Report: North Dakota State in talks with Mountain West about joining as football-only member

North Dakota State is in “serious dialogue” about joining the Mountain West as a football-only member, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported. A deal could be finalized as soon as this weekend to allow the FCS powerhouse to make the leap to FBS.

Rumors have long swirled about when NDSU would make the jump from FCS. The Bison have become a powerhouse in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and were the No. 1 seed in this past season’s FCS Playoffs, where they fell to MVFC rival Illinois State.

If North Dakota State joins the Mountain West, the school would pay a “substantial” entry fee, Dellenger reported. It would also take the Mountain West to 10 football members in 2026, with Northern Illinois joining just for football after leaving the MAC.

North Dakota State has won 10 of the last 15 national championships, which helped fuel speculation about when the program would jump up to FBS. In fact, since a 3-8 record in 2009 – two years after joining the Missouri Valley – the Bison have won at least 11 games every full season. They went 7-3 during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

During that time, NDSU has won 10 national championships, most recently bringing home the title in 2024. This past season, the Bison entered the postseason with a 12-0 record and an 8-0 record in conference play to once again win the MVFC before the stunning first-round upset loss to Illinois State. The Redbirds went on to make a run to the title game, where they fell to Montana State in overtime.

Mountain West taking on new look in 2026-27

Adding North Dakota State would further help the Mountain West usher in a new era. The conference lost a slew of schools to the Pac-12 as part of the most recent round of realignment. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State all left to join the new-look league.

However, a strong core remained in place. Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, UNLV and Wyoming all stayed with the Mountain West, and Hawaii joined as a full member. UTEP is also joining as a full member this summer. From there, Northern Illinois joined only in football, and NDSU’s addition would put the MWC at 10 teams for 2026.

The Mountain West also announced its media rights deal this week. FOX Sports, CBS Sports, The CW and Kiswe are all part of the new media package, which will take effect this coming season.