North Dakota State will enter the Mountain West as a football-only member beginning July 1, 2026, the conference revealed Monday. The FCS program will pay the NCAA $5 million to transition to FBS and is expected to pay an entry fee over $10 million to the Mountain West, sources tell CBS Sports.
Progress on bringing the FCS powerhouse to the Mountain West had been made in recent days, CBS Sports previously revealed.
“We are thrilled to welcome North Dakota State University’s football program to the Mountain West,” stated MWC commissioner Gloria Nevarez in a statement. “The Bison bring a championship mindset and a bold vision for growth that aligns with the unwavering commitment to the excellence of the Mountain West.”
The move marks one of the most significant FCS-to-FBS transitions in recent history. North Dakota State has won 10 national championships since 2011, including its most recent title in 2024. They are 9-5 all-time against FBS opponents, with five wins over power conference programs.
The program had publicly signaled its desire to move to the FBS level in recent months under athletic director Matt Larsen and outgoing university president David Cook, who is set to become president at Iowa State University on March 1. Cook’s final day at North Dakota State was Sunday, a notable final act for the school president.
“This is a historic day for NDSU Athletics,” Larsen stated in a statement. “Our football program has earned this opportunity through the sustained success and leadership of our student-athletes and coaches past and present. Joining the Mountain West is an exciting new opportunity for our team to compete at the highest level, for our fans to see FBS opponents coming to Fargo, and for Bison football to reach a wider national audience through expanded television coverage.”
The addition of North Dakota State comes during a pivotal stretch for the Mountain West. The conference revealed new media rights agreements last week with CBS Sports, FOX Sports and Kiswe through the 2031-32 season, and added The CW under a five-year deal running through 2030-31.
The league is also preparing for the departures of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State, all of which will join the re-formed Pac-12 next fall. The Mountain West has backfilled those openings with UTEP, UC Davis, and Northern Illinois. Hawaii was added as a football-only member in 2012 but joins in all sports beginning in 2026. Northern Illinois will join as a football-only member in 2026, while UC Davis’ football program will remain in the FCS as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
The Mountain West will continue to play an eight-game conference schedule in football next season, a source stated. Matchups for the 2026 season were revealed in December, though dates have not yet been finalized. Projected schedules that include North Dakota State are now being modeled and would require minor adjustments.
As North Dakota State finalizes its move to the Mountain West, the program will be required to complete a two-year transition period at the FBS level, rendering it ineligible for the College Football Playoff and bowl games in 2026 and 2027. The school could still accept a bowl bid if there are not enough bowl-eligible teams to fill available slots.
There are currently 136 FBS programs. Delaware and Missouri State completed their first full FBS seasons in 2025.
