With North Dakota State”s announcement of joining the Mountain West Conference for football this fall, excitement and uncertainty surround the team”s future matchups. The primary question among fans and analysts alike is which teams the Bison will face in the upcoming season.
Following the conference switch, athletic director Matt Larsen and deputy AD Todd Phelps scrapped five years” worth of scheduled non-conference games to create a new slate for the season. Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez indicated that the eight-game league schedule is expected to be unveiled by the end of the month. Notably, with ten teams now in the conference, NDSU will miss playing against at least one of them, as FBS teams generally avoid scheduling another league game during the regular season.
Understanding the terminology of college football is crucial for fans. The terms “P4” and “G6” refer to the “Power Four” leagues (Big Ten, Atlantic Coast, Southeastern, and Big 12) and the “Group of Six” (which includes the Mountain West, among others). Bison supporters will need to familiarize themselves with these leagues moving forward.
The Mountain West is currently planning for an eight-game conference schedule. This is significant as the Power Four conferences will be increasing to nine league games this season, potentially creating more opportunities for Group of Six matchups. For NDSU, the scheduling structure will consist of a home game against an FCS team, a home game against a G6 school, a road game at a G6 school, and a road game against a P4 opponent.
For example, new league rival Nevada has planned a schedule for 2025 that includes a game against Penn State (P4), a home game against Sacramento State (FCS), and games against Middle Tennessee State and Western Kentucky (both G6). This gives Bison fans a glimpse of what to expect in future schedules. Past opponents such as Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina, and Sam Houston could potentially return to the Fargodome, while teams like James Madison, Missouri State, and Delaware may also be considered for future home-and-home series.
Bison fans may also have their sights set on future matchups with Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. However, sources suggest that PJ Fleck, head coach of the Gophers, has stated he will not schedule NDSU during his tenure. Meanwhile, the Badgers and Huskers have their schedules filled through 2029, leaving uncertain any interest in facing the Bison.
Other P4 teams like Purdue, Northwestern, Maryland, Baylor, and Oklahoma State may provide lucrative opportunities for matchups, although none currently have openings on their schedules. NDSU”s highest payday to date came from a game against Colorado, worth $740,000, and they have a scheduled game against Oregon in September 2028, with the contract amount set to increase now that NDSU is an FBS institution.
The Bison”s upcoming game in Las Vegas against Montana State in September 2027 is also under scrutiny due to a clause stating the game will proceed “regardless of division,” raising questions about its viability.
This season, the regular FCS schedule will extend to 12 games over 12 weeks, while FBS teams will now have a 13-week calendar. The FBS season cannot start until Labor Day weekend unless a waiver is obtained, and the final week of the regular season will coincide with Thanksgiving Weekend, traditionally known as “Rivalry Weekend.”
One of the most significant changes for Bison fans will be the impact of television scheduling. Historically, fans could plan their lives around known game dates and times months in advance, but that is set to change. Major networks will conduct a “draft” in late April or early May to select the most appealing college football games, with the first three weeks of the season announced by late May. Following that, games will be subject to the networks” preferences, resulting in a 12-day window for selecting games across various networks.
As a result, fans should prepare for a shift in game times. The Bison have enjoyed home games at 1 PM and 2:30 PM, but in the Mountain West, kickoff times may vary widely from 11 AM to 9 PM. For road games, late-night starts could become the norm, especially since eight of the ten teams in the Mountain West operate in the Mountain, Pacific, or Hawaiian time zones, leading to kickoffs as late as 11 PM. Bison fans may need to stock up on energy drinks to keep pace with this new schedule landscape.
