| North Dakota State Bison football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| First season | 1894; 130 years ago | ||
| Head coach | Tim Polasek 1st season, 8–1 (.889) | ||
| Stadium | Fargodome (capacity: 18,700) | ||
| Field | Gate City Bank Field | ||
| Year built | 1992 | ||
| Field surface | AstroTurf Magic Carpet II (2022) | ||
| Location | Fargo, North Dakota | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | Missouri Valley (2008–) | ||
| Past conferences | Great West (2004–2007) North Central (1922–2003) | ||
| All-time record | 794–383–34 (.670) | ||
| Bowl record | 5–1 (.833) | ||
| Playoff appearances | 31[1] | ||
| Playoff record | Div. I FCS: 47–5 Div. II: 30–12[1] | ||
| Claimed national titles | 17 (College Div.): 1965, 1968, 1969 (Div. II): 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990 (Div. I FCS): 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 | ||
| Unclaimed national titles | 4 | ||
| Conference titles | 37 (10 MVFC, 1 GWFC, 26 NCC) | ||
| Rivalries | South Dakota State (Dakota Marker) North Dakota[2] (Nickel Trophy) Northern Iowa | ||
| Current uniform | |||
 | |||
| Colors | Green and yellow[3] | ||
| Fight song | On Bison | ||
| Mascot | Thundar | ||
| Marching band | Gold Star Marching Band | ||
| Uniform outfitter | Nike | ||
| Website | gobison.com | ||
The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in the 19,000-seat Fargodome located in Fargo. The Bison have won 17 national championships and 37 conference championships. They have won nine NCAA Division I AA FCS National Championships between 2011 and 2021. The Bison hold the record for most overall NCAA national championships and the record for the most consecutive championships with five titles between 2011 and 2015 for Division I FCS.
Since 2011, the North Dakota State Bison have a record of 149–12 (.925) which included a record 22-game playoff win streak, making them the most successful college football program in Division I FCS this decade. The Bison are 202–39 (.838) since moving to Division I in 2004. Since 1964, the Bison have had only three losing seasons and an overall record of 551–136–4 (.800) through that 58-year span, one of the best in all of college football. Among FCS programs, North Dakota State has more all-time program wins than any non-Ivy League program, over 750. Of all teams established after 1894, only Oklahoma has won a higher percentage of its games than NDSU. The team also holds the record for the longest winning streak in the Football Championship Subdivision, which stands at 39 consecutive games spanning from 2017 to 2021.[4]
In the final AP Football Poll of the 2013–14 season; after their third consecutive National Championship, North Dakota State finished with 17 votes which ranked them at #29 in all of D-I football, the highest end-of-season ranking of any team in the history of FCS football. After defeating 13th-ranked (FBS) Iowa in 2016, the Bison earned 74 votes and a #27 ranking in the entire D-I field, overtaking their previous record to become the highest-ranked FCS team of all time.[5]
Collectively, the Bison have won 37 conference championships, and 17 national championships. They were selected as NCAA College Division II champions by polling three times (1965, 1968, 1969), won the NCAA Division II National Football Championship five times (1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990), and have won the NCAA Division I Football Championship nine times in eleven seasons (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021).[6] The 2019 Bison are the first of any Division I team since 1894 Yale to finish 16–0. From 2012 to 2014, the Bison had a formerly FCS record of 33 straight wins (which is tied for the third longest in modern NCAA history). They subsequently had a 39-game winning streak that ran from 2017 to 2020.[7]
- ^ a b "NDSU Football Postseason History". North Dakota State University. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- ^ "Sources: UND set to leave Big Sky Conference". January 25, 2017.
- ^ NDSU Bison Graphic Standards (PDF). May 23, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- ^ Martinelli, Michelle R. (February 27, 2021). "North Dakota State football's 39-game winning streak has been snapped". USA Today. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
- ^ "2016 College Football Rankings - Week 4". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2019.
- ^ Haley, Craig. "In the FCS Huddle: FCS champ North Dakota State goes back-to-back". Retrieved January 5, 2013.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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