The North Dakota State Bison‘s transition to the FBS requires a last-minute schedule overhaul, and finding the nonconference opponents looks like a puzzle with few pieces.
USC is one of three FBS teams with open nonconference dates, per Kevin Kelley of FBSSchedules.com. NDSU insider Mike McFeely of The Fargo Forum addressed the USC opening Aug. 29, the highest-profile one among FBS openings.
McFeely wrote that “… word on the street is USC has already filled its open date, it just hasn’t been announced yet.”
USC had former Bison head coach Matt Entz on the coaching staff before he departed for Fresno State, a former Mountain West Conference team. NDSU will begin play in the Mountain West this fall after the exodus of five teams to the new-look Pac-12.
As McFeely noted, the Bison’s only other FBS non-conference options are Jacksonville State and Ohio. The Bison bludgeoned Jacksonville State when they met in the 2015 FCS championship game, and Ohio finished second in the MAC last season, but the MAC is considered the weakest of the Group of Six conferences.
That said, NDSU will only play eight conference games with the Mountain West’s current setup despite 10 teams in the league. The Bison could play another Mountain West team as a non-conference game, McFeely noted.
In addition, the Bison will keep one the FCS games one of the current 2026 schedule. McFeely forecasts that it will be the Tennessee State game.
NDSU’s Scheduling Plan
Bison athletic director Matt Larsen laid out the plan on Monday for the team going forward to build a schedule that will give the team a shot at the College Football Playoff.
NDSU is requesting the NCAA to lift the two-year postseason restriction for a team moving up a division. The Bison also have the backing of the Mountain West in that regard, according to the Forum.
“We’re going to start having conversations with those (FCS) schools. We want to be good partners, so if there are opportunities for us to find games for them as we’re trying to find games for us,” Larsen told reporters.
“But I think moving forward, we’re going to look to have a Power Four game if possible. We’ll have the eight conference games. We’ll have some home and homes with some Group of Six schools and then, we’ll usually have an FCS game at home as well,” he added.
If NDSU somehow landed USC, that would be a golden opportunity for the Herd to break into the College Football Playoff. Without that game, the lack of a Power Four opponent will make it highly difficult for the Bison to make the 12-field if the NCAA lifts the restriction.
Sleepy Second Halves Are Mostly Over
During NDSU’s dominance of the FCS with 10 championships in 15 years, the Bison blew out most nonconference and many Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents at home.
It didn’t help the attendance and fan engagement at the Fargodome as McFeely pointed out. The dwindling fan support showed in the Bison’s final FCS game, a shocking last-second playoff upset loss to Illinois State, where the dome was anything but packed as it was in the 2010s.
“Year One might be rough, but … anything is better than seeing a Pioneer League team on NDSU’s schedule ever again,” McFeely concluded.
North Dakota State Insider Reveals Chance of Facing USC