Amid North Dakota State’s first-ever FBS schedule coming out on Monday, the Bison found themselves in elite company.
On3.com named the Bison as one of six teams projected to go unbeaten in a recent article. The Bison now know the path forward to 12-0, but whether that leads to a bowl game or the College Football Playoff is another story, as the NCAA has a two-year postseason ban for transitioning programs.
NDSU seeks a waiver or a rule change, but that’s a drawn-out process that may not finalize until close to the season. For now, the Bison know that the season kick-off is against Jacksonville State on Aug. 29 for Week Zero at the Fargodome.
It wouldn’t be surprising for NDSU to go 12-0 as an FBS team after dominating the FCS and upsetting FBS squads along the way. NDSU has a 9-5 record against the FBS since 2006, and the Bison have beaten Power Four schools such as Kansas, Minnesota, Kansas State, Iowa State, and Iowa along the way.
None of the teams on NDSU’s new schedule finished above the Bison in the Sagarin ratings. NDSU had a No. 40 ranking with a 12-1 record, and the highest team on the schedule, UNLV, ranked No. 74 last season with a 9-4 mark.
Bison Opponents at a Glance
JSU finished No. 110 in the Saragin ranking with a 9-5 record overall, which could make for a statement win for the Bison in the Week Zero opener. The Bison then face a Fordham team that went 1-11 in 2025 on Sept. 5, a potential blowout that will remind the fanbase why the program moved up.
Air Force in the Sept. 12 Mountain West Conference opener could challenge the Bison because of the Falcons‘ physicality. That said, the Falcons went 4-8 last season and had a No. 101 ranking.
NDSU then welcomes Sacramento State to the FBS party on Sept. 19 as both made the transition this year. The Hornets were ranked No. 128 and went 7-5 last season in the FCS.
Wyoming will visit NDSU for the Bison’s Mountain West home opener on Oct. 3. The Cowboys went 4-8 last season and had a No. 127 ranking.
NDSU will then visit UNLV, the Mountain West runner-up last year. The Oct. 10 game will carry major weight if the Bison get the postseason waiver or rule change.
Then, the Bison host Nevada on Oct. 17, and the Wolfpack had a No.138 ranking amid a 3-9 record last season. NDSU then visits New Mexico on Oct. 24, and the Lobos had the second-best Sagarin ranking from last season, No. 81, with a 9-4 record.
The Bison then hosts UTEP on Oct. 31, and the Miners went 2-10 last year with a No. 176 rating — the lowest ranking of the FBS teams on the schedule. NDSU then travels to Hawaii for a Nov. 14 showdown. Mountain West contenders, the Rainbow Warriors went 9-4 and had a No. 84 ranking.
NDSU hosts Northern Illinois in one last home game on Nov. 21, and the Huskies went 3-9 with a No. 149 ranking last year. The Bison will conclude with San Jose State on Nov. 28 in the Bay Area, and the Spartans went 3-9 with a No. 144 ranking.
NDSU Has Hardly Lost Under Current Coach
Under current Bison head coach Tim Polasek, the Herd has only lost three times in two seasons, and one of those defeats came in the first game of the 2024 season. That was a 31-26 defeat against a Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders-led Colorado team, which held on against the Bison.
NDSU also lost to South Dakota, 29-28, in Vermillion that year. Otherwise, the Bison throttled the competition for most of the season and won two one-score games in the FCS semifinals and championship.
NDSU dominated again in 2025 with blowouts most of the way, and the Bison looked poised for a run to Nashville. It shockingly ended in the playoffs last season, when Illinois State pulled off a last-minute comeback at the dome. The Bison had a 38-1 playoff record at home before that.
North Dakota State Receives Good News Amid Schedule Release