North Dakota State joining the FBS has made far more headlines than the average FCS power moving up a level.
The Bison winning 10 FCS national championships in 15 years will naturally do that, and NDSU is expected to compete right away. As for the Bison’s home turf, the Fargodome, ranking in the top five of Mountain West Conference football stadiums, that might take a little bit.
NDSU has a 19,000-seat dome that reaches into the 110s for decibel levels when a capacity crowd is in full force. SB Nation’s Mountain West Connection’s Jeremy Rodrigues recognizes the Fargodome as a consideration for the top five, but he left out the dome on the list but included a stadium for one newcomer in the Mountain West.
“The Fargodome isn’t large by any means, but it seems like a cool venue to watch a game at,” Rodrigues wrote.
Rorigues ranked UNLV‘s home field at Allegiant Stadium as the top venue in the conference, followed by Air Force‘s Falcon Stadium, UTEP‘s Sun Bowl, Wyoming‘s Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium and New Mexico‘s University Stadium. NDSU will visit three of those five stadiums this season, so Bison fans will get a feel those venues with UNLV, Air Force and New Mexico.
Fargodome About to Garner Greater Exposure
GettyFARGO, NORTH DAKOTA – NOVEMBER 19: Cam Miller #7 of the North Dakota State Bison celebrates his fifth touchdown with teammates in the second half against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at FARGODOME on November 19, 2022 in Fargo, North Dakota. (Photo by Sean Arbaut/Getty Images)
Visiting Mountain West teams, meanwhile, will likely get a feel of a full and loud Fargodome, a reality many FCS teams dealt with for years. The Bison have a 206-29 record all-time in the dome, a 38-1 postseason record and a 36-5 record against FCS top-10 squads.
NDSU had a 32-game home winning streak between 2017 and 2021. The Bison’s overall success also drew ESPN College GameDay to Fargo twice in the early years of the FCS dynasty.
With the move to the FBS, NDSU will have all home games nationally televised except for Fordham, which will run on the MW+ app. The Bison normally had FCS playoff home games on ESPN annually, and NDSU had a regular season game once in 2016 for the FCS Kickoff against Charleston Southern.
How NDSU’s Dome Stacks Up With Mountain West Venues
Rodrigues highlighted four outdoor Mountain West stadiums that feature mountains and natural scenery in the background.
As for Allegiant Stadium, it’s a 65,000-seat indoor stadium for the Las Vegas Raiders. UNLV averages in the low 30,000s for attendance, which doesn’t create the crowd noise synonymous with the strongest college gridiron fan bases.
The Fargodome at full capacity could arguably create a more intense home environment than the aforementioned stadiums, depending on how the Bison do. NDSU’s outlook ranges anywhere from winning all 12 games this season to finishing in the middle of the pack in the Mountain West this year.
That said, the Rodrigues mentioned other considerations for top stadiums in the Mountain West that could make it tough for the Fargodome. One is in the works, Hawaii, which has a team that could contend for the Mountain West crown this year and beyond. The Rainbows currently play in a 17,000-seat stadium on campus until the new Aloha Stadium is built.
“Well, we know Hawaii isn’t cracking this top five right now, but we certainly hope New Aloha Stadium stays on schedule and opens in 2029,” Rodrigues wrote.
He also mentioned San Jose State‘s stadium as a consideration. The Spartans play in an outdoor stadium with mountains in the backdrop, but SJSU hasn’t won more than seven games since 2012.
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