North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek indeed wants his team to lift the new Battle of the Basins trophy on Saturday against Wyoming.
He just doesn’t want to make it out to be more than it is amid the newly-instituted traveling trophy for the rivalry-starved Bison and Cowboys. Let’s just say this isn’t even the Dakota Marker with South Dakota State. The Bison and Jackrabbits were at least playing annually for a century before both moving from Division II to the FCS and adding a trophy to the rivalry.
“Is it a rivalry today? No, but I think they’re getting ready over there for a really physical football game,” Polasek told reporters on Tuesday regarding Wyoming.
That said, Polasek addressed the significance of laying the groundwork for a rivalry between the Bison and the Cowboys. NDSU just moved to the Mountain West Conference this year after leaving the FCS for the FBS, and Wyoming lost old rival Colorado State to the Pac-12.
“I think it’s pretty cool that the Battle of the Basins is here,” Polasek said. “I think it fits perfectly for the region. I think it’s something to get really excited about.”
After all, both states are known for oil production, and the two states are surprisingly only 65 miles apart at their closest corners. Ironically, it’s 65 miles of South Dakota border that separates the two, as the Bison have graduated from playing the Jacks for a trophy in the FCS to facing the Cowboys for one instead in the FBS.
Coaching Connections Abound Between NDSU and Wyoming
For two schools that played at different levels throughout their histories, the coaching connections abound between the Bison and Cowboys. It started most famously when former NDSU head coach Craig Bohl left for Wyoming in 2014 after three consecutive FCS national championships.
Bohl brought along numerous former Bison coaching staff members over the years before his retirement in 2023. That included Polasek, who took the NDSU job in 2024.
“This is two programs that I think are from an outsider’s standpoint…there’s a lot of people in this game…this is deep-rooted knowledge about North Dakota State and back-and-forth with Wyoming,” Polasek said. “Sam Ojuri, Eric Amoako, myself, Grant Olson all spent time there. Their d-ends coach [Brian Hendricks] coached at Illinois State, played at Wyoming, has a great respect and he worked with Sam Ojuri.”
“One of the best o-line coaches I know in the business is Joe Tripodi, who’s a great friend of mine,” Polasek added. “He’s heard a lot about North Dakota State ever since 2013. You start adding that up and I think a lot of coaches start finding a way to stay up a little bit longer, study one more game.”
Current Wyoming Coaches Know Bison Well
Wyoming’s current staff know the Bison quite well, especially since Cowboys head coach Jay Sawvel coached with Polasek under Bohl between 2021 and 2023. In addition, Bohl’s son, Aaron Bohl, is the defensive coordinator and grew up around the Bison program.
Jason Petrinio, the Cowboys safeties coach, served as the Bison defensive coordinator in 2023 under former Bison head coach Matt Entz.
NDSU Coach Tim Polasek Gets Honest on Wyoming Rivalry