North Dakota State Football to Pay Hefty Price to Make Jump to FBS, Mountain West

North Dakota State University (NDSU) will transition from the FCS to the FBS level, joining the Mountain West Conference for football beginning in the 2026 season. This move involves a $17 million cost to the university, which includes a $12 million entrance fee to the Mountain West and a $5 million NCAA fee for moving up a division. NDSU has been a dominant force in college football, with multiple national championships at both the Division II and FCS levels.

The Mountain West Conference, which has lost several members to the Pac-12, will now include NDSU as a football-only member. This addition is part of the conference's efforts to maintain competitiveness and establish a new identity. NDSU will join the Mountain West alongside Northern Illinois, another football-only member that left the MAC.

The Pac-12, having been restructured following the departure of key teams to the Big Ten and Big 12, will also see changes in 2026. The