North Dakota State in talks to join Mountain West for football

North Dakota State and the Mountain West Conference are in advanced negotiations for the Bison to join as a football-only member starting this fall. A final agreement has not been reached, but discussions are progressing toward North Dakota State transitioning from FCS to FBS. This move would require an entry fee to the Mountain West and the NCAA's $5 million FBS transition fee.

North Dakota State, a dominant FCS program with 10 national championships since 2011, has expressed interest in moving to FBS under athletic director Matt Larsen and outgoing university president David Cook. The Mountain West seeks to fill gaps left by Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State, which are joining the re-formed Pac-12. The conference has already added UTEP, UC Davis, and Northern Illinois, with Hawaii set to join in all sports by 2026.

The Mountain West recently secured new media rights agreements and will maintain an eight-game conference schedule. If North Dakota