Is it time for them to leave 1-AA/FCS and start playing D-1 FBS? They won 5 consecutive national titles and has also won 6 straight games against FBS teams. For example, Boise State and Marshall came from 1-AA/FCS and when they move up, both had some success playing in the FBS. I believe there are conferences from the Group of 5 that want to invite North Dakota State like the Mountain West, the MAC, Conference USA, etc. Maybe even the American/AAC and they can probably replace UH, if the Coogs are officially bound for the Big XII.
As a fan of SHSU, a team NDSU has annihilated in a championship game twice... yes! They are so clearly better than the next best teams in the FCS. They have a tremendous following; really, it's the entirety of the state. When they played SHSU in Frisco (TX!) for the title, the stadium was 80% NDSU. It was ridiculous. They have the talent and they have the support to move up. They have a great home-field advantage. If they moved into Mountain West, for example, they would fit right in.
As an alum of a school that would probably have 2 FCS national championships by now if not for them (3 if you count this year), I emphatically say YES. The sooner the better...... Not only should they move up, they should skip right past the FBS in name only conferences like Conference USA, the Mid-American and the Sun Belt. They would consistently run the table in those conferences just like they do in the FCS every year. My understanding is that the Fargo Dome, while one of the most exciting places to watch a college football game in the country, is still too small to be in a P5 conference. They are trying to expand it, but it's not easy since it's a dome and only has room for so many seats.
They're not in a position to switch right now. North Dakota is getting killed because of low oil prices. The state is doing dumb across the board cuts for all universities and government because the legislature is too cowardly to try and be smart about budget management. They're certainly good enough but FBS is a money pit for most schools and the short term cost of getting the Fargodome upgraded or even a new stadium simply isn't in the cards right now. Great fanbase though. I've actually been to an NDSU game. It's a great atmosphere. NDSU is also surprisingly decent at basketball as well. They've made the tournament multiple times in the last few years.
Seems like not much incentive for them to move up. It would cost them a lot of money and they would be stuck as a G5 team without much opportunity to compete for a playoff spot or a NY6 bowl game. Where they are now, they are consistently winning championships.
This is my thought as well. Have they clearly surpassed the rest of FCS? Yes. Could they compete in FBS as a member of the MAC or Mountain West? Absolutely. But if they do that, they become just another team at that level, and in fact, I think they might actually recruit better now than if they were to move up into FBS. I imagine a big part of their recruiting pitch is that if you come to NDSU, you're going to play in front of huge home crowds, you're going to get a chance to play (and beat) a big-name FBS school on a near-annual basis, and you're probably going to graduate with a fistful of national championships. I don't follow recruiting that closely, but I would think they probably get a decent share of kids who are FBS-quality players, but would rather stay home and win big rather than go to Bowling Green and compete to go 8-4. With a move to FBS, they will still probably play in front of a packed house (although a string of 9-3 FBS seasons might even put that in jeopardy after a while), but now, suddenly, the games against the power-five schools aren't the novelty they were before and you're playing to get into the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl rather than to win another national title. That's to say nothing of the notoriety they get from being the the big kid on the block in FCS. Even casual college football fans are aware of their dominance, but that level of recognition goes out the door as soon as they move up. Appalachian State is a great example. They weren't quite as dominant as NDSU is now, but they were essentially the NDSU of the early-00s. They made the move to FBS, and while they're still holding their own, they're largely just another team. And finally, I'll actually disagree with my fellow SHSU alums in this thread. I actually like having the Bison in FCS (in spite of their wins over the Kats) because I think having them there gives the division some cache. As we know too well, there are few places where FCS football does really, really well, and NDSU is one of those places.
If you want a good comparison, look at Appalachian State. Perennial FCS power. 3 straight national championships from 2005-2007. Last year was their 2nd year in FBS (Sun Belt) and they went 11-2. They're 2-2 this year but their losses are to Tennessee (in OT) and Miami.
I heard somewhere they turned FBS conferences down because of how successful they are at their current level. It really depends on how much money their athletic department is making at the FCS level (with championships) versus how much they will possibly make at the FBS level. If a P5 conference were willing to add them, it would be a no brainer. But if they are talking to conferences like the Sun Belt/MAC/CUSA, then eh it's probably better just to stay in FCS and keep winning titles.
