North Dakota State to the Mountain West: End of an Era or Start of something New?

The Mountain West is very close to moving up to ten football teams, after it was ransacked by the rebuilt Pac-12. They already added UTEP and Northern Illinois as new members (NIU is football only), and has added Grand Canyon as a full member, although they don't have football. While the MW had already passed the minimum 8 members needed to be an FBS conference, they wanted more. Many predicted they would move to other FCS teams like UC Davis, who had moved to the Mountain West in all sports except football, and Sacremento State, who has been spending millions into their athletic department and has been actively asking for FBS membership.

Few expected the Mountain West's 10th football member to be the North Dakota State Bisons, who have won 10 FCS national championships since 2011. The FCS powerhouse in Fargo, North Dakota wasn't seen as a candidate as they weren't likely to leave behind the comfort and success of FCS football. However, they went through with the move, and it looks like it's a good one for both sides.

The Mountain West was ransacked by the rebuilding Pac-12, losing Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, and Fresno State, some of their biggest members. North Dakota State, an already big brand in the FCS world and Divison One as a whole brings a safe, and potentially reliable choice, as I'm sure their FCS success will translate to being competitive in the FBS.

As for North Dakota State, their opprotunities with recruiting and the transfer portal just exploded. The Bisons were already producing many NFL draft picks, including recent first-round draft pick and Super Bowl champion Greg Zabel. The money they will earn from the MW's new TV deal with CBS, Fox, and the CW will surely allow them to become one of the top G6 recruiters. As for the portal, coach Tim Polasek `was 26-3 in the two seasons he coached for the Bisons so far, and many FBS talents would welcome the coach security that has come with being a Bison.

Overall, I love this unexpected move for both the Mountain West and North Dakota State. The college football season just got a whole lot wilder, and I can't wait to see how the Bison's will do in their long-awaited first FBS season.