Paying 17 million to move up this fall. Wow.
https://x.com/i/status/2020601477312717212

With the current state of G5 and college football in general, this move is a bit of a head scratcher…particularly given the price tag.

NDSU is the BMOC for their state for football, though UND is part of that mix now and has 15K vs 12K for the student enrollment for NDSU.

But is a state of 800K going to have the money to fund what NDSU needs? That is a lower ratio of population to FBS teams in the state than NC has with our 7 FBS schools, though 4 of those are Prig4 schools and that does change the calculus a bit.

I imagine they can run on their success for a bit and that might get them over the hump into an area where this can work a level of success for a G6 school. App, JMU, GaSo had had some success but all have a higher ratio of population to FBS schools and that means eyeballs and better chance of NIL.

North Dakota does have the fracking money, though I have no idea how much of that stays in the state.

BUTCH1991 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 08, 2026 4:24 pm

Paying 17 million to move up this fall. Wow.
https://x.com/i/status/2020601477312717212

Could we have moved up if it cost us 17M to do so back in 2014?

Bootsy wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 08, 2026 4:54 pm

With the current state of G5 and college football in general, this move is a bit of a head scratcher…particularly given the price tag.

It is not surprising because we are basically in last call to move up to FBS over this 24 month period in 2026 and 2027 before you have to think a lot of the next TV deals begin negotiations for when they expire in 2030 range. I suspect we see more teams. Keep an eye on Sacramento State this month (they tried to last year). The belief is that FCS will have the 3rd level national champion at some point and a lot of FCS schools see themselves in tier 2 so there will be more trying to move up. Tarleton State, South Dakota State, Campbell, Montana, NC A&T, Eastern Kentucky, FAMU, and a few others have interest in moving up. I don't think all of them are able to do it but I would not be surprised if a couple more join NDSU and Sac State in this last wave of schools to move up.

AppStFan1 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:23 pm

The belief is that FCS will have the 3rd level national champion at some point and a lot of FCS schools see themselves in tier 2 so there will be more trying to move up. Tarleton State, South Dakota State, Campbell, Montana, NC A&T, Eastern Kentucky, FAMU, and a few others have interest in moving up. I don't think all of them are able to do it but I would not be surprised if a couple more join NDSU and Sac State in this last wave of schools to move up.

This was the most (honestly) stated reasoning by our fan base when we moved up, and it's even more on the nose now than it was then. We are for sure destined for the second tier of college athletics within the next decade, maybe sooner. It's where we belong, quite frankly, as long as money is driving things. The bottom of the P4, the entirety of the G6, and the top quarter of FCS are all more or less playing in the same pool, and my guess is that we will all formally be in the same place at some point.

To be clear, the reason that NDST moved up to FBS was because of the continual conference realignment. Because the Pac10(?) was raided by The Big10 now the Pac10 is/has raided the Mountain West…. the Mountain West is restocking. They asked NDST to come as a football only school and that is why they are joining. They wanted to go some years ago but the Mountain West did not want them. They paid the NCAA $5M to move up and $10M to join the Mountain West. NDST was a D2 school in 1922 then later joined the FCS ranks and dominated those ranks and now joining the FBS ranks in 2026.

AppFan11 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 09, 2026 12:25 pm

To be clear, the reason that NDST moved up to FBS was because of the continual conference realignment. Because the Pac10(?) was raided by The Big10 now the Pac10 is/has raided the Mountain West…. the Mountain West is restocking. They asked NDST to come as a football only school and that is why they are joining. They wanted to go some years ago but the Mountain West did not want them. They paid the NCAA $5M to move up and $10M to join the Mountain West. NDST was a D2 school in 1922 then later joined the FCS ranks and dominated those ranks and now joining the FBS ranks in 2026.

Give NDSU credit: their piggy bank is pretty robust to pay those entry fees.

AppStFan1 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:23 pm

Bootsy wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 08, 2026 4:54 pm

With the current state of G5 and college football in general, this move is a bit of a head scratcher…particularly given the price tag.

It is not surprising because we are basically in last call to move up to FBS over this 24 month period in 2026 and 2027 before you have to think a lot of the next TV deals begin negotiations for when they expire in 2030 range. I suspect we see more teams. Keep an eye on Sacramento State this month (they tried to last year). The belief is that FCS will have the 3rd level national champion at some point and a lot of FCS schools see themselves in tier 2 so there will be more trying to move up. Tarleton State, South Dakota State, Campbell, Montana, NC A&T, Eastern Kentucky, FAMU, and a few others have interest in moving up. I don't think all of them are able to do it but I would not be surprised if a couple more join NDSU and Sac State in this last wave of schools to move up.

A&T is a decent size for FCS but they are also the largest HBCU in the country and that carries some weight. A&T moved to the CAA for a reason even as they left behind a lot of long time HBCU rivals. As a Greensboro resident I would be happy for this. They could still play NCCU but WSSU would have to be dropped. I don't see FBS playing DII in football. I imagine A&T would be fine with this if it got them to FBS. Stadium holds 21,500, though I am not sure if they sponsor enough sports to qualify for FBS. I count 17 teams if that do both ITF and OTF for both men and women, and I assume they do. That would be enough.

They have struggled since moving to CAA after having some good years at the end of their MEAC years. Does that matter? They do put on a heck of a homecoming I hear.

rbarthle17 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 09, 2026 11:55 am

AppStFan1 wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 08, 2026 7:23 pm

The belief is that FCS will have the 3rd level national champion at some point and a lot of FCS schools see themselves in tier 2 so there will be more trying to move up. Tarleton State, South Dakota State, Campbell, Montana, NC A&T, Eastern Kentucky, FAMU, and a few others have interest in moving up. I don't think all of them are able to do it but I would not be surprised if a couple more join NDSU and Sac State in this last wave of schools to move up.

This was the most (honestly) stated reasoning by our fan base when we moved up, and it's even more on the nose now than it was then. We are for sure destined for the second tier of college athletics within the next decade, maybe sooner. It's where we belong, quite frankly, as long as money is driving things. The bottom of the P4, the entirety of the G6, and the top quarter of FCS are all more or less playing in the same pool, and my guess is that we will all formally be in the same place at some point.

A lot of us were looking down the line and now we are getting to it. These schools who want to be in tier 2 are going to do all they can to get to FBS before the next big realignment.

Sounds like 1978-1982 all over again.

Saint3333 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 09, 2026 3:27 pm

Sounds like 1978-1982 all over again.

We caused that with being on TV in the late 1970s. Us beating Michigan made all these conference owned and affiliated networks go big time. It is all our fault in the end.

Saint3333 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 09, 2026 3:27 pm

Sounds like 1978-1982 all over again.

Yeah, even down to Western Carolina winning games in football.