The Big Picture: North Dakota State Is Poised to Shake Up the FBS in Year 1
📖 Full Retelling
My phone rang at 9:15 a.m. CT. The number was unfamiliar, but I had a hunch and answered. "Hello?" "RJ, this is Tim Polasek," he said. "How are you?" This is the head coach of North Dakota State, the steward of the most dominant program in modern FCS history. And yet, there were no airs, no assumption that I should already understand what his name, or his program, has meant to college football over the last 15 years. He did not present himself as the latest in a line of NDSU coaching heavyweights — from Craig Bohl to Chris Klieman — who helped deliver seven national titles in 15 years. He didn’t mention the Bison’s 9–5 record against FBS opponents in that span, or the six wins over Power 4 programs. But I knew. And chances are, you do, too. It’s why the program’s decision to leave the Missouri Valley Conference and join the Mountain West on July 1, 2026, as a football-only member, drew so much attention earlier this week. North Dakota State’s pedigree, combined with the looming departures of Boise State and Fresno State — winners of four of the last Mountain West titles — makes the Bison an immediate favorite to win the conference. But my question for Polasek wasn't about competing for a conference title. It was about attempting to make history. "Do you think your team is capable of competing for the College Football Playoff?" I asked. "I think I like our team," Polasek told me. "We’re going to have some learning and growing to do about our opponents, but I really like our process, the year-round work that we do and how we practice. Those things position us to be very competitive in every game. And if you happen to knock them down one at a time, there's no reason NDSU can't be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff." The Bison have had time to consider the gravity of that task. The decision to move to the FBS has been at least four years in the making. While serving as Wyoming’s offensive coordinator, Polasek said his predecessor at North Dakota State
📄 Original Source Content
My phone rang at 9:15 a.m. CT. The number was unfamiliar, but I had a hunch and answered. "Hello?" "RJ, this is Tim Polasek," he said. "How are you?" This is the head coach of North Dakota State, the steward of the most dominant program in modern FCS history. And yet, there were no airs, no assumption that I should already understand what his name, or his program, has meant to college football over the last 15 years. He did not present himself as the latest in a line of NDSU coaching heavyweights — from Craig Bohl to Chris Klieman — who helped deliver seven national titles in 15 years. He didn’t mention the Bison’s 9–5 record against FBS opponents in that span, or the six wins over Power 4 programs. But I knew. And chances are, you do, too. It’s why the program’s decision to leave the Missouri Valley Conference and join the Mountain West on July 1, 2026, as a football-only member, drew so much attention earlier this week. North Dakota State’s pedigree, combined with the looming departures of Boise State and Fresno State — winners of four of the last Mountain West titles — makes the Bison an immediate favorite to win the conference. But my question for Polasek wasn't about competing for a conference title. It was about attempting to make history. "Do you think your team is capable of competing for the College Football Playoff?" I asked. "I think I like our team," Polasek told me. "We’re going to have some learning and growing to do about our opponents, but I really like our process, the year-round work that we do and how we practice. Those things position us to be very competitive in every game. And if you happen to knock them down one at a time, there's no reason NDSU can't be in the conversation for the College Football Playoff." The Bison have had time to consider the gravity of that task. The decision to move to the FBS has been at least four years in the making. While serving as Wyoming’s offensive coordinator, Polasek said his predecessor at North Dakota State