“The Flagship”: 2026 NDSU FBS Football PRE SEASON

[JBB2]

KNOW THE OPPONENT

November 27, 2026 San Jose, CA

Vs. SJSU. 2:30 PM CT KO

COMPARE:

San Jose State University - NDSU:

• Established: 1857 - 1899

• Forbes List of 500 Top Universities: #125 - #368

• Tuition: $4,777/term - $9,868

• COA: $35,406 - $21,915

• Campus: Large City - Urban

• Type: Public Research University - Land Grant Research

• Location: San Jose, CA (989,814 City) - Fargo, ND (129,990)

• Enrollment: 37,661 - 11,110

• Endowment: 264.8M$ - 528M$

• Nickname: Spartans - Bison

• Colors: Blue/Gold- Yellow/Green

• Stadium: CEFCU Stadium - Fargo Dome

• Capacity: 18,203 - 18,900

• Academic Spending: 500.2M$ - 413.05M$

• Total Athletic Revenue: 44.24M$ - $29.948M$

• Total Athletic Expenses:  42.41M$ - $20.134M$

• Athletic Debt: 0.96M$- None Reported

• Football Budget: 14.58M$ - 12M$ est.

The Spartans are 0-0 vs The Herd, They schedule FCS beating Idaho in 2025, 31-28. Our GAM system shows NDSU -16 vs Idaho. The Spartans also played #5 Texas losing 37-8.

This is classified non-conference. I’m not sure why. As a non-conference game I don’t think it figures in the championship game calculation.

The Spartans start 2026 riding a 4 game losing streak. Besides NDSU, OOC they have Cal Poly, TCU, Eastern Michigan and Fresno State.

CEFCU Stadium capacity is similar to the Fabulous Fargo Dome. Tickets could be tight. Looking at attendance from a few games last season:

IDAHO 13,542, Hawaii 16,012, Nevada 14,091

For NDSU fans the Last regular season game in CA promises an early winter break. It’s a Friday game, kickoff to a long weekend. There will be no Nashville so this might be it.

Season tickets on sale now. Nothing yet on single game. If looking check here

https://sjsuspartans.evenue.net/cgi-bin ... -athletics

Current Sagarin rank: NDSU #40, SJSU #144

Similar Schools: Incarnate Word #162, Middle Ten #158, Akron #151, Co State #148, Illinois State State #87

Early Prediction NDSU -9. Total 51. Mythical Score Bison 30-21.

The 2025 Spartans were a losing team with a margin of victory -11. 9 point underdogs vs NDSU might indicate a good game or maybe just a narrower margin of victory for The Bison.

Last game of season, at best this is an early look at comparative strengths.

I don’t recall hearing much about SJSU football. They have been around for a long time. Just lack of attention on my part? No matter. Bison Lore will welcome the Spartans into “The Book”.

[JBB2]

PRE-SEASON MWC PROJECTION

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Undefeated in the MWC?

Unlikely. I expect FCS playoff quality football and better. I haven’t watched much FBS. Statistically good FCS teams keep pace. On the field they often fold or play a solid 3 qtrs. The stronger rosters take charge. A good Montana state team stacked up well but Oregon boat raced them. True the Bobcats were rebuilding key positions, as are the Bison.

By the MWC opener The Bison will be playing their 2026 game. We will be finding out how a good FCS team stacks up. The tight 2025 MWC/FCS scores may not bode well for Bison opponents but they do for good football.

[JBB2]

Not a prediction on the final finish, rather what kind of struggle do these teams face.

8-0 NDSU is sitting best with the best performing roster of 2025. Performance was FCS. Many fans dismiss the FCS statistics forgetting how competitive middle of the road FCS teams were in the 2025 MWC.

SJSU starts the season with the most challenges.

The ranking is based on final 2025 statistics used in our proprietary GAM system yielding potential total score, spread and winner. This information has proven to be highly predictive.

Even in the portal era there aren’t a lot of worst-to-first stories. The portal has stirred up season-to-season continuity. Money is now more important than education. Coaching skills shifting from player development to salesmanship and hiring bosses. It’s far more confusing and uncertain on opening weekend.

NDSU is still building. To a fan looking in I still see the old system. NDSU is recruiting the best athletes they can and coaching them up. The prize isn’t money it’s success. Success always brings money to those seeking it.

MWC SIZED UP:

• NDSU: 8-0

• UNLV: 8-1

• Hawaii: 7-2

• UNM: 6-3

• Air Force: 5-3

• Wyoming: 4-5

• UTEP: 3-6

• NIU: 2-7

• UNR: 1-8

• SJSU: 0-8

[JBB2]

From the above ranking I expect something like this:

• the middle 4 starting with Hawaii are really good football teams better than the good FCS teams the Bison are accustomed to playing.

• The bottom 4 MVFC +. Any misstep by the Bison will land them here. I think they are good football teams getting beat by better ones.

• UNLV will be the best team since Colorado or AZ.

[JBB2]

I’m thinking

bad football teams in the FBS will be rare. Just good ones losing to better ones. There are a lot of good football teams.

There are a lot of bad football teams in the FCS. NDSU won’t be getting those gifts. If they do I will be surprised.

Putting it in FCS terms, Compared to the FBS/MWC NDSU could be seen as Bison fans see an east coast FCS playoff contender.

[JBB2]

Mountain West head-coaching salaries

1. Dan Mullen, UNLV — $3.5 million

2t. Jason Eck, New Mexico — $1.55 million

2t. Troy Calhoun, Air Force — $1.55 million

4. Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State — $1.5 million

5. Jeff Choate, Nevada — $1.15 million

6. Jay Sawvel, Wyoming —$1.1 million

7. Tim Polasek, North Dakota State — $815,000

8. Scotty Walden, UTEP —$801,000

9. Timmy Chang, Hawaii — $755,006

10. Rob Harley, Northern Illinois — $400,000

Average: $1,312,101


Pac-12 head-coaching salaries

1. Jim Mora Jr., Colorado State — $2.4 million

2. Spencer Danielson, Boise State — $2.1 million

3. Bronco Mendenhall, Utah State — $2.06 million

4. Kirby Moore, Washington State — $2 million

5. Sean Lewis, San Diego State — $1.9531 million

6. G.J. Kinne, Texas State — $1.7 million

7. JaMarcus Shephard, Oregon State — $1.6 million

8. Matt Entz, Fresno State — $1.35 million (not too bad for a guy not well liked in Fargo)

Average: $1,895,388

Illinois State. $300,000
Montana State. $295,000 + $180,000 in available bonuses
Montana $265,000 + $90,000 in bonuses + appearance fees

[JBB2]

Still nothing on the football schedule beyond 2026, not even conference games. Oregon is gone. Hopefully relationships in the MWC are going smoothly.

Maybe the conference is giving schools a chance to schedule OOC before locking them in?

NDSU may have the toughest job. The FBS label won’t change hearts and minds. The FBS reception probably won’t be much different than the reception an FCS NDSU received. I’m not even sure JMU or any other dream type G6 games are possible. I’m looking to weaker programs to start, hopefully I’m wrong.

If NDSU turns out to be weak desirable Big 12/10 games might appear. If they are good expect the Boise State treatment. If the new Pac12 gets rebuffed by the big schools they might start appearing in the schedule.

I would like a G6 playoff. Looking at the CFP format there won’t be a spot for G6 anyway.

[JBB2]

The scheduling dreams of many NDSU fans are meeting reality: Scheduling in FBS is tough. In a headline, The Fargo Foolem alluded to this. Realignment is about scheduling. It’s why the FBS pickle-barrel was empty and NDSU got the MWC call. Media was consolidating schools. Every conference was affected.

NDSU opponents will be new, it’s going to be fun, but it’s no clear path to the CFP. In fact the larger P4 conferences might contribute to a de facto G6 CFP lockout and far fewer OOC P4 games.

I don’t know what happened in the MWC It looks like the higher ranked teams left for the perceived media advantages. If so, No merger was possible. It was an anti merger.

if that’s the case inter-league games seem unlikely. Why play the little guys they left behind? They want the big games. A Ponesetta bowl with the MWC would be self-defeating.

How it works out nobody knows. it seems college football teams avoid the best OOC games In favor of ones they can win. With the CFP beginning to replace bowls this might only get worse Larger P4 conferences will also tend to have fewer open dates

The only course for the MWC is good football. A G6 play off might help. A much larger CFP might help too?

[JBB2]

New info for me. The Save College Sports Act would force competition between regional rivals

https://www.mwcconnection.com/mountain- ... sports-act

“Re-establishes regional rivalries by requiring some schools to restart rivalry games if they compete in a conference without three or more of their top 10 most-played opponents. This concept is only triggered if rights are pooled.”

This will force scheduling between the MWC & PAC. It may force NDSU to schedule into the MVFC.

Effect on each school is covered in the article. Here’s NDSUs blurb:

North Dakota State: The Bison are the most interesting case to study when bringing up this act.

Making the move to FBS, their top ten, of course, consists of FCS schools. Feels a bit backwards, no?

From a personal point of view, I would like to see NDSU keep playing the Jackrabbits of SDSU, but this will surely be a scheduling matter to monitor.

[JBB2]

This is unclear:

The law requires one school to schedule certain teams. At what price?

Does it require those schools to accept and if so at what price?

If it passes how will this and other issues be settled? This forces NDSU to punch down.