“The Flagship”: 2026 NDSU FBS Football PRE SEASON

[JBB2]

With UCD moving presumably to the MWC, talk has turned to #12. Sac State is a natural fit with an established FBS program.

SDSU would be another welcome Great West addition. With a heads up the money should be there. After all they too are a mighty land grant.

Either of the Montanas or Tarleton work for me too.

With certain additions could all sports work? BB seems easy enough but we have Track, Baseball & Softball too. Don’t know if they would work plus the Summit is a good league, a proven success.

With 2029 the anticipated UCD move there could be 12 well ahead of the 2032 conference contract renewals. Other schools may leave. UNLV is most often mentioned. With so many options it’s doubtful to me the MWC could be scattered to the winds. In fact it may work out that nobody wants to leave.

[JBB2]

MWC media day news working the Wyo-NDSU angle.

https://7220sports.com/mountain-west-me ... -football/

[JBB2]

Just in the bowl selection process for the MWC.

The big news! If correct, the MWC champion appears to have an auto-bid for the CFP! I looked for substantiation but didn’t find any.

IMG_4131.jpeg (191.93 KiB) Viewed 468 times

https://x.com/ramblinroundup/status/207 ... t.26636%2F

[JBB2]

From the Mountain West Conference

We have a few but New Mexico and UNLV lead the way on offense. Look out for Hawaii

On defense NDSU is well represented. The special teams will be very handy if games turn out to be as close as we think. Field position counts.

2026 MOUNTAIN WEST FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM

Offense
QB - Micah Alejado, So., Hawai‘i
WR - Pofele Ashlock, Sr., Hawai‘i
WR - Troy Omeire, Sr., New Mexico
WR - Taeshaun Lyons, Jr., UNLV
RB - Owen Allen, Sr., Air Force
RB - Jai’Den Thomas, Sr., UNLV
OL - Jack Foster, Sr., Nevada
OL - Malik Aliane, Sr., New Mexico
OL - Griffin Empey, Jr., North Dakota State
OL - Austin Boyd, Sr., UNLV
OL - Rex Johnsen, Sr., Wyoming
TE - Cade Keith, So., New Mexico

Defense
DL - Dylan LaBarbera, Sr., Nevada
DL - Brian Booker, Sr., New Mexico
DL - Keenan Wilson, Jr., North Dakota State
DL - Lucas Conti, Jr., UNLV
LB - Blake Fletcher, Sr., Air Force
LB - Jamih Otis, Sr., Hawai‘i
LB - Jaxton Eck, Sr., New Mexico
LB - Ethan Stuhlsatz, Gr., Wyoming
DB - Elijah Palmer, Sr., Hawai‘i
DB - Aiden Walker, So., Nevada
DB - Darius Givance, Sr., North Dakota State
DB - Jake Pope, Sr., UNLV

Specialists
P - Bart Edmiston, Sr., Wyoming
PK - Joe McFadden, Gr., Nevada
PR - Jackson Williams, Jr., North Dakota State
KR - Jackson Williams, Jr., North Dakota State

Offensive Player of the Year: Micah Alejado, So., QB, Hawai‘i
Defensive Player of the Year: Jaxton Eck, Sr., LB, New Mexico
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jackson Williams, Jr., PR/KR, North Dakota State

[JBB2]

Media Days was well received. Focus of this article is the newcomers

https://www.mwcconnection.com/mountain- ... ntain-west

MW Media Day 1: Newcomers bring big talk to the Mountain West

The Bison don’t blink
If any newcomer is built to compete right away, it’s North Dakota State. Offensive guard Griffin Empey, an FCS All-American and part of a national championship pedigree in Fargo, carried himself like the moment was overdue rather than oversized.

Asked about the writers’ chatter that the Bison could contend immediately, Empey didn’t run from it. “I think it’s something we can grow into,” said Empey. “We want to be the greatest version of ourselves every day and be talking about a championship at the end of the year.”

Even the grind of nine-hour trips and new travel logistics drew a shrug. “It is what it is. It’s going to be what it is,” said Empey.

Empey was more animated about the Fargodome, noting the sellout streak and what awaits visitors. “When they come to Fargo, from the administration all the way down to the players, they’re going to be really, really put to it.”

That’s not bravado. That’s a program with receipts.

[JBB2]

Talk of 12 in the MWC won’t go away. Apparently 12 full time football schools are needed by 2028/29?

Here’s a solution. Don’t know if it is possible but it does keep the conference in tact. With the playoffs likely to increase to 24 no conference title game will be played. Regular season Champion will get an auto bid.

MOUNTAIN WEST LINEUP

FOOTBALL:

Air Force
UNLV
UNR
UNM
UTEP
NIU
Wyoming
NDSU
SJSU
Hawaii

To get to 12:

ADD: UCD & Grand Canyon

BASKETBALL etc:

UCD
New Mexico
Grand Canyon State
UNLV
UNR
UNM
UTEP
NIU
Wyoming
SJSU
Hawaii

To get to 12:

ADD: NDSU

There is talk of Grand Canyon starting football. UCD is said to be coming in 2029. I’m not sure if there has been any NDSU all sports MWC talk yet?

[JBB2]

No longer road trips, away games are now vacations. There were 5 or 6 day trips in D2. FCS limited that by taking away Mankato and grand forks (und2 quit). We still had easy trips to the South Dakota schools. Now the closest away games are 800 miles+ - Laramie & DeKalb.

Any number of years ago, for either of the South Dakota games, we started spending the weekend in Sioux Falls. We met some Fargo friends and stayed in Watertown for the Brookings game once. That was the year D3 Sioux Falls college walloped und2 & Caughlin was being rebuilt. We drove around Watertown listening to the Sioux falls college game. I wish I had a copy of the und2 broadcasters. We had a great time.

I’m not sure about away games now. They tell me I can fly to Las Vegas right out of my home town. Allegiant may add routes to a couple game cites this fall. Going to just have to wait and see. We may wait until next year and drive to DeKalb.

[User1]

We'll definitely go to Laramie in '27 or '29 and take an extra day to take 130 over the mountain and visit Saratoga. Love that area! We stay there every winter snowmobiling.

[JBB2]

Wyoming is spectacular. The drive out to Laramie will offer more in different scenery than cutting across the prairie. I’ve never been to DeKalb. That would be the only draw for us. It’s still 3 days minimum though. Full 9 hours Friday. Game day. Drive back Sunday, unless we found a nice side trip, maybe up the west shore of Lake Michigan. That’s sounding pretty ambitious though. A good hotel along the way is more in my line.