The 2024 North Dakota State football team will be remembered as the one that continued one of the most remarkable runs in sports history. In the FCS national championship game, they claimed the school’s tenth national championship in 14 seasons with a 35-32 upset win over the previously undefeated and #1-seeded Montana State Bobcats. This team will go down as one of the teams that brought home a title, but where do they stand in the storied history of Bison football? 

Well, Spectrum sports writer Ethan Ibach and I put together a list of the top 10 teams in NDSU football history.

This will be part one of a three-part series diving into the most outstanding teams, games, and players in the long, storied legacy of football at North Dakota State University. How Ethan and I came up with this list is strictly based on our opinion; there is no unique formula or point system used to determine who was best. These are just our gut feelings and our combined knowledge of NDSU football. 

A few honorable mentions we didn’t have room for were the 1986, 1988, and 1990 Division ll championship teams and the two best teams not to win a national title in the D1 era, the 2007 and 2016 teams. The ‘07 and ‘16 teams each won games versus FBS teams, but one wasn’t eligible for the postseason (2007), and the other was responsible for the only Division I Bison team to lose at home in the playoffs (2016). Here is the Spectrum’s list of the 10 greatest football teams in NDSU history:

10. 2011: 14-1 (7-1) MVFC Co-Champion, National Championship vs. #1 Sam Houston State

Many people who have talked about this first season agree: when the Bison got to D1, they didn’t know what they were getting into. From day one, Craig Bohl’s goal was to get on top of the FCS. It started in 2002 when the Bison went to Missoula and took down FCS power Montana. It proved this team belonged in D1. Beating Minnesota in 2007 and Central Michigan in the same season gave this team hope that they would contend once they began eligible in 2009.

The first time NDSU made the playoffs in 2010, they took down Montana State in Bozeman in the 2nd round and would head to Cheney, Washington, to take on Eastern Washington. It was the game that sparked the greatest dynasty in the history of college football. It was a snowy night on the red turf as the Bison would head to overtime with the Eagles. The Bison would run a QB run with redshirt freshman quarterback Brock Jensen at the goal line, where the ball came loose. A lengthy review would determine that the ball came out before he went down (questionable). The Bison fell and were heavily motivated going into 2011.

The Bison had two easy games to begin the 2011 season and would head to TCF Bank Stadium to play the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Sophomore Marcus Williams showed out, picking off two passes and returned one for a touchdown. The Bison took down the Gophers 37-24, thoroughly ensuring that the Gophers will never call the 701 number again or any Big 10 team. Four straight Missouri Valley wins would lead to one of the biggest games in the Fargodome’s history, as #3 NDSU would host #2 Northern Iowa led by Mark Farley. 

The Bison took home the win 27-19 and would also go on to win at #17 Indiana State. The Bison were 9-0 and looked to be heading toward an undefeated season. The final home game would be unranked Youngstown State for senior day. An unexpected loss to the Penguins would drop them to 9-1 and eventually result in a 10-1 record, which was good enough for a #2 seed and home field throughout the FCS playoffs. 

James Madison came to the dome in the second round, and the Bison came out top 26-14. Lehigh came next for a 24-0 victory, and the Bison looked unstoppable. The semifinals were a different animal, though. FCS power Georgia Southern came to town for a trip to Frisco, Texas. Many players had the flu and weren’t sure how well they could play. It was 14-7 at the half, thanks to two touchdowns from Warren Holloway. Three straight touchdowns would result in a 35-7 rout over Georgia Southern to punch their ticket to Frisco—the first of many. The National Championship would bring #1-seeded Sam Houston State. 

Many thought this would be a home game for the Bearkats as they are just under a three-hour drive from Frisco. That was not the case at all. Bison fans showed out and drank the town dry of alcoholic beverages before Saturday even rolled around. The game was initially not very entertaining for Bison Nation as the Herd faced a 6-3 halftime deficit. Early in the second half, Craig Bohl knew he needed a spark, and being a very conservative coach, nobody expected a fake punt from him. 

The element of surprise is why it worked. Matt Voigtlander would take the fake, run for about 35 yards, and set up the Bison offense. DJ McNorton, as he had done so many times in his playoff career, took over. A long 39-yard TD would put the Herd up 10-6. Each team would exchange punts for a while before a Travis Beck interception returned to the 1-yard line, capped off by a Brock Jensen 1-yard touchdown to make the final 17-6. The Bison won their first FCS title. It was a hefty sophomore and young team, so this team is at #10. 

9. 2024: 14-2 (7-1) MVFC Co-Champion, National Championship vs. #1 Montana State

The most recent team winning an FCS title was one that few expected due to South Dakota State being the reigning champion and a hungry Montana State team that was destined to win their first title in 40 years. The 2024 team proved they could return to the championship stage by taking Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes to the brink in a 31-26 loss. Following the defeat, the Bison won 10 of their final 11 games, including the Dakota Marker for the first time in five years with a 13-9 win over South Dakota State in front of a national TV audience. The team would stumble in Vermillion to the #4 Coyotes of South Dakota before receiving the #2 seed and home-field advantage. 

First-year coach Tim Polasek would guide his team past #15 Abilene Christian and #7 Mercer to reach the FCS semifinals, where they would defeat #3 South Dakota State 28-21 to get the school’s 11th national title game. It was a herculean effort led by Cam Miller, whose 320 total yards and four touchdowns were just enough to squeak out a three-point win over #1 Montana State. Miller was named the Most Outstanding Player.

The 2024 team’s inconsistent defense, sleepwalking through certain games and the collapse in Vermillion keeps them at the bottom half of this list, but when deciding on the greatest teams in program history, this team goes down as one of the most exciting teams and title runs.

8. 2015: 13-2 (7-1) MVFC Co-Champion, National Championship vs. #1 Jacksonville State

2015 may have been the most challenging championship to win of them all. Going into the year, the team was led by Senior quarterback Carson Wentz, who was coming off a national championship win to make it four straight for the Bison. This 2015 Bison team faced adversity almost instantly as they fell in Missoula on national television 38-35 in the season opener. Four straight wins over Weber State, UND, SDSU, and FCS power UNI brought people back down to earth for all the FCS fans hoping for an NDSU falloff. The Bison then hosted the unranked USD team that had never really been a factor in the FCS to this point, and they came to the dome and shocked the world or, as Scott Miller would say, “Slayed the Dragon.” The Bison shockingly fell 4-2 on the season. 

The Bison hadn’t lost two games in a season in five years, but that wasn’t the week’s most shocking news. The following night, NDSU announced Carson Wentz would miss six to eight weeks with a broken wrist, which was virtually the rest of the regular season and most of the postseason. Most thought this would end a fantastic four-straight national championship run. But they were wrong. Easton Stick, who had no prior experience, saved the season. He led to close wins over Indiana State and Southern Illinois, followed by a blowout win vs. Western Illinois. The Bison then traveled to Youngstown State and won in a late-game rally to win 27-24, followed by a 55-0 blowout win over Missouri State. 

The Bison finished the season 9-2 and easily could’ve been 8-3 or 7-4 if not for Easton Stick. They earned the #3 seed and were on the verge of going on the road for the first time in the playoffs since 2010. The Bison were set to play Montana to avenge their first loss of the season, and they did. They destroyed the Griz, winning 37-6 inside the Fargodome in the second round to return to the quarterfinals. They then had to play Northern Iowa, who they barely beat in October with Carson Wentz. An Aaron Bailey-led UNI Panthers team was on a roll heading into this game, and it showed. They were up 10-7 at the half and on the verge of an upset, but the Bison special teams took over, and the Herd won 23-13 to return to the semifinals. 

The semifinals brought #7 Richmond to the Fargodome after they upset #2 Illinois State to give the Bison another home game. They took advantage and showed Richmond was no match for winning 33-7 to return to Frisco. Jacksonville State was waiting in Frisco for the Bison. The team arrived with not only a ton of confidence after the past eight games but also with their star quarterback, Carson Wentz, who was back from his injury in October. Wentz showed out, and the Bison never looked back, winning 37-10 to make it five straight national championships, which has never been done in college football history at any level. This team had just as much talent as the other teams, but the difference was their two losses early in the year. It was flawed, but it was the dominant team in the end. 

7. 2014: 15-1 (7-1) MVFC Co-Champion, National Championship vs. #5 Illinois State

The 2014 team was in transition. Twenty-four seniors departed, along with head coach Craig Bohl, who left for the University of Wyoming and took most of his staff with him. What remained in Fargo was new head coach Chris Klieman and new starting quarterback Carson Wentz. Brock Jensen’s understudy would lead a new Bison offense anchored by running back John Crockett and a defense that allowed just 14 points a game.

The new-look Bison opened their season with another FBS road game at Iowa State. They fell behind 14-0 to the Cyclones before they rattled off 34 unanswered points behind a ground attack that rushed for over 300 yards and a defense that forced two turnovers. The Ames win led to ESPN’s “College Gameday” show returning to downtown Fargo. Following the 58-0 win over Incarnate Word, the Bison beat five of six ranked opponents during the regular season, except for a 20-point loss at Northern Iowa. 

NDSU finished the season 11-1 and received the #2 seed in the FCS playoffs behind #1 New Hampshire. Of all the playoff runs that the Bison have had over the years, this one was a roller coaster as they needed late scores against South Dakota State and Coastal Carolina to reach the FCS semifinals, where they routed Sam Houston State 35-3 to reach a fourth consecutive title game.

In one of the best championship games in FCS history, the Bison were able to hold off a stingy Illinois State team 29-27. NDSU led 20-7 in the third quarter before the Redbirds went on a 20-3 scoring run to grab a late 27-23 lead thanks to a 58-yard touchdown run from quarterback Tre Roberson. The Bison responded with one of the most legendary drives in program history as a six-play, 78-yard drive was capped off by a five-yard Carson Wentz rushing touchdown. “Code Green” held on to the Redbird’s final drive as Esley Thronton ripped the football out of Joe Farmers’ hands for the game-sealing interception. 

This was the best team Carson Wentz quarterbacked. Carson’s teams are not as good as the six teams ahead of the 2014 team, but they hold the mantle for the best national championship game ever played.

6. 2012: 14-1 (7-1) MVFC Outright Champion, National Championship vs. Sam Houston State

In Scott Miller’s words, “A fairytale finish to a magical season” best describes the 2011 Bison football team. They won the National Championship in just their 3rd season of being eligible in FCS playoff play. The 2012 team was back with the core group of sophomores from the year before, with the likes of Brock Jensen, Sam Ojuri, Ryan Smith, Billy Turner, Grant Olson, and Marcus Williams. After a blowout home opening win over Robert Morris, they took on FBS Colorado State, where they once again proved they belonged. 

A 22-7 win would boost them to 2-0. After a 48-7 dismantling victory over Youngstown State, who was #3 at the time, tickets for the remaining games sold out for the year, and it appeared as if this team would never lose again. The Bison fell to unranked Indiana State at home after Brock Jensen threw two pick-sixes, which would ultimately be the downfall of that game. Few people knew that this would spark a 33-game winning streak that would last over the next two years. The Bison finished the regular season 10-1 once again and were Missouri Valley Football Conference champs for the second straight season. This would be enough for the #1 seed and home field throughout the postseason.

The Bison kicked off the playoffs with rivals South Dakota State for the first of many in the FCS playoffs, and they dominated. 28-3 was the final, and they were off to the quarterfinals for the 2nd straight season. The quarterfinals would bring in Wofford as the triple-option threat. The Terriers were a rare team in the SoCon that would bring in a tough defense. The Bison only scored 14 points, but it was enough. The Bison won a 14-7 nail-biter as Grant Olson set a school record with 29 tackles. 

The semifinals would bring in #5 Georgia Southern for one of the biggest clashes in FCS history. “Fourth and Frisco” was born. Another triple option team would enter the dome led by future Minnesota Viking Jerick McKinnon, who played QB at GSU at the time. It was a 20-16 Georgia Southern lead with 5:49 remaining. Jensen led the herd down to the 5-yard line with 3:10 remaining, and it was 4th and 3. But most refer to it as “Fourth and Frisco.” Jensen took the QB draw into the endzone to put the Bison up 23-20. Georgia Southern would be forced to pass the ball, which they only did five times during the entire game when backup QB Ezayi Youyoute threw a desperation heave to receiver Zach Walker that beat the all-American Marcus Williams. It set up a 50-yard field goal for the Eagles’ Drew Ruggles, who was just added to the team that week. The kick was blocked, and the Bison headed back to Frisco.

This time around, the city of Frisco was more prepared. The Bison again took over Toyota stadium and would take on Sam Houston State in a rematch. This time, though, Sam Houston State would be unseeded and a heavy underdog. The Bison took advantage after a slow start and capped off their second straight National Championship in a 39-13 victory. There were comments from fans and players immediately after this game, reminding us that this team was junior-heavy and that they would be back in 2013. Turns out they were right.

Out of the first three titles, this team was definitely the second best, but people forget this team was one incomplete pass away from being 15-0 and undefeated. They would win if Jensen didn’t throw one of those two pick-sixes in that Indiana State game. Nonetheless, another national championship team was cemented in Bison history.  

Part 2 of this article will reveal our top five teams in North Dakota State football history.