FBS-Bound North Dakota State is Coming for the College Football Playoff, and It Might Just Work

Since 2011, they have been a football juggernaut. In fact, across the past 15 years, no program has been more dominant, more overwhelming and more consistently superb.

Alabama, we're not talking about you. Not you, either, Georgia. Or you, Ohio State and Clemson.

No, we're talking about North Dakota State, of course, which is suddenly (and spectacularly) FBS-bound, ready for a new run of dominance at the sport's highest weight class and for a push for the College Football Playoff.

At a time when news about the transfer portal has finally subsided, realignment has taken center stage. The Bison will join the Mountain West Conference in football this coming fall. North Dakota State will leave the Summit League and the FCS level entirely, having won 10 national championships across the last 15 seasons.

"This is a historic day for NDSU athletics," Matt Larsen, the school's athletic director, said in a statement. "Our football program has earned this opportunity through the sustained success and leadership of our student-athletes and coaches past and present. Joining the Mountain West is an exciting new opportunity for our team to compete at the highest level, for our fans to see FBS opponents coming to Fargo, and for Bison football to reach a wider national audience through expanded television coverage."

C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

Simply citing 10 national championships in such a short period fails to capture the Bison's dominance. Since 2011, North Dakota State has won 198 games and lost only 22. They've delivered three undefeated seasons in this time and lost one game or fewer in nine of those 15 years.

Most sensational of all, this dominant stretch was delivered with four different head coaches at the helm.

ESPN's College GameDay has made multiple stops, bringing the Bison to a level of mainstream no other FCS school has been able to duplicate. The absurd records year after year have certainly played a part, although the football culture in Fargo—and the overall big-game vibes—will translate to the FBS level seamlessly.

As for the adjustment when it comes to competition, time will tell. Since joining the FCS in 2004, North Dakota State is 9-5 against FBS opponents. This included a stretch of six straight wins between 2010 and 2016—a stretch that undoubtedly helped grow its reputation along with the ability to acquire talent.

Playing a full-time FBS schedule, even in the Mountain West, will take some getting used to. As such, it would be foolish to assume that this level of dominance will translate immediately. That said, it wouldn't be the least bit shocking to see the Bison become an immediate thorn in the side for many.

As part of the transition, North Dakota State won't be eligible for the College Football Playoff or the bowl season until 2028. If there aren't enough bowl eligible teams, the Bison could potentially find their way into a bowl.

More than likely, however, the soon-to-be-former FCS powerhouse will have to wait a moment to push for the postseason. And given what we've seen—and where the sport is headed—there's no reason to believe that this program won't be squarely in the center of these yearly conversations soon.

This was the right time for North Dakota State to make a move. At the FCS level, it's done everything possible. It's won big and consistently big.

If not now, then when?

C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

As for the College Football Playoff, one thing is abundantly clear: the postseason will expand sooner than later.

While the Big Ten and the SEC, CFB's postseason gatekeepers, have struggled to find a format the two power conferences agree upon, a 16-team or 24-team postseason is only a matter of time.

A 12-team playoff will remain intact for this coming season after failing to find the right format. After that, one can only assume that access will increase. While the emphasis on access will first be placed on the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC, the rest of the conferences and teams will still have a seat at the table.

By the time North Dakota State is allowed to actually appear in the playoff, the format is likely to change. As such, now is as good of a time as any to make a move.

The impact of such a move will be felt soon enough. For the uninitiated, Fargo knows football. Bringing this setting to a larger audience, which is precisely what will happen with a move to the Mountain West, will only elevate the profile of such a storied program.

As for the bigger picture, North Dakota State is simply reading the room. James Madison and Tulane and Boise State have shown what can be done at non-traditional football powers.

Now, thanks to an unexpected, expedited move to the FBS, the sport's most dominant team is that much closer to the sport's biggest stage. Like all good things, such a movement will take time. But if the last 15 years tell us anything, it's that North Dakota State is suited for such a challenge.