As Ben Franklin said in 1789, “In this world, nothing is certain except death, taxes, and North Dakota State competing for FCS National Championships.” Well, at least it should have gone something like that. The Bison are a perennial college football powerhouse, and they are challenging for yet another title this season. But before they do, let’s look at just how many national championships NDSU owns.
How many national championships does NDSU have?
How many national championships does NDSU not have? The Bison claim 16 national titles, eight as a Division II program and eight in the FCS. They were selected as D2 champions by polling three times (1965, 1968, 1969), won the D2 National Championship five times (1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990), and reigned victorious in the FCS eight times in nine seasons (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019).
Those eight in the FCS have come since 2010, with their only non-championship-winning seasons being 2016 and 2020. Oh, and that is the most national titles in FCS history!
NDSU’s 2019 squad went 16-0, the only D1 school to do so since the unforgettable 1894 Yale team. That rendition of the Bison was led by Trey Lance, who parlayed a 28-touchdown, zero-interception redshirt freshman campaign into being selected third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Furthermore, North Dakota State owns the longest winning streak in FCS history, rattling off 39 straight between 2017-2021. In fact, they only have three — yes, three — losing seasons since … 1964.
Will NDSU win the 2021-2022 FCS National Championship?
NDSU owns a 40-3 record in the FCS playoffs, outscoring opponents 1,418 to 548. As we’ve established, the Bison are no stranger to success, and neither is head coach Matt Entz. Entz has been with the program since 2014, rising from linebackers coach to defensive coordinator to the lead role in 2018. After taking over, he’s led NDSU to a 36-4 résumé, going 13-1 this season.
Next up is Montana State in the 2021-2022 FCS National Championship. The Bobcats went 12-2 in the Big Sky conference and possess a top-five defense. This is uncharted territory for the felines, as they only have a 1984 FCS championship win under their belts. Will the inexperience be too much for Montana State to overcome against the most seasoned playoff team in the division? I’d bet money on it, but NDSU needs to play sound football if they want to add to their vast trophy collection this year.