Newly minted FBS school North Dakota State found itself in a position similar to Alabama fans during the heyday of Nick Saban’s dynasty: It simply won too much. The school has captured 10 national championships in 15 years. Within the fan base, the expectation is not just success, but success at the highest level.
Attendance for early-round home playoff games that NDSU is expected to win handily has suffered. This year’s loss to Illinois State drew an official attendance of 10,464 to the 19,000-seat Fargodome, roughly half full. Despite five interceptions from Redbirds quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse, the No. 1 Bison lost. It marked the first time NDSU had fallen before the quarterfinal round since 2009 and the first time a No. 1 seed lost its playoff opener since 2004.
Few knew it at the time, but it was NDSU’s final game at the FCS level. A process that began ramping up in late fall accelerated in January, when athletic director Matt Larsen began to believe the program was moving up from the division it had dominated since 2004. For a segment of the Bison fan base, the move to FBS will provide a new challenge.
“I do think there’s an element of our fan base of what’s next we’ve had great success, is there a next iteration at a higher level for Bison football?” NDSU AD Matt Larsen told CBS Sports. “And so I think that’s where, if you would ask me, six or seven years ago, where the fan base was, they probably weren’t there yet, right? But four national championships later, and I think the majority of Bison nation would tell you that this is the right next step, and it’s the right time to do it.”
To compete in the FBS, North Dakota State has to be up to par not only on the field, but also financially. NDSU will pay $5 million to the NCAA to…
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