North Dakota State University first fielded a football team in 1894, among the first 70 universities in the nation to do so. The first game the North Dakota State Farmers (until adopting the Aggies mascot in 1902) played was against future rival, University of North Dakota Flickertails (until adopting the Fighting Sioux mascot in 1930), North Dakota State won the game 20–4.
North Dakota State officially joined the North Central Conference in 1922 as a founding member. It stayed a member of this conference until 2004, when it moved to Division I (FCS).
The Bison have amassed a 809–385–34 (.673) record since 1894 and have won 18 national championships: 10 as a member of Division I FCS, and 8 as a member of Division II. NDSU has won 36 conference championships, and has had 3 losing seasons since 1964. They have won 10 out of the last 15 FCS National Championships, the most in FCS history.
Eddie Cochems, known as the 'father of the forward pass', coached North Dakota State from 1902 to 1903, leading them to a 9–1 record and outscoring their opponents 499–49 in two seasons. It is said he experimented with the forward pass at NDSU, but it was not officially legal until 1906.
Seasons
Postseason facts Years in Postseason: 38 DII Postseason Record: 35-13 () DI Postseason Record: 51-6 () OVERALL PLAYOFF RECORD: 86-19 ()
Championships National Championships: 18 (1965, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 2011–2015, 2017–2019, 2021, 2024) National Runner-Up: 4 (1967, 1981, 1984, 2022) National 3rd Place: 7 (1970, 1976, 1977, 1982, 2000, 2016, 2023)
Championships and placings prior to 1973 were determined by AP or UPI polls. Championships and runner-up finishes after that were through the NCAA playoff format. Third-place finishes after 1973 were the result of semifinal losses in the playoff system.
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