North Dakota State Bison Logo

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 North Dakota State Farmers (until they adopted the Aggies mascot in 1902) played was against future rival, University of North Dakota Flickertails (until they adopted the Fighting Sioux mascot in 1930), North Dakota State won the game 20–4.[1]

North Dakota State officially joined the North Central Conference in 1922 as a founding member. They stayed a member of this conference until 2004 when they moved to Division I (FCS).

The Bison have amassed a 774–378–34 (.667) record since 1894 and have won 17 National Championships, 9 as a member of Division I FCS, and 8 as a member of Division II. NDSU has won 35 Conference Championships, and only have 3 losing seasons since 1964. They have won 9 out of the last 12 FCS National Championships, the most in FCS history.

North Dakota State has won more games than any other FCS school founded after 1876.

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

Year Coach Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Henry Luke Bolley (Independent) (1894–1899)
1894 North Dakota Agricultural 2–0
1895 North Dakota Agricultural 1–1
1896 North Dakota Agricultural 3–1–1
1897 North Dakota Agricultural 0–3
1898 North Dakota Agricultural 1–2
1899 North Dakota Agricultural 0–1
Jack Harrison (Independent) (1900–1901)
1900 North Dakota Agricultural 8–1–1
1901 North Dakota Agricultural 7–0
Eddie Cochems (Independent) (1902–1903)
1902 North Dakota Agricultural 4–0
1903 North Dakota Agricultural 5–1
A. L. Marshall (Independent) (1904–1905)
1904 North Dakota Agricultural 3–3
1905 North Dakota Agricultural 1–4–1
Gil Dobie (Independent) (1906–1907)
1906 North Dakota Agricultural 5–0
1907 North Dakota Agricultural 3–0
Paul Magoffin (Independent) (1908)
1908 North Dakota Agricultural 2–3
Arthur Rueber (Independent) (1909–1912)
1909 North Dakota Agricultural 2–2–1
1910 North Dakota Agricultural 2–3
1911 North Dakota Agricultural 3–1
1912 North Dakota Agricultural 5–1
Howard Wood (Independent) (1913–1914)
1913 North Dakota Agricultural 0–2–2
1914 North Dakota Agricultural 5–3
Paul J. Davis (Independent) (1915–1917)
1915 North Dakota Agricultural 3–3
1916 North Dakota Agricultural 3–2–1
1917 North Dakota Agricultural 4–2
Stanley Borleske (Independent) (1919–1921)
1919 North Dakota Agricultural 5–1–1
1920 North Dakota Agricultural 2–3–1
1921 North Dakota Agricultural 3–3–1
Joe Cutting (North Central Conference) (1922)
1922 North Dakota Agricultural 6–21–25th
Stanley Borleske (North Central Conference) (1923–1924)
1923 North Dakota Agricultural 2–4–11–37th
1924 North Dakota Agricultural 5–33–34th
Ion Cortright (North Central Conference) (1925–1927)
1925 North Dakota Agricultural 5–0–24–0–2T–1st
1926 North Dakota Agricultural 5–32–36th
1927 North Dakota Agricultural 3–51–35th
Casey Finnegan (North Central Conference) (1928–1940)
1928 North Dakota Agricultural 3–4–11–3T–3rd
1929 North Dakota Agricultural 4–3–21–1–23rd
1930 North Dakota Agricultural 7–23–12nd
1931 North Dakota Agricultural 5–52–2T–2nd
1932 North Dakota Agricultural 7–24–01st
1933 North Dakota Agricultural 3–2–42–1–12nd
1934 North Dakota Agricultural 5–3–22–1–1T–2nd
1935 North Dakota Agricultural 7–1–14–0–1T–1st
1936 North Dakota Agricultural 4–52–23rd
1937 North Dakota Agricultural 5–42–2T–2nd
1938 North Dakota Agricultural 5–43–1T–2nd
1939 North Dakota Agricultural 1–6–10–57th
1940 North Dakota Agricultural 1–80–57th
Stan Kostka (North Central Conference) (1941)
1941 North Dakota Agricultural 2–72–45th
Robert A. Lowe (North Central Conference) (1942–1945)
1942 North Dakota Agricultural 2–5–12–3T–5th
1945 North Dakota Agricultural 1–4–1N/AN/A
Stan Kostka (North Central Conference) (1946–1947)
1946 North Dakota Agricultural 5–34–12nd
1947 North Dakota State 1–70–57th
Howard Bliss (North Central Conference) (1948–1949)
1948 North Dakota State 3–72–4T–4th
1949 North Dakota State 0–90–67th
Mac Wenskunas (North Central Conference) (1950–1953)
1950 North Dakota State 2–70–67th
1951 North Dakota State 1–5–11–4–16th
1952 North Dakota State 5–44–22nd
1953 North Dakota State 3–52–4T–4th
Del Anderson (North Central Conference) (1954–1955)
1954 North Dakota State 1–7–11–4–16th
1955 North Dakota State 0–90–67th
Les Luymes (North Central Conference) (1956)
1956 North Dakota State 5–43–3T–4th
Bob Danielson (North Central Conference) (1957–1962)
1957 North Dakota State 0–80–5T–6th
1958 North Dakota State 3–62–46th
1959 North Dakota State 4–4–13–2–1T–2nd
1960 North Dakota State 3–5–12–3–1T–4th
1961 North Dakota State 3–61–56th
1962 North Dakota State 0–100–67th
Darrell Mudra (North Central Conference) (1963–1965)
1963 North Dakota State 3–53–34th
1964 North Dakota State 10–15–1T–1stW Mineral Water10
1965 North Dakota State 11–06–01stW Pecan11
Ron Erhardt (North Central Conference) (1966–1972)
1966 North Dakota State 8–25–1T–1st89
1967 North Dakota State 9–16–01stL Pecan22
1968 North Dakota State 10–06–01stW Pecan21
1969 North Dakota State 10–06–01stW Camellia11
1970 North Dakota State 9–0–16–01stW Camellia43
1971 North Dakota State 7–24–2T–2nd
1972 North Dakota State 8–26–1T–1st
Ev Kjelbertson (North Central Conference) (1973–1975)
1973 North Dakota State 8–26–1T–1st14
1974 North Dakota State 7–45–2T–1st
1975 North Dakota State 2–71–6T–7th
Jim Wacker (North Central Conference) (1976–1978)
1976 North Dakota State 9–36–01stL NCAA Division II SemifinalT–10
1977 North Dakota State 9–2–16–0–11stL NCAA Division II Semifinal1
1978 North Dakota State 6–43–3T–3rd
Don Morton (North Central Conference) (1979–1984)
1979 North Dakota State 6–44–2T–2nd
1980 North Dakota State 6–45–2T–2nd
1981 North Dakota State 10–37–01stL NCAA Division II Championship6
1982 North Dakota State 12–17–01stL NCAA Division II Semifinal2
1983 North Dakota State 12–18–1T–1stW NCAA Division II Championship5
1984 North Dakota State 11–28–1T–1stL NCAA Division II Championship1
Earle Solomonson (North Central Conference) (1985–1986)
1985 North Dakota State 11–2–17–1–11stW NCAA Division II Championship7
1986 North Dakota State 13–09–01stW NCAA Division II Championship1
Rocky Hager (North Central Conference) (1987–1996)
1987 North Dakota State 6–46–3T–2nd
1988 North Dakota State 14–09–01stW NCAA Division II Championship1
1989 North Dakota State 8–3–16–2–1T–2ndL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal17
1990 North Dakota State 14–09–01stW NCAA Division II Championship1
1991 North Dakota State 7–37–11stL NCAA Division II First Round7
1992 North Dakota State 10–28–11stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal2
1993 North Dakota State 7–36–3T–3rdT–20
1994 North Dakota State 9–37–2T–1stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal12
1995 North Dakota State 10–37–2T–2ndL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal13
1996 North Dakota State 6–45–45th
Bob Babich (North Central Conference) (1997–2002)
1997 North Dakota State 9–37–2T–2ndL NCAA Division II First Round16
1998 North Dakota State 7–46–34th
1999 North Dakota State 9–27–23rd13
2000 North Dakota State 12–28–12ndL NCAA Division II Semifinal3
2001 North Dakota State 7–35–33rd22
2002 North Dakota State 2–81–79th
Craig Bohl (North Central Conference) (2003)
2003 North Dakota State 8–35–2T–2nd2310
Craig Bohl (Great West Conference) (2004–2007)
2004 North Dakota State 8–32–33rdIneligible2323
2005 North Dakota State 7–43–23rdIneligible
2006 North Dakota State 10–14–01stIneligible55
2007 North Dakota State 10–13–12ndIneligible99
Craig Bohl (Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2008–2013)
2008 North Dakota State 6–54–4T–4th
2009 North Dakota State 3–82–67th
2010 North Dakota State 9–54–4T–3rdL NCAA Division I FCS Quarterfinal99
2011 North Dakota State 14–17–1T–1stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2012 North Dakota State 14–17–11stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2013 North Dakota State 15–08–01stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
Chris Klieman (Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2014–2018)
2014 North Dakota State 15–17–1T–1stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2015 North Dakota State 13–27–1T–1stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2016 North Dakota State 12–27–1T–1stL NCAA Division I FCS Semifinal33
2017 North Dakota State 14–17–11stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2018 North Dakota State 15–08–01stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
Matt Entz (Missouri Valley Football Conference) (2019–present)
2019 North Dakota State 16–08–01stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2020 North Dakota State 7–35–24thL NCAA Division I FCS Quarterfinal67
2021 North Dakota State 14–17–11stW NCAA Division I FCS Championship11
2022 North Dakota State 12–37–12ndL NCAA Division I FCS Championship22
2023 North Dakota State 11–45-34thL NCAA Division I FCS Semifinal
Total:785–382–34
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Postseason facts

Years in Postseason: 36
DII Post-Season Record: 35-13 (.729)
DI Post-Season Record: 44-4 (.917)
OVERALL PLAYOFF RECORD: 79-17 (.823)

Championships

National Championships: 17 (1965, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 2011–2015, 2017–2019, 2021)
National Runner-Up: 4 (1967, 1981, 1984, 2022)
National 3rd Place: 6 (1970, 1976, 1977, 1982, 2000, 2016)

  • 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.

References

  1. "Throwback Thursday: The first Bison football team | INFORUM". www.inforum.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015.
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