North Dakota

Who should the Mountain West add? Ranking North Dakota State, UTEP and more candidates

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2024

Who should the Mountain West add? Ranking North Dakota State, UTEP and more candidates

With its four most prominent football programs leaving for a reconstituted Pac-12 Conference, the Mountain West has reached an existential crisis. In fact, it’s unknown whether its holdovers will stay or bolt.

Should the Mountain West want to remain intact, it will need to target replacements for Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State. But which additions make the most sense? Do any current FBS programs fit geographically? Can the Mountain West persuade prominent FCS programs to also take a leap upward?

Remaining Mountain West members

As speculation swirls about other departures, here’s a look at the top candidates for the Mountain West should it stay together as a conference.

North Dakota State has won nine FCS championships since 2011 and boasts a 129-17 record over the past 10 seasons. The Bison regularly traveled to FBS power conference teams over the past decade-plus and won games, including against defending Big 12 champion Kansas State and Big Ten runner-up Iowa. North Dakota State’s yearly attendance averages have been between 15,000 and 20,000 per game, and Fargo has hosted ESPN’s “College GameDay” twice. Inviting the Bison instantly would provide the Mountain West with credibility, stability and a College Football Playoff contender.

A longtime rival of the Bison, the Jackrabbits have won two consecutive FCS championships and are 103-31 over the past 10 seasons. Among FCS programs, South Dakota State ranked sixth last year in average regular-season attendance at 18,208, numbers of which were compiled by Hero Sports. There’s a passionate following for the Jackrabbits, and SDSU would provide other Mountain West schools with a travel partner for NDSU outside of football. Like the Bison, the Jackrabbits have hosted “College GameDay” and instantly would compete for conference titles.

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There’s no use separating these two because it would be a both or neither situation. These two are among the most successful in FCS, with one national title game appearance each in the past three years (Montana last season, Montana State in 2021). The Grizzlies and Bobcats ranked second and third, respectively, in FCS attendance in 2023, with Montana averaging 26,269 and Montana State at 21,610. Both have won more than 70 games over the past decade, and “College GameDay” appeared at their picturesque Brawl of the Wild rivalry game in Bozeman in 2022. Few programs fit better geographically in the Mountain West than these two.

UTEP is best known for its 1966 NCAA men’s basketball championship in which it fielded an all-Black lineup against all-White Kentucky, but its lack of football prowess kept it away from its traditional foes. Of the 10 members of the Western Athletic Conference before it expanded in 1996 (and then imploded two years later), UTEP was the only one to never go on to compete in the Mountain West. With its proximity to New Mexico and its ties to the Mountain West holdovers, UTEP would provide some instant name recognition.

New Mexico State has played its in-state rival New Mexico every year since 1907, except for during COVID-19 and two World Wars. It has almost the same rivalry history with UTEP, which is located only 45 miles from Las Cruces, N.M. Combined, New Mexico State has played 212 games against those programs, but it hasn’t competed in the same conference with New Mexico since 1951. It rejoined UTEP in Conference USA last year after a 61-year nonconference rivalry. If New Mexico would allow it, bringing in the Aggies would make sense geographically.

Along with Montana, Idaho once was among 10 members of the Pacific Coast Conference, which was disbanded in 1959 and later reborn as the Pac-8. Idaho then became a vagabond and bounced from conference affiliation to independent status in the FBS until opting to move down to the FCS in 2017. It never could secure a Mountain West invitation once the WAC capsized in 2012. Should the Mountain West invite both Montana schools, Idaho would be a nice addition, too. Oh, and the Vandals play in one of college football’s great structures in the Kibbie Dome.

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Perhaps a surprise for this list, Sacramento State boasts an enrollment exceeding 22,000 undergraduate students. The Hornets averaged 13,348 in football attendance last year, beat Stanford by a touchdown and generated $11.46 million in fiscal 2022-23. While there’s not much football history, Sacramento State has a 58-48 record over the past 10 seasons and qualified for the FCS playoffs in each of the past three seasons. Two years ago, the Hornets were 12-0 before losing 66-63 in a playoff shootout to Incarnate Word. Located only 120 miles from San Jose State, Sacramento State would make for a nice travel partner outside of football.

3 others to consider

North Dakota and South Dakota boast quality football programs, but from attendance to on-field success, they’re not quite at the level of their in-state rivals. Northern Arizona is located in Flagstaff and has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. It’s a good area for the Mountain West to claim, but it ranked 50th in FCS attendance in 2023.

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(Top photos: Andrew Wevers and Steven Branscombe / Getty Images)

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North Dakota

2026 NFL Draft Profile: North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance

Published

10 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Press Room

The Denver Broncos made their big splash this offseason trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to bolster their offense. The position is now five deep at the position with Waddle, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Pat Bryant.

The receiving corps has a lot of talent, but also a lot of questions. Sutton isn’t getting any younger and has a significant cap hit in 2027. Additionally, it’s the last year of Mims’ rookie contract. In my opinion, the Broncos don’t have a long-term replacement in the mix for Sutton at the X position, which could be an area they seek to address in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Broncos utilizing their second-round selection on a wide receiver is very unlikely. However, a player I believe they will carry a relatively high grade on his North Dakota State standout Bryce Lance. Lance broke out in 2024 during the Bison’s last FCS title with 75 receptions for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns catching passes from Cam Miller. This past year, he had 51 receptions, 1,070 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns with projected Day 2 pick Cole Payton throwing him the ball.

He checks a lot of the boxes Head Coach Sean Payton covets at the position. Not only that, but I also believe he has the ability to be an explosive X receiver at the next level. Let’s do a deep dive regarding his strengths and weaknesses, and why and when the Broncos should consider selection him in this year’s draft.

Player Profile: Bryce Lance — Wide Receiver — North Dakota State

Height: 6’3” | Weight: 204 pounds | Arm Length: 32-1/8” | Hand Size: 9-1/4” | Age: 23 Years Old

40-Yard Dash: 4.34 seconds | 10-Yard Split: 1.49 seconds | 3-Cone Drill: 7 seconds

Vertical: 41.5” | Broad Jump: 11’1” | 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.15 seconds

Statistics: 57 games played, 26 starts, 127 receptions with 2,157 receiving yards. 25 receiving touchdowns, as well as 121 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Film Room & Highlights

Hart’s Scouting Report

Positives:

Good size and frame to handle being an X receiver on the outside in the NFL
Elite athlete who has top-tier speed and vertical playmaking ability
One of the most productive wide receivers in college football the past two seasons with a penchant for touchdowns and big-time plays that move the chains
Incredible ball tracker down the field with a knack for coming down with highlight reel catches in the endzone, much like Sutton
Amongst the best in this class most with respect to efficiency on outs, posts, corners, screens, and nine routes
Top-notch hops and strong hands who routinely comes down with contested catches
Ample special teams experience serving primarily in that fashion for the Bison in 2022 and 2023 after his redshirt season

Negatives:

Despite tremendous downfield speed, he doesn’t sport much short area quickness
Will likely need to add some strength and weight to handle the rigors of the next level
Route refining and release at the line of scrimmage will need some work to take on NFL caliber talent
Doesn’t have a lot of drops, but would like to see better catching technique, too often body catching instead of extending out and plucking from the air

Hart’s Projection: Top 75 Selection — Late Second Round, Early Third Round Value

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North Dakota boasts most wildlife refuges in the US

Published

22 hours ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

North Dakota boasts most wildlife refuges in the US

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Did you know that North Dakota has 63 wildlife refuges? That is more than any other state! These refuges are places where the land and water are protected to preserve the homes of animals dependent on the land.

North Dakota’s refuges are home to many animals, including moose, badgers, coyotes and more than 250 kinds of birds.

You can visit many of North Dakota’s wildlife refuges, including Audubon National Wildlife Refuge in McLean County, Lake Zahl National Wildlife Refuge in Williams County and Slade National Wildlife Refuge in Burleigh County.

Activities can range from fishing and hunting to enjoying hiking trails and photography.

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North Dakota

Wisconsin basketball wing announces transfer portal destination

Published

1 day ago

April 16, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin basketball wing announces transfer portal destination

Former Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball wing Jack Robison announced he’d be transferring to North Dakota State University.

The Bison landed the 6-foot-6 forward who still has two years of eligibility remaining.

The 2026 Summit League Champions finished the 2025-26 season 27-8 overall as they suffered a 92-67 defeat in the NCAA Tournament to No. 3 Michigan State.

With only two seniors on their roster a year ago, NDSU is looking to pick up right where they left off. Robison didn’t have a ton of playing time in his two-year career with the Badgers, but his 30 appearances helped him get his feet wet.

Robison averaged 1.8 minutes per game in 2025-26, which was up from the 1.2 he averaged as a freshman. Not only were his minutes up, but he appeared in four more games as he was beginning to catch Greg Gard’s attention.

The Badgers have a ton of turnover heading into 2026-27, but Robison was the first to announce where he’d be heading. Wisconsin still awaits John Blackwell’s decision to see if he’s staying in the Big Ten or not, but Badgers fans at least know where they can follow Robison’s career for potentially his final two collegiate seasons.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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