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North Dakota State Football to Pay Hefty Price to Make Jump to FBS, Mountain West

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North Dakota State Football to Pay Hefty Price to Make Jump to FBS, Mountain West


North Dakota State, the most successful football program at the FCS level, will move up to the FBS, joining the Mountain West Conference ahead of the 2026 season. In totality, the move will cost the university $17 million, with a Mountain West entrance fee of $12 million in addition to the $5 million that it now costs for programs to move up in the NCAA, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Yahoo’s Ross Dellenger previously reported on talks between the two sides, stating that the eight-figure entrance fee was a major negotiation point.

The Bison have been a force at every level in which they’ve competed on the gridiron. The program won eight national championships at the Division II level from 1965 to 1990. NDSU jumped to Division I and the FCS football level in 2004, claiming its first national title at that level in 2011. It was the first of five consecutive FCS national titles for the Bison, who would add to the trophy case in ‘17, ‘18, ‘19, ‘21 and ‘24.

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Alongside rivals like North Dakota, South Dakota, South Dakota State and this year’s upstart Illinois State, North Dakota State helped make the Missouri Valley Conference one of the most competitive in college football. Now, they’ll look to take a leap as member of the Mountain West, a league looking to establish an identity after losing many of its most impressive members to the rebuilding Pac-12 conference. Adding a dynastic program like the Bison, who have proven they can compete with FBS programs numerous times over the last few years, is a solid step forward.

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The move is expected to be a football-only jump for North Dakota State, with the rest of the Bison programs expected to remain in the Summit League.

How the Mountain West Conference football membership looks with addition of North Dakota State

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NDSU will become the 10th football-playing member of the Mountain West, joining eight existing programs and Northern Illinois, which has a similar arrangement after leaving the MAC and parking the rest of its sports in the Horizon League. With many of the Mountain West’s existing members leaving for the Pac-12, here is what the league looked like in 2025, and what league membership will be in ‘26.

(Teams in italics are leaving for the Pac-12, teams in bold are new additions for 2026, * indicates football-only members.)

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2025

2026

Air Force

Air Force

Boise State

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Hawai’i

Colorado State

Nevada

Fresno State

New Mexico

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Hawai’i

North Dakota State*

Nevada

Northern Illinois*

New Mexico

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San José State

San Diego State

UNLV

San José State

UTEP

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UNLV

Wyoming

Utah State

Wyoming

UTEP is the only school joining as a full-time member from a different FBS league, leaving Conference USA—its home since 2005—to join the Mountain West.

What Pac-12 membership will look like in 2026 after poaching from the Mountain West

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The Pac-12 was hollowed out by the last major round of conference realignment. The Big Ten was the initial aggressor, grabbing UCLA and USC and later Oregon and Washington. The Big 12 added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah in the wake of those moves, while Cal and Stanford made the geographically confounding jump to the ACC.

Oregon State and Washington State, sitting on a pile of exit fee money from their former conferencemates, reformed the Pac-12, with the league to be reborn as a Group of 6 conference in 2026. Most of the new members come from the MWC, but the Pac-12 also added fast-growing Texas State from the Sun Belt and brings in basketball power Gonzaga as a non-football-playing member.

(Teams in bold are new additions for 2026, * indicates basketball-only member.)

2026 Pac-12 membership

Boise State

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Colorado State

Fresno State

Gonzaga*

Oregon State

San Diego State

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Texas State

Utah State

Washington State

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Other affiliate Pac-12 members for non-revenue sports as of 2026 include Arkansas-Little Rock, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield and Northern Illinois (men’s wrestling), Dallas Baptist (baseball) and Southern Utah (women’s gymnastics).


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South Dakota

SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 6, 2026

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 6 drawing

08-19-26-38-42, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 6 drawing

04-10-29-48-50, Bonus: 03

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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South Dakota

South Dakota: GFP Commission modifies bounty program – focuses on youth trapping and coyote removal

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South Dakota: GFP Commission modifies bounty program – focuses on youth trapping and coyote removal


The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) Commission passed a resolution to end the current Nest Predator Bounty Program at their March meeting in Pierre and create two separate programs within the existing budget and time period.The Nest Predator Bounty Program began in 2019 with the implementation of the Second Century Initiative. This reinvigorated trapping as an outdoor recreational opportunity and a means to get youth engaged and spend more time outdoors.

Data collected from the program shows that the level of youth participation over the past 4 years has exceeded 30%. In 2024 and 2025, youth participation reached 46%.”The Nest Predator Bounty Program has been incredibly successful at engaging youth in wildlife management and our tradition of trapping in South Dakota,” said Kevin Robling, GFP Secretary.

In total, 342,743 nest predators were removed since the program’s inception.”Intense nest predator removal in localized areas during the nesting season can contribute to higher nest success and we encourage individuals to continue to participate in this management activity,” continued Robling. “In 2026, we are going to focus on continuing to get youth outdoors and addressing our coyote population.”



As part of this focus, the current Nest Predator Bounty Program is ending. The allocated $500,000 for this program will be split into two separate programs: the Youth Trapping Recruitment Program and the Coyote Bounty Program.

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Youth Trapping Recruitment Program 



The Youth Trapping Recruitment Program will be open for South Dakota youth age 17 and under. Tails from raccoon, striped skunk, badger, opossum, and red fox will be worth $10.The program will run from March 1-July 1, unless the $200,000 limit is reached first.”Youth recruitment and retention in trapping and wildlife management is a key component of this program,” said Robling. “We are thrilled with the amount of youth participation we have seen, so we want to continue this momentum.”

Coyote Bounty Program

The Coyote Bounty Program will be open for all South Dakota residents. Tails from coyotes will be worth $30.The program will run from April 1-July 1, unless the $300,000 limit is reached first.”Controlling the coyote population is critical for both our agricultural industry and wildlife populations,” stated Robling. “The newly created Coyote Bounty Program will assist in the management of these predators to help protect newborn calves and lambs for agricultural producers and enhance fawn survival for deer and antelope.”

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Tail Submission Opportunities 

Individuals wishing to participate in either of these programs may submit tails to their local GFP office during designated tail turn in opportunities. Households are eligible to submit up to $590 worth of tails in each program.

–South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks





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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 5, 2026

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 5 drawing

17-20-23-30-33, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

  • Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
  • Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
  • Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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