North Dakota State Football’s 2026 Mountain West Schedule Revealed
FARGO — North Dakota State University’s first foray into the Mountain West Conference as a football-only member will include a trip to Hawaii, as the conference released its 2026 schedule on Tuesday. The Bison will compete at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level beginning in the fall of 2026.
NDSU will host Nevada, Northern Illinois, Texas-El Paso (UTEP) and Wyoming at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. Road games are scheduled against Air Force, New Mexico, and UNLV, in addition to the contest against the Rainbow Warriors in Honolulu. The Bison will not face San José State in the eight-game conference schedule.
Hawaii Trip and Schedule Considerations
Due to the travel demands of playing in Hawaii, NDSU is likely to open its season in “Week Zero,” the weekend of August 29th. Mountain West teams traveling to Hawaii have the option to play their first game a week earlier to allow for an additional bye week due to the extensive travel. However, a bye week following the Hawaii game is not guaranteed. Of the seven teams that traveled to Hawaii last season, only four had a bye the following week, while Wyoming played its final regular season game there.
John Sullivan, associate commissioner for the Mountain West, stated that the conference considers travel relief when building the schedule but takes a holistic approach for all schools. Sullivan, along with Commissioner Gloria Nevarez and associate commissioner for communications Javan Hedlund, recently visited NDSU and Fargo to discuss the transition.
Familiar Foes and New Opponents
The Bison have previously played only two of their new conference opponents: Wyoming and Northern Illinois. Wyoming defeated NDSU 16-13 in 2008, while NDSU holds a 2-0 record against Northern Illinois, with wins in 1968 (31-13) and 1969 (28-0). NDSU will play UNLV, Nevada, New Mexico, Air Force, and UTEP for the first time as Mountain West opponents.
The Mountain West Conference will determine its championship game participants based on the highest league win percentage. The first FBS home opponent at the Fargodome will mark a historic occasion for NDSU football.
Non-Conference Games
NDSU’s four non-conference games for the 2026 season have not yet been finalized. The Bison are expected to retain one FCS home game, potentially against East Tennessee State or Austin Peay, which were previously on the schedule.
Source: The Mountain West Conference
Source: NDSU’s Move to the Mountain West Conference