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North Dakota State is an FCS powerhouse, having won 10 national championships over the past 14 seasons. The Pac-Insert number here desperately needs members and is doing everything in its power to avoid Sacramento State. A team too good for its current level and a conference needing to make a splash, seems like an ideal match.
But is it really? It is easy to be swept away in the romanticism of another far-flung outpost adding to the geographical diversification that college football offers fans. That being said, there is a case to be made against NDSU moving up to FBS.
If North Dakota State wanted to join the Pac-12 as a football-only member, I’m fairly certain they’d be accepted no matter how much Greg Sankey vaguely threatens fools. If for no other reason than the conference has to do something, and the Bison are far more appealing than, say, Sam Houston State or Texas State from an on-field standpoint.
North Dakota State has a good thing going now. I also think they are more than capable of moving up to FBS successfully, at least in terms of on-field performance. I don’t think the program’s economic model, which is built entirely around being a national championship contender, plays for an FBS team flirting with .500.
With little ability to increase attendance or ticket prices and, additionally, TV revenue needed to offset increased costs, the margin for error here is razor thin. The Big Ten and SEC could pull the rug out from everyone and go play by themselves at any second?
The FCS may not be perfect, but NDSU knows what they are getting into. That same cannot be said for a move to FBS.
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