as recently as 2004 N Dakota St was division two
their resume since moving to Fcs is impressive - this is not a bad loss for a FBS team. They have beaten seven FBS teams, and hosted ESPN GameDay
from wikipedia
The
Bison football team, which since 1993 played their home games at the
Fargodome, was a dominant force in Division II. They have won 13 NCAA National titles. Eight were at the Division II level (1965, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1990) before moving up to Division I-AA (now FCS) in 2004 where they have won five national championships (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015). NDSU is the only team at any level of NCAA football to have won five straight national championships. The program was the winningest in the history of the NCAA Division II North Central Conference, with 17 outright championships and 27 total league football titles. The program has also been quite successful since moving up to the D1 FCS classification. In 2006 the Bison posted a 10–1 record that included a win over FBS
Ball State. During a 2006 game against FBS Minnesota, NDSU led for much of the game, but a last-second field goal attempt was blocked by Minnesota, resulting in a 10–9 loss. The following season, the Bison won their first Great West Football Conference championship and achieved the number 1 ranking in major FCS polls for a majority of the season. During this season the
2007 Bison football team defeated FBS members
Central Michigan University and the
University of Minnesota. In 2010 the Bison defeated the FBS Kansas Jayhawks, 6–3, for their first win over a Big 12 program. The Bison won the 2011 FCS national championship, defeating Sam Houston State University, 17-6. The 2011 title was their ninth overall. The Bison returned to the FCS championship game in 2012 and soundly defeated Sam Houston State University in a rematch of the 2011 title game, 39–13. Expectations were high entering the 2013 season. The season commenced with a game against the
Kansas State Wildcats, the reigning Big 12 Champions. The Bison took a quick lead, but let a 7-7 halftime score get away from them; trailing 21-7 in the third quarter. The Bison finished the game with an 18-play 80-yard drive that used 8 1/2 minutes, leaving 28 seconds on the clock for the Wildcats, trailing by 3. NDSU Linebacker Grant Olson intercepted the first pass attempt by the Wildcats, sealing their 7th win over FBS teams since their move to FCS.
ESPN College GameDay broadcast an episode from Fargo. The Bison finished the season 15–0 with a victory over the
Towson Tigers, 35–7. Despite a cast of new coaches, the 2014 Bison finished the season with a 15–1 record, including another win over Big 12 Iowa State and won their fourth consecutive national championship. ESPN College GameDay was broadcast from Fargo for the 2nd consecutive year.
