ESPN reports NDSU has agreed to join the Mountain West Conference

(FARGO) – ESPN’s Pete Thamel is reporting that North Dakota State University has agreed to join the Mountain West Conference as a football member in 2026. According to Thamel, the school will pay nearly $12 million to join the MWC and pay the NCAA $5 million to move from the FCS to the FBS level.

NDSU has recently made a statement on X (Twitter):

“North Dakota State University is regularly involved in conversations about the future of collegiate athletics, including conference affiliation. We are aware of media reports and will have no further comments. Our focus remains on supporting our students, faculty and staff, and honoring our academic and research commitments as a student‑focused, land‑grant, research university, and communicating directly with our community when there is definitive information to share.”

With NDSU joining in 2026 with the Mountain West Conference, they will need a brand new schedule. The Bison could face the 10 teams in the league which include, Northern Illinois, Hawai’i, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, San Jose State, UNLV and UTEP.

This is a developing story.