Chris Kleiman: “I know the [FBS] move was right for [NDSU].”

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – A major NCAA vote next week could clear the way for North Dakota State to become bowl eligible immediately as it begins life at the FBS level.

The NCAA Division I Council is scheduled to meet June 23-24, where members are expected to discuss a proposal that would eliminate the postseason waiting period for programs transitioning from the FCS to the FBS. If approved, schools like North Dakota State and Sacramento State would be eligible to compete in bowl games right away.

The proposal has already received support from the NCAA Football Oversight Committee, a group that includes former NDSU and current Kansas State Athletic Director Gene Taylor.

“As a football oversight committee, we supported it and now it’s got to go to the cabinet,” Taylor said. “We’ve got two representatives from the Big 12. I’m going to make sure I text and remind them that they need to support this.”

Taylor believes the current landscape of college athletics makes immediate postseason eligibility a logical move.

“With the new $5 million amount that they had to pay, they’re in a conference, and I’m going to say North Dakota State can win six games,” Taylor said. “They should be able to play in a bowl game. It just makes so much sense. So I don’t think there’s going to be any push back.”

The possibility of bowl eligibility in year one is an exciting prospect for a program preparing to leave behind a championship-filled era at the FCS level.

Former Bison head coach Chris Kleiman knows that success as well as anyone. During his five seasons at North Dakota State, Kleiman led the Bison to four FCS national championships and five Missouri Valley Football Conference titles before departing for Kansas State in 2019.

Before retiring as head coach in December of 2025, Kleiman guided Kansas State to five bowl appearances and believes NDSU fans will quickly embrace postseason football in the FBS ranks.

“It’s going to be different,” Kleiman said. “You get a chance to go to a couple of different places, and the Bison will be bowl eligible for sure. And if Gene does his job, they’ll be bowl eligible this first year.”

While Kleiman says nothing compares to winning a national championship, he believes competing for conference titles and College Football Playoff opportunities presents an exciting new challenge.

“There’s nothing like winning a national championship,” Kleiman said. “But now you’re competing for conference championships, and they still have CFP aspirations and all that stuff. I know the move was right for them to make that step, and I think it’ll energize the fan base too.”

Former Minnesota Vikings linebacker and Iowa Hawkeyes standout Chad Greenway also expects the Bison to thrive regardless of the level of competition.

“It’s amazing how much I get reminded of the Bison beat the Hawkeyes a few years back,” Greenway said. “But understanding how the Bison have built their team and built their program over the years, they’re recruiting the right kids and they develop kids.”

Greenway believes the formula that made NDSU a national powerhouse at the FCS level will translate to the FBS stage.

“You can play on the moon. You can play at any level, major conference, and I think they’re going to do well personally,” Greenway said. “The fan base is incredible. They’re going to support these guys wherever they go. Now it’s just a new challenge, and I think the way they play and the type of kids they recruit is going to be good wherever they go.”

The discussion comes after Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported in May that the NCAA Football Oversight Committee had advanced the proposal to eliminate the two-year postseason probation period for transitioning programs.

North Dakota State officially joined the Mountain West Conference earlier this year after decades of success in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. If the Division I Council approves the measure next week, the Bison could be eligible for a bowl game during their first FBS season in 2026.