Why isn’t North Dakota State in FBS? According to a recent interview by Bison AD Matt Larsen, it’s a phone call from the right conference commissioner. 

“They have not called (NDSU president) Dr. Cook or me,” Larsen told Hot Mic with Dom Izzo, in reference to the Mountain West Conference.

“I would say in terms of our position, I think both myself and President Cook, we want to play at the highest level,” Larsen said. “And right now, the highest level is FBS football. And so, I think the things that we’ve done over the course of the last decade have positioned us to be able to do that. And if there’s an opportunity, I think it’s something we would absolutely explore. If there’s not an opportunity, we’re poised to continue competing at FCS at a really, really high level and compete for championships. So, I would say in terms of our position, it hasn’t changed at all. And our interest of at least exploring that is as strong as it’s ever been.”

The fact that North Dakota State hasn’t already joined an FBS conference may lead some to assume that the Bison have explored the issue and decided that being the big fish in the small pond of FCS is best for its brand. Winning nine national championships over 11 seasons brought the school an identity — GameDay has been to campus twice — that winning a Group of 5 conference and playing in some mid-week, pre-New Year’s bowl game would not, the reasoning goes.

However, that logic is contradicted by the fact that seemingly every school in NDSU’s position runs the same numbers and decides to join FBS. Over the last 30 years, 16 different universities have won an FCS national championship. Eight have since joined FBS. 

And there’s little doubt North Dakota State would compete immediately at the FBS level. The Bison ranked 65th in Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings, which would have put them 16th among the Group of 5 and fourth in the Mountain West. 

“The issue for us right now is that it’s a two-year waiting period, and there’s significant political headwinds about expanding the membership of FBS. Not adding FCS. More about, ‘Hey, how many schools do we have in the FBS, and do we need more?’ And so our concern was even if we committed to an FCS now that would be a great match and contribute, in two years if the rules change and they couldn’t be a member anymore, our options were available to us to stay FBS and that’s where we wanted to stay today,” MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez told Nevada Sports Net last March. 

The Mountain West will compete this fall with nine schools: Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP, and football-only member Northern Illinois. 

If the Mountain West wanted North Dakota State, NDSU would be in the Mountain West. But that could change with a phone call.