FARGO — The bombshell
media report on North Dakota State being in “serious dialogue”
about joining the Mountain West Conference for football only hit Friday night. The university on Saturday morning responded with a statement that it is aware of the news.
The school also did not deny the report, issuing a statement on its X social media account as well as an email from the sports information department.
“North Dakota State is regularly involved in conversations about the future of college athletics including conference affiliation,” the statement read. “We are aware of the media reports and will have no further comment.
“Our focus remains on supporting our students, faculty and staff, and honoring our commitments as a student-focused, land-grant research university, and communicating directly with our community when there is definitive information to share.”
The Forum on Friday night confirmed the accuracy of a story first reported by Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports that the Mountain West is in discussions with NDSU about joining a league that currently has nine football members. It could be as soon as this upcoming season.
Other national outlets, citing unnamed sources, also confirmed the report.
According to Dellenger, Mountain West presidents recently agreed to extend an invite to NDSU, but the entrance fee to join the league has been a subject of negotiation over the last few days. NDSU would also owe $5 million in a separate NCAA entry fee. That’s up from $5,000 three years ago when college football leaders decided to hike the fee as a potential hurdle for schools to join FBS, whose membership has swelled to 136 schools.
A statement with athletics on its X account, formerly called Twitter, is a rare move for the university. On Friday, athletic director Matt Larsen and head coach Tim Polasek had no comment on the report.
Jeff Kolpack, the son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he’s covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995. He has covered all 10 of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written four books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough,” “Covid Kids” and “They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel.” He is also the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” April through August.