North Dakota State's history of upsets: Revisiting the Bison's biggest wins vs. FBS opponents

To call North Dakota State's football program a powerhouse may be an understatement.

The Bison are one of the most decorated programs in college football, with their nine NCAA Division I FCS titles coming in an 11-season span between 2011 and 2021. Within that span were two separate winning streaks of 33 and 39 games.

Simply put, NDSU is not your typical FCS football program. As a result of the Bison's past successes against Division I FBS teams, they have come close to earning a spot in the AP Football Poll's top 25, ranking as high as No. 27 during the 2016 season after an upset of Iowa.

North Dakota State's 2016 win over the Hawkeyes is one of several wins the program has earned over Division I FBS programs. This history again comes to light as the Bison open the season against the Deion Sanders-led Colorado Buffaloes.

Here is a look back at NDSU's history of upset victories over FBS teams.

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North Dakota State's history of Division I upsets

The program's first win over an FBS opponent came in 2006 when it earned a 29-24 victory over Ball State. NDSU earned two wins over FBS opponents during the 2007 season, defeating Central Michigan by 30 points and Minnesota by six points.

The Bison's 2010 win over Kansas was the first of a six-year streak with a win over FBS programs. NDSU's most recent win over an FBS program was its biggest upset, as it defeated No. 13-ranked Iowa, 23-21.

In 2022, the Bison came excruciatingly close to another upset, as Arizona earned a three-point win after scoring a game-winning touchdown with under five minutes remaining in the game.

The full list of FCS upsets of FBS programs can be found here .