{"id":295564,"date":"2025-09-10T09:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/?p=295564"},"modified":"2025-09-10T11:10:15","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T16:10:15","slug":"bison-make-home-debut-vs-southeast-missouri-saturday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/?p=295564","title":{"rendered":"Bison Make Home Debut vs. Southeast Missouri Saturday"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fargo – No. 1-ranked North Dakota State plays its home opener this week when the Bison (2-0) host the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (1-1), reigning champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, in the annual Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service. Game time is 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
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TICKETS:<\/strong>\u00a0Tickets may be purchased online at\u00a0GoBison.com\/tickets<\/a>\u00a0or by calling the Bison Ticket Office in the south lobby of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex at (701) 231-6378 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Game day ticket sales, if available, begin at 9:30 a.m. in the east lobby of the Fargodome.
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CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION:<\/strong>\u00a0The first 3,000 fans to Saturday’s game may receive a replica national championship ring commemorating the 2024 season, which was the NDSU football program’s 18th national title and the 10th FCS title in 14 years. The national championship banner will be raised over the south end zone prior to the game at approximately 2:20 p.m.
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WHITEOUT:\u00a0<\/strong>Fans in all seating sections are encouraged to wear white to Saturday’s game. North Dakota State, in partnership with its new official team outfitter Under Armour, will wear a new custom white uniform with metallic gold numerals and accents. The ‘Gold Standard’ jersey will be paired with new white pants and the green ‘Harvest Helmet’ that debuted in 2015.
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TELEVISION:<\/strong>\u00a0Saturday’s game will be televised on ABC stations statewide in North Dakota with\u00a0Dom Izzo<\/strong>\u00a0(play-by-play),\u00a0Kyle Emanuel<\/strong>\u00a0(analyst) and\u00a0Sam Goetzinger<\/strong>\u00a0(sideline) handling the call. The broadcast will also be available to ESPN+ subscribers on\u00a0ESPN.com<\/a>\u00a0and the ESPN app.
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RADIO:<\/strong>\u00a0Statewide network coverage on all 25 stations across the\u00a0Pioneer Seeds Bison Sports Network<\/a>\u00a0begins at 1:30 p.m. including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with\u00a0Sam Neidermann<\/strong>\u00a0(play-by-play) and\u00a0Phil Hansen<\/strong>\u00a0(analyst) describing the action. Streaming is available on GoBison.com\/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
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WEEKLY SHOWS:<\/strong>\u00a0Fans are invited to join NDSU head coach\u00a0Tim Polasek<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0each Thursday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the\u00a0Bison Football Coaches Show<\/em>\u00a0live from Holiday Inn Fargo with host\u00a0Sam Neidermann<\/strong>\u00a0and other NDSU coaches and players. The show can be heard on Bison 1660 in Fargo, KSJB-AM 600 in Jamestown, KYCR-AM 1440 in Minneapolis, GoBison.com and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. On television,\u00a0The Bison Football Show<\/em>\u00a0airs statewide each Sunday night at 10:35 p.m. on WDAY (Fargo), WDAZ (Grand Forks), KBMY (Bismarck) and KMCY (Minot).
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THE SERIES:<\/strong>\u00a0This is the first meeting between North Dakota State and Southeast Missouri State. NDSU is 4-0 against Ohio Valley Conference competition after last week’s 59-3 win at Tennessee State. SEMO has played at least one Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent annually since 1991, except for 2006. The Redhawks are 16-41 against the MVFC.
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TREES BOWL<\/a>:<\/strong>\u00a0North Dakota State has a 31-3 record in the annual Trees Bowl game, which was established in 1990. The Bison have won 16 straight including a 52-3 win over Tennessee State in last year’s home opener.
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HOME OPENERS:<\/strong>\u00a0North Dakota State has a 100-22-5 record all-time in the first home game of the season, including a 52-3 win over Tennessee State in the 2024 Trees Bowl game. NDSU has won 26 straight home openers since a 23-21 loss to Emporia State in 1998.
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LAST WEEK:<\/strong>\u00a0NDSU picked up its second road win of the season last week with a 59-3 rout of Tennessee State at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.\u00a0Barika Kpeenu<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0rushed for three first-half touchdowns and\u00a0Donovan Woolen<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0had a 34-yard pick-six to help propel the Bison to a 45-0 halftime lead. It was the most first-half points for the Bison since scoring 49 against Robert Morris in 2017.
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TICKET DEADLINE:<\/strong>\u00a0This is the final week to reserve tickets for the Bison Athletic Hall of Fame banquet scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26. Tickets are available online at\u00a0GoBison.com\/tickets<\/a>. Among the eight inductees are wide receiver\/return specialist\u00a0Allen Burrell<\/strong>\u00a0(2002-2005) and safety\u00a0Craig Dahl<\/strong>\u00a0(2003-2006). Burrell, an honorable mention All-North Central Conference receiver in 2003, also starred in track and field as an eight-time conference champion and four-time All-America sprinter. Dahl was a three-time all-conference safety and went on to a nine-year NFL career with the Giants, Rams and 49ers, winning a Super Bowl with the Giants his rookie year.
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CONNECTIONS:<\/strong>\u00a0Even though NDSU and SEMO are first-time opponents on the football field, there are some connections between the two programs. NDSU director of athletic performance\u00a0Ryan Napoli<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0spent six seasons with the Redhawks as the football strength and conditioning coach in 2017 and 2018 and worked one year at Northern Illinois in 2019 before returning to SEMO as the director of sports performance from 2020 through 2023. First-year NDSU director of football equipment\u00a0Brett Reynolds<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0is a graduate of SEMO and spent four seasons on the football equipment staff as an undergraduate and graduate student from 2021 to 2024. NDSU quarterback\u00a0Preston Brown<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>, a true freshman from Hillsboro High School in Missouri, is the younger brother of sophomore running back\u00a0Payton Brown<\/strong>, SEMO’s leading rusher through two games with 26 carries for 119 yards.
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#PROBISON:<\/strong>\u00a0Week 1 of the NFL season opened with eight former NDSU players on active rosters, two on injured reserve, and five on practice squads.\u00a0Active players\u00a0are 7th year LB\u00a0Chris Board<\/strong>\u00a0(Giants), 5th year QB\u00a0Trey Lance<\/strong>\u00a0(Chargers), 3rd year FB\u00a0Hunter Luepke<\/strong>\u00a0(Cowboys), 3rd year OG\u00a0Cody Mauch<\/strong>\u00a0(Buccaneers), 5th year OT\u00a0Dillon Radunz<\/strong>\u00a0(Saints), 2nd year C\u00a0Jalen Sundell<\/strong>\u00a0(Seahawks), 10th-year QB\u00a0Carson Wentz<\/strong>\u00a0(Vikings) and 1st year OG\u00a0Grey Zabel<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0(Seahawks).\u00a0Injured reserve players\u00a0are 4th year OG\u00a0Cordell Volson<\/strong>\u00a0(Bengals) and 4th year WR\u00a0Christian Watson<\/strong>\u00a0(Packers).\u00a0Practice squad players\u00a0are 6th year QB\u00a0Easton Stick<\/strong>\u00a0(Falcons), 2nd year OG\u00a0Jake Kubas<\/strong>\u00a0(Giants), 1st year CB\u00a0Jayden Price<\/strong>\u00a0(Saints), 1st year QB\u00a0Cam Miller<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0(Raiders) and 1st year OT\u00a0Mason Miller<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0(Lions). Additionally, three other former Bison in the NFL include 3rd year CB\u00a0Josh Hayes<\/strong>\u00a0(Buccaneers\/Kansas State), 1st year safety\u00a0Marques Sigle<\/strong>\u00a0(49ers\/Kansas State) and 1st year CB\u00a0Dom Jones<\/strong>\u00a0(Browns\/Colorado State).
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COACHES TOO:<\/strong>\u00a0Not only does North Dakota State have 18 former players with NFL clubs, six other former players and three former coaches are now NFL coaches.\u00a0Gus Bradley<\/strong>\u00a0is assistant head coach of defense for the 49ers in his 20th NFL season,\u00a0Todd Wash<\/strong>\u00a0is defensive line coach for the Panthers in his 19th NFL season,\u00a0Bobby Babich<\/strong>\u00a0is defensive coordinator for the Bills in his 14th NFL season,\u00a0Ben Ellefson<\/strong>\u00a0is in his 3rd season as an offensive assistant for the Vikings,\u00a0Scott Fuchs<\/strong>\u00a0is in his 2nd NFL season as Titans assistant offensive line coach, and\u00a0Tyler Roehl<\/strong>\u00a0is in his 1st NFL season as Lions tight ends coach. Additionally, former Bison offensive line coach\u00a0Conor Riley<\/strong>\u00a0is in his 1st year as Cowboys offensive line coach, former defensive ends coach\u00a0Jamar Cain<\/strong>\u00a0is the defensive line coach in his 3rd season with the Broncos, and former quality control assistant\u00a0Connor Senger<\/strong>\u00a0is a pass game specialist in his 4th NFL season with the Cardinals.
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BISON PICKED FIRST:<\/strong>\u00a0Reining national champion North Dakota State was picked first in a preseason poll of Missouri Valley Football Conference media, coaches and communications directors. NDSU received 39 of 42 first-place votes. South Dakota State was picked second and South Dakota was third.
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WATCH LISTS:<\/strong>\u00a0North Dakota State has three players under consideration for national player of the year awards. Wide receiver\u00a0Bryce Lance<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0is on the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS offensive player of the year. Defensive end\u00a0Toby Anene<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0and linebacker\u00a0Logan Kopp<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0are on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS defensive player of the year. Other preseason All-Americans from NDSU are center\u00a0Trent Fraley<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>\u00a0and kick returner\u00a0Jackson Williams<\/a><\/dfn><\/strong>.
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18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:<\/strong>\u00a0North Dakota State has won 18 football national championships. NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969 via the national polls, five Division II playoff titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and was the first team in college football history to win five straight national titles with FCS crowns in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 before winning again in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024. The Bison lost to the eventual national champion in the 2010 and 2020 quarterfinals and 2016 semifinals.
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NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS:<\/strong>\u00a0North Dakota State is 89-6 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011. Two losses were to FBS opponents (31-28 at Arizona in 2021 and 31-26 at Colorado in 2024) and two were in the playoffs to the eventual national champion (27-17 to James Madison in 2016 and 24-20 at Sam Houston State in 2020-21). Montana’s 31-29 double-overtime win in the 2023 FCS semifinals and 38-35 victory in the 2015 FCS Kickoff are NDSU’s only other non-conference losses the past 13 years.
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BISON AT HOME:<\/strong>\u00a0The Bison have a 199-29 all-time record in the Fargodome since 1993, including 35-5 against FCS Top 10 ranked teams and 76-1 against FCS non-conference teams with 32 straight wins over non-MVFC teams since 2017. North Dakota State has a 38-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs and has won 20 straight home playoff games since the 2016 semifinal loss to eventual national champion James Madison. NDSU’s 32-game home winning streak September 2017 through April 2021 was fourth longest in FCS history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fargo – No. 1-ranked North Dakota State plays its home opener this week when the Bison (2-0) host the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (1-1), reigning champions of the Ohio Valley Conference, in the annual Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service. Game time is 2:30 p.m. Saturday, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":295565,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-295564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=295564"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295566,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/295564\/revisions\/295566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/295565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=295564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=295564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/csinewsnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=295564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}