THIS WEEK: The No. 5-ranked North Dakota State football team (3-1, 2-1 MVFC) returns home after back-to-back road games to host No. 22-ranked Illinois State (0-2, 0-2 MVFC) on Saturday, March 13, in the annual Trees Bowl game presented by the North Dakota Forest Service. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.
 
TELEVISION: NBC North Dakota will have statewide television coverage with Brian Shawn (play-by-play), Lee Timmerman (analyst) and Ryan Gellner (sideline). Pregame coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. with Beth Hoole, Devin Fry and Kyle Emanuel. ESPN+ will carry the game beginning at 2:30 p.m. ESPN+ is available by subscription on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
 
RADIO: Coverage begins at 2 p.m. on the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network including 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Jeff Culhane (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and Cole Jirik (sideline). Extended coverage locally on Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM includes "Bison Tailgate" from 10:30-11:30, "Bison Game Day" from 11:30-1:30 and the "Bison Hotline" call-in show following the network broadcast.
 
ONLINE: NDSU All Access offers free audio streaming of all NDSU football games as well as live video of Bison home games to subscribers on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. Links to live streams and live in-game stats are available at GoBison.com/coverage. Follow along with in-game updates on Twitter @NDSUfootball.
 
TICKETS ON SALE: Seating for this week's game is limited to 50 percent capacity up to 9,500 spectators. Single-game tickets are on sale at GoBison.com/tickets and the Bison Ticket Office in the south lobby of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex through Friday. Game day ticket sales, if available, will begin at noon in the east lobby of the Fargodome.
 
PARKING AND STADIUM ENTRANCE: On game day, parking lots will open at noon and stadium doors open at 12:30 p.m. Tailgating will not be allowed while stadium capacity is less than 100 percent. Parking will be $5 per spot and there will be no recreational vehicles, buses or trailers allowed in the parking lots. Those with game tickets in Sections 1-6 or Sections 24-34 should park on the east side of the Fargodome in lots B or C and enter through the north and east entrances. Those with game tickets in Sections 7-23 should park on the west side of the Fargodome in lots E, F or G and enter through the south and west entrances.
 
MASKS REQUIRED: Masks will be required upon entering the Fargodome and must be worn throughout the duration of the game. For those that do not have a mask, one will be provided. Failure to follow the directions of event personnel or failure to wear a mask (when not eating or drinking) could result in ticket revocation and the loss of ticket privileges in the future.
 
NEW DIGITAL PROGRAMS: A new digital game day program will be available to fans free of charge through GoBison.com and the NDSU Athletics mobile app available for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play. A free roster card presented by Gate City Bank will be available for pickup on the concourse.
 
THE SERIES: This is the 14th meeting between North Dakota State and Illinois State dating back to 2007. NDSU has won nine straight and leads the series 11-2 including a 9-3 home win in the 2019 national quarterfinals and a 37-3 road win in the 2019 conference opener. The Bison have held Illinois State without a touchdown for nine quarters dating back to Oct. 20, 2018. The Redbirds' only win in seven previous trips to Fargo was in NDSU's 2009 homecoming game, 27-24.
 
TREES BOWL: This is the 30th Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service. NDSU is 26-3 in the Trees Bowl and has won 11 straight including last year's 22-0 victory over Missouri State. The event dates back to 1990 with one cancellation in 2001. Illinois State is making its second appearance as the Trees Bowl opponent. NDSU beat the Redbirds 54-28 in the 2007 game.
 
PRO DAY FRIDAY: North Dakota State's annual football pro day will be held Friday, March 12, from approximately 10 a.m. until noon inside the Fargodome. The event is closed to the public, but live television coverage and reports will be available on NFL Network and ESPN throughout the morning. NDSU has three former players scheduled to participate: cornerback Marquise Bridges, offensive lineman Dillon Radunz and quarterback Trey Lance.
 
BISON SHUT OUT BEARS AGAIN: North Dakota State bounced back from its first loss with a 25-0 win at Missouri State last Saturday. NDSU held the Bears to 62 yards in the second half and extended its scoreless streak to nine quarters against Missouri State dating back to 2018. Defensive end Spencer Waege had three of NDSU's seven sacks, Jalen Bussey rused 10 times for a game-high 98 yards including a 53-yard touchdown, and quarterback Zeb Noland was 10 of 15 passing for 135 yards including an 81-yard TD strike to Braylon Henderson in the closing seconds of the first half.
 
BISON IN THE POLLS: North Dakota State is No. 5 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 this week after dropping from first to sixth following the loss to Southern Illinois. Ranked No. 1 since the 2017 postseason final poll, NDSU had been ranked fifth or higher in the FCS Top 25 since Nov. 9, 2015, three weeks after South Dakota upset the Bison 24-21 in Fargo. NDSU dropped from second to eighth with that loss to USD and spent the following weeks ranked eighth, seventh and sixth before returning to a No. 2 ranking after three straight wins over Indiana State, Southern Illinois and Western Illinois. NDSU has not been outside the FCS Top 10 since opening the 2011 season ranked No. 11 for two weeks against Lafayette and St. Francis. The Bison climbed into the top five for the remainder of NDSU's first FCS national championship season in 2011 after beating Minnesota 37-24.
 
WEGNER NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior punter Garret Wegner was named Stats Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 52.2 yards on five punts with a career-long 67-yarder and two inside the 20 in the win at Missouri State. Wegner also had punts of 54 and 59 yards and helped limit the Bears to 10 return yards. Wegner also ran a fake punt 23 yards for a first down to set up NDSU's first score of the game. He also earned the weekly MVFC special teams award. Wegner ranks second in FCS this week averaging 45.7 yards per punt.
 
REINHOLZ MVFC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior kicker Jake Reinholz was named MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring seven points in the win over Youngstown State. His two-point conversion run put NDSU ahead 8-0 late in the first quarter, and his second career field goal (from 28 yards) gave the Bison an 11-0 lead before halftime. Reinholz added a pair of extra-point kicks and averaged 62.8 yards on five kickoffs with two touchbacks. It was his first player of the week honor.
 
FIRST SUNDAY GAME: NDSU's conference opener with Youngstown State was the first Sunday game in NDSU football history dating back to 1894. The game was held on Sunday due to a scheduling conflict at the Fargodome, which hosted the North Dakota high school wrestling state championships Thursday through Saturday. A crowd of 6,578 was on hand to see the Bison and Penguins, less than the 50 percent capacity limit of 9,500 set for the game.
 
BISON FAVORED TO WIN: North Dakota State was picked to win its 10th straight Missouri Valley Football Conference title in a preseason poll of the league's head coaches. One point separated Northern Iowa and South Dakota State for second and third place, respectively. Illinois State was fourth and Southern Illinois fifth followed by South Dakota, North Dakota and Youngstown State with Missouri State and Western Illinois tying for the ninth and final spot.
 
EIGHT ON PRESEASON MVFC TEAM: NDSU has a league-best eight first-team picks on the preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference team including fullback Hunter Luepke, wide receiver Christian Watson, offensive lineman Cordell Volson, long snapper Ross Kennelly, defensive lineman Spencer Waege, linebacker Jackson Hankey, cornerback Josh Hayes and safety Michael Tutsie. Tight end Josh Babicz earned honorable mention.
 
FOUR PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: North Dakota State offensive lineman Cordell Volson and safety Michael Tutsie were named to the HERO Sports spring preseason All-America team. Volson and wide receiver Christian Watson were named to the Athlon Sports spring preseason All-America team. Prior to the fall season, Volson and linebacker Jackson Hankey were named to the Stats Perform FCS preseason All-America second team and Tutsie was third team.
 
16-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: North Dakota State has won 16 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 and 2019.
 
NINE STRAIGHT TITLES: North Dakota State in 2019 won its ninth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and fifth outright crown including 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018. North Dakota State has won 36 football conference championships including 26 in the North Central Conference (last in 1994) and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
            Most Consecutive Conference Titles in Division I Football
            14 - Oklahoma (Big 8, 1946-59)
            12 - Montana (Big Sky, 1998-09)
            10 - BYU (WAC, 1976-85)
            9 - Florida State (ACC, 1992-00)
            9 - North Dakota State (MVFC, 2011-19)
 
UNDEFEATED FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACHES: North Dakota State's Matt Entz last year became the first Division I head football coach to win all 16 games in his first season at the helm. Entz's streak extended to 18 straight wins including the first two games of the 2020-21 season. Among other notable winning streaks for first-time head coaches, Walter Camp won his first 28 games at Yale in 1888 and 1889, Larry Coker won his first 24 games at Miami (Fla.) in 2001 and 2002.
 
THIRD LONGEST WINNING STREAK: North Dakota State's 39-game winning streak that ended in February is the third longest in Division I history and the longest in FCS history surpassing the record 33-game Bison winning streak from 2012-14. NDSU went 1,210 calendar days between losses and beat 22 nationally ranked opponents during the 39-game streak. The Bison outscored opponents by an average of 26 points and trailed in only 14 of those 39 contests (6 percent of the minutes played).
            Longest Division I Football Winning Streaks
            47—Oklahoma, 1953-57
            40—Washington, 1908-14
            39—North Dakota State, 2017-20
            37—Yale, 1890-93
            37—Yale, 1887-89
            35—Toledo, 1969-71
            34—Miami (Fla.), 2000-03
            34—Penn, 1894-96
            33—North Dakota State, 2012-14
 
HOME STREAK AT 30 GAMES: North Dakota State is on a school-record 30-game home winning streak, which is tied for fifth longest in FCS history behind Georgia Southern (39, 38), Eastern Kentucky (34), Middle Tennessee State (31) and Montana (30). It is the longest active home winning streak in Division I and a new Missouri Valley Football Conference record, topping NDSU's 26-game home winning streak from 2012-15. The Bison had a 36-game home unbeaten streak 1964-71 including a 1970 season-opening tie with Eastern Michigan. NDSU has won 69 of the last 71 home games over non-conference opponents with its last home loss coming in the 2016 semifinals to James Madison. NDSU is 27-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams.
 
COORDINATORS NAMED TO 35 UNDER 35: North Dakota State offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl and defensive coordinator David Braun were selected to the 2020 class of the American Football Coaches Association's 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute, a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession. Selected participants are invited to attend the one-day institute that features a curriculum of interactive lectures focused on topics specifically tailored to emphasize leadership in the coaching profession, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression, and family balance.
 
WEGNER ON WATCH LIST: North Dakota State's Garret Wegner is one of 22 punters on the preseason watch list for the 2020 FCS Punter of the Year Award. Created in 2019, the award honors the nation's top collegiate punter in the Football Championship Subdivision. Wegner, a senior from Lodi, Wis., averaged 40.5 yards on 53 punts last season and had nine punts of 50-plus yards. He ranked second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 22 fair catches. Wegner was a third team FCS All-America selection by Stats Perform and The Associated Press as a sophomore in 2018.
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS: NDSU has a 9-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and has won six in a row against FBS foes since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21), Iowa State (34-14) and 11th-ranked Iowa (23-21). NDSU has two future FBS games against Arizona in 2022 and Colorado in 2024. NDSU's first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).