THIS WEEK: North Dakota State University football returns to the Twin Cities this week when the Bison (0-0) face Eastern Washington (0-0) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, in the first collegiate football game ever played at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, Super Bowl 52 and the 2019 NCAA Men's Final Four.
 
TELEVISION: The statewide ABC network of WDAY (Fargo), WDAZ (Grand Forks), KBMY (Bismarck/Dickinson) and KMCY (Minot/Williston) will have live coverage beginning at 2:20 p.m. with Dom Izzo (play-by-play), Kyle Emanuel (analyst) and Logan Campbell (sideline). The broadcast will be available to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
 
RADIO: Statewide network coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. on the Pioneer Seeds Bison Radio Network including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and James Hendricks (sideline). The network broadcast includes 1-hour pregame and 30-minute postgame shows. Streaming is available on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
 
TICKETS: Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com.
 
PREGAME TAILGATE PARTY: Fans are invited to a pregame tailgate party Saturday at the Longhouse on the Downtown East Plaza including drinks, food, music and more! Doors open at 9:30 a.m. The Longhouse is located just outside of U.S. Bank Stadium on the Downtown East Plaza (425 Park Avenue South). No ticket purchase is required for this pregame event.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY: U.S. Bank Stadium's Clear Bag Policy is in effect for this event. Only bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12" will be permitted into the stadium. Small clutch bags that are 4.5" x 6.5" with or without a handle or strap may be carried into the stadium along with one of the clear bag options.
 
THE SERIES: This is the sixth meeting between North Dakota State and Eastern Washington. NDSU has won the last four straight to take a 4-1 lead in the series. Three of the previous meetings happened in the NCAA FCS playoffs, including a 38-24 win by the Bison for the 2018 national championship. The Eagles' only win was a 38-31 overtime decision in the quarterfinals of the 2010 playoffs in Cheney. The teams last met in the first round of the 2021 spring playoffs with NDSU winning 42-20 at the Fargodome.
 
PRO STADIUMS: NDSU's last football game in Minneapolis was the 2019 season opener against Butler, which drew 34,544 fans to Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins. NDSU twice played in the Metrodome, former home of the Minnesota Gophers and Minnesota Vikings. The Bison lost to the Gophers 10-9 in 2006 before a crowd of 62,845 and beat the Gophers 27-21 in 2007 before a crowd of 63,088. NDSU has another pro stadium scheduled in 2025 when the Bison play Tennessee State in Nashville at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans.
 
HOME SWEET HOME: After this week's game in Minneapolis, North Dakota State will be home for its next three games hosting Maine and Central Arkansas before a bye week and the homecoming game against South Dakota in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener. NDSU will not play a true road game until Oct. 7 at Missouri State, which will be the latest date for a first road game since 1961 when the Bison lost 7-6 at Morningside on Oct. 7.

SEASON OPENERS: This is the 127th season-opening game for the Bison. North Dakota State is 89-31-6 in season openers including last year's 56-14 home win over Drake. The Bison have won seven straight since a 38-35 loss at Montana in 2015.
 
CAPTAINS NAMED: North Dakota State's six captains for the 2023 football season are WR Zach Mathis, QB Cam Miller, CB Jayden Price, LB Luke Weerts, DT Eli Mostaert and OG Jake Kubas. All are first-time team captains with the Bison.
 
NEXT WIN IS NO. 50: Fifth-year NDSU head coach Matt Entz has a 49-7 record and is seventh on the all-time wins list at North Dakota State. He is one of eight different head coaches to win a national title at North Dakota State.
        NDSU Coaching Wins
        104 - Craig Bohl, 2003-2013 (104-32)
        91 - Rocky Hager, 1987-1996 (91-25-1)
        69 - Chris Klieman, 2014-2018 (69-6)
        61 - Ron Erhardt, 1966-1972 (61-7-1)
        57 - Don Morton, 1979-1984 (57-15)
        57 - C.C. Finnegan, 1928-1940 (57-49-11)
 
SUNDELL ON SENIOR BOWL LIST: North Dakota State left tackle Jalen Sundell was named to the preseason watch list for the Reese's Senior Bowl, widely regarded as the top college football all-star game. Sundell the past three seasons has been NDSU's starting center, a position he hadn't played prior to the 2020-21 season. The Bison have had 12 players selected, including left tackle Cody Mauch last year.
 
WATCH LISTS: NDSU has three players on watch lists for national player of the year awards. Running back TaMerik Williams is on the preseason list for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the FCS offensive player of the year. Defensive tackle Eli Mostaert is on the preseason list for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS defensive player of the year. Punter Kaedin Steindorf is on the list for FCS Punter of the Year.
 
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: NDSU defensive tackle Eli Mostaert, long snapper Hunter Brozio, offensive lineman Jalen Sundell and running back TaMerik Williams were named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team. Mostaert was also named to the HERO Sports All-FCS preseason team, and Mostaert and Sundell made Phil Steele's FCS Preseason All-America Team.
 
BISON PICKED NO. 2: North Dakota State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference behind defending national champion South Dakota State. NDSU took 14 spots on the MVFC preseason team, including four first-team picks in FB Hunter Brozio, OL Jalen Sundell, DL Eli Mostaert and RS Jayden Price. Second team picks were RB TaMerik Williams, TE Joe Stoffel, OL Jake Kubas and Brandon Westberg, DL Will Mostaert, LB Cole Wisniewski, CB Jayden Price and K Griffin Crosa. WR Zach Mathis and LB Nick Kubitz were honorable mention.
 
CROSA CONNECTS: Bison kicker Griffin Crosa has made 89 consecutive PATs dating back to 2019. He is seventh all-time at NDSU in PATs made and attempted (133-for-134) and his career PAT percentage of 99.3 is second in school history behind Jake Reinholz, who was 87-for-87 from 2018 to 2021. Crosa is eighth all-time at NDSU with 23 field goals made and ranks first with an 82.1 career field goal percentage (23-for-28).
 
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: North Dakota State is 76-4 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011. One loss was to a Pac-12 opponent (31-28 at Arizona in 2021) 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 38-35 home win in the 2015 FCS Kickoff is NDSU's only other non-conference loss the past 12 years.
 
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 184-28 record in the Fargodome, 33-6 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 79 of the last 81 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 34-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs since 2010 with the only loss coming to eventual national champion James Madison in the 2016 semifinals. NDSU's 32-game home winning streak September 2017 through April 2021 was fourth longest in FCS history.