FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State University today announced a 12-game football schedule for the 2026 season, the school's first year competing at the Football Bowl Subdivision level.
 
North Dakota State will play eight Mountain West Conference games, three non-conference games against FBS opponents, and one Football Championship Subdivision opponent.
 
NDSU opens the season with back-to-back home games Aug. 29 against Conference USA member Jacksonville State in a rematch of the 2015 FCS championship, and Sept. 5 against Fordham from the Patriot League.
 
The Bison will play their first Mountain West game Sept. 12 at Air Force. Other conference road games are Oct. 10 at UNLV, Oct. 24 at New Mexico, Nov. 14 at Hawaii.
 
The first Mountain West opponent coming to Fargo will be Wyoming for the annual homecoming game Oct. 3. Additional home games are Oct. 17 against Nevada, Oct. 31 against UTEP, and Nov. 21 against Northern Illinois.
 
NDSU will play a non-conference game Sept. 19 at new Mid-American Conference member Sacramento State to begin a home-and-home agreement between the schools. The Hornets will play in Fargo on Sept. 11, 2027.
 
North Dakota State closes out the regular season Nov. 28 with a non-conference game at San Jose State, the one Mountain West team not included on NDSU's schedule due to the conference's 10-team, eight-game schedule format.
 
Season ticket renewals and deposits for new season tickets may be made online at GoBison.com/tickets. Deposits made by April 30 will be eligible to participate in the seat selection process this May. Any remaining season tickets will go on sale June 15.
 
NDSU single-game tickets go on sale August 1.