Ranking every North Dakota State FCS championship team

North Dakota State has won nine FCS championships, the most of any football program in subdivision history. But which team would reign supreme if all the title-winning Bison met on the gridiron?

I ranked every North Dakota State championship-winning football team to find out. 

To try to make the rankings as objective as possible and to avoid biases of recency or the eventual NFL careers of Bison football alumni, I created a point system () to evaluate North Dakota State teams that have won an FCS championship.

Here's a breakdown of how the point system works:

• A maximum of 50 points for overall win percentage and strength of schedule
  • Strength of schedule calculated using
• A maximum of 25 points for success in the Missouri Valley Football Conference
  • An outright MVFC title is worth double the points of a shared conference title
• Playoff seed points are attributed as follows:
  • 1 seed (10 points), 2 seed (8 points), 3 seed (6 points), 4 seed (5 points), 5 seed (4 points), 6 seed (3 points), 7 seed (2 points), 8 seed (1 point)
    • To account for a change in FCS playoff seeding over time, unseeded teams are given one point for scoring purposes from the quarterfinal round and beyond.
• Bonus categories
  • ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 or SEC wins = 10 points
  • AAC, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West and Sun Belt wins = 8 points
  • Walter Payton, Buck Buchanan, Jerry Rice and Eddie Robinson Awards = 5 points each
  • Ranked FCS wins = 5 points

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Here are North Dakota State's nine championship teams, ranked.

1. 2019

Record: 16-0 (8-0 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 1 seed

One can't discuss the best teams in FCS history without 2019 North Dakota State, so it makes sense that this version of the Bison sit atop these rankings. The 2019 Bison led all of the nine championship teams in the point system by over 10 points. They are one of three undefeated FCS Championship teams from North Dakota State and only saw three games decided by less than 10 points en-route to a 16-0 finish, the best record in modern-era Division I football history.

The Bison beat six ranked FCS teams during the 2019 regular season, tied for the most among the teams in the data set. While the 2019 strength of schedule isn't the highest among the championship teams, North Dakota State defeated the highest-possible seed — No. 2 James Madison — in the FCS Championship game that year, something none of the other undefeated Bison teams did.

What sets North Dakota State apart in this ranking of the best teams is the performance of standout quarterback Trey Lance, the Most Outstanding Player of the FCS Championship game. Lance won the 2019 Walter Payton and Jerry Rice Awards, becoming the first player in FCS history to do so. Lance's first year coincided with head coach Matt Entz's first year as both newcomers led the greatest team in North Dakota State history to glory.

MORE: See all of Trey Lance's career stats, highlights and records

2. 2014

Record: 15-1 (7-1 MVFC)
MVFC title: Shared
FCS Playoff seed: No. 2 seed

The 2014 Bison won their fourth-straight championship and sits atop the teams from the five-peat. North Dakota State entered the season on a 24-game win streak and opened with a win over FBS foe Iowa State, making it five straight years that the Bison knocked off an FBS foe. Overall, the Bison began 9-0 (33-game streak) before losing its only game to Northern Iowa. North Dakota State battled through the the most difficult regular season schedule of any of the nine championship teams, defeating five ranked FCS teams in addition to the FBS win, ultimately finishing the regular season with the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Buck Buchanan Award winner Kyle Emmanuel led the Bison defense while future star quarterback Carson Wentz became the starter under center. The new signal-caller helped North Dakota State overcome its playoff struggles in 2014 as three games were decided by one score despite never playing a top-four seed. In the most pivotal moment, Wentz led the Bison on a game-winning drive in the 2014 title game and scored the game-winning five-yard touchdown. To date the drive stands as one of the most memorable drives in North Dakota State history.

MORE: See all of Carson Wentz's career stats, highlights and records

3. 2013

Record: 15-0 (8-0 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 1 seed

2013 was the first year that North Dakota State went undefeated to win the FCS title. The year saw head coach Craig Bohl win his second straight Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and the Bison finished the season on a 24-game win streak. 

However, North Dakota State's strength of schedule for the entirety of the season keeps the 2013 team from rising higher on this list. While the Bison beat FBS opponent Kansas State, they also beat a Division II opponent in Ferris State — the only DII game of any of the Bison championship runs. During the 2013 regular season, North Dakota State only picked up three ranked FCS wins and during the playoffs, North Dakota State's only seeded opponent was No. 7 Towson in the title game, making it by far the easiest run to the championship of any of the Bison titles.

DAKOTA MARKER: Memorable moments, all-time history of NDSU vs. SDSU

4. 2017

Record: 14-1 (7-1 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 2 seed

After a one-year title drought in 2016 (that's shocking to the Bison), North Dakota State bounced back with a title in 2017. North Dakota State's 2017 team's ranking at No. 4 is carried by six ranked wins during the regular season, despite having the worst regular-season strength of schedule of any of the Bison championship teams.

Nonetheless, this version of the Bison played with a chip on their shoulder all season after losing in the FCS semifinals a year prior and it showed during the postseason. North Dakota State dominated its first three playoff opponents — including two seeded teams — before avenging its loss against No. 1 James Madison in the national championship game. 2017 was a season of redemption for the Bison.

🏆: A complete history of North Dakota State championships

5. 2012

Record: 14-1 (7-1 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 1 seed

In 2012, North Dakota State became the first team to repeat as FCS champions in half-a-decade. Bohl won his first coach of the year award, the Bison defeated FBS opponent Colorado State and beat four ranked FCS opponents during the regular season.

However, the 2012 Bison don't rank higher on this list because they only played one seeded team — No. 5 Georgia Southern in the semifinals — during their playoff run. In fact, the 2012 Bison are the only North Dakota State title-winning team to not play a seeded team in the championship game. 

UPSETS: A complete history of every FCS win vs. FBS teams

6. 2018

Record: 15-0 (8-0 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 1 seed

The 2018 North Dakota State team went undefeated, but according to the point system it's not even a top five Bison championship team all-time. However, the 2018 team's ranking isn't for a lack of success as the Bison went undefeated against the seventh-hardest strength of schedule in the FCS and played seeded teams in every possible playoff round during their playoff run. The 2018 championship gave the Bison the most titles in FCS history.

Yet, when nitpicking and looking for the small details to separate talented teams, only three of North Dakota State's 2018 regular season opponents were ranked and they didn't play any FBS opponents. Moreover, Bison quarterback Easton Stick just missed out on the Walter Payton Award, finishing as a finalist despite being a First-Team AP All-American. Those are some key areas where the 2018 Bison missed out on points that could've raised them higher up the list.

FCS HISTORY: Counting down the 9 winningest FCS schools in college football history

7. 2011

Record: 14-1 (7-1 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 2 seed

2011 was the year that kicked off the Bison dynasty. It marked the eighth year that North Dakota State played FCS football and the Bison entered fresh off their first playoff appearance in 2010. 

The 2011 season started fast as the Bison opened the season 3-0 with an FBS win over Minnesota. North Dakota State ultimately finished just one regular-season loss to earn the No. 2 seed, but 2011's strength of schedule only ranked 27th in the FCS that year, the lowest of any Bison championship team.

The Bison bounced back in the point system thanks to knocking off the No. 3 and No. 1 seeds in the FCS semifinals and championship game, respectively — only allowing 13 combined points. North Dakota State's run to its first championship was impressive, but as the saying goes, "things get better with age" and so did the Bison dynasty as the 2011 team settles in at No. 7.

TOP-5: We picked the top-5 players all-time for North Dakota State football

8. 2015

Record: 13-2 (7-1 MVFC)
MVFC title: Shared
FCS Playoff seed: No. 3 seed

The 2015 North Dakota State team finds itself near the bottom of this list, not surprising as the only Bison team with two losses. The two losses and only a share of the MVFC title led the Bison to the lowest seed of any championship-winning team at No. 3, all factors that lower the 2015 team's standing in the point system.

Of course, some supporters of the 2015 ranking higher will say "Carson Wentz got hurt" to convince you that this team went higher. However, the Bison were only 4-2 in games that Wentz started — and the loss against South Dakota counts after the Bison blew a fourth quarter lead. While North Dakota State showed resilency under then back-up quarterback Easton Stick to go 8-0, that's not enough to raise a two-loss championship team up these rankings.

HISTORY: Schools with the most FCS titles | 9 winningest FCS programs all time | Championship history

9. 2021

Record: 14-1 (7-1 MVFC)
MVFC title: Outright
FCS Playoff seed: No. 2 seed

The most recent North Dakota State title team comes in last place on this list. After coming off a pandemic-induced spring 2021 season, the Bison returned to the gridiron just four months later and finished 14-1 to win the title.

CHAMPS: North Dakota State wins the 2021 FCS Championship

Yet, 2021's Bison team played zero FBS opponents and only had the sixth-best strength of schedule while undergoing the sixth-most difficult playoff route among North Dakota State championship teams. While North Dakota State overcoming 24 games in a calendar year to win a title is impressive, it's not enough to carry the 2021 Bison out of the bottom of these all-time rankings.