The 2021 North Dakota State Bison football team represented the

North Dakota State University North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as t ...

in the

2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season The 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season, part of college football in the United States, was organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level. After the prio ...

. The Bison competed as members of the

Missouri Valley Football Conference The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), formerly the Gateway Football Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivis ...

and were led by third-year head coach

Matt Entz Matthew John Entz (born October 9, 1972) is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at North Dakota State University. Entz took over from the departing Chris Klieman after Klieman led the 2018 North Dakota State Bison football ...

. They played their home games at

Fargodome Fargodome is an indoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. Opened in late 1992, the facility is owned by the City of Fargo and built on unive ...

Fargo, North Dakota Fargo ( /ˈfɑɹɡoʊ/) is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, North Dakota, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 125,990, making it the most populous city in the state and the 219th-most populous city in ...

. The Bison finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (7–1 in conference), losing only to

South Dakota State South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...

. They were seeded second in the FCS postseason tournament and received a first-round bye; they then defeated

Southern Illinois Southern Illinois, also known as Little Egypt, is the southern third of Illinois, principally along and south of Interstate 64. Although part of a Midwestern United States, Midwestern state, this region is aligned in culture more with that of th ...

East Tennessee State East Tennessee State University (ETSU) is a Public university, public research university in Johnson City, Tennessee. Although it is part of the State University and Community College System of Tennessee, the university is governed by an instit ...

, and

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

to reach the championship game. The Bison completed their season by defeating

Montana State Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fiel ...

on January 8 in

Frisco, Texas Frisco is a city in Collin and Denton counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and about from both Dallas Love Field and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Its population was 200,509 at the 2 ...

, to capture the program's ninth FCS title in 11 seasons.

Schedule

Game summaries

Regular season

Albany

Valparaiso

Towson

North Dakota

Northern Iowa

Illinois State

Missouri State

Indiana State

South Dakota State

Youngstown State

South Dakota

NCAA Division I Playoffs

Southern Illinois (second round)

East Tennessee State (quarterfinal)

James Madison (semifinal)

Montana State (National Championship)

Roster

References

{{2021 NCAA Division I FCS playoff navbox

North Dakota State North Dakota State University (NDSU, formally North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences) is a public land-grant research university in Fargo, North Dakota. It was founded as North Dakota Agricultural College in 1890 as t ...

North Dakota State Bison football seasons NCAA Division I Football Champions Missouri Valley Football Conference champion seasons 2021 NCAA Division I FCS playoff participants

North Dakota State Bison football The North Dakota State Bison football program represents North Dakota State University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level and competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison play in t ...