In case you aren’t as intense of a college football fan as others, you may not be aware of the best kept secret in college football: a little FCS school that calls its home a dome in Fargo, North Dakota. Yes, I am talking about the North Dakota State Bison who have won five straight NCAA Division 1-AA National Championships. The school that produced current Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and the school that should be in highest consideration to be added to the Big 12 Conference (okay, maybe that’s a stretch but I’ll run with it).

Since starting the championship run in 2011, the Bison are now 5 and 0 against FBS teams including Iowa State, Minnesota, Colorado State, Kansas State (poor Bill Snyder) and now Iowa. So what can we learn from this? Number one: if you are an FBS head football coach and see North Dakota State on the schedule you walk into your athletic director’s office and you punch them straight in the face. Number two: as much as I love watching North Dakota State make an FCS Championship run every season, it is about time they make the move up to FBS.

The Bison have had one undefeated season during the last five years and, as mentioned earlier, have yet to lose to an FBS opponent. In order for big time schools to get these “lesser” opponents to come play them, they actually pay them thousands of dollars to come. Yes, North Dakota State gets paid to come kick your team’s ass. In this instance, they were paid $500,000 by the University of Iowa to embarrass their football team on their home field. I would beg my athletic director to just give the damn money to charity rather than blowing it all for an L.

I am sorry North Dakota State, but it is time for you to leave the nest and fly. You are an FBS team and can actually be competitive. Think about this. They have gone on to beat some top level football teams with less scholarships, a smaller campus, and having to recruit people to come spend four years of their lives living in FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA. I do not care how many five star recruits they get, whether their recruiting class is in the top ten in the nation, but their recruiting coordinator deserves the recruiter of the year award every single year. Now, just imagine them as an FBS school, with more scholarships, more money, better facilities, and something besides winning a championship every year to pitch to recruits. They would have a chance in most group of five conferences every year.

Back to Big 12 expansion talks. Take a look at some resumes of the top schools the Big 12 is considering. UConn, Cincinnati, Air Force, USF, and Houston. Other than Houston, which one of those schools has done anything merely impressive in college football over the past five seasons? With ten schools in the Big 12 (wait what?) they would have to take two in order to have even divisions. Now maybe North Dakota State doesn’t have what it takes to jump from the FCS to a power five conference, but within three seasons of moving up to the FBS, they could succeed in the Big 12. Maybe give them some MACtion for a few years and get the juices flowing. I can see them in a College Football Playoff now.

Well North Dakota State, you have had an incredible run in the FCS. Finish off the most impressive title run in NCAA history by winning your sixth championship in a row this season and we will see you playing on Thursday nights in October of 2017 in the MAC. The FargoDome is ready to host Big 12 football and I know the Bison are already eying up their next FBS victim. On you Bison, Fight you Bison.