Sports
CFP Expansion Talks Could Boost North Dakota State's Playoff Hopes
North Dakota State, which transitioned to the FBS level for the long term, could benefit from recent developments regarding the future of the College Football Playoff. On Tuesday, the CFP committee announced it would begin a 30-day negotiation window with ESPN to discuss expanding the playoff field from 12 to 24 teams starting in 2027, according to ESPN's Heather Dinich.
The CFP's official statement clarified that the move does not guarantee expansion but represents an effort to gather more information. "The CFP has decided to move forward in its evaluation of potential Playoff expansion to 24 teams by beginning a media rights discussion with ESPN," the statement read. "This does not represent a decision or commitment to expand, but rather an opportunity to engage with ESPN and gather additional information to help determine a path forward. The CFP will provide additional updates when appropriate."
North Dakota State is one of several Group of Six programs closely monitoring the situation, as an expanded playoff could potentially open more spots for non-Power Four teams. However, this outcome is not guaranteed and will likely depend on the preferences of Power Four conferences, particularly the Big Ten and SEC.
For NDSU, postseason success is a well-established tradition. At the FCS level, the Bison won 10 national championships over 15 years and made 16 consecutive playoff appearances from 2010 to 2016.
This season, NDSU has started 2-0, defeating Jacksonville State 33-7 and shutting out Fordham 38-0. The Bison will face a tougher challenge Saturday when they travel to Air Force for their Mountain West Conference opener.
Despite the strong start, NDSU faces a difficult path to a potential CFP berth this year due to a relatively weak strength of schedule. Dinich currently identifies Boise State and Memphis, not NDSU, as the leading bubble teams among Group of Six programs. Boise State strengthened its case with a near-upset of then-No. 2 Oregon, falling 34-27 on Sept. 5, while Memphis opened its season with an upset win over UNLV. The two teams are set to face off on Saturday in Boise, Idaho.
Other Group of Six teams still in playoff contention include UNLV, Navy, New Mexico and James Madison. While Dinich has Boise State occupying a CFP spot, ESPN's Mark Schlabach projects NDSU as a No. 12 seed matched against No. 5 seed Oregon in Eugene on Dec. 19. Meanwhile, ESPN's Kyle Bonagura predicts the Bison will return to Honolulu for the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24, facing San Diego State.
NDSU's playoff chances may also hinge on how its opponents perform against common foes. The Bison's schedule includes teams that also play USC, Oklahoma, Michigan and Memphis this season. USC opened its season with a blowout win over San Jose State, a team NDSU will face in its regular-season finale. Michigan, which dropped out of the top 25 after a narrow win over Western Michigan on Sept. 5, will play UTEP on Sept. 19 — a team NDSU hosts on Oct. 31. Oklahoma, which dominated UTEP to open its season, faces New Mexico on Sept. 19; a strong performance by NDSU against New Mexico on Oct. 24 could work in the Bison's favor if the Lobos put up a fight against the Sooners.
Additionally, NDSU fans may be rooting for Memphis to defeat Boise State this weekend, as that result could help the Bison's playoff positioning. A decisive NDSU win over UNLV on Oct. 10, combined with a Memphis victory over Boise State, would significantly boost the Bison's chances of playoff consideration.