Why is NDSU so good?

[The_Real_Chief]

Dumbest f***[*] comments I have ever seen. NDSU had 65 football players last year in the MVFC academic honor roll. Incredible really.

In my years of following NDSU football, John Crockett is the only legit Big 10 talent coming out of college to not end up at a Big 10 school due to academics. Even then, he technically didn't get accepted by NDSU. Had to take classes through a junior college to get accepted.

Marcus Williams and John Crocket from the Twin Cities were both guys that couldn't qualify academically to get into Minnesota so ended up at NDSU due to that. Solid NFL players that were key in NDSU's titles. That is common knowledge.

There are 5 main reasons that NDSU is the powerhouse it is and will stay there forever at this level.

1. Geography: There isnt another FCS school or lower FBS school in close states of MN, WI and NE. The better those big programs are the better for NDSU. Not only does NDSU get the best players in both North and South Dakota...look at the populations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Nebraska with Big 10 programs that recruit nationwide and overlook local kids yearly .... kids want to stay closer so family can watch and now NDSU is putting players in NFL and on ESPN....no brainer Bohl saw this and was a genius getting these pipelines started. They are "MN state"in many way and right on the border - 3 hours from the Twin Cities.

2. Money. Do you realize what they pay their staffs at all levels? NDSU pays their coordinators more than numerous head coaches in FCS. Why would Kleiman come be a position coach at NDSU and leave his alma mater of being the dcoordinator at Norhern Iowa? How do they keep many on that staff together after being so successful lately...most assistants move up fast from fcs programs that are successful pretty fast for pay alone. ND board of regents doesn't have to approve all this crap that MT regents do for coaches pay.

3. Facilities and Traditon. Again tied to money but they have maybe the nicest all around facilities for ALL their programs for an FCS school. They have a champions room that is awesome....look at what they have for their locker rooms and hang out rooms for football team. Once their SHAC facility is completed in comings weeks for hoops and weight rooms, etc - Very impressive.
4. Paying players now. You realize they are paying their players right? How many other FCS are doing this? They won't lose players to any lower FBS leagues that usually win in those recruiting battles.

5. They have lower academic requirements than the Big 10 schools. Not to Eastern Washington level, but that will only help like I referenced above.


It's pretty easy to recruit when you are the Yankees of FCS. They are an FBS program playing at the FCS level. They could be the next Boise if they wanted to be but would rather win as many titles at this level as no conference that would make sense would invite them.

That is pretty debatable....they dont even own the stadium their football team plays in.....I would argue that Dahlberg is also just as nice of basketball arena....I realize theres is brand new....and have you heard of this thing called the champions center were building??? I hear its supposed to be nice......

I think your geography and paying coaches statements are 100% accurate. They compete with freaking UND Shithawks and the SD schools for dudes.....we compete with Pac-12 and Mountain West.

Ha well the arrangement NDSU has is essentially ownership. They actually own the land underneath the FargoDome. In exchange, what they pay for rent is ridiculously cheap. They pay nothing in turn for the vast majority of the upkeep needed at the dome nor the staffing. They can essentially use it whenever they wish for practice. It's a far better arrangement than owning it. Same goes for UND with the Ralph.

NDSU's recruiting footprint is smack fan in Big 10 country. The MAC also heavily recruits in that area. It is no different than Montana recruiting in Pac-12/MW country.

NDSU has been a dominant program for over 50 years. 13 national championships between college division/D2/FCS. They have never really reinvented the wheel. They run the ball down your throat and play good defense. Every college program seems like they want to go against the grain of what has been the dominate way to win football games.

Montana has it figured out under Hauk but decided to completely reinvent the wheel. Not saying that Bob Stitt won't get it done, but the style of play by NDSU has proven to be the most successful way to win championships.

This is pretty much spot on, when Bobby was here we played like NDSU. We had a bigger line than everyone we played against and we had elite running backs like Lex and Chase with a good defense. Ever since Bobby left we tried to be Oregon with Robin and now we are trying to be Mike Leach with Stitt. I'd like to see us return to the ground and pound defensive minded style of ball.