The wide open Summit men's tournament and can the Bison women break through?
Release Date: 03/08/2024
A dance with the Jacks awaits for a trip to Frisco
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
It's an even numbered year, which means North Dakota State and South Dakota State must play in the playoffs. It's happened in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022 and now this year. You can set your watch to it. NDSU has hosted all but one of those games, which was the national championship game in Frisco. The Jackrabbits have accomplished nearly everything in FCS football, except beating the Bison in Fargo in the postseason. SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski can break the FCS all-time wins record with a victory Saturday, taking the spot of former Bison great Easton Stick. Gronowski tied Stick's record...
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Matching up with Mercer and a quiet start to the portal opening
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
The FCS quarterfinals kick off tonight and continue tomorrow in Fargo as North Dakota State hosts Southern Conference champion Mercer for a berth in the semifinals. The Bears (11-2) advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time after beating Rhode Island 17-10 last week in the second round. They are led defensively by a team that has racked up 23 interceptions, including two separate players with seven picks. They racked up individual postseason awards for their success; Mike Jacobs in his first season was named SoCon coach of the year, running back Dwayne McGee was named...
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A newsy week filled with signings, a departure and a football game
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
The first week of December was a busy one for North Dakota State football. It began with the news that Cole Wisniewski was going to enter the transfer portal after rehabbing a foot injury all season long. The former All-American safety has not played a down this season for the Bison. It continued with National Signing Day as NDSU added 32 high school players for its Class of 2025, highlighted by a pair of players that will enroll early and be in Fargo in January. Standout redshirt freshman running back Marty Brown brought home the Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the top freshman in FCS,...
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A clash with the Coyotes for a Valley title and a top seed
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
North Dakota State returns to Vermillion, South Dakota Saturday with a chance to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference title outright and likely clinch a top playoff seed. The Bison will face fourth ranked South Dakota, the Coyotes are having another great season, coming in with an 8-2 record and 6-1 in the league. USD's two losses came to Wisconsin and South Dakota State, the latter in overtime. USD has never won the Valley in it's decade-plus tenure in the conference, the Coyotes would grab a share of the championship if they're able to beat the Bison and put themselves into the...
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The seniors say so long as the Bison go for a Valley title
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
North Dakota State returns to the field after its bye week Saturday as they will host surprising Missouri State. The Bears enter on an eight-game winning streak after losing their first two games of the season. MSU is in its final season of FCS football after announcing this spring they are moving up to FBS and Conference USA in 2025. Ryan Beard is in his second year as head coach of the Bears, who has turned the reigns over to former Minnesota transfer Jacob Clark. Clark enters with 25 touchdown passes and over 3,000 passing yards. The Bison offense has been electric this...
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The plight of the Panthers and a potential All-American return
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
North Dakota State and Northern Iowa will play in a football game inside the Fargodome for the first time in three years Saturday afternoon. The Panthers last trip to Fargo coincided with the last time UNI made the FCS Playoffs, 2021. The Panthers posted a 6-5 regular season record and lost in the first round to Eastern Washington. Since that game in Cheney, Washington, the Panthers have posted a 14-16 record, including six straight losses in 2024 after a 2-0 start. Inconsistent quarterback play and poor defense has plagued UNI in that stretch as they come to Fargo this weekend....
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Racing to Kentucky for a matchup with Murray State
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
It was an emotional win for North Dakota State last week against South Dakota State and it came at a cost. The Bison lost two more defensive starters to injury in that game, linebacker Oscar Benson and safety Sam Jung. Benson will be back at sometime this year, while Jung's career is over with a torn pectoral muscle. NDSU will press on, playing it's ninth consecutive game this Saturday as they travel to Kentucky to face Murray State, the newest member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Racers are led by first-year head coach Jody Wright, a former South Carolina...
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Dakota Marker Goes Primetime and all about turnovers
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
North Dakota State and South Dakota State will meet for the Dakota Marker for the 21st time Saturday night at the Fargodome. This will mark the first night regular season game in Fargo since the 2016 season opener, when NDSU beat Charleston Southern in overtime. SDSU comes into this game with a 5-1 record, having won five straight after a season opening loss to Oklahoma State, that snapped a 29-game win streak. The Jackrabbits haven't lost a game to an FCS team since December of 2021, in the FCS semifinals at Montana State. They are trying to win in Fargo for a third straight time,...
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The Salukis try to save their season hosting the Bison
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
North Dakota State hits the second half of the 2024 season this Saturday as the Bison will head to Southern Illinois to take on a struggling Salukis team. SIU, which has made the playoffs three of the last four seasons, has had a run of injuries that's tough to fathom. Nick Hill will start a true freshman at quarterback this weekend in Jake Curry after his top three quarterbacks all suffered season ending injuries. Curry was inserted into the game last week against Illinois State, throwing two interceptions in the 45-10 loss to the Redbirds. SIU has lost three straight games,...
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North Dakota Game Preview and is a trophy game on the horizon?
Kolpack and Izzo Podcast
The eyes of North Dakota will be fixed on the Fargodome Saturday afternoon as North Dakota State will host the University of North Dakota in a large Missouri Valley Football Conference game. The Bison come in ranked second, while the Fighting Hawks come in seventh. This is the second time in the last four years the two teams are ranked in the top ten, UND and NDSU were ranked second and fourth in the spring season of 2021. Each team has high-flying offenses so far in 2024, NDSU has the eighth ranked offense in FCS, with UND coming in at tenth. Both teams are averaging 39 points...
info_outlineThe road to the NCAA Basketball Tournament once again runs through Sioux Falls.
For the first time in a handful of years, the Summit League men's tournament is wide open. After back to back years where a team was unbeaten in the regular season, South Dakota State won the league this year losing four times.
North Dakota State enters with its lowest seed in six years, the Bison are seeded fifth after losing their final two games of the regular season. NDSU will face St. Thomas Sunday at 6 p.m. The Bison split the season series with the Tommies, including a 64-50 win in Fargo on February 22.
North Dakota comes to Sioux Falls with the highest seed the Fighting Hawks have ever earned as a member of the Summit League. UND finished third and will take on Omaha Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. Paul Sather's team swept the season series from the Mavericks.
The women's side sees SDSU return as the top seed after a second consecutive unbeaten season. Aaron Johnston's team has been beset by injuries, but yet the Jacks finished 16-0 in league play.
Jory Collins team comes to Sioux Falls as the second seed for the second straight year. It was a disappointment last year as the Bison lost in the opening round to seventh-seeded Kansas City in the opening round.
This year's Bison are led by all-Summit first-team member Elle Evans, who was also selected to the defensive team. NDSU has earned the most wins in the Division I era and seems primed for a run to Tuesday's championship.
The Forum's Jeff Kolpack and WDAY's Dom Izzo offer their thoughts on the tournament and what to expect over the next few days.