NDSU moving to Mountain West (Football only)

[Texasgrip]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/47870245/sources-north-dakota-state-joins-mountain-west-football

[Bogus Smith]

The good news is that they will either use all their NIL money in football and sacrifice the other sports - keeping them in the Summit - or they will move all sports to the MWC in very short order. With a total athletic budget of $30 million (2024), which is $17 million below the current lowest MWC school at $47 million, they will need to invest heavily in athletics from boosters and other benefactors to make the heavy lift to full FBS status. 

[Old Titan]

This has been in the works for years; wouldn't surprise me at all if their other sports follow suit once the two-year entry probation is complete. 

May eventually explain why Bison basketball has taken extended West Coast road trips the past few seasons, perhaps getting acclimated to the travel, venues, style of play, etc. 

The Dakota schools used to do that kind of anticipatory reconnaissance in Horizon/Missouri Valley/Mid-America country, but their focus now seems to be trending west...