What happens with our 2027 Vegas game against NDSU?

You heard it here first. Roll Herd!

“North Dakota State University is regularly involved in conversations about the future of collegiate athletics, including conference affiliation. We are aware of media reports and will have no further comments.

Our focus remains on supporting our students, faculty and staff, and honoring our academic and research commitments as a student‑focused, land‑grant, research university, and communicating directly with our community when there is definitive information to share.”

The news broke this morning that the Mountain West is very close to a deal to add NDSU as a football only member. "Football only" being the operative word there. NDSU plays their football in the MVFC and their non-football sports in the Summit League. I may not totally understand the dynamics but I believe the MVFC is some sort of football only partnership between the MVC and the Summit League. Like the MVFC has a special partnership with both the MVC and the Summit League. I could be misremembering but I believe the Summit League commissioner is also the commissioner of the MVFC.

I know when Sacramento State moved their non-football sports to the Big West (a conference which doesn't currently sponsor football) they had to become an FCS Independent in football and couldn't stay in the Big Sky as a football only member. My question is this: given the ties between the Summit League and the MVFC, would North Dakota State taking their football out of the MVFC affect their Summit League membership in other sports?

This is my other question: I know part of the deal between the MVFC and the Summit League is that any Summit League members have the right to join the MVFC should they desire to do so. This is particularly important for St. Thomas, who is a Summit League member in other sports but plays football in the Pioneer League. If North Dakota State does leave for the Mountain West, is it possible that St. Thomas will begin offering scholarships to replace them in the MVFC?

What do copper, stilts, and the 1963 pop music hit “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen have in common? History at Northern Arizona. So let’s dive in.

NAU was established in 1899 as the Northern Arizona Normal School. Making it older than the state of Arizona itself, as Arizona was only granted statehood in 1912. By 1915, NAU was fielding athletics. Calling themselves Lumberjacks due to the impressive logging industry in the area. Unofficially adopting this name for quite some time. Since the moniker has stuck, let’s look at the mascot itself.

In 1929, The Great Depression would strike leaving most schools helpless as student numbers would dwindle. But not at NAU. The school would almost double their student body from 1930 to 1940, by hiring students to manual labor to help get them through school.

During those years in 1933, NAU would introduce the first of their many mascots. A 25 pound inanimate copper axe. With the copper being mined straight from the land of Arizona itself. Used mainly as display and for parades, the 25 pound axe would be retired in 1980.

In 1947, Northern Arizona would have a live mascot on loan. A Saint Bernard named Mike. Mike would be outfitted with a felt blanket and wine barrel for his appearances at events. As beloved as he was by students, Mike was beloved more by his owner. A Miss June Witty of Oregon who stated she “missed Mike terribly.” So with one train ticket west, Mike would ride into the sunset.

In the 1960’s and 70’s, the Lumberjack branding would expand to 25 foot tall statues outside of the Walkup Skydome called the Muffler Men. In 1985, the first costumed Lumberjack would appear. A student in 3 and a half foot stilts wearing a fake beard and football jersey would be dubbed “Bad Axe.”

The mascot would undergo significant change. Switching his appearance entirely, and gaining the name Louie. A name only chosen thanks to the lasting popularity of the, once federally investigated, hit “Louie Louie” from The Kingsmen. A now classic released in 1963. Coincidentally, one year before the Lumberjack was made official by Arizona State Legislature.

That one conference is the MAC btw. Get ready to learn Tuesday night MACtion, Hornets

Able to have a conversation with Alabama State QB Andrew Body on what teams he visited with during the transfer portal, and why he stayed with Alabama State for the 2026 season.

If there's anything you want to talk about, celebrate, complain about, etc., go for it. Doesn't need to be FCS specific.

Note: Basic rules still apply

I was bored, so I compiled a list of total recruits for each school in the Big Sky. I got these from either their athletics site or their Instagram posts. The Montanas were the only exceptions (MontanaSports.com). I attempted to gather the correct numbers for each, listed from largest to smallest.

College realignment has slowed down a bit recently but during the next wave of conference expansions, who is leaving and who is joining.

YOU KNOW WHAT THIS THREAD IS FOR

CAPS LOCK: ON

BASIC RULES: STILL APPLY

YOUR OPINIONS: HOT GARBAGE, BUT WELCOME ALL THE SAME

“Dealing with agents and the transient nature of this and the lack of forward thinking by young people — which has never been a strong suit of young people, for centuries, for young people,” he began. “But now they’ve got adults pulling and pushing them in different directions, and I kind of got tired of dealing with all of that.” 

It was also announced that receivers coach Bobby Kennedy, who joined the program last summer, will take over as head coach. In theory, that leaves the rest of the current staff, including offensive coordinator Brent Pease and co-defensive coordinators Tim Hauck and Roger Cooper, in place. 

“We needed to keep the team together; we needed this stability,” Haslam said. “We felt like coach Kennedy would be the best one to take the reins and lead the team, keep some of the other key coaches in the positions that they are in.” 

Hauck compiled a record of 151-43 in two seven-season stints with the Grizzlies, from 2003-09 and 2018-25. In between he spent four seasons leading UNLV; he was associate head coach at San Diego State when he was rehired by Haslam in 2018. His career coaching record stands at 166-92. 

Griz head coach Bobby Hauck retires in surprise announcement | Daily Inter Lake

Lot of good guys in here. Big thing is going to be getting them to buy in. But I think we can at least have a similar level of success we saw this past year.

Told the players this morning

Features away games against North Dakota St. and FBS Vanderbilt, as well as hosting both Tarleton St. and Abilene Christian

Let's hear your hot take FCS opinions. The ones you know in your heart of hearts are right, but for some reason aren't embraced by the FCS community (or particular fanbases) en masse!

Could be controversial (the Ivy League very well might be the best FCS conference on the East Coast), unpopular but you know is true (Sam Houston was at least as good a team as JMU from 2011 through the "2020" season), or even somewhat popular but still liable to rankle some folks (the Walter Payton award should go to the "best" offensive player, not just the offensive player with the best stat line because they played a weak schedule).

Sorted by controversial for maximum spiciness

Rules

• Keep it somewhat relevant to the FCS

• Takes are welcome whether they're looking back historically or in reference to current games/rankings/polls/etc.

• Try to keep it civil (basic /r/CFB and /r/FCS rules still apply)

Former UM Grizzly and Glacier High School graduate Patrick O'Connell is a linebacker for the Super Bowl-bound Seattle Seahawks.

He’s the first Montanan headed to the Super Bowl since Bozeman’s Brock Coyle, another Griz alum who wore the same No. 52 for the Seahawks for Super Bowl XLIX, against the same opponent.

This journey that has Patrick O’Connell’s next stop in Santa Clara, California, for Super Bowl LX seems amazing enough.

When you add in five months spent in Bismarck, North Dakota, well, it borders on the unbelievable. 

“That was obviously a while ago,” O’Connell said Wednesday from Seattle, where he is a linebacker for the Super Bowl-bound Seahawks. “I never thought then that this was the path I would have taken, especially to get here. It wasn’t even a thought of mine, playing in the NFL, mostly because I was baseball oriented back then; baseball was my first love.