NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State football program has announced a home-and-home series with one of the top programs in the Football Subdivision Series, as the Tigers will take on North Dakota State University in 2024 and 2025.
The Tigers will travel to Fargo, ND., to take on NDSU inside the historic Fargodome on September 7, 2024. The Bison will make a return trip to the Music City to take on TSU inside Nissan Stadium the following season on September 6, 2025.
The Bison, who compete in the Missouri Valley Football Conference is coming off a 12-3 season and a loss in the 2022 FCS national champ game. NDSU has won nine FCS National Championships since 2011 while they have won 17 overall. The Bison reeled off five straight national title wins from 2011-2015.
Speaking with The Tennessean, Tennessee State athletics director Mikki Allen confirmed the two schools were in talks about a home-and-home agreement.
“North Dakota State in the FCS landscape is a premier program; they’ve had a rich tradition and a lot of success there,” Allen told Tennessean college sports writer Mike Organ. “For us, we’ve always said since coach (Eddie) George has taken over we want to be in a situation where we put our kids in front of the best. They’re hungry to play teams like North Dakota State, teams that have high-talented kids. So we’re excited about the opportunity.”
This will be the first-ever matchup between TSU and NDSU as the Tigers travel to Fargo in 2024.
North Dakota State athletic director Todd Phelps revealed he and Allen were involved in conversations about a matchup.
“North Dakota State’s fan base is highly engaged, they’ve always traveled well,” Allen said. “A lot of high school kids around this area follow them and they follow us so it would be good for college football.”
TSU will kick off its 2023 schedule with a trip to South Bend, Ind., to take on Notre Dame.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics