Welcome to the Big Time: North Dakota State Dominates in Historic FBS Debut

North Dakota State has officially arrived in big-time college football — and the Bison didn't need long to make themselves at home.

Playing their first game as a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision, North Dakota State rolled past Jacksonville State 33–7 Saturday in a dominant beginning to a new era for one of college football's most successful programs.

The Bison made their intentions clear immediately.

North Dakota State's first possession as an FBS team covered 75 yards in eight plays and ended in the end zone, giving the program its first touchdown at college football's highest level.

The Bison never looked back.

North Dakota State finished the game with 373 total yards, including 209 yards on the ground, while holding Jacksonville State to just seven points.

Senior quarterback Nathan Hayes also delivered in his first collegiate start, completing 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and two touchdowns.

The victory carries extra significance because North Dakota State isn't arriving in the FBS as an unknown program.

The Bison built one of the most dominant dynasties in modern college football while competing in the Football Championship Subdivision, winning multiple national championships and establishing a reputation for developing NFL-caliber players.

Moving into the FBS represented an entirely new challenge.

It took North Dakota State exactly one game to earn its first victory.

A single win doesn't determine how successfully the Bison will make the transition over the long term, especially as the competition grows tougher. But a 33–7 victory provided about as convincing an opening statement as North Dakota State could have hoped for.

College football's newest FBS program is officially here.

And the Bison are already 1–0.