FARGO, N.D. -- The North Dakota State football team has a
No. 1 ranking for the first time since making the move from NCAA
Division II to Division I athletics.
The Bison took over the top spot from Montana this week in the
Football Championship Subdivision coaches poll. The rankings are
determined by a panel of head coaches in the FCS, formerly known as
Division I-AA.
"It's encouraging, and we certainly are grateful to be
recognized No. 1," NDSU head coach Craig Bohl said Monday. At the
same time, he said, it will be a challenge to keep that rating.
NDSU (5-0, 1-0 Great West Football Conference) defeated UC Davis
35-16 last weekend in the conference opener. Montana rallied to
beat Eastern Washington 24-23 on a field goal with 26 seconds left.
The Bison are in their fourth year as a Division I school and
won't be eligible for FCS playoffs until next season. That
increased the interest in the polls, said Gene Taylor, the NDSU
athletic director.
"Ultimately, the national champion will be crowned on the
field," Taylor said. "But for our players and those seniors in
particular, they won't get a chance to prove it."
The Bison travel to Mississippi Valley State (1-4, 1-4
Southwestern Athletic Conference) this weekend, followed by an Oct.
20 matchup at Minnesota. The Gophers (1-5, 0-3 Big Ten Conference)
edged NDSU 10-9 last season, the only loss for Bohl's team.
Bohl, a former defensive coordinator at Nebraska, took over the
NDSU program from Bob Babich in 2003, after the Bison finished 2-8.
Bohl complied a combined record of 23-10 in his first three seasons
and 10-1 last year.
The Bison climbed as high as fourth in last year's coaches poll.
"It hasn't been an easy climb," Bohl said. "To do it in what
would be our fifth year is a little head of pace, but it's where we
are at and we will certainly accept the No. 1 ranking right now."
Taylor said the coaches poll is a compliment to Bohl and his
staff because it's a vote of their peers.
"I think Craig is probably very pleased by that," Taylor said.
"The coaches have either played against you or they've heard about
you. I think it recognizes the respect the coaches in the country
have for our program right now."
Montana retained the top ranking in the FCS media poll, followed
by Northern Iowa at No. 2 and NDSU at No. 3. Eight teams received
first-place votes in the media poll, compared to four (NDSU,
Montana, Massachusetts and McNeese State) in the coaches poll.
"I never would have imagined we would have been here this early
in the transition," Taylor said. "But as the (ratings) number
gets smaller, the target gets larger."