North Dakota
8-6 2025 finalNorth Dakota is the Fighting Hawks with a new head coach — Eric Schmidt's first year replacing Bubba Schweigert, and an 8-6 record that proves the program can stay competitive during a transition.
The Fighting Hawks bide their time.
North Dakota is the Fighting Hawks with a new head coach — Eric Schmidt's first year replacing Bubba Schweigert, and an 8-6 record that proves the program can stay competitive during a transition.
North Dakota finished 8-6 overall (5-3 MVFC) in 2025 under new head coach Eric Schmidt, who replaced longtime coach Bubba Schweigert. The Hawks made the playoffs and proved the transition was successful. Schmidt's task is now to b…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on North Dakota
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · North Dakota
The season's first milestone.
Competitive for the conference crown.
24-team bracket qualifier — realistic in a strong year.
The FCS championship weekend. A generational leap.
North Dakota · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Fanbase Health Index · North Dakota · medium confidence
Growing (58)
Home-Field Advantage · North Dakota · 2018-present
Elite
76% home win rate vs 29% on the road. margin runs +16.7 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Cooling
Two of five. Schedule has caught up.
MVFC Standing · 2025
5th in the MVFC
North Dakota sits 5th of 9 in the MVFC at 8-6. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State | 12-5 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 10-5 |
| 3 | South Dakota State | 9-5 |
| 4 | Youngstown State | 8-5 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 8-6 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 7-5 |
| 7 | Indiana State | 3-9 |
| 8 | Northern Iowa | 3-9 |
| 9 | Murray State | 1-11 |
Schedule Strength · North Dakota · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 52% across 14 finalized games. 1 FBS top-25 opponent played (Kansas State).
FCS → NFL Pipeline
2022–2022Developing
1 picks last 5 cycles. The pipeline is real but still building volume.
Moment of the Year · North Dakota · 2025
Lost 35-38 at Kansas State
Week 1 of 2025. The single game that defined the season's arc.
Playoff History
Recent postseason (2023): 0-1
Most recent: 2023 — loss 35-42 (home). Last 5 postseason: 0-1.
From the Archive — North Dakota
2021: Won 14-7 vs Illinois State
In 2021, the program won 14-7 vs Illinois State — a tight home result that left the 7-point margin on the books.
Go Fighting Hawks.