College Sports

Longtime College Football Champion Powerhouse North Dakota State Falls in Stunning Fashion

While Saturday featured the Power Four conference championship games, Illinois State shocked No. 1 seed and 10-time champion North Dakota State.
Longtime College Football Champion Powerhouse North Dakota State Falls in Stunning Fashion
Quarterback Jerry Kaminski #11 of the North Dakota Fighting Hawks runs off the field after losing to the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium in Manhattan, Kan., on Aug. 30, 2025. Peter Aiken/Getty Images
Matthew Davis
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Before the FBS started the 12-team College Football Playoff, the FCS level of Division I football has provided playoff action for years but never an upset like Saturday’s shocker.

Unseeded Illinois State stunned No. 1 seed North Dakota State (12–1), the defending national champions and 10-time FCS champions, at the Fargodome in Fargo. The Redbirds rallied late for a 29–28 victory when quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 6-yard touchdown pass followed by a two-point conversion.

Matthew Davis
Matthew Davis
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Matthew Davis is an experienced, award-winning journalist who has covered major professional and college sports for years. His writing has appeared on Heavy, the Star Tribune, and The Catholic Spirit. He has a degree in mass communication from North Dakota State University.