Bison Illustrated Podcast

We are the champions, my friends! North Dakota State won a record 7th FCS National Championship, defeating Eastern Washington 38-24 before a packed Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. It was the 15th national title in program history for the Bison. Nearly 20,000 NDSU fans clad in yellow and green spent the better part of the week turning north Texas into Fargo south. The Herd sent 24 seniors and Chris Klieman out on a high note, finishing the season a perfect 15-0, as Matt Entz takes the reigns. Swany and Nolan recap the championship week, the game, NDSU's dominance from wire-to-wire this season, and address listener questions like what will the Missouri Valley Football Conference look like next year, and can the Bison get back to Frisco in January 2020.

It's finally here! Say it with us. FRISCO WEEK! The waiting is finally over as North Dakota State is set for its annual pilgrimage to Texas to play for its 15th national championship, and record 7th FCS title. The Bison face Eastern Washington with its high powered offense and phenom QB, Mr. Barriere. Swany and Nolan say, hold up! Mr. Barriere ain't seen a powerhouse defense like Code Green led by All-Americans Robbie Grimsley, Greg Menard, and Jabil Cox. Also, there's another QB in this game that's pretty darn good, that one guy, you know, what's his name ... Stick, Easton Stick, juggernaut, No. 12, best player in the FCS. Stick can best former NDSU QB Brock Jensen's all-time FCS wins record with a win against EWU. The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas, and the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

In a special Christmas episode of the Bison Illustrated Podcast, Swany and Nolan are joined by Chase Miller from 740AM The Fan. The powerhouse trifecta serves up deep dishes of holiday cheer on the historically dominant season North Dakota State is having. Across the board, every statistical metric, and the eyeball test, point to a single conclusion. The 2018 Bison are just as good, maybe even a scintilla better, than their 2013 brethren. The guys breakdown NDSU's elite signing day as 25 recruits officially committed to be Bison. And, because it's Christmas, we turned up the witty banter to Santa-level ho ho ho-lariousness unheard of for an FCS podcast that will have even the grinchiest of Grinches smiling from here to Whoville. So, throw another log on the fire, don a glorious Xmas sweater, and celebrate the holidays with your pals at the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

We've got a lot to talk about! It was one of the most memorable weeks in North Dakota State football history. The week started with Chris Klieman taking the Kansas State job. Then Matt Entz was named the new head coach. On Friday, in the most anticipated game in Fargodome history, the Bison obliterated arch rival South Dakota State 44-21 in the FCS semifinals to earn their seventh trip to Frisco in eight years to play for another national championship! The Fargodome was rocking and looked awesome on ESPN, Bison coaches closed in on national signing day, and the annual pilgrimage to Texas takes shape. Swany and Nolan say NDSU will not miss a beat with Entz. In a case study straight from Harvard Business Review, NDSU provided a textbook example of how to make a big-time hire. NDSU is Leadership U. The guys cover your favorite parts about Frisco, including the homecoming vibe and family reunion feel, to storming the field after winning championships. Fly the flags high! It's a great day to be a Bison, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

It's the most anticipated game in the history of the Fargodome. North Dakota State and South Dakota State meet in the de facto national championship game under Friday Night Lights. With the stakes already high, NDSU head coach Chris Klieman announced he accepted the head job at Kansas State. The Bison will be amped up to send Coach K into the sunset with a win in his last game at the Dome --- and carry him off on their shoulders --- before a frenzied and grateful BisoNation. Swany and Nolan discuss Kansas State getting a winner and class individual in Klieman, the monumental game versus SDSU, and who NDSU AD Matt Larsen might look to as the next Bison head coach. We've got it all covered, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast.

While North Dakota State dropped the boom on Montana State, earning its ninth straight trip to the FCS Quarterfinals to face Colgate, the talk in Fargo surrounds speculation that Bison head coach Chris Klieman could be headed to Kansas State. Ironically, Colgate's last opponent, James Madison, had its season derailed in the second round after then head coach Mike Houston was targeted for two FBS jobs, ultimately leaving JMU for East Carolina. Could the same storm that hit JMU strike Fargo next? Swany and Nolan are joined by Sam Herder, from Hero Sports, to talk about the coaching rumor mill. The guys tell you what you need to know about the No. 8 Colgate Raiders, a team not to be trifled with, and preview the other three Elite 8 contests, including the intriguing South Dakota State versus Kennesaw State matchup. The Bison offensive juggernaut will look to keep the momentum rolling against a new foe and defensive stalwart with a trip to the epic Friday Night Lights game at stake. Let your chestnuts warm up by the fire, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

Oh the humanity! It was a really bad, icky, dirty rotten weekend for the "vaunted" Colonial Athletic Association. No longer vaunted, the CAA saw four of its teams flame out in the opening round of the FCS playoffs -- thus punctuating the erroneousness of the FCS Selection Committee's picks (i.e., leaving Indiana State at home). This epic fail is the biggest storyline headed into the Sweet 16. As the top teams in the FCS face off, it's business as usual for North Dakota State as they remain laser-focused on Montana State. The Bison and Bobcats will meet for the first time since NDSU's 42-17 win in the second round of the 2010 playoffs. A one-dimensional offense and defense that gives up yards by the barrel isn't a recipe for success in the Fargodome. The most intriguing matchup is No. 8 Colgate hosting perennial power James Madison. In a game that looks to be a defensive slugfest, can the upstart Raiders topple the Dukes? The guys preview all eight Sweet 16 matchups, and tell you who will survive and advance, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

One word to describe the FCS Playoff Selection Committee's brackets. Controversy. Or questionable. To be blunt, ruthless. Take your pick. The Committee's decision to put North Dakota State, South Dakota State, James Madison, and Kennesaw State on the same side of the bracket has folks from sea to shining sea -- east of Big Sky country -- asking what were they thinking. Swany and Nolan are joined by Sam Herder, of HERO Sports, to dissect the bracket and ask the hard questions. The guys discuss the aftermath of Selection Sunday, the Top 8 seeds, what made sense, and what didn't. Herder provides perspective on the guidelines that governed the Committee's decisions, while Swany and Nolan try not to swear (too much) at a bracket that's anything but fair and balanced. Zeroing in from a big picture perspective, Herder, Nolan, and Swany go through each of the four 6-team pods and discuss who has a realistic shot to play for a national championship in Frisco. Do they think your team has what it takes? Find out, this week, on a special edition of the Bison Illustrated Podcast.

It's a Thanksgiving feast this week at the Bison Illustrated Podcast! We bring you not one, not two, but three episodes in seven days in our cornucopia of all things North Dakota State to ring in the most wonderful time of the year. Swany and Nolan are joined by Bison Illustrated resident hoops guru Dan Slaubaugh to preview the 2018 - 2019 basketball team. The Bison have many new -- and talented -- players on the roster. The Herd's athleticism is through the roof this season, and the team can score faster than you can down Thanksgiving day pie! The guys think that by the time March rolls around, these guys could make some noise. Get your early hoops fix with all the stuffing and trimmings here, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

It's a cornucopia of goodness on this pre-Thanksgiving edition of the Bison Illustrated Podcast. North Dakota State is set to finish the regular season undefeated as the Missouri Valley Football Conference champions and presumptive No. 1 seed heading into the FCS Playoffs. Swany and Nolan preview the final regular season game of 2018 against Southern Illinois and periscope ahead to the looming playoffs and Road to Frisco. The guys predict the teams that will be seeded, make educated guesses (really, shots in the dark) on who NDSU may see in the playoffs, and tell you why NDSU is the overwhelming favorite of the experts and oddsmakers to return to Frisco and hoist another championship trophy. The dessert on this bountiful harvest is talk of the Bison men's basketball team and their big win over UC Santa Barbara at the SHAC over the weekend. Dig in, and loosen the belt to make room for an extra heaping of audio goodness!