Bison Illustrated Podcast

Bison Illustrated's Sixth Championship Edition has hit the stands! Swany and Joe talk about what's inside the commemorative issue, and how North Dakota State's culture keeps propelling them to historic heights in the college football landscape. The guys then analyze the upcoming Summit League basketball tournament on both the men and women's side. Swany has some fair questions on why the Bison women continue to struggle year after year, and some honest evaluations that need to be made if the team is to ever return to its former glory. March Madness is almost upon us, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

The guys are joined by former Bison hoops standout Carlin Dupree to talk about his career at North Dakota State, including what it was like playing in March Madness, and his experiences on two Summit League championship teams. His freshman year, Dupree scored the "loudest four points in NCAA Tournament history" in an overtime upset victory over Oklahoma. Dupree tells the guys what it was like coming to Fargo from Milwaukee, and how the NDSU culture convinced him to be a Bison. Brent Tehven from Herd & Horns, fresh from his appearance on the pages of Sports Illustrated, makes a cameo. Herd & Horns has hosted everyone from Sports Illustrated, the Philadelphia Inquirer, to ESPN as the nation has a case of Wentz-mania and wants to experience NDSU's premier sports bar and grill. Curl up with a warm beverage and melt away the winter blues with the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

Like Lewis and Clark, the guys cover broad swaths of territory on this week's episode where they explore everything from whether it's okay for North Dakota State/Minnesota Vikings fans to cheer for the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl to the under-appreciated aspects of NDSU's college football dynasty. The continuity of the Bison coaching staff, and their ability to develop players, has played a large role in winning six FCS titles in seven years. Swany then veers off the turnpike trying to reconcile his Bison-fandom with being a lifelong Vikings fan as Joe tries to persuade him why Bison fans, that happen to be Vikings fans, can cheer for the Eagles in Super Bowl LII. The guys finish by talking Bison hoops as the Herd is nearly midway through Summit League play. You'll never know what kind of adventures you'll have on the Bison Illustrated Podcast.

In a title game for the ages, where every play seemingly impacted the outcome, North Dakota State asserted itself back atop the Football Championship Subdivision with a 17-13 win over James Madison in Frisco, Texas to claim an unprecedented sixth national championship in seven years. Swany and Joe, along with resident FCS guru and Hero Sports columnist Sam Herder, recap every detail of a game that not only lived up to the hype, but exceeded it. From the Bison scoring on their opening drive, to one of the best defensive stands in program history that cemented the title in the game's closing moments, NDSU made the plays when it mattered against the Dukes. The guys go through which plays and players stood out, and the likelihood of these two programs seeing each other again down the road. It's all here, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast.

It's finally here. The FCS game of the century is for a national title as two of the most dominant programs in college football engage in the FCS version of Game of Thrones. The guys go in-depth during this 90-minute Bison Illustrated Championship Special with Swany, Joe, and resident FCS expert Sam Herder talking everything from key players returning from injury, the difference makers likely to impact the game, the matchups NDSU and JMU will look to exploit, and if either team has an advantage. The storylines are abundant: can the Bison regain the FCS iron throne, will the Dukes establish a dynasty in their own right (one title does not a dynasty make), and who will prevail as two of college football's best QB's in Easton Stick and Bryan Schor go gunslinging in the Lone Star State. Whether you're making the drive down I-29, flying the friendly skies, or watching from your favorite watering hole in the Peace Garden State, get ready for some fire and ice drama with the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

The stage is set. North Dakota State. James Madison. The undisputed, pound-for-pound, two best programs in the FCS will collide in an epic heavyweight title fight to determine the national champion in Frisco, Texas on January 6, 2018. NDSU looks to get the title belt from JMU in what is, arguably, the biggest game ever played in the history of the FCS. Both teams enter the matchup after impressive regular seasons and playoff runs with few ascertainable weaknesses. Swany and Joe are joined by Hero Sports senior columnist Sam Herder to breakdown the historic event. The guys also address four burning issues confronting two of the best fan bases in college football: (1)who will have more fans in Frisco/Plano; (2)Streamer-gate, Day 2, the madness continues; (3)do Frisco/Plano bars prefer Bison or Duke fans; and (4)who wins and why. It's all here, in new and improved HD Audio, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

North Dakota State is in the FCS semifinals for a seventh straight year with a trip back to Frisco on the line against Sam Houston State this Friday at the Fargodome. Swany and Joe dissect the matchup of two of the best FCS programs in the last decade. The Bearkats come to Fargo with last year's Walter Payton award winner Jeremiah Briscoe facing off against Easton Stick, who's been operating the Bison offense with the precision of a maestro in NDSU's first two playoff victories. The guys go through the key matchups to watch, and also preview this weekend's other semifinal matchup between James Madison and South Dakota State. Will Bison fans be singing the familiar sweet refrains of "God Bless Texas" and "If You're Gonna Play In Texas," as the fourth quarter winds down during Friday Night Lights at the Dome? The Road to Frisco goes through Fargo, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

It's Quarterfinal Week on The Road to Frisco! Swany and Joe are joined by resident FCS expert Sam Herder to dissect North Dakota State's dominating 38-3 second round playoff win over San Diego and preview this weekend's quarterfinal heavyweight matchup against the option running Wofford Terriers. The guys even watched some game film (the ESPN3 replay) to give you the ins-and-outs of what you can expect this Saturday morning at the Fargodome. The guys take a trip around the FCS and preview the other three quarterfinal matchups, including who they think is likely to move to the semifinals. The Road to Frisco is getting closer to its destination and the Bison Illustrated Podcast has you covered all the way to the Lone Star State!

Former Bison great Cole Jirik joins Swany and Joe to preview North Dakota State's second round FCS playoff matchup against the San Diego Toreros. Jirik, who owns and operates Dynasty Performance Training in Fargo, won three national championships with the Bison and takes you inside what it's like once the Herd enters The Road to Frisco. "The intensity is cranked up in the playoffs," says Jirik. "It’s a different atmosphere, and you feel that energy." Jirik provides unique insight as to what it was like as a senior and team leader in 2013 when the greatest FCS team of all-time had to deal with, and overcome, the news that their coach was leaving for another school. The guys finish by previewing this weekend's eight second round games, and who has the best shot at advancing to the quarterfinals. Everybody up for the kickoff, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

The 24-team FCS playoff field is set and the guys preview what teams have a shot at raising a national championship trophy in Frisco, Texas come January 6. Swany and Joe are joined by resident FCS expert Sam Herder to go through the Road to Frisco, and whether North Dakota State can regain the crown. The Missouri Valley Football Conference leads the way with five teams in the field, although the Colonial Athletic Association and defending champ James Madison is right behind them with four teams in contention. Outside of NDSU and JMU, is South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Jacksonville State or anyone else positioned to make a run? The guys give you the four teams they think will be playing in the national semifinals, and predict who will win it all. Get set for the FCS playoffs, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!