Bison Illustrated Podcast

It's June, so preseason Top 25 college football polls are rolling out faster than brauts off the grill. Can anyone dethrone North Dakota State, or will the Bison continue making history and adding to their dynasty? Swany and Nolan offer comment and critique of several preseason polls, and ask how in the name of frozen popsicles does an overvalued Jacksonville State squad keeping landing in the Top 10? In a top-heavy FCS, is South Dakota State rated too high, is James Madison really that good, and is this the year UC-Davis breaks through or is Big Sky Country still Eastern Washington territory (sorry, Weber State). And, yes, the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and its five teams in the Top 17 mean it's the best conference in the FCS ... that along with the CAA's dumpster fire of a performance in last year's playoffs (#pretenders). Winning friends and influencing people, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

Jory Collins is the new women's basketball coach at North Dakota State. The energetic and articulate Collins has already made an impact since arriving in Fargo on April 29 with a pair of high profile signees. The Bison added Stephen F. Austin transfer Heaven Hamling and Kansas City, Kansas native Ryan Cobbins. Swany and Nolan sat down with Coach Collins in his SHAC office for a wide-ranging interview. The trio discussed Collins' approach to the game, bringing excitement back to NDSU women's hoops, how his success at Emporia State and Kansas will translate to the Summit League, and the recruiting roads. It's a new era for a storied program, and we've got it covered, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

North Dakota State has owned its rivals on the recruiting trail for years. It's said that recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, and especially recently, the best of the best have committed to -- and won -- national championships for the Bison. How do they do it? Swany and Nolan offer their take on what makes NDSU the "Top Gun" destination for players that want to win and compete. The guys take a lap around the track and highlight several Bison advancing to the NCAA Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas, and talk about the improving state of the women's hoops program. Grab your flip flops and board shorts, because we have an excellent summer lined up, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

It's a black tie gala affair as we introduce with much fanfare, anticipation, exuberation, and alliteration our Inaugural Annual Bison Awards! Recognizing the best individual performances this year in North Dakota State athletics, Swany and Nolan bestow awards for meritorious achievement in 19 different categories including Best Championship Performance, Best Moment, Best Male and Female Athlete, and Coach of the Year. Relive a year of championship excellence, here, where champions come to talk, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

North Dakota State is one of the gold standards in college football. Last week, Darrius Shepherd joined the ranks of Bison that will be in NFL training camp this summer, inking a deal with Green Bay. Swany and Nolan talk about NDSU's NFL success, and why Shepherd has a good shot to land on the Packers 53-man regular season roster. The guys go through what's been a banner year for the Bison across the board as the softball, and track and field teams compete for more Summit League hardware. Finally, the guys lob this grenade question into the hopper ... who do Bison fans dislike more, South Dakota State or the University of North Dakota? Rekindle the burning embers of an old school rivalry, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

North Dakota State solidified itself as one of the Top Gun NCAA programs for producing professional QBs as Easton Stick joined Carson Wentz as back-to-back Bison quarterbacks to be taken in the NFL Draft. Can you say QB-U, baby! Before that, the legend, Brock Jensen, led the Bison to 3 straight FCS titles, a win at Kansas State, multiple appearances on ESPN College GameDay, and a Grey Cup. So, the Bison Illustrated Podcast asked BISONATION this question:

NDSU is down 4 points with 1:45 left in the game, for a championship, at their own 20-yard line. Who do you want as your QB --- Jensen, Wentz, or Stick --- and why.

We asked, you delivered! There's no wrong answer, even though gunslinging fan favorite Steve Walker got a ton of votes, but what do NDSU fans have to say about three guys that belong in the College Football Hall of Fame? Absorb the Greatness, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

Another year, another North Dakota State QB getting ready for the NFL Draft. Yeah, we're pretty excited about it, too! But, would Swany buy an Easton Stick jersey if he's drafted by the Packers or Raiders? Only three years after the Eagles took Carson Wentz with the second overall pick, Stick is likely to have his name called in this year's draft. Swany and Nolan preach what that means for the program, and why you don't need to be a 6'4" QB to succeed ... Joe Montana was only 6'2", and Johnny Unitas was a towering 6'1". With the '19 session of NDSU Spring Football wrapping up, the guys recap the last month, talk yard work, spring beers, and why there may be more Bison fans than Vikings fans at their October 13 matchup against the Eagles at US Bank Field in Minneapolis. Fire up your lawnmower, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

His voice is instantly recognizable to Bison fans. Since 2012, Brian Shawn has done the TV play-by-play for Bison Football on the North Dakota NBC Network, and called Bison hoops for Midco SN. Shawn had a front row seat for NDSU's 7th FCS national championship in eight years, and this spring's Summit League championship/NCAA Tournament run. Few can match his insight, analysis, and knowledge of the Herd. Swany and Nolan ask Brian about the big themes entering next week's Spring Football Scrimmage, and what to expect next from Bison hoops. More excitement than the Battle of Winterfell, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

North Dakota State is halfway through spring football and on a mission: to prove the naysayers wrong, yet again. Although the Bison graduated 24 seniors, the Herd returns a bevy of talented stars, key players, and promising newcomers aiming for their 8th FCS National Title in 9 years. What's lost in those numbers is the fact that NDSU has won 8 straight Missouri Valley Football Conference titles in what has been the best league in the FCS over the last decade. Swany and Nolan continue the early '19 Bison Football Preview and look at the defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backs. The guys also say that Bison hoops is on the brink of something huge. How huge? Intergalactic planetary huge. Fight for your right to podcast, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!

Spring Football is in the air! North Dakota State kicked off its annual spring football session last week with much fanfare and anticipation. Bison head coach Matt Entz is going to get this question a lot in the next few months ... who is NDSU's starting QB? Swany and Nolan are joined by one of the best FCS minds in the business, Sam Herder, from HERO Sports. The guys talk about NDSU's QB competition, questions facing the Bison heading into 2019, and what the rest of the FCS landscape looks like. The trifecta braintrust of football enlightenment also discusses Easton Stick's NFL Draft prospects and where he could land. Come early and stay late, this week, on the Bison Illustrated Podcast!