And, speaking of realignment and schedules, Utah State released its first Pac-12 Conference football schedule as it joins with several outgoing Mountain West teams to form a new home in the fall of 2026.

Changes likely for 1 future WSU football game

A long-desired move for North Dakota State fans came this week when the Bison announced they’re moving their dominant football team to FBS and joining the Mountain West.

NDSU has won 10 of the last 15 FCS football championships. It’s a football-only move; the Bison will keep the rest of their sports in the Summit League. NDSU joins Northern Illinois as a new football-only member. UTEP is a new, full MWC member, while Hawaii, already there in football, is joining in all sports.

Those four join mainstays Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV and Wyoming to make a 10-team football conference.

(Utah State is part of the group that includes Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State that is joining Gonzaga, Oregon State, Texas State and Washington State in a new Pac-12.)

NDSU’s move likely creates a hole in Weber State’s future football schedule. Nine months ago, WSU and NDSU announced a two-game football series with the Wildcats hitting the road in 2027 and the Bison returning to Ogden in 2029.

Since it’s unheard of for an FBS team to play an FCS opponent on the road, NDSU is very likely to get out of the 2029 game in Ogden.

The contract for the series stipulates a general $500,000 cancellation fee, but one applicable provision does directly address changes in classification.

“This agreement may be voided or renegotiated by either party, without penalty or damages, if either is reclassified to a different NCAA membership division,” the contract reads.

The best solution is to renegotiate the deal to make it a one-game contract for 2027 in Fargo. Since NDSU will want to get out of the 2029 game in Ogden, this writer’s opinion is that Weber State should press the Bison to make the 2027 game a standard “buy game” with a fee going to Weber State. Typical “buy game” fees from non-power FBS opponents are usually in the range of $300,000 to $400,000.

NDSU would get to preserve a home game only 1 1/2 years away while WSU would have 3 1/2 years to find a 2029 replacement.

Big Sky-Summit Challenge is done

Due to realignment, the leagues-wide basketball challenge between the Big Sky Conference and the Summit League is done.

That’s confirmed by press releases from eight schools that will continue the series in a limited format. Going forward, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana and Montana State will contest the limited series with North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota and South Dakota State.

The math no longer works for the league-wide challenge. The Summit League lost Western Illinois immediately after the conferences announced the challenge in 2023. So, for two years, one team in the Big Sky got only one game in the series.

With Sacramento State announcing its departure this summer to the Big West, the Big Sky held the Hornets out of this season’s Big Sky-Summit Challenge schedule, giving every school from both leagues two games apiece.

But now, with realignment shuffling around the West, Denver is also departing the Summit League this summer (going to the WCC), leaving the league with eight members. Meanwhile, the Big Sky is growing by one to 11 basketball teams; though Sac State is leaving, Southern Utah and Utah Tech are joining.

Weber State will have those holes in the nonconference schedule taken by the Big Sky increasing its schedule from 18 to 20 conference games. But missing out on the challenge with the Summit League takes away one sure Division I home game from the non-league slate.

On the men’s side, the Wildcats hosted the inaugural Junction City Jam this season, bringing Campbell and UT-Arlington to Ogden in a nonconference multi-team event. WSU says it wants to make it a four-team event next year, which would add a third game for every team.

Utah State has its first Pac-12 schedule

Utah State announced its first Pac-12 Conference football schedule for the 2026 season.

As an eight-team football conference, the Pac-12 has seven conference games scheduled for each team. However, the league will also arrange a final-week “flex” game to rematch two conference opponents, which will count as a nonconference game, to maximize playoff opportunities for its teams.

Utah State begins the season with four straight nonconference games, hosting Idaho State and Troy while traveling to Utah and Washington.

In Pac-12 play, USU will host Washington State, Colorado State and Fresno State at home. The Aggies will also be at home for their Nov. 28 flex game.

USU goes on the road to face Boise State, Texas State, San Diego State and Oregon State.

The Pac-12 will also stage a conference championship game on Dec. 4, hosted by the No. 1 team.