February 2026
Collegiate Consulting Assists North Dakota State's Transition to FBS & Mountain West
North Dakota State University has announced its intentions to join the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference for football beginning in the 2026 season. Collegiate Consulting assisted NDSU with a comprehensive FBS Feasibility Study and follow-up benchmarking analysis.
Collegiate Consulting initially completed NDSU’s FBS Feasibility Study in 2021, examining both the Mountain West Conference and the American Athletic Conference. The report provided comparisons and benchmarking for operating budgets, staffing levels, salaries, financial aid, sources of revenue and development of a five-year revenue and expense pro-forma for FBS reclassification. Collegiate Consulting updated the report in 2024, with a sole focus on the Mountain West Conference and both full and football-only membership.
Additional coverage of Collegiate Consulting’s partnership with NDSU
Quick Bytes
- University ad spending down more than 50% compared to 10 years ago
- SEC & Big Ten co-authors white paper criticizing consolidation of media rights
- Former Pitt women’s basketball players sue coach for alleged hostile environment
- Montana linebacker to return for ninth year of eligibility
- DIII exploring further harm-reduction strategies in sports gambling
- Football Playing Rules Committee preparing to propose elimination of carryover suspensions for first-time offenders
- NCAA approves $303M settlement in Ray case regarding compensation for DI volunteer coaches
- New women’s volleyball rules include new commercial asset that permits programs to place up to two sponsor logos
- Private-college president turnover increases after pay uprise in 2023
- DII & DIII Commissioners Associations penned letters to Congress expressing support for SCORE Act
- Congressional Budget Office projects Pell Grant program will face a $5.5B shortfall by the end of FY26
- Missouri Senator introduces National Blueprint for College Athletics, calling it a blueprint of commonsense ideas
A Look at Student-Athletes Making Use of Transfer Portal by Conference
A Look at Student-Athletes Making Use of Transfer Portal by Conference
The 2026 college football transfer portal has seen massive activity, with over 10,500 student-athletes entering across all divisions, including roughly 4,500 Division I players within the first few days of January 2026. Key trends include 40 percent of QB transfers being repeat movers and only 30 percent of DII athletes finding new spots, emphasizing high turnover, intense competition and increased potential for changes in team dynamics.
Additional transfer portal coverage:
Committee proposes penalties for attempts to circumvent football’s transfer process
Collegiate Consulting Provides Support Through Conference Moves
Whether it is changing divisions, adding sports or moving conferences, Collegiate Consulting provides institutional Feasibility Studies to ensure positive financial and non-financial impacts to your institution and your athletes.
Transitions through a major process can be tricky, but Collegiate Consulting will guide you through each step of the way.
Examining where you are is the first step, positioning where you could go is immeasurable. Seamless navigation is the key to ensure predictable success.
As we continue to partner with institutions of varying size and conference competition level, we are excited to explore opportunities for each new and existing clients. Several moving pieces to research give our university partners an expanded perspective for potential excellence.
We thrive on connection with our college athletic community and we seek to champion their notable actions and achievements.
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