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North Dakota State University (NDSU) is an American state-supported university and the second largest school in the 11 campus North Dakota University System. It offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and first professional degrees. Founded as the "North Dakota State College of Agriculture" in 1890 as a land-grant university, it sits on a 258 acre (1 km²) campus in an urban setting in Fargo, North Dakota. However, the school also operates several agricultural research farms around the state, which brings its total land holdings past 22,000 acres (89 km²).

NDSU uses a semester system. Its endowment was recently $50.2 million. Over 12,000 students attend the school, the vast majority of which are full-time. 43% of the students are female and 57% are male. At 60% admission rate, most applicants are admitted. Since 1999, NDSU has generated more than a $1 billion impact on North Dakota's economy. NDSU employs over 1,900 people.

The school colors are green and yellow. The athletic teams, known as The Bison, formerly competed in NCAA Division II, but as of 2004 are competing in NCAA Division I.

The student newspaper at NDSU is The Spectrum.

Research

NDSU is a major component of the Red River Valley Research Corridor and does research in many areas. According to the National Science Foundation, NDSU is among the top 100 research universities in the United States in six research categories including both federal and non-federal research expenditures. Major fields of research at NDSU include nanotechnology, RFID technology, agriculture, and polymers/coatings. NDSU also has a 55 acre (223,000 m²) Technology Park located on the north side of the main campus.

Athletics

Formerly a NCAA Division II institution, North Dakota State's intercollegiate sports teams now participate in NCAA Division I in all sports (I-AA in football and as Division I Independents in most other sports). Currently the university's only conference affiliation is the Great West Football Conference. The school has been searching for a new conference since its move to Division I. Likely conferences include the Missouri Valley Conference, Horizon League, and the Mid-Continent Conference. NDSU's official athletic symbol is the bison. Although the teams are sometimes called "The Thundering Herd", the official nickname is "The Bison".

NDSU is known for its intense athletic rivalry with the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. In the past, the football teams of the two schools would compete for the "Nickle Trophy" - an oversized replica of an "Indian Head Nickel". The front of the trophy has a Native American representing the UND Sioux team and the obverse has an American bison representing the NDSU team. The oversized coin is dated 1889, the year North Dakota gained statehood. However, with NDSU's move to Division I athletics, the athletic rivalry between the two campuses is at a standstill. In June of 2006, UND announced that it too would be moving all atheltics to Division I so it is likely that the UND/NDSU rivalry will once again be renewed in the near future.

Some Bison fans have begun to regard South Dakota State University (another Division I school and an opponent for over a century) as a new major rival for NDSU. The two schools now compete for the Dakota Marker Trophy - a replica of the original stone border markers between North Dakota and South Dakota.

The Bison football team, which plays their home games at the Fargodome, was a dominant force in Division II. They won national titles on five separate occasions (1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990) before moving to Division I-AA in 2004.

The men's and women's Bison basketball teams play in the Bison Sports Arena. The women's basketball team was known as a dominant force in Division II throughout the 1990's. They won five titles during the decade (1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996). The men's basketball team won an upset victory over the University of Wisconsin on January 21, 2006, potentially increasing the chances of being accepted into a conference.

The wrestling program has also had a fair share of success winning three Division II team titles (1988, 2000, 2001), The Wrestling team also recently joined with seven other institutions to create the Western Wrestling Conference.

Notable alumni

  • Bob Backlund - Champion amateur wrestler for NDSU (1971), and WWF Champion as a pro.
  • Barry Batcheller - Founding president of Phoenix International Corporation (a John Deere company)
  • Tyrone Braxton - Former NFL Player
  • Douglas Burgum - Senior vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions
  • Alf Clausen - Composer for "The Simpsons" as well as other television programs and motion pictures
  • Lamar Gordon - NFL player
  • Phil Hansen - Former NFL player
  • Todd Koel - Head of fisheries at Yellowstone National Park
  • Steve Swiontek - Chairman/President/CEO of the local Gate City Bank chain

External links

North Dakota State University | Universities and colleges in North Dakota | Land-grant universities | Fargo-Moorhead | Educational institutions established in 1890

 

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