North Dakota State to host UAlbany and Valparaiso in 2021

By Kevin Kelley -

The North Dakota State Bison have added the UAlbany Great Danes and the Valparaiso Crusaders to their 2021 football schedule, FBSchedules.com has learned.

North Dakota State will host UAlbany at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., on September 4, 2021. The Bison will pay the Great Danes a $250,000 guarantee for the contest, according to the copy of the contract.

The 2021 matchup between North Dakota State of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and UAlbany of the Colonial Athletic Association will mark their first-ever meeting on the gridiron.

A week after North Dakota State hosts UAlbany, the Valparaiso Crusaders of the Pioneer Football League will make the trip to face the Bison at the Fargodome (September 11). The Crusaders will receive a $240,000 guarantee for playing the game, per the contract copy.

In their first and only meeting on the gridiron back in 2004, North Dakota State crushed Valparaiso 52-0 at the Fargodome.

UAlbany and Valparaiso are the first two non-conference opponents scheduled for North Dakota State for the 2021 season. The Bison need one more opponent to finish their slate.

North Dakota State’s Missouri Valley opponents and dates in 2021 have already been announced. The Bison will host Northern Iowa, Missouri State, Indiana State, and South Dakota and will play at North Dakota, Illinois State, South Dakota State, and Youngstown State.

North Dakota State is the second known non-conference opponent for UAlbany’s 2021 schedule. The Great Danes are also slated to play at Syracuse on Sept. 18.

The UAlbany at Syracuse contest in 2021 was previously scheduled for Sept. 4 that season. Syracuse will pay UAlbany an additional $10,000 for moving the game, which makes the total guarantee $360,000.

With the addition of North Dakota State, Valparaiso now has two non-conference opponents set in 2021. The Crusaders are also scheduled to host Dartmouth on Sept. 18.

Football Schedules