North Dakota State vs Northern Illinois rivalry
North Dakota State leads the series 2-0 in meetings on record since 1968.
UPCOMINGNext meeting
Northern Illinois 
vs 
North Dakota State
vs North Dakota State 2026-11-21 · 4:00 PM ET
Fargodome
CW, The CW Network
Fargodome
CW, The CW Network
All-time series
North Dakota State 22 meetings since 19680 Northern Illinois
Series leader: North Dakota State.
By decade
1960s 2 0
Series notes
Meetings played2
Series wins, North Dakota State2 of 2
Series wins, Northern Illinois0 of 2
Decided by 3 points or fewer0 of 2
Side by side, 2026 season
North Dakota State Northern Illinois - 33.6 2nd
- Points per game
- 13.8 10th
- 9.8 1st
- Points allowed
- 36.3 9th
- 377.8 5th
- Total yards per game
- 300.3 8th
- 5.8 4th
- Yards per play
- 4.6 10th
- 171.0 5th
- Rush yards per game
- 79.3 10th
- 206.8 5th
- Pass yards per game
- 221.0 3rd
- 20.0 3rd
- First downs per game
- 17.8 8th
- 43.1% 2nd
- Third-down rate
- 31.0% 9th
- +8 2nd
- Turnover margin
- 0 3rd
- 11 2nd
- Takeaways
- 6 4th
- 10 3rd
- Sacks
- 7 7th
- 7 3rd
- Sacks allowed
- 17 9th
- 52.8 5th
- Penalty yards per game
- 49.0 2nd
- 32:27 3rd
- Time of possession
- 29:26 6th
Season totals from CollegeFootballData. Small figure: rank within the Mountain West; the better side is highlighted.
Recent meetings
Results are read from official box scores and republished after every meeting.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the record in North Dakota State vs Northern Illinois?
North Dakota State leads the series 2-0 in meetings on record since 1968. That is North Dakota State 2, Northern Illinois 0 across 2 meetings on record.
When do North Dakota State and Northern Illinois play next?
The next North Dakota State vs Northern Illinois meeting is around Week 12 of the 2026 season at Fargodome.