North Dakota Fighting Hawks

The North Dakota Fighting Hawks represent the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, playing football out of the Alerus Center as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Known for a physical, disciplined brand of football befitting their northern-plains identity, the Fighting Hawks have built one of FCS football's most respected programs, regularly contending in one of the toughest conferences in the subdivision. The program's rebrand from its former nickname reflects a team that has embraced a new era while keeping its competitive tradition intact.

North Dakota fielded its first football team in 1894 and spent decades competing at the NCAA Division II level, capturing a national championship in 2001. The program moved up to Division I in 2008, joined the Big Sky Conference in 2012, and shifted to the Missouri Valley Football Conference beginning with the 2020 season. Over its history, UND has claimed more than two dozen conference championships and made multiple appearances in the FCS playoffs.