NDSU Month @ AGS - Fact A Day

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Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 1st there will be one fact posted in this thread each day. We may run these in the future on a monthly basis as they were done in the past. This was a great idea started by a former owner, and I also believe it was managed by our friend 89hen for a time as well.

I always enjoyed getting the little facts in these threads and any future ones will be done as this one has been done. This was a "roots up" effort with these facts being compiled and conveyed to yours truly by several of our upstanding Bison faithful.

On that note a big "thank you" to:

BisonBacker
BisonFan02
Professor Chaos

and a special appearance on the list by DJKyRo/Tony

In a terrific display of sportsmanship our friend [B]UNIFanSince1983 has used some skills and made a banner for the NDSU folks.

Their efforts in putting this together are greatly appreciated.

A new fact will go up each day and you can click the NDSU Banner at the top (starting 8/1) to easily reach this thread.

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The Bison became the first team in North Dakota history to receive an invitation to play in a postseason bowl game. In 1964 they played in the Mineral Bowl against Western State of Colorado. The Bison won 14-13. (BisonBacker)

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The bill creating the North Dakota Agricultural College was passed and signed into law by Governor John Miller on March 8, 1890. In November of 1958, a name change to North Dakota State University was placed on the state-wide ballot and lost by a narrow margin.On November 8th of 1960 the name change was voted on again and approved by a 2-1 vote.On December 8, 1960, North Dakota Agricultural College officially became North Dakota State University. (BisonBacker)

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NDSU Football has played its games at 4 different home sites. The first three were known as Dacotah Field. Dacotah field was moved from its original location in 1938 and again in 1969. In 1992 NDSU played its last game on Dacotah Field and started play in the Fargodome in 1993. (BisonBacker)

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In its football history NDSU has had 29 different head coaches. The first head coach was Henry Luke Bolle who coached from 1894-1899 (BisonBacker)

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Two scoring records of interest (widest Margin of Victory and widest Margin of Defeat) are 123--in 1912, NDSU 123 Wahpeton Indians 0. 74--in 1958, Trinity 80, NDSU 6 (Bisonbacker)

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NDSU’s rushing record holder is Lamar Gordon. From 1998-2001 he rushed for a total of 4700 yards. He went on to play for the St. Louis Rams and the Miami Dolphins (BisonBacker)

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The 1968 North Dakota State team, with eight players signing professional football contracts, produced more pros than any other Bison team. The 1986 senior class ranks second with seven players moving into the pro ranks. (Bisonbacker)

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Claudie Miller of Fargo, N.D. played Halfback was North Dakota State's first All-American as selected by Bill Evans All-Western Honor Roll. Twice named honorable mention All-American prior to 1926, he led NDSU to its first NCC championship in 1925. .Lettered four years in football, basketball, and track and was all-conference in both football and basketball. Conferred the honorary title of "Chief Sieze the Bear" by the Mandan Sioux Indian Tribe in 1926. He went on to a career in coaching and school administration in North Dakota, Minnesota, and California. (Bisonbacker)

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Five former North Dakota State personalities have been inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. They are coach GILMOUR DOBIE, inducted in 1951 after a career at NDSU, Washington, Navy, Cornell and Boston College; two-time All-America center (1987-88) MIKE FAVOR, inducted in 2011; two-time All-America defensive back (1969 & 1970) JOE CICHY, a 1997 inductee; 1986 Harlon Hill Trophy-winning quarterback JEFF BENTRIM, inducted in 1998; and coach DARRELL MUDRA, inducted in 2000 after a career at Adams State, NDSU, Florida State, Western Illinois, Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa. (Bisonbacker)

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North Dakota State University's athletic teams have progressed from the "Farmers" in the 1890's to the "Aggies" in the early 1900's to the "Bison," NDSU's current athletic symbol. In 1919, head football coach Stan Borleske developed it because he and members of the football team didn't like being known as "Aggies." Borleske wanted a strong and fierce mascot. The "Bison" was a logical choice. The great animals once roamed the North Dakota prairie in vast numbers, and over the years Bison athletic teams added an additional name, the "Thundering Herd." (BisonFan02)

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QB Jeff Bentrim (83-86) surpassed then Walter Payton’s career rushing TD with 64 TDs. (BisonFan02)

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Craig Bohl's 75 wins as a head coach rank 2nd in NDSU history. He trails only Rocky Hager (91 career wins). (Professor Chaos)

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NDSU's all-time record through the 2011 season is 627-364-34 (0.611 win %). (Professor Chaos)

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From 1964-1990 NDSU was 136-11-3 at home (0.907 win %) (Professor Chaos)

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There is only one number (79) that has been retired by NDSU, and it belonged to Paul Allen Bothof. He was a two year starter and all conference selection in 1970. Two weeks before the end of the regular season, Paul was killed in an accidental shooting while hunting. No player has worn that number for the Bison ever since. (BisonFan02)

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Former Bison player Beryl H. Newman (33-36) earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery during WWII. (BisonFan02)

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The “Dakota Marker” is a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the NDSU/SDSU game and is entering its 9th season. The series is currently tied 4-4. (BisonFan02)

Bonus Fact:

Since 1960, NDSU has more championships in football than any team in FBS, FCS, D2, and even the NFL. D3 Mount Union is #1 overall.

On game day the Fargodome is the 6th largest city in North Dakota

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The Dennis Drews Trophy is awarded to the team MVP each season. This award is named after former HB Dennis Drews, who served in WWII and the Korean War and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the WWII Victory Medal, and the Korean Service Medal. (BisonFan02)

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Former player Jim Schindler was named a Rhodes Scholar in 1966 after concluding his football career. (BisonFan02)

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In 2011 NDSU football set a single season home attendance record of 163,284 over 9 games including the playoffs. The average home attendance in 2011 was 18,143. (Professor Chaos)

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48 players have rushed for 100 yards in multiple games while wearing the Bison uniform. Lamar Gordon did it the most by topping the century mark in rushing yards in 31 career games. Tyler Roehl holds the single game rushing record with 263 yards in a 27-21 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2007. (Professor Chaos)

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NDSU is the only university in the United States of have a cow buried on campus, Noble's Golden Marguerite. In the 1970's, her grave stone was moved from the old dairy building (now the Geology building) to the front of Sheppard Arena. According to some, this relocation has made her spirit restless to the point that she wanders the campus at night doing various cow things (mooing, making bell sounds, taking ghostly cow dumps) while looking for her grave marker. (DJKyRo/Tony [Bisonville])

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NDSU’s academic departments offer more than 100 bachelor’s degree programs, 66 master’s degree programs, and 46 doctoral degree programs. In 2011, the total enrollment of 14,407 represented students from 52 (of 53) North Dakota counties, 42 US states, and 90 countries worldwide. (Professor Chaos)

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In the 2011 playoffs NDSU’s defense gave up 27 points in 4 games for an average of 6.8 per game. That was the second lowest playoff average by a national champion since 1978 behind only the 2003 Delaware defense that gave up only 23 points in 4 games for a 5.8 per game average. (Professor Chaos)

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NDSU has 250+ Student Organizations:(Bisonbacker)

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NDSU’s research expenditures surpass $100 million annually. (Bisonbacker)

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NDSU athletics is covered independently by Bison Illustrated. Bison Illustrated is a full color magazine that is published monthly from August to April. It includes coverage of all in season NDSU Men's and Women's Athletics (game previews, re-caps, scores and statistics). Content features include articles about tradition, interviews with players and coaches, family sections, reader letters, tailgating highlights and special features about the aspirations, achievements, challenges and adventures of the individuals and teams who currently, and historically, make up Bison athletics. .Bison Illustrated is a free publication that is available at many locations including banks, grocery stores, restaurants and the like throughout the region (North Dakota and Western Minnesota). Subscriptions are available for those who wish to have it delivered directly link www.bisonillustrated.com (Bisonbacker)

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“The first [hockey] team to represent a North Dakota college in outside competition was that of the A.C. leaving shortly after Christmas for a two weeks trip to Northern Michigan and Minnesota (1927 yearbook) - we lost every game on the trip. (Bisonbacker)

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NDSU’s official student-run school newspaper is The Spectrum. The Spectrum began in 1896, just six years after the university began operations. (Bisonbacker)

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The U.S. Army used the Benson Bunker Fieldhouse during WWII. In 1942 the Fieldhouse was used for a 12 week officer candidate school. The 1st class in 1942 had 335 candidates; when the program ended in 1943 a total of about 1600 candidates had participated in the program (Bisonbacker)

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Football was introduced to North Dakota by Professor H. L. Bolley, one of the first professors at NDAC, specialties in botany and plant pathology and Purdue’s first quarterback. In 1890, Professor M.A. Brannon of UND, a Wabash University graduate and a past football opponent of Bolley’s, challenged NDAC to a football game. As Bolley related, it took him three years before he could get enough students for the game. NDAC won both games in 1894 (both of which UND protested) and split in 1895. (Bisonbacker)

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That was the final fact a day for NDSU.

Well, except for this one.

NDSU fans on the boards were a little tough to take for the most part in the early going. Reason being was that they have an enormous amount of pride in their football program, their state, and their general fanaticism.

The last couple of years you have proven your claim correct and that you most definitely belong here and will very likely walk shoulder to shoulder with the greats at our level. It has been a real pleasure interacting with your fan base and I can't tell you how much I enjoy having you guys around.

The NDSU Bison are a great program with a passionate group supporting them and I am very glad to call you one of us. I salute you and wish you continued success.

That's a fact.