The Bison, who won 10 FCS titles between 2011 and 2024, join the Mountain West this fall. Justin Tafoya / Getty ImagesJune 24, 2026 Updated 6:20 pm EDTTeams transitioning from FCS to FBS no longer will have to sit for two seasons before becoming immediately eligible for the postseason, the NCAA Division I Cabinet ruled on Wednesday, a source involved with the discussions tells The Athletic.Yahoo Sports first reported the news.The news opens the door to FCS powerhouse North Dakota State to qualify for a bowl or perhaps the College Football Playoff in its first season in the FBS ranks. The Bison, who won 10 FCS titles between 2011 and 2024, join the Mountain West this fall. Sacramento State also moved up from FCS to the Mid-American Conference and will have a chance at the postseason.Previously, the only way a program transitioning from FCS to FBS could compete in a bowl game within two years was if there weren’t enough eligible teams. Last year, Missouri State and Delaware each earned bowl trips based on that technicality, as did Jacksonville State in 2023 and 2024.Despite winning the 2022 Sun Belt East Division title, James Madison was the most recent team kept from a bowl during the transition process. James Madison filed a waiver to become eligible, but the NCAA denied it.There are now 138 FBS programs eligible for the 41 bowl games, including six that compete in the College Football Playoff.