North Dakota State football fans are traversing thousands of miles to reach Honolulu for a Saturday game against the University of Hawaii.
The traveling crowd, which has expanded significantly following the program’s move to the Mountain West Conference, was spotted in tourist areas like Waikiki Beach, InForum reported. For many, the trip involves grueling travel schedules, including five-hour flights from Baltimore to Seattle before another five-hour leg to the islands.
“It was just an amazing feeling being that we’re all coming together and traveling this far together,” Arturo Freije told InForum.
Freije, who married into the North Dakota State University (NDSU) fan base after meeting alumna Brenda Freije, has become a fixture in the traveling supporter community. He traveled to the islands wearing a yellow NDSU bucket hat and a “We Are Bison Nation” T-shirt to match the tropical setting.
The expanding reach of Bison Nation
The scale of the NDSU traveling fan base has evolved from regional trips in the 1980s to international-style destination games. During the program’s tenure in the Division II North Central Conference, most travel was limited to short drives to schools like St. Cloud State, South Dakota State, or the University of North Dakota.
The transition to the Mountain West Conference has fundamentally changed the logistics and geography of the fan experience. The conference schedule now frequently includes “destination games” in locations such as Sacramento, Albuquerque, and Las Vegas.
The current trip to Hawaii requires more logistics than previous stops this season, which included games at the Air Force Academy and in Tennessee. Fans are using various methods to travel around Oahu, ranging from organized bicycle tours to renting motorcycles to explore the island.
“Coming to Hawaii is a great attraction, something different to a new conference,” Steve Arntson told InForum.
Arntson and fellow fan Ronda Hannesson, both residents of the Phoenix area, have been visiting North Shore tourist spots while tracking the team. They said that the sea of NDSU colors makes it easy to identify fellow supporters in the local crowds.
“The Mountain West has been a lot of fun and enjoyable for us. We’re going to the tourist spots here, the north shore, and really have a great time visiting and meeting great people. There are a lot of NDSU fans wearing their colors so we identify each other pretty well,” Arntson told InForum.
A legacy of collegiate dominance
The enthusiasm of the traveling supporters mirrors the high level of success the NDSU program has maintained through its various conference transitions. The team has secured 10 Division I FCS national football titles, a feat that has cemented a deep-rooted culture of loyalty among its alumni and supporters.
This cultural momentum is driven by a mix of athletic excellence and the unique community identity formed during the program’s rise. While the logistics of a 6 p.m. kickoff in Honolulu—which translates to 10 p.m. Central Time—pose challenges for those following from home, the physical presence of the fans in Hawaii highlights the growing footprint of the program.
The game at the University of Hawaii is scheduled for Saturday at 6 p.m. local time.
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