Mission Statement
The Bison Football Players Association is an organized network of former players established to encourage camaraderie among players of all eras; to support our program; to promote, preserve, and enhance the strong tradition that is the foundation of Bison Football; and to ensure a unified voice for former players.
Maintaining Tradition
NDSU Bison football is a tradition-rich program. It shows itself in various ways like when a former player gives the team a speech during August camp or when former players take a current player under their wing off the field. The tradition always illuminates itself when NDSU qualifies for the national championship in Frisco, Texas.
The Friday walk-through is open for former players to come back, watch the team go through last minute adjustments and to huddle with the team before the game on Saturday.
That’s where the idea of the Bison Football Players Association began. Former players get together for events like golf outings or during spring practice to see old teammates and get to know players from different generations.
“Once you’re done (playing), you don’t get that fix of football anymore so how can we get guys from different generations to meet,” Colten Heagle said on the Bison Illustrated Podcast. “I’ve gotten to meet so many guys from different generations and it’s so cool to hear the same stories just in a different era.”
This Spring, the Bison Football Players Association raised enough money to purchase the 2016 senior’s Harvest Bowl helmets. The helmets were presented to the seniors at a private party for BFPA members at Herd and Horns restaurant.
Players from the past five decades were in attendance and the football coaching staff even dropped by at the end of the night to pay their respects to the group of former Bison.
The Bison Football Players Association is only about a year old. Group admins encourage former players to join their group by signing up online at bisonfpa.com.
