University of North Dakota | #FlagshipU
- Play Division I football on big stages, big games and big rivalries
- Missouri Valley Football Conference
- Proud tradition and history
- Academic training and support to help you reach your goals
- Flagship University of the state of North Dakota
ALERUS CENTER QUICK FACTS
- Opened February 2001 with UND's first home game Sept. 8, 2001
- Football capacity 12,283
- UND's record attendance: Oct. 6, 2001 vs NDSU (13,500)
- Second highest attendance in the MVFC in 2021 (% capacity)
- 18 luxury VIP suites
- State-of-the art scoreboards, video boards and sound system
- Turf upgrade for 2020-21 season
The Fighting Hawks are 104-29 at home since 2001, including five perfect seasons (.782 win%)
North Dakota has made 37 postseason appearances, is 21-16 in those contests and 15-3 at home.
FREDERICK "FRITZ" D. POLLARD JR. ATHLETIC CENTER
- Opened August 2015
- 300-meter Mondo track
- Features a full size 100-yard football field
- 180,000 square feet
- Stadium style seating
- Premiere practice facility on campus
- $20 million privately-funded facility
LOCKER ROOM
Newly remodeled (Fall 2020) daily use locker room is housed in the same building as sports med, the weight room, study hall and academic services.
FUTURE FACILITIES
- Easy access to both the outdoor field and Pollard Center
- Historical look/modern amenities
- Administrative offices/campus apartments on the other side (P3)
- Full team meeting area – 150 seats
- Stadium seating with adjustable table for note taking
- Removable wall with ability to break into offense/defense unit meeting areas.
HEAD COACH BUBBA SCHWEIGERT
- Coach Schweigert is in his tenth year as head coach at UND
- 2020-21 MVFC Conference Champions
- 2016 Big Sky Conference Champions
- UND's first-ever FCS playoff appearance
- 2016 Big Sky and FCS Region 5 Coach of the Year
- First-ever FBS win at Wyoming in 2015
- Twenty-two years dedicated to coaching at UND
DANNY FREUND
- Associate Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Recruiting Area: Southern Wisconsin
- Former UND quarterback (2004-2008) and two-time captain
- Thirteenth season at UND, has also coached UND's RBs and WRs prior to becoming coordinator
- Coached quarterbacks at Carthage College in 2010
- Holds two degrees from UND: Banking & Financial Economics (2008) and a Master's in Educational Leadership (2013)
- Freund and his wife, Ann, have three children: Jocelyn, Tucker and Jillian
JOEL SCHWENZFEIER
- Defensive Coordinator
- Entering his 11th season at UND
- Previously coached the UND safeties and outside linebackers and spent time as the recruiting coordinator
- Former UND strong safety (2007-10), making 37 career starts and playing in all 44 games
- 11 career interceptions and tied a UND single-game record with three in the 2009 season-opener at Texas Tech
- North Dakota team captain in 2010
- Joel and his wife, Annika, have one daughter, Jovi and one son, Koi.
SHAWN KOSTICH
- Assistant Coach - Special Teams Coordinator
- Position - tight ends/specialists
- Entering his tenth season at UND
- Hometown: Moorhead, Minn.
- Recruiting area: Minneapolis, Minn.
AUSTIN FLYGER
- Assistant Coach/Defensive Line
- Entering his fourth season at UND
- Recruiting Area: South Dakota and Iowa
- Family includes wife Kirsten and daughters Norah (four) and Naomi (two)
- Previous coaching stops at Southern Illinois (nine years) and Northern State (three years)
- Graduated from Augustana University, played DE from 2000-2003
SAM KING
- Wide Receivers Coach
- Recruiting area: North Dakota, Canada, Arizona
- Former quarterback at Bemidji State University (2010-2014)
- Entering his fifth season at UND
- Coached running backs at Minnesota Duluth for two years (2017, 2018)
- Grand Forks native
- Coach King and his wife, Chelsea, have 2 daughters: Landry and Brooklyn
JOE PAWLAK
- Offensive Line Coach
- Recruiting area: Northern Wisconsin
- Entering his fifth season at UND
- Graduated from Northern Illinois University
- Married to Natalie
DONNELL KIRKWOOD JR.
- Assistant Coach/Running Backs
- Entering his first season at UND
- Coached the running backs and was the director of player personnel at Western Illinois in 2022
- Helped Erin Collins become the first running back at WIU to go over 150 yards rushing in a single game since 2016
- Spent 2020 & 2021 coaching the running backs at Northern State
- Played for the University of Minnesota (2010-14)
- Won the 2014 Paul Giel Award and was named the 2013 Offensive Back of the Year and 2013 Player of the Year
- Graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in youth studies
TRAVIS STEPPS
- Assistant Coach/Defensive Backs
- Entering his eighth season at UND
- Two-time All-American defensive back at Pittsburg State
- Served eight seasons under former UND head coach Dale Lennon while at Southern Illinois
TOM DOSCH
- Outside Linebackers Coach
- Entering his first season since returning to UND
- Previously spent 10 years (1993-2003) with the program, coaching the running backs for two years before moving to the defensive side to coach linemen and outside linebackers
- Also served as a GA for UND in the 1993-94 seasons
- Has over 30 years of college football coaching experience, with experience as a head coach, offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator
- Head Coach at Northern State from 2010-19
- Special Teams Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach at Southern Illinois University, 2008-2009
- Head Coach at the University of Jamestown 2004-2007
- Spent the last three seasons as the analyst for all UND football games on the Home of Economy Radio Network
- Four-year letterwinner and two-year starter at Dickinson State
- Married; wife Tina, daughter, Lauren and son, Matthew
CARL REINHOLZ
- Defensive Assistant/Video Coord./ILBs/Camps
- Entering his ninth season at UND
- Four-year letter winner at Minot State
2001 DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
UND running back Jed Perkerewicz’s one-yard touchdown run with 29 seconds remaining lifted North Dakota to a 17-14 win over Grand Valley (Mich.) State in the NCAA Division II title game, giving UND its first-ever national championship in 105 years of football.
The 24-13 victory over Wyoming, proved to be a breakout game for true freshman John Santiago. He finished with 24 carries for 148 yards and two touchdowns. The win was the first in eight tries over teams from the FBS since UND made the move to Division I in 2008.
2016 BIG SKY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS
The 12th-ranked Fighting Hawks (9-2, 8-0 BSC) scored 28 unanswered points to finish off Big Sky play with a perfect 8-0 record thanks to a 38-31 victory over Northern Arizona at home November 12, 2016.
RENEWED RIVALRIES
The move to the MVFC brings back some of UND's favorite rivalries including the University of South Dakota. In the most recent meeting, UND beat the Coyotes 21-10 at the Alerus Center. UND has won 14 straight over South Dakota at home dating back to 1985.
All-time record against South Dakota, UND leads 63-31-5
During the 2020 season, North Dakota knocked off No. 3 South Dakota State in the first conference meeting between the foes since 2003. The win is the highest over a ranked opponent in the program's DI era.
All-time record against South Dakota State, UND leads 47-36-5
UND has played the NDSU Bison since 1884. Their annual meeting awarded the winning team the Nickel Trophy until it was retired in 2003 with UND earning the final award.
All-time record against North Dakota State, UND leads 62-49-3
JIM KLEINSASSER
- 1995-1999
- Carrington, North Dakota
- Two-time NCAA Division II All-America tight end (1997, 1998)
- Three-time All-NCC First Team selection
- Hall of Fame, Class of 2012
- Minnesota Vikings (1999–2011)
- In 2007 and 2008 Kleinsasser was named to USA Today's All Joe Team honoring hard workers and under-recognized players
- He ranked 2nd in team history for starts made by a TE with 119, and ranked 4th in catches by a TE in Vikings history
Over 100 UND alums have played professional football, including 26 NFL draft picks.
CHRIS KUPER
- 2001-2005
- From Anchorage, Alaska
- First team All-American
- Denver Broncos (2006–2013)
- Second-highest-paid offensive lineman in Broncos' history (as of June 4, 2010)
- Ed Block Courage Award (2012)
- Three-time captain with the Broncos
- Served on staff as offensive line coach with the Broncos
- Recently hired as the Minnesota Vikings O-Line coach
- Named to the Denver Broncos Top-100 Greatest Players List
MATT WALETZKO
- 2022 NFL Draft pick 155 in the fifth round by Dallas Cowboys
- 26th UND player to be drafted
- Five-time FCS All-America selection in 2021
- First-team All-MVFC during his senior season
- 24th UND player drafted in program history
- 2022 Red Jarrett Male Athlete of the Year
- Awarded MVFC President's Council Academic Excellence
- First-team member of the MVFC All-Academic Team
KENNY GOLLADAY
- 2012-2013
- In his sophomore season in 2013, Golladay had a breakout year with a team-high 69 catches for 884 yards and eight touchdowns
- Detroit Lions (2017-2020)
- On March 20, 2021, Golladay signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the New York Giants
- 2019 NFL Pro Bowl selection
- Led the NFL in receiving touchdowns in 2019
WESTON DRESSLER
- 2004-2007
- From Bismarck, North Dakota
- One of 24 national candidates for the Harlon Hill Trophy
- UND’s all-time leader in career receptions (167), career touchdown receptions (24), punt return touchdowns (three), total return touchdowns (four), career regular season touchdown receptions (23) and career postseason all-purpose yards (946)
- First team All-American
- CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award (2008)
- Grey Cup champion (2013)
- Inducted into the 2022 SaskTel Plaza of Honour
GAMEDAY TRADITIONS
Gameday is more than just a game for fans! Tailgating, the Hawk Walk, Fan Fest, French Fry Feed, parades, Military Appreciation and more connect our fans with our team. Our fans love UND football.
POTATO BOWL
On September 24, 1966, the very first Potato Bowl football game was played and was billed as a battle between two of the largest potato growing regions in the United States (Idaho and the Red River Valley). Potato Bowl is a week of festivities to celebrate potatoes and football. UND is 44-12 in its first 56 Potato Bowl games.
Potato Bowl includes an epic french fry feed, where student-athletes from campus help serve fries and our team signs autographs and mingles with fans.
HAWK WALK
Every win is followed by the school fight song in the locker room.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Our team logs numerous community service hours throughout the year. Our premier event is the Holiday Magic from Markus program. Unique to football, our team carries on a tradition of toys for kids during the holiday season.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
- One-on-one academic advising
- Supervised study hall and academic tutoring
- Objective-based learning with a Learning Specialist
- Priority registration ensures enrollment in all desired classes
- Freshman Athlete Transition Course (UNIV 101)
- Football team is back-to-back MVFC Academic Excellence Award winners
STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
- Student-Athletes for Inclusion and Diversity (SAID)
- Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
- Hawkademy Leadership Academy
- Life skills programming
- Community Service
UND ACADEMICS
- Nistler College of Business and Public Administration is ranked in the top 5% in the United States
- UND is rated a top 25 innovative university in the nation
- 95% of UND graduates are employed or pursuing grad degrees
STUDENT LIFE
- Join one of over 275 student organizations
- UND ranks in the top 2% for safety in the United States
- Average Class Size: 24
- Student to faculty Ration 18:1
UND is the state's flagship research university with an elite reputation in health sciences, energy and environment, aerospace and business.
