The first football game between the University of North Dakota and the North Dakota Agricultural College (now NDSU) took place on this date in 1894. UND players called themselves the Flickertails, and NDAC players were called the Farmers.

UND had no coach and, until the NDAC match up, it had only been playing towns close enough to Grand Forks for easy travel. The Bison won that first game by either 16 or 14 points – depending who you ask – but Grand Forks claimed the Ag School cheated, because they had a professor on the team. Thus began a legendary rivalry in which the schools played against each other more than any other two teams in Division II football history.

Source: Nodaks and Bison played initial grid game in 1894. The Bismarck Tribune. 23 Oct 1930.

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