TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University football team will be hosting seven-time FCS champion North Dakota State in 2021 as part of a home-and-home series, announced today by each athletic department.
 
Towson will host the Bison on Saturday, Sept. 18^th, 2021 at Johnny Unitas® Stadium, then the Tigers will play North Dakota State in the FargoDome on Saturday, Sept. 21^st, 2024.
 
The game will be a rematch of the FCS National Championship Game on Jan. 4, 2014, during Towson's winningest season in program history, plus it is the first time the teams will play in the regular season.  The two have met twice in the postseason, including in the 1983 NCAA Division II Playoffs and the FCS National Championship Game played in 2014 for the 2013 season.
 
Towson has earned winning seasons the past two years plus has had at least seven victories each in six of the last nine seasons under head coach Rob Ambrose.  Towson won seven games in 2019, being ranked nationally in the top-25 all season long and defeating four teams either ranked or receiving votes at the time of the game.
 
North Dakota State has won seven of the last eight FCS national titles since 2011 and is currently the 1-seed in the 2019 FCS Playoffs.  The Bison have been the No. 1 nationally ranked team the entirety of the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
 
"If you ever want to be considered the best, you have to play the best and compete against the best," said Towson Director of Athletics Tim Leonard. "North Dakota State has certainly earned its reputation as being the best FCS football program in the country over the last decade.  It will be a huge challenge for us but will certainly be a good measuring stick and opportunity for our football program."
 
"This is a very exciting time in our program's history," said Ambrose. "Playing national, out-of-conference quality competition at home is the next step in our program's growth.  We look forward to an excited and intense home crowd to support and represent Towson University on that day."
 
Towson last played a top-10 non-conference opponent at home during the 2013 FCS Playoff run, hosting No. 9 Fordham on Dec. 7^th.  No. 5 Towson won 48-28 that day, including Peter Athens going 13-for-15 on passing with 301 yards and three scores.
 
This will be Towson's first regular season game against a Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) opponent.  The MVFC tied for the most 2019 FCS Playoff teams with four, while Towson's league, the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), had the most 2018 FCS Playoff teams with six.
 
Season tickets for 2020 will go on sale on January 6th.  For more information, interested parties may contact the Towson Athletics ticket office by visiting www.towsontigers.com, calling 1-855-TU-TIGER or emailing jbehringer@towson.edu.  The Tigers will open 2020 at Big Ten Conference member Maryland on Saturday, Sept. 5^th.
 
- TowsonTigers.com –