CFB Zeitgeist
June 22, 2026 · Dead Period · Heritage Window · 2026 Outlook

Minot State

3-8 2025 final

Minot State is a North Dakota plains program that built a #6 national rushing offense in 2025 despite a 3-8 record — and is now under new coach Randall Herbst with a mandate to convert offensive talent into wins.

The Beavers hold the line.

Record
3-8
win% .272
D2 Top 25
Conf Standing
Playoff Path
Building résumé
Dead PeriodOffseasonPatientPost-loss — diagnostic
The Long Wait·Offseason

Minot State is a North Dakota plains program that built a #6 national rushing offense in 2025 despite a 3-8 record — and is now under new coach Randall Herbst with a mandate to convert offensive talent into wins.

Standard GapA program with elite offensive weapons (#6 rushing nationally) but a 3-8…

Minot State went 3-8 overall and 3-7 in the NSIC, but the Beavers ranked #6 nationally in rushing offense with 3,157 team rushing yards (program record). Kicker Brandon McCary was a Fred Mitchell Award semifinalist. Despite elite…

low signal
Read the full program story ↓

Offseason

69 days

until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC

Act I

The 2026 Outlook

The Pulse on Minot State

Quiet · dead period heritage · signal ramps back in camp
The Beavers hold the line.

What moved it — offseason · last 30 days

June Dead-period quiet — official-visit + heritage window
Camp Fall camp ~40 days out
"Go Beavers." — Minot State fanbase · recurring line
0 mentions · awaiting signal

Aspiration Ladder

Brief Part III §33.4 · Minot State

Winning record

The baseline for a successful season.

Conference title

Earns a Super Region playoff qualifier bid.

Super Region qualifierLocked

Entry into the 32-team national bracket.

McKinney, TXLocked

The Division II national championship game.

Minot State · Next-Season Outcome Band

Floor / Base / Ceiling

floor1-11Rebuild year. Below .500.
base3-9Mid-table finish.
ceiling6-6Conference title race. Bracket qualifier in range.

Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.

Act II

Who We Are

D2 Program Prestige · Minot State

Mid-Major Contender

D2 Playoff Contender — consistent Super Region participant, regional force.

T1Regional
T2Mid-Major
T3Power
T4National
T5Blue Blood
T6Dynasty
T7All-Time

Fanbase Health Index · Minot State · low confidence

Stable (45)

DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 3-8 (27% win rate)45

Home-Field Advantage · Minot State · 2018-present

Elite

38% home win rate vs 7% on the road. margin runs +7.1 better at home.

Home10-16Away2-26
Act III

Last Season Reviewed

2025 season · tap to expand

Recent Form · last 10 games

Cooling

Two of five. Schedule has caught up.

Streak L1Last 5 · 2-3Last 10 · 3-7

Northern Sun Standing · 2025

11th in the Northern Sun

Minot State is 11th of 13 in the Northern Sun at 3-8. The path to the title is steep — the focus is on playoff positioning and rivalry wins.

#ProgramRecord
1Minnesota Duluth10-2
2Minnesota State Mankato10-4
3Augustana University (SD)9-2
4Minnesota State Moorhead8-3
5Northern State7-4
6Sioux Falls7-4
7Wayne State (NE)7-4
8Winona State6-5
9Bemidji State4-7
10University of Mary4-7
11Minot State3-8
12Concordia University St Paul2-9
13Southwest Minnesota State1-10

Schedule Strength · Minot State · 2025

Balanced

Average opponent win rate 50% across 11 finalized games. Balanced slate across the conference slate.

Opp Win %0.505

Moment of the Year · Minot State · 2025

Won 49-28 at Northern State

Week 11 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.

Decisive Margin

From the Archive — Minot State

2024: Won 56-23 vs Winona State

In 2024, the program won 56-23 vs Winona State — a blowout home result that left the 33-point margin on the books.

Go Beavers.