North Dakota State, EWU will meet in 2016, 2017

The dream matchup that hasn’t taken place the last three years will occur in 2016 and 2017.

Eastern Washington and North Dakota State — the only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams to win a national title since 2009 — will play a home-and-home series with each other starting in 2016, the two schools mutually announced, Aug. 8.

The Bison and Eagles will play each other in Fargo, N.D. Sept. 10, 2016, then play at Roos Field Sept. 16, 2017.

“We are extremely excited to schedule a home and home with North Dakota State,” Eastern athletics director Bill Chaves said. “By playing a series like this, we hope that it can help to continue to elevate the FCS brand throughout the country.”

Eastern won the 2010 title in a run that included a 38-31 overtime victory over the Bison in the quarterfinals in Cheney, in the snow. Eastern needed a late scoring drive to extend the game, scored to open OT, then forced a fumble to clinch the thrilling win. That was North Dakota State’s last playoff loss.

NDSU has won every playoff game since en route to titles in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

North Dakota State, a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, were a perfect 15-0 in the 2013 season. Northern Iowa, a team the Eagles will play in 2015 and 2016, is also a member of that league.