While North Dakota State quarterback Nathan Hayes is set to be the starter this fall, he was as among the graduates in commencement for Saturday.
NDSU football social media announced Hayes is graduating with a degree in exercise science. Hayes will be a fifth-year senior in the fall since he took a redshirt as a freshman in 2022 and didn’t play that year.
He earned the starting job after the 2025 season when former Bison quarterback Cole Payton left for the NFL. Hayes has played sparingly as a backup over the years, with 37-63 passing for 595 yards and seven touchdowns plus 178 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 14 carries.
“Nathan’s a talented guy and I think he’s trying to find his way,” Bison head coach Tim Polasek told the Fargo Forum’s Jeff Kolpack in April. “A focal point for us this summer is to continue to move the pass game along.”
“There most certainly was a lot of growth,” Polasek added. “I think our coaching staff learned a lot about our football team on what we can and can’t do.”
Hayes will look to continue the wild success of Bison quarterbacks, going back to 2011. Every main starter for the Bison has made it to the pros, and five have been drafted since 2016.
For now Hayes can celebrate his academic achievements with a bachelor’s degree in hand. Fellow graduates from the Bison football team include Kellen Entz, John Gores, Kelton McCaslin, Devin Lockerby, Carson Williams, Truman Werremeyer and Ryan Jones.
Nathan Hayes on FBS Competition
NDSU moving up to the FBS this year provides a unique opportunity for Hayes and fellow veteran players, who have been with the program for years.
The Bison dominated the FCS with 10 national championships between 2011 and 2024, and last year’s team looked poised for another run with a 12-0 regular season. While NDSU’s season ended with a stunning playoff loss, the Bison moving up to the FBS has been long anticipated and speculated.
“You know, … we’ve won some FBS games in the past, but can we do it consistently? Can we compete in the Mountain West week in and week out? So our goal is just to take it week by week,” Hayes told Bison 1660 in February, “And at the end of the season, be proud of the season that we had, be proud of … we gave it our all every game, and prove that NDSU is here to stay, that we can compete every year and keep recruiting talent, keep getting you know, the best of the best to be Bison.”
NDSU has gone 9-5 against FBS teams since 2004, and that includes a win over former Mountain West Conference team Colorado State in 2012 and a loss to Wyoming in 2008. The Bison have beaten Minnesota twice, Kansas in 2010, Kansas State in 2013, Iowa State in 2014 and Iowa in 2016.
Nathan Hayes Makes Admission on FBS Rumors
Hayes admitted to Bison 1660 that players were hearing rumors of the FBS move ahead of time, though he didn’t go into detail on that.
“Oh yeah, especially the seniors, just because in previous years you have all the, you know … the periods where you’re gonna be an FCS for another year,” Hayes said. “So going into this offseason, kind of hearing the rumors like is that something we seniors kind of selfishly ‘is that what we really want?’”
Speculation of NDSU’s move had gone on for years during the initial stages of the dynasty with five consecutive championships and notable FBS wins. The move didn’t happen until this year, as the Bison hadn’t officially received an FBS conference invitation due in part to geography and finances.
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