Pittman’s Pocket: North Dakota State and Jackson State will not play this year, unless….

North Dakota State Bison and the Jackson State Tigers couldn’t come to an agreement on a potential 2024 regular season schedule game, and that is upsetting. It likely will not be happening for years to come.

While North Dakota State is considered the team to beat in the FCS, Deion Sanders and the JSU Tigers have been the best recruiting team maybe ever in FCS history.

The significance of the game has a timeline comparison similar to Eddie Robinson challenging Joe Paterno, the year after Penn State won the 1968 College Football Championship.

Grambling State won the 1967 championship, and wanted to play Penn State. It was talked about for an early match-up that Coach Robinson slated to play Penn State and Joe Paterno in that 1969-1970 season.

But it was shut down by Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno, who had tons of NFL talent on his roster. Both Grambling State and Penn State were stacked, and in those days recruiting was a rarity.

NFL prospects at the HBCU level back in the late 60’s and early 70’s was a great pipeline to the NFL.

Now, Deion Sanders is trying to create that pipeline again.

When it comes to the FCS though, North Dakota State has indeed changed the FCS record books, when it comes to winning.

When it comes to winning NDSU may own the ranks but JSU and Coach Prime became the first-ever FCS program to have signed the number #1 overall recruit out of high school.

This is something NDSU head coach Matt Entz has never accomplished.

Coach Prime challenged NDSU and was hoping to play the best team in the FCS. While he stated he is not ready for Alabama yet, he did not back down from the 9-Time FCS Champions.

The only way these 2 FCS powers will meet is if they meet at the FCS Championship.

JSU is now out of there Two-year probation and post season ban, in which will probably be the Tigers only chance to take on the highly talented and anticipated game.

If Jackson State was to make it, It would only be the second HBCU program to ever play for the FCS Championship since FAMU 1978.

It would be a scouting frenzy as far as NFL prospects, and would be huge for recruiting If it happens.

RIght now, JSU has an NFL caliber of coaching staff, and their team is stacked. Cosch Prime is changing the way everyone views HBCU football, and if they can win the FCS Championship they could end up at the FBS level!