Bison football breaking from tradition, going all green

FARGO — North Dakota State is going green on Saturday and it has nothing to do with the environment.

For most likely the first time in program history, the Bison football team will wear green pants, green jerseys and its green harvest helmet when Missouri State comes to Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. The Missouri Valley Football Conference game carries a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

The school announced it on its football Twitter account, with head coach Matt Entz giving credit to former NDSU defensive coordinators Jimmy Burrow, Gus Bradley, Scottie Hazelton and Chris Klieman. The nickname for the NDSU defense is "Code Green." Burrow retired as the defensive coordinator at Ohio University after last season, Bradley is the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers and Klieman is the head coach and Hazelton the defensive coordinator at Kansas State. Entz was the Bison defensive coordinator from 2015 until taking the head position this year.

"We're definitely excited to be able to honor all the players in the past and even the players on the team now," said senior cornerback Marquise Bridges. "It's an honor to be able to do that. It's a new uniform combination; help out the swag a little bit on the field."

The evolution of the green uniform began more than a decade ago when NDSU went with green pants for the first time on the road, instead of a traditional white jersey with yellow pants. The green harvest helmet was added in 2015 when a group of NDSU boosters raised the funds to buy them.

Switching the look doesn't happen often with the program. NDSU added an "alternate" yellow jersey in 2011 season opener that has been a staple for big regular season games and FCS playoffs. The Bison are 30-0 while wearing those tops, 14-0 wearing the green helmets and 11-0 wearing the all-alernate look of yellow jersey and green helmet.

Once again, the emphasis on its "Code Green" monikor is working for the Bison defense. NDSU is third in the FCS statistics in total defense giving up just 275.0 yards per game and third in scoring defense at 12.0 points per game. Its seven touchdowns allowed are the fewest in the FCS through six games this season.

The breakthrough in all green this year came about from a rotation in buying new uniforms, said Nathan Bjoralt, NDSU's director of football operations and equipment. The school routinely gets its green jerseys and gold pants in opposite years as its road look of white jerseys and green pants.

With wear and washing, the green fades over time.

"We finally had green jerseys and green pants that kind of matched up and were the same color tone," Bjoralt said. "And then having the 'Code Green' game, this was the one opportunity to do it."

Bjoralt said in talking with former NDSU director of football operations Brian Gordon that players have been requesting the look since around 2006. Bridges said the seniors talked with Entz about it and told him all the current players were on board.

"I think there was enough buzz about it now over the years where it was finally time to change it up and do something like this," Bjoralt said.