North Dakota collegiate athletics don't pierce the sporting zeitgeist often, but when they do, they know how to make a splash.
In Fargo, a scourge of the Football Championship Subdivision is getting ready to make the jump to the Mountain West in North Dakota State. In Grand Forks, North Dakota fields a consistently competitive hockey team with eight national championships to its name. And amidst all of this, one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time made his bones playing for the now-Fighting Hawks.
Though football and hockey may dominate the list of the most successful North Dakota collegiate athletes, a WWE star, an ace pitcher, and a basketball legend also found their way on. Here's a look at some of North Dakota's most established
college athletes.
10 greatest college athletes from North Dakota
Easton Stick, North Dakota State
Carson Wentz may be arguably the most famous player to come out of North Dakota State, but his successor had one of the most prolific careers in Bison history. Easton Stick went 49-3 as the team's starting quarterback, making him the winningest QB in FCS history, throwing for 8,693 yards and 88 touchdowns. He also ran for 41 more scores while winning three national championships with North Dakota State, as a backup in 2015 and as a starter in 2017 and 2018.
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Marcus Williams, North Dakota State
Williams logged a school-record 21 interceptions from the cornerback position and set an FCS record with seven interceptions returns for touchdowns. A three-time first-team All-American from 2011-13, the Minnesota native was on the ground floor of what would become an FCS dynasty for North Dakota State, and a major contributor to its early success.
Zach Parise, North Dakota
Parise notched a hat trick to open his North Dakota hockey career, and he never looked back. As a freshman, Parise was the highest rookie scorer in men's hockey with 61 points (26 goals), and he was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award. After being drafted by the Devils, Parise returned for his sophomore season and was a first-team All-American and one of 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.
PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12
Tony Hrkac, North Dakota
Another hockey legend, Tony Hrkac left an indelible mark on North Dakota hockey. Hrkac won the Hobey Baker Award for North Dakota in 1987, establishing a single-season record 116 points and a national championship to boot. He and Ed Belfour formed the leadership core of North Dakota's championship team, and they would eventually win a Stanley Cup together on the 1998-99 Dallas Stars.
Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
Most recently a Super Bowl winner with the Seattle Seahawks, Grey Zabel was a fixture on the offensive line of North Dakota State from 2022 to 2024. He was part of two FCS championship teams and was a first-team All-American as a senior. What makes Zabel stand out is that he stuck it out with NDSU in the NIL era. In talking about staying with the Bison, Zabel said it came down to loyalty. "I mean North Dakota State was my first offer," Zabel told Seattle Sports 710.
Bob Backlund, North Dakota State
Before he was Mr. Backlund, he was Bob. Bob Backlund was a wrestler at North Dakota State before his career in WWE, and a national champion at that. Though he was a dual-sport athlete in football and wrestling, he eventually focused on the latter. Backlund won a Division II national championship in the 190-pound class in 1971 before moving up to heavyweight in his next season, where he finished fifth in the country. He would eventually have a Hall of Fame wrestling career in WWE.
Jocelyn/Monique Lamoureaux, North Dakota
Jocelyn and Monique Lamoureaux began their hockey careers at Minnesota before returning to their home state with coach Brian Idalski, who coached at national development camps. The Lamoureaux twins compiled multiple accolades over their respective college careers, with Jocelyn finishing third in college hockey history at 285 points and Monique earning All-America honors three times. She was the first player to be named an All-American at two different positions. The sisters also dominated on the international stage, winning six gold medals at the world championships between them.
JJ Scheving, North Dakota
JJ Scheving is the best pitcher to throw for North Dakota, and holds nearly every record in the book for a hurler. He holds marks for wins, complete games, strikeouts, shutouts, and saves in a season, and has the most wins and strikeouts over the course of a career. Scheving was a third-team All-American as a senior, becoming the second North Dakota player to receiver All-America honors.
Phil Jackson, North Dakota
Phil Jackson helped the Bison finish third and fourth in the Division II tournament and was a two-time All-America selection. He's one of four players from the school to be drafted to the NBA - a second-round pick of the New York Knicks, where he would win two titles. Though he'll also be remembered for his time in Chicago and Los Angeles as a coach and New York as a player, Jackson's roots take him back to North Dakota.
Carson Wentz, North Dakota State
North Dakota State started its dynasty with Carson Wentz on the bench, but Wentz is one of players responsible for bringing it to the forefront. Though he only started two seasons, he established himself as a dominant force in FCS football. Wentz threw for 3,111 yards in 2014 with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2014, with the Bison going 15-1 and winning a national title. His 2015 season was shortened by injury, but Wentz was still drafted second overall by the Eagles.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from North Dakota
