The first president, Manfred Deputy, was appointed to run the new institution,[5] and the first class consisted of 38 students.

[6] During the 1998–99 academic year, the Board of Trustees recommended changing the name of the university to Minnesota State University–Bemidji, to reflect a change toward unification within the newly formed Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System after other larger institutions had done so.

Prominent vocal and written opposition from students, alumni, and local Bemidji residents forced the board to withdraw the recommendation to change the name.

Faith Hensrud was named Bemidji State University's eleventh president on April 20, 2016, and took office on July 1, 2016.

She previously worked at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, having served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs since 2012.

BSU offers the only BFA in professional and creative writing in the Minnesota State system.

In addition, Sattgast Hall is home to a number of natural sciences programs and pre-professional studies.

Each year a professor from Liaoning University goes to BSU to teach Chinese and each summer BSU students participate in "Sino-Summer", a month-long visit to China with half of the time spent at Liaoning University and half touring other parts of China including Beijing, Xi'an and Guilin.

[22] Bemidji State University is taking steps to reduce their environmental impact and have pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

[23] In a tradition dating back to the mid-1990s, anytime the team wins homecoming, the players run from the football stadium to nearby Lake Bemidji and dive in.

The roots of the tradition date back two years earlier however when, in 1993, an assistant coach attempted to inspire the winless team.

[24] In his account, the team earned an upset homecoming victory and dove into Lake Bemidji in celebration.

[29] In 2019, the English department launched the new student publication Paper Plains, with Maureen Gibbon in position as the academic advisor.

Since its conception, the newspaper has been solely staffed and managed by students, as well as published and distributed weekly at no charge to its readers.

at the influence of James McMahon, the public relations director for Bemidji State at the time, who also served as the newspaper's adviser.

After the paper was threatened with a lawsuit, the media board appointed an adviser, who was forced to retire less than a year later.