Playoff Bids - MVFC History
The MVFC has had a league-record five teams selected to the playoffs three times (2014, 2015, 2017). In the past four seasons, the MVFC has had a total of 19 bids. Only CAA Football has had as many as 5 bids in the same season (also three times).
Playoff Selections - MVFC History
5 -- three times (2014, 2015, 2017)
4 -- twice (2003, 2016)
3 or more -- 7 times (03, 06, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16)
2 or more -- 26 times (in 33 seasons)
2 or more playoff bids every year since 1995
Playoff Notebook (PDF)
How Seed It Is
For the sixth time in league history, two MVFC teams are seeded in the Top 8. North Dakota State (2) and South Dakota State (5) are the league’s seeded teams this year. The last time the league had those two positions (2/5) -- the teams met one another in the title game (2014).
Years in Which MVFC Had 2 of Top 8 Seeds
2007 -- UNI (1), SIU (4) -- both lost to Delaware*
2011 -- NDSU (2), UNI (5) -- NDSU won title
2014 -- NDSU (2), ILS (5) -- NDSU won title
2015 -- NDSU (2), ILS (3) -- NDSU beat ILS for title
2016 -- NDSU (1), SDSU (8) -- NDSU lost to JMU*
*denotes national champion that year
Against the Field
MVFC teams have combined for 11 wins against the teams in this year’s 24-team NCAA Division I Championship, more than twice the next-best league.
Wins vs. The Field, Ranked by Leagues
11 -- Missouri Valley
5 -- CAA Football
4 -- SoCon
3 -- Big Sky
2 -- Big South, Southland
Wins vs. The Field, Ranked by Teams
3-0 -- Southern Utah; Samford
3-1 -- North Dakota State; South Dakota State
2-0 -- James Madison
2-3 -- Western Illinois; UNI
FIRST-ROUND GAMES (Saturday, Nov. 25)
Lehigh (5-6) at Stony Brook (9-2) at Stony Brook, New York, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Western Illinois (8-3) at Weber State (9-2) at Ogden, Utah, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Monmouth (9-2) at UNI (7-4) at Cedar Falls, Iowa, 5 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Central Conn. St. (8-3) at New Hampshire (7-4) at Durham, New Hampshire, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford (8-3) at Kennesaw St. (10-1) at Kennesaw, Georgia, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota (7-4) at Nicholls St. (8-3) at Thibodaux, Louisiana, 4 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Furman (7-4) at Elon (8-3) at Elon, North Carolina, 1 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego (9-2) at Northern Ariz. (7-4) at Flagstaff, Arizona, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
SECOND-ROUND GAMES (Saturday, Dec. 2)
Lehigh/Stony Brook at #1 James Madison (11-0) at Harrisonburg, Va,, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Western Ill./Weber St. at #8 Southern Utah (9-2) at Cedar City, Utah, 8 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Monmouth/UNI at #5 South Dakota St. (9-2) at Brookings, SD, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Central Conn. St./UNH at #4 Central Ark. (10-1) at Conway, Ark., 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Samford/Kennesaw St. at #3 Jacksonville St. (10-1) at Jacksonville, Ala., 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
South Dakota at Nicholls St. at #6 Sam Houston St. (10-1) at Huntsville, TX, 3 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
Furman/Elon at #7 Wofford (9-2) at Spartanburg, South Carolina, 2 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
San Diego/Northern Ariz. at #2 North Dakota St. (10-1) at Fargo, ND, 3:30 p.m. (ET) (ESPN3)
The Power 5
In the past seven playoffs (2010-16), five leagues (Big Sky, CAA Football, MVFC, Southern and Southland) have combined to win 126 of 149 total games. The MVFC has 44 of those wins (35 percent).
Dominance By Decade
The Missouri Valley Football Conference has recorded a 44-19 record since 2010 in the playoffs -- better than any other league. Over the last two-plus years the MVFC has a 25-12 record in the playoffs, which includes six intraconference games, meaning the league is 19-6 vs. the rest.
Everybody’s In
With South Dakota’s first-ever trip to the FCS playoffs, every Missouri Valley Football Conference team (past and current member) has qualified for the FCS playoffs since 1978.
Against the FCS
The MVFC is 18-5 against FCS schools this year, which includes two road losses to ranked FCS teams, one of which (Liberty) is transitioning to FBS. The MVFC is 2-2 against non-league FCS ranked teams.
23rd-Straight Year with Two+
In 2017, the league had two (or more) representatives in the FCS playoffs for the 23rd-straight season:
2017 FCS Playoff Participation
MVFC (5) -- North Dakota State, South Dakota, South Dakota State, UNI, Western Illinois
CAA (4) -- James Madison, Stony Brook, Elon, New Hampshire
Big Sky (3) -- Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, Weber State
SoCon (3) -- Samford, Wofford, Furman
Southland (3) -- Central Arkansas, Nicholls State, Sam Houston State
Big South (2) -- Kennesaw State, Monmouth
Northeast (1) -- Central Connecticut State
Patriot (1) -- Lehigh
Pioneer (1) -- San Diego
Ohio Valley (1) -- Jacksonville State
Using the NCAA SRS (Simple Rating System) metrics to determine the ‘top 30’ teams, here’s a snapshot at what leagues have done, as well as individual teams.
Top 30 Victories, By Team
6 -- North Dakota State
4 -- Weber State, South Dakota State
3 -- UNI, Western Illinois, James Madison, Samford
Top 30 Victories, By League
18 -- Missouri Valley
7 -- Big Sky
6 -- CAA Football
5 -- Southland
4 -- SoCon
1 -- Big South