Thursday, Sept. 1	Times (CT)
North Alabama at Indiana State (ESPN+)	5:00 p.m.
Western Illinois at #18/15 UT Martin (ESPN+)	6:30 p.m.
#5/8 Missouri State at C. Arkansas (ESPN+)	7:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 3
#2/3 South Dakota State at Iowa (FS1)	11:00 a.m.
#21/21 UNI at Air Force (Altitude Sports)	12:00 p.m.
Drake at #1/1 NDSU (ABC ND/ESPN+)	2:30 p.m.
North Dakota at Nebraska (Big Ten Network)	2:30 p.m.
Duquesne at Youngstown State (ESPN+)	3:00 p.m.
#9/9 Southern Illinois at #14/14 UIW (ESPN+)	6:00 p.m.
Illinois State at #18 Wisconsin (FS1)	6:00 p.m.
South Dakota at Kansas State (Big 12 Now/E+)	6:00 p.m.

Weekly Notebook (PDF)


MVFC Ties FCS Record
In 2021, for the first time in Conference history, six Missouri Valley Football teams earned bids into the 24-team FCS playoff field.  Only one other conference in NCAA history has received six bids in a single playoff (CAA in 2018).  The MVFC had received as many as five bids four times previously (2014, 2015, 2017, and in Spring 2021).
 
2021 Playoff Success
League schools combined for eight wins in the 2021 tournament, capped by North Dakota State’s championship game victory against Montana State.  NDSU extended the MVFC’s FCS-record to 11-straight title game appearances for the league.  Notably, the 2021 season marked the 16th title appearance for a league team. The league is 11-5 in title games, although Youngstown State (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994) and Southern Illinois (1983) both played in the championship prior to joining the league.  All 16 of the league’s title-game appearances have occurred since 1997.
 
Record Number Drafted
The 2021 season was capped by an incredible presence in the April 2022 NFL Draft.  A total of nine MVFC players were drafted, setting an all-time high for the Conference (surpassing the previous-record total of five in 2021).  UNI’s Trevor Penning (19th overall pick) became the first Panther selected in the first round of the NFL draft as he joined North Dakota State QBs Carson Wentz (2016) and Trey Lance (2019) as the only MVFC student-athletes to do so.
 
Playoff Dominance
   The MVFC is 81-38 (.681) since 2010 in the playoffs -- which includes 15 intra-conference games (meaning the league is 66-23 against teams from other leagues for a phenomenal .776 winning percentage).  Last season, MVFC teams combined to go 25-5 against non-conference FCS teams.  All five losses were to ranked FCS teams, all of which made the 2021 playoff field.
 
Welcome Back, Myers
Myers Hendrickson was named the 31st head football coach in Western Illinois history on Dec. 17, 2021. He is returning to his alma mater, the place he spent three seasons as a Leatherneck student-athlete and academic standout.  As head coach at Kansas Wesleyan, Hendrickson led the team to an overall record of 30-4, which included two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) championship titles (2019, 2021).
 
5 MVFC Teams in Top 25
Five MVFC teams are ranked in the preseason FCS Top 25 polls.  NDSU and SDSU are 1-2 in the Stats Perform poll.  It marks the 7th time the MVFC has had the nation’s top two teams in national poll (and first time since Oct. 15, 2018).
 
MVFC All-Americans
A total of 28 MVFC student-athletes highlight the 2022 HERO Sports FCS Preseason All-America Teams, which includes 14 first-team selections.  The MVFC had an FCS-best 22 student-athletes on the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Teams.
 
Walter Payton Award Watch List
Eight MVFC student-athletes are among the 35 finalists on the preseason Stats Perform Walter Payton Watch List.  

• QB Nic Baker, Southern Illinois, Jr.
• QB Jason Shelley, Missouri State, Sr.
• RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State, Jr.
• FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State, Sr.
• RB Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown State, Sr.
• WR Avante Cox, Southern Illinois, Sr.
• WR Jaxon Janke, South Dakota State, Sr.
• TE Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State, Jr.

 
Buck Buchanan Watch List
Six MVFC student-athletes are among the 35 finalists on the preseason Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Watch List.   

• DL Spencer Waege, North Dakota State, Sr.
• LB Adam Bock, South Dakota State, Jr.
• LB Spencer Cuvelier, Northern Iowa, R-Sr.
• LB James Kaczor, North Dakota State, Sr.
• DB Montrae Braswell, Missouri State, Jr.
• DB Michael Tutsie, North Dakota State, Sr.

 
Big Sky-MVFC Challenge
The Missouri Valley Football Conference and the Big Sky Conference began a Challenge Series between the two leagues for the 2017 season. Six contests between the MVFC and Big Sky highlight this year’s series.  Previous year results are listed below. Only regular-season contests count in the series standings. 

• 2017 (MVFC Wins Series, 5-3)
• 2018 (MVFC Wins Series, 5-3)
• 2019 (MVFC Wins Series, 6-4)
• 2020 (No regular-season games due to COVID 19)
• 2021 (MVFC Wins Series, 4-2)

 
MVFC in the NFL
Prior to the beginning of roster moves/cuts, a total of 50 former MVFC student-athletes represented the league on NFL rosters.
 
Welcome, Murray State
In April 2022, the Missouri Valley Football Conference Presidents Council voted to extend an offer of membership to Murray State, establishing the Racers Football program as the 12th member of the nation’s preeminent FCS conference. The Racers will begin competition in the MVFC in 2023.