Six league teams are ranked the Coaches poll and five are ranked in the Stats Perform poll this week.  The league had seven or more teams ranked during the first six weeks this year (and 30 times in its history).

North Dakota State reclaimed the top spot in both polls after defeating top-ranked South Dakota State on Oct. 19.  NDSU last held the No. 1 position on Oct. 10, 2022, while NDSU has been ranked No. 1 as a league member 80 weeks, more than any other MVFC program.

The league has three of the Top 5 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches poll (and three of the top four in FCS Nation Radio's poll).  Notably, four MVFC teams have been ranked in the Top 10 the same week 43 times in MVFC history, including the first nine weeks this season.  





MVFC in the Metrics -- Six of the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s 11 programs rank in the top 18 of the Massey FCS Ratings.  In Massey, UNI’s strength of schedule leads the MVFC and is No. 2 nationally (behind Portland State).  Southern Illinois (3), South Dakota State (6), North Dakota State (8), Youngstown State (10), South Dakota (11), and North Dakota (13) also have SOS in the FCS Top 15.



Strength of Schedule (SOS) is taken from Massey ratings; Stats is Stats Perform FCS poll; AFCA is Coaches poll.  *Stats Perform doesn’t permit votes for teams transitioning to FBS.  Sagarin rankings are overall DI football with FCS rank.

Sagarin Ranks MVFC No. 1 -- Six MVFC football programs rank among the Top 16 in Jeff Sagarin’s football ratings (see above), which includes five of the top nine FCS teams.  The MVFC is the highest-rated FCS conference in Sagarin:

Sagarin FCS Conference Ratings (Sagarin)
1. Missouri Valley Football
2. Big Sky 
3. United Athletic
4. Coastal
5. Southern
6. Ivy