The NCAA will reveal its 24-team bracket for the Division I Football Championship on Sunday, Nov. 23 (11 am CT on ESPNU).
7 MVFC Teams Ranked -- Click Here
NDSU's Logan Kopp Named Doris Robinson Award Finalist: Click Here
| Saturday, Nov. 22 |
Time |
| *#24/RV SIU at #11/11 Illinois St. [Marquee/ESPN+] |
12 PM CT |
| *Murray State at Indiana State [ESPN+] |
12 PM CT |
| *#22/22 SDSU at #13/16 UND [Midco/ESPN+] |
1 PM CT |
| *#18/17 Youngstown State at UNI [ESPN+] |
1 PM CT |
| St. Thomas at #1/1 NDSU [ABC ND/ESPN+] |
2:30 PM CT |
|
Rankings listed are Stats Perform/AFCA Coaches polls; *MVFC
|
Playoff Stuff -- The NCAA will reveal its 24-team bracket for the Division I Football Championship on Sunday, Nov. 23 (11 am CT on ESPNU). The Missouri Valley Football Conference has been dominant in the postseason.
MVFC -- Postseason By the Numbers
155 — MVFC teams have an all-time 155-92 record in the playoffs (since 1985).
107 -- Since 2010, the MVFC has a 107-48 (.690) playoff record, including games against one another. The only other FCS leagues with winning playoff records since 2010 are the Coastal (62-55, .530) and the Southland (32-30, .516).
103 -- League schools are 103-22 (.824) in playoff games played at MVFC sites.
40 -- The MVFC has combined for a 40-20 record in the playoffs this decade. The Big Sky is second in total playoff wins in that span, with a 21-21 mark.
37 -- The MVFC has 37 semifinal trips in the FCS playoffs. That’s more than any other league (the Big Sky has 36.)
20 -- The MVFC has had 20 trips to the FCS title game in its history. The league has a 14-6 record in the championship game. The 14 titles are more than any other FCS league.
14 -- At least one MVFC school has appeared in an FCS-record 14-straight title games (2011-present). The MVFC has 16 title-game appearances in that span -- no other league has more than four appearances during that timeframe.
6 -- The MVFC high-water mark for playoff teams in one season is six (accomplished in 2021 and 2023). The CAA established that FCS record with six teams in 2018.
5 -- Five or more teams have represented the MVFC in the post-season championship six times (2014, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2023).
4 -- Four MVFC teams represented the Conference in last year’s playoff field (three of those reached the semifinals, the first time an FCS league had three semifinal teams in the same season.
1 -- Since the playoffs expanded to 24 teams (2013), only one MVFC team with eight regular-season victories failed to earn a spot in the field (Youngstown State, 8-4, 2013).
NDSU Starts 11-0 -- In MVFC history (counting this season), six league teams have started a year 1-0 - all previous five teams reached the playoffs - the last four MVFC teams to start a season 11-0 won the FCS title (and went undefeated). This marks the fourth time as an MVFC member that NDSU has started a season with 11-straight wins.
In the Field of 24 -- The MVFC earned four bids in 2024, marking the 10th time the league has had four or more playoff teams in the same season. The league has 16 title-game appearances in the last 14 years (including an FCS-record and current streak of 14 title-game trips in a row) and 12 FCS titles in that span.
MVFC in the Playoffs (Most Total Bids, All Time)
6 -- 2021, 2023
5 -- 2014, 2015, 2017, 2020
4 -- 2003, 2016, 2019, 2024
3 -- 2006, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2022
16 teams (1986-2009, 2020); 20 (2010-12); 24 (2013-present)
Rochelle’s Big Day -- WR Rashad Rochelle of Indiana State had a career-high 224 yards on six receptions with the three first-half touchdowns against Youngstown State, marking the most receiving yards by an ISU player since Bob Pugh recorded 260 yards back in 2017 against Liberty. Rochelle’s 224 yards marked the fourth-most in Indiana State history.
Single-Game Receiving Bests, MVFC 2025
224, Rashad Rochelle, Indiana State (11/15/25 vs. YSU)
185, Vinson Davis III, SIU (9/20/25 vs. SEMO)
162, Daniel Sobkowicz, ILS (10/11/25 vs. Murray State)
162, Alex Bullock, SDSU (10/4/25 at Youngstown State)
Working Overtime -- South Dakota defeated Southern Illinois on Nov. 15, 53-51, in five overtime periods. It’s the longest game in MVFC history, surpassing a 4OT game in 2007 between Western Illinois and South Dakota State. The USD-SIU contest was the first league game decided in overtime this year. South Dakota improved to 5-3 all-time as a league member in overtime games. SIU fell to 8-6 in games decided in overtime. Counting Saturday there have been 42 league games and 41 non-conference games decided in extra periods (since 1994).
MVFC Overtime Games, 2025
S6 -- South Dakota State 30, Montana State 24 (2OT)
S13 -- South Dakota 24, Northern Colorado 17 (OT)
S20 -- Illinois State 38, North Alabama 36 (2OT)
N15 -- South Dakota 53, Southern Illinois 51 (5OT)
Payton’s Place -- Cole Payton of North Dakota State leads or is near the lead in the FCS in a host of individual statistical categories. His current pass efficiency rating (188.0) would establish an MVFC all-time single-season mark.
Cole Payton in the FCS NCAA Stats (thru 11/15)
1. Yards Per Pass Attempt (11.70)
1. Passing Yards Per Completion (15.80)
1. Completion Percentage (74.0)
2. Passing Efficiency (188.0)
8. Total Offensive Yards Per Game (283.7)
Mighty Defenses -- Top-ranked North Dakota State ranks among the FCS leaders in a host of defensive categories. NDSU leads the FCS in scoring defense (12.4 ppg) and in total defense (238.4 ypg).
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Rush Yards Per Game)
1. Lehigh (Patriot) -- 66.8
2. SFA (Southland) -- 71.7
3. Mercer (SoCon) -- 73.7
4. Tennessee Tech (OVC) -- 74.2
5. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 97.0
6. Harvard (Ivy League) -- 98.1
7. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 99.5
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Scoring Defense)
1. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 12.1
2. Lehigh (Patriot) -- 12.3
3. Harvard (Ivy League) -- 15.1
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Total Defense)
1. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 238.4
2. SFA (Southland) -- 248.8
3. Presbyterian (Pioneer) -- 267.2
9. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 296.9
12. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 305.5
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Passing Yards)
1. Prairie View (SWAC) -- 130.0
2. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 138.9
3. Saint Francis (NEC) -- 150.4
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Def. Pass Efficiency)
1. Tarleton St. (United) -- 96.11
2. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 98.45
3. Prairie View (SWAC) -- 101.98
2025 FCS Defensive Leaders (Fewest 1st Downs)
1. Harvard (Ivy League) -- 9 games -- 154
2. N. Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 11 games -- 159
3. Lehigh (Patriot) -- 11 games -- 161
On the Clock -- SDSU (6th, 32:57) and NDSU (7th, 32:55) rank among the FCS leaders in time of possession this season.
FCS Leaders, Time of Possession
1. UT Martin (OVC) -- 34:38
2. Merrimack (FCS Independent) -- 33:49
3. Lehigh (Patriot) -- 33:19
4. Butler (Pioneer) -- 33:15
5. New Hampshire (CAA) -- 33:10
6. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 32:57
7. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 32:55
Beau Knows Football -- A pair of MVFC players are among the top seven in the FCS in rushing yards per game. South Dakota RB LJ Phillips leads the MVFC with his 129.7 per game average. QB Beau Brungard of Youngstown State is seventh nationally, but he’s the top rushing QB in the FCS. His 1,235 total rush yards is climbing the all-time single-season leaderboard in league history for rushing by a QB.
All-Time Single-Season Rushing Bests, MVFC QBs
1,334, Aaron Bailey, UNI, 2015 (14 games)
1,291, Tirrell Rennie, UNI, 2010 (12 games)
1,235, Beau Brungard, Youngstown St., 2025 (10 games)
1,100, Trey Lance, NDSU, 2019 (16 games)
1,034, Sheraton Fox, Indiana State, 1999
1,029, Tre Roberson, Illinois State, 2014 (15 games)
998, Beau Brungard, Youngstown St., 2024 (12 games)
FCS Leaders, Rushing Yards Per Game
1. Rodney Nelson, Monmouth (CAA) -- 157.5
2. Joshua Dye, Southern Utah (United) -- 156.7
3. Kente Edwards, Lafayette (Patriot) -- 144.1
4. L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota (MVFC) -- 129.7
5. Josh Pitsenberger, Yale (Ivy League) -- 121.7
6. Landen Chambers, Central Ark. (United) -- 113.3
7. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 112.3
FCS Leaders, Rushing TDs
1. Joshua Dye, Southern Utah (United) -- 25
2. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 21
3. Rodney Nelson, Monmouth (CAA) -- 18
4. Barika Kpeenu, North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 17
4. Kente Edwards, Lafayette (Patriot) -- 17
6. Eli Gillman, Montana (Big Sky) -- 16
7. L.J. Phillips Jr., South Dakota (MVFC) -- 15
8. DJ Williams, Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 14
8. Roland Dempster, Stony Brook (CAA) -- 14
FCS Leaders, Total Offensive Yards Per Game
1. Braden Atkinson, Mercer (SoCon) -- 361.9
2. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 356.9
3. DJ Williams, Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 309.1
8. Cole Payton, North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 283.7
FCS Leaders, Points Responsible For Per Game
1. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 23.6
2. Braden Atkinson, Mercer (SoCon) -- 22.7
3. DJ Williams, Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 20.2
4. Tommy Rittenhouse, Illinois St. (MVFC) -- 18.2
9. Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota (MVFC) -- 16.4
On the Offensive -- MVFC teams are on the leaderboards for scoring offense and rushing offense.
FCS Leaders (Total Offense)
1. Mercer (SoCon) -- 520.7
2. Monmouth (CAA) -- 512.8
9. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 460.6
10. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 456.7
12. Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 446.0
FCS Leaders (Scoring Offense)
1. Tarleton St. (United) -- 45.2
2. Montana (Big Sky) -- 42.0
8. North Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 40.4
12. Southern Ill. (MVFC) -- 36.4
13. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 36.3
14. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 35.1