Five Teams Ranked in the Top 10 -- Five Missouri Valley Football teams are in both the Stats Perform poll and AFCA Coaches poll this week (Oct. 26). Including this week, the MVFC has had five teams in the Top 15 of a national poll during the same week 10 times this year and 57 times in MVFC history. For the third time this season, the league matched a Conference record by placing five teams in the Top 10 of the Stats Perform top-10 list (Sept. 14 and Oct. 19 also had five MVFC teams among the Top 10 in the Stats Perform rankings).

Weekly Notebook (PDF)

League Enters Final Month of Regular-Season Schedule -- Only four Saturdays remain in the 2026 regular-season MVFC schedule.
 

Saturday, Oct. 31
[#9/#11] UND at [#4/#4] Youngstown State [ESPN+]	11:00 a.m. CT
Murray State at [#10/#9] Illinois State [ESPN+]	1:00 p.m. CT
Indiana State at [RV/--] UNI [ESPN+]	1:00 p.m. CT
[#6/#6] South Dakota at [#5/#5] SDSU [ESPNU]	3:00 p.m. CT

Walk-Off Win -- Not counting overtime games, 21 league games have been decided with the score on the game’s final play, including this past week as PK Weston Schofield of Southern Illinois hit a game-winning 31-yard field goal as time expired to beat UNI, 20-17.

Working Overtime -- South Dakota outlasted North Dakota on Saturday, Oct. 24, with a 26-23 win in a game featuring two top-10 teams. It marked the first overtime game for any MVFC team this year.  It’s the 44th league game that has been decided in overtime. USD improved to 6-3 all-time in overtime games as an MVFC member, while UND fell to 1-3 in overtime games since joining the conference.

MVFC: Best in the FCS -- Missouri Valley Football teams have combined for an FCS-best 19-4 record against other FCS opponents in 2026. No other FCS league can match that winning percentage (.826) this season. The MVFC’s overall win percentage (.617) and record (21-13) is also an FCS best.

FCS Leagues, Non-Conference vs. FCS Teams
1. Missouri Valley Football (19-4) .826
2. Ivy (17-7) .708
3. United (16-11) .593
4. Southland (7-5) .583
5. Big Sky (13-10) .565
6. MEAC (14-12) .538
7. SoCon (13-12) .520
8. Coastal (16-15) .516
9. Patriot (10-10) .500
10. OVC (11-14) .440
11. SWAC (6-9) .400
12. PFL (5-19) .208
13. NEC (3-21) .125

Ratings Leaders (Massey/Sagarin) -- Seven MVFC teams rank among the top 18 in the Massey Ratings. South Dakota State leads the MVFC at No. 2. SDSU is the top-rated FCS program in Sagarin, while YSU (2), USD (4), UND (6) and Illinois State (8) are in the Top 10.

FCS Massey Leaders (FCS Sagarin in Parentheses)
1. Montana State (3)    
2. South Dakota State (1)    
3. SF Austin (5)    
4. Tarleton State (7)    
5. South Dakota (4)    
6. Youngstown State (2)    
7. North Dakota (6)
8. Illinois State (8)
9. Northern Arizona (12)
10. Montana (10)
15. Northern Iowa (15) 
18. Southern Illinois (20)

Toughest Schedules -- According to Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings, all nine MVFC programs rank in the top 28 nationally. The top 15 teams for SOS include eight in the MVFC and five from the Big Sky Conference.

FCS Leaders -- Strength of Schedule (Massey)
1. UNI (MVFC)    
2. Idaho (Big Sky)    
3. Youngstown St. (MVFC)    
4. E. Washington (Big Sky)    
5. Portland St. (Big Sky)    
6. N. Arizona (Big Sky)
7. S. Dakota St. (MVFC)
8. Utah Tech (Big Sky)
9. North Dakota (MVFC)
10. S. Illinois (MVFC)
11. Abilene Christian (UAC)
12. South Dakota (MVFC)
13. Indiana State (MVFC)
14. The Citadel (SoCon)
15. Murray State (MVFC)
28. Illinois State (MVFC)

Youngstown State Tops MVFC -- For the first time since the season-ending FCS poll of 2016, Youngstown State is the highest-rated MVFC team (Oct. 19 poll). The Penguins lead five MVFC ranked teams this week as YSU is No. 4 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches polls. Before last Monday, the last regular-season poll that featured YSU as the league’s top-rated team was on Sept. 3, 2007.

Brungard Named NFF William V. Campbell Trophy Finalist -- YSU QB Beau Brungard has been named one of the finalists for the 2026 National Football Foundation William V. Campbell Trophy®, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced. The William V. Campbell Trophy® is college football’s premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.

Four in MVFC in Top 10 Reveal -- The Division I Football Championship Committee released its FCS Top 10 rankings on Tuesday, Oct. 20. The second release, following week 10, will be Nov. 5.

FCS Top 10 -- Ranking #1
1. Montana State (Big Sky)
2. Tarleton State (UAC)
3. Youngstown State (MVFC)
4. SFA (Southland)
5. South Dakota State (MVFC)
6. North Dakota (MVFC)
7. Northern Arizona (Big Sky)
8. South Dakota (MVFC)
9. Austin Peay (UAC)
10. Harvard (Ivy League)
Receiving Top-10 Votes: Illinois State

Ranked vs. Ranked -- This week, there are two MVFC games that feature ranked teams playing one another. In Conference history, there have been 270 previous games in which two league teams ranked in the top 25 played one another. Of those 270 games, 77 times the meeting involved teams that were both ranked in the Top 10 at the same time. Twenty-one meetings have occurred in the playoffs. The home team is 149-119 in those games; the higher-ranked team is 171-97. Those figures include two neutral-site games, and two games in which the teams had the same national ranking.

MVFC Ranked vs. Ranked (Oct. 31)
[#9/#11] UND at [#4/#4] Youngstown State [ESPN+] -- 11:00 a.m. CT
[#6/#6] South Dakota at [#5/#5] SDSU [ESPNU] -- 3:00 p.m. CT

MVFC vs. Top 25 MVFC Teams | Remaining 
 

MVFC Team	Rec.	Remaining*
Illinois State	0-1	3 (at UND, at YSU, USD)
Indiana State	0-4	1 (at SDSU)
Murray State	0-4	2 (at ILS, YSU)
North Dakota	1-1	2 (at YSU, ILS)
UNI	2-1	2 (SDSU, at USD)
South Dakota	2-1	2 (at SDSU, at ILS)
South Dakota State	2-1	1 (USD)
Southern Illinois	1-2	2 (SDSU, at UND)
Youngstown State	3-1	2 (UND, ILS)

*Remaining = games left against teams currently in Top 25

Converting on Third Down -- MVFC schools hold the top two spots in the FCS for third-down conversion percentage. Youngstown State (.570) is on top, while Illinois State (.523) ranks second in the NCAA for success on third downs. The league’s all-time record (kept since 1997) is .554 by NDSU, established in 2013.

FCS Leaders, Third Down Conversions
1. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- .570
2. Illinois State (MVFC) -- .523

MVFC Offenses Atop FCS -- Three MVFC teams rank among the FCS’ top 10 scoring offenses in 2026, led by Youngstown State (7th, 39.1 ppg). The league’s all-time single-season mark is 42.6 ppg, established by Southern Illinois in 2004.

FCS Leaders, Scoring Offense
1. Alcorn (SWAC) -- 41.9
1. Tarleton St. (UAC) -- 41.9
3. SFA (Southland) -- 41.4
4. South Carolina St. (MEAC) -- 40.9
5. Alabama A&M (SWAC) -- 40.1
6. Montana St. (Big Sky) -- 39.5
7. Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 39.1
8. Montana (Big Sky) -- 37.8
9. South Dakota (MVFC) -- 37.7
10. South Dakota St. (MVFC) -- 37.1
 -- 
16. Illinois St. (MVFC) -- 35.1
17. North Dakota (MVFC) -- 35.1

Scoring Offense, Season (MVFC All-Time Records):
42.6, Southern Illinois, 2004 (12 games)
42.5, South Dakota State, 2024 (13 games)
41.5, North Dakota State, 2018 (15 games)

Putting Up the Points -- MVFC QBs hold two of the top nine spots in the FCS for most points responsible per game. Beau Brungard of Youngstown State leads the nation with 23.0 ppg.

FCS Leaders, Points Responsible For
1. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 23.0
2. Kaden Anderson, Tarleton St. (UAC) -- 20.3
3. Gavin Rutherford, SFA (Southland) -- 19.5
3. Jaylon Tolbert, Alcorn (SWAC) -- 19.5
5. Keali’i Ah Yat, Montana (Big Sky) -- 19.0
 -- 
9. Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota (MVFC) -- 17.3

FCS Leaders, Total TD Passes
1. Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota (MVFC) -- 24
1. Kaden Anderson, Tarleton St. (UAC) -- 24
1. Jaylon Tolbert, Alcorn (SWAC) -- 24
4. Keali’i Ah Yat, Montana (Big Sky) -- 22
5. Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota (MVFC) -- 21
5. Cornelious Brown, Alabama A&M (SWAC) -- 21
5. Jax Leatherwood, Tennessee Tech (SoCon) -- 21
5. Gavin Rutherford, SFA (Southland) -- 21
9. Beau Brungard, Youngstown St. (MVFC) -- 19


Two in MVFC on Stats Perform Jerry Rice Award Watch List -- Stats Perform’s 2026 Jerry Rice Award Watch List runs 30 deep – matching the largest in the FCS freshman player of the year award’s 16-year history.  The Jerry Rice Award is named after the legendary Hall of Fame wide receiver who starred in the FCS at Mississippi Valley State. True and redshirt freshmen are eligible.

MVFC Players on the Watch List
QB Austyn Modrzewski, South Dakota, R-Fr.
WR Jadyn Reed, Indiana State, WR, Fr.

Against the FBS -- Missouri Valley Football Conference schools have combined for 50 wins against FBS teams since 1985.

MVFC Teams w/ FBS Wins (50)
11 -- UNI
8 -- Western Illinois
6 -- Illinois State, NDSU
5 -- Indiana State, Southern Illinois
4 -- Youngstown State
2 -- SDSU
1 -- Eastern Illinois, Missouri State, South Dakota

MVFC-Big Sky Challenge Series -- The MVFC and the Big Sky Conference announced a Challenge Series between the two leagues before the 2017 season. (Only regular-season contests count in the series standings.)  The MVFC claimed the 2026 series with a 3-1 advantage.  The MVFC has never lost a season series in the Challenge.

Series History (2017-26)
2017 (MVFC Wins, 5-3) | Playoffs: Big Sky 1-0
2018 (MVFC Wins, 5-3) | Playoffs: MVFC 2-1
2019 (MVFC Wins, 6-4) | Playoffs: MVFC 1-0
20-21 (COVID) | Playoffs: MVFC 2-0
2021 (MVFC Wins, 4-2) | Playoffs: MVFC 3-2
2022 (Series Tied, 3-3) | Playoffs: MVFC 2-1
2023 (MVFC Wins, 4-1) | Playoffs: Tied 3-3
2024 (MVFC Wins, 2-1) | Playoffs: MVFC 3-2
2025 (MVFC Wins, 5-2) | Playoffs: Big Sky 3-1
2026 (3-1) | Playoffs: 0-0
S5 -- at Eastern Washington 34, UNI 24
S5 -- South Dakota 38, at Northern Colorado 23
S12 -- at South Dakota 41, Eastern Washington 23
S12 -- North Dakota 47, at Portland State 23

Quite The Day:  9-0 -- For the first time in the league’s 42-year history, all Conference teams played and all teams won on the same day.  MVFC teams went 9-0 on Sept. 12 against non-league foes, which included the league’s 50th all-time win against an FBS opponent (Illinois State defeated Northern Illinois). 

MVFC: NFL Pipeline -- The MVFC has established itself as one of the most reliable pipelines of NFL talent in the FCS.  Program highlights include Carson Wentz (2016, 2nd overall pick), Trey Lance (2021, 3rd overall pick), and a conference-record nine players drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. Two NDSU players were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. A total of 99 players have been selected in the NFL Draft in the league’s 41-year history.

Jackrabbits Favored -- For the third time in the past four seasons, South Dakota State has been picked by a voting panel of league coaches, school communications directors, and media as the team to beat in the MVFC.

National Pedigree -- The MVFC holds an FCS-best 14 national championships — more than any other conference. The MVFC has appeared in the FCS National Championship Game 21 times and holds a 14-7 record in those games. Illinois State’s national title game appearance in 2025 marked the 15th consecutive championship game appearance for an MVFC program, extending the conference’s own FCS record.

We’ve Got Six -- In 2021, 2023 and 2025, the MVFC sent six teams to the FCS playoffs — matching the all-time FCS record for bids by a single conference in a single season. Only the CAA (2018) had previously achieved six bids.

Non-Conference Success -- Since 2010, MVFC teams are a combined 115-54 (.680) in FCS playoff games. Against opponents from other conferences, the league is an even more dominant 96-35 (.733).  An MVFC team has reached the FCS semifinals 24 times in the past 15 seasons (38 times overall). The league has placed two semifinal teams in the same year eight times since 2014 — and three in 2024, which was a first in FCS history.