Five MVFC Teams in the Polls -- Five Missouri Valley Football teams are in both the Stats Perform poll and AFCA Coaches poll this week (Nov. 9). Including this week, the MVFC has had five teams in the top 15 of a national poll during the same week 12 times this year and 59 times in MVFC history. On Oct. 26, 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). This week, five teams from the MVFC are in the top 15 of the Stats Perform top-25 poll.

MVFC Against The Top 25 -- Youngstown State has the league’s best record this season while facing top-25 MVFC teams as the Penguins are 4-1 against ranked MVFC opponents.  South Dakota State is next-best (at 3-1).

MVFC vs. Top 25 MVFC Teams | Remaining 

Team	Rec.	Remaining
Illinois State	0-3	2 (at YSU, USD)
Indiana State	0-4	1 (at SDSU)
Murray State	0-5	1 (YSU)
North Dakota	2-2	0
UNI	2-1	2 (SDSU, at USD)
South Dakota	2-2	1 (at ILS)
South Dakota State	3-1	0
Southern Illinois	1-2	2 (SDSU, at UND)
Youngstown State	4-1	1 (ILS)

*Remaining = games left against teams currently in Top 25

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
 

Conference	Rec.	Pct.
1. Missouri Valley Football	19-4	0.826
2. Ivy	17-7	0.708
3. United	16-11	0.593
4. Southland	7-5	0.583
5. Big Sky	13-10	0.565
6. MEAC	14-12	0.538
7. SoCon	13-12	0.520
8. Coastal	16-15	0.516
9. Patriot	10-10	0.500
10. OVC	11-14	0.440
11. SWAC	6-9	0.400
12. PFL	5-19	0.208
13. NEC	3-22	0.120

Ratings Leaders (Massey/Sagarin) -- Five MVFC teams rank among the top 10 in the Massey Ratings. South Dakota State leads the MVFC at No. 2.  The MVFC (5) and Big Sky (3) have eight of the top-10 teams in Massey. 
 

FCS Massey Leaders	Sagarin	SOS
1. Montana State (Big Sky)	2	24
2. SDSU (MVFC)	1	8
3. Tarleton State (UAC)	7	47
4. YSU (MVFC)	3	4
5. South Dakota (MVFC)	5	6
6. North Dakota (MVFC)	4	5
7. Northern Arizona (Big Sky)	9	9
8. SFA (Southland)	6	62
9. Montana (Big Sky)	8	19
10. Illinois State (MVFC)	15	23
18. UNI (MVFC)	22	1
19. S. Illinois (MVFC)	20	4

Toughest Schedules -- According to Massey’s Strength of Schedule ratings, all nine MVFC programs rank in the top 23 nationally. UNI’s SOS is rated as the toughest in the nation, while Youngstown State (4), North Dakota (5), South Dakota (6) and South Dakota State (8) represent the MVFC in the top 10 for strength of schedule.  YSU, UND, USD, and SDSU are joined by Northern Arizona as the only schools in the top 10 who also have an overall record above .500.
 

Stats Perform Top 25 Poll (Nov. 9)
RANK	SCHOOL	Pts.	Prev.
1	Tarleton State (48)	1415	1
2	Montana State (6)	1342	3
3	Youngstown State (2)	1295	4
4	South Dakota State (1)	1280	5
5	Northern Arizona	1169	6
6	Austin Peay	1047	7
7	Lamar	1029	13
7	Stephen F. Austin	1029	2
9	Tennessee Tech	986	9
10	South Dakota	978	8
11	North Dakota	887	11
12	Montana	811	12
13	Mercer	730	14
14	Monmouth	620	15
15	Illinois State	617	10
16	Campbell	547	16
17	Lehigh	509	17
18	Weber State	458	18
19	Harvard	426	T19
20	South Carolina State	274	24
21	Idaho State	212	22
22	UIW	143	NR
23	UC Davis	121	NR
24	Abilene Christian	120	23
25	Princeton	83	NR

 

Dropped Out: ETSU (19-tie), UAlbany (21), Chattanooga (25)

Others Receiving Points (schools listed on two or more ballots): Dayton (8-1, 5-1 Pioneer): 62; ETSU (6-4, 4-2 Southern): 59; Jackson State (7-2, 4-2 SWAC): 50; Villanova (6-4, 5-2 Patriot): 36; Idaho (5-5, 5-2 Big Sky): 34; Chattanooga (6-4, 5-2 Southern): 32; Central Connecticut State (6-3, 5-0 NEC): 31; UAlbany (6-4, 4-2 CAA): 29; Bryant (6-4, 4-2 CAA): 13; Richmond (6-4, 4-3 Patriot): 12; Southern Illinois (5-5, 3-3 MVFC): 9; Alabama A&M (7-3, 4-2 SWAC): 8; North Alabama (6-4, 4-2 UAC): 7; Western Illinois (6-4, 4-1 OVC): 5

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll Voting Panel – Stats Perform: Craig Haley. Big Sky Conference: Riley Corcoran, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. CAA Football: Roger Brown, Matt Harmon, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: JJ Klein, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Isaiah Green, Kendrick Lewis. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Kyle Grooms, Tom Miller, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Brian Cleary. Ohio Valley Conference: Mike Bradd, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. Patriot League: Bob Black, Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Larry Hansgen. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Anthony Goss, Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Curtis Ford, Ronnie Johnson. United Athletic Conference: Claire Johnson, Benjamin Ray, Jake Withee. National Representatives: Sean Anderson, Stan Becton, Taylor Blue, Zack Carlton, Gene Clemons, Joe DeLeone, Matt Dixon, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Timothy Rosario, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.

 

AFCA Coaches Top-25 Poll (Nov. 9)
RANK	SCHOOL	Pts.	Prev.
1	Tarleton State (26)	650	1
2	Montana State	606	3
3	Youngstown State	591	4
4	South Dakota State	576	5
5	Northern Arizona	536	6
6	Austin Peay	499	7
7	Stephen F. Austin	470	2
8	Lamar	464	12
9	Tennessee Tech	434	9
10	South Dakota	390	10
11	Mercer	385	11
T12	Montana	354	13
T12	North Dakota	354	15
14	Monmouth	331	14
15	Lehigh	255	16
16	Campbell	241	19
17	Illinois State	222	8
18	South Carolina State	220	17
19	Harvard	203	T22
20	Weber State	134	25
21	Idaho State	126	18
22	Jackson State	76	NR
23	Princeton	60	NR
24	Abilene Christian	34	T22
25	UAlbany	31	20

Dropped Out: East Tennessee St. (21), Alabama A&M (24)

Others Receiving Votes: East Tennessee St., 29; UC Davis, 27; UIW, 25; Chattanooga, 22; Dayton, 22; Central Connecticut St., 19; North Alabama, 11; Bryant, 10; Idaho, 10; Alabama A&M, 9; Villanova, 8; Morgan St., 7; Richmond, 4; Southeast Missouri St., 2; Brown, 1; Butler, 1; UT Rio Grande Valley, 1.

 

AGS Top 25 Poll (Nov. 9)
Rank	Team:	Points	1st Place
1	Tarleton State Texans	998	29
2	Montana State Bobcats	956	6
3	South Dakota State Jackrabbits	946	5
4	Youngstown State Penguins	944	1
5	Northern Arizona Lumberjacks	818
6	South Dakota Coyotes	770
7	Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks	714
8	Austin Peay Governors	713
9	Lamar Cardinals	696
10	Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles	686
11	North Dakota Fighting Hawks	673
12	Montana Grizzlies	579
13	Mercer Bears	524
14	Monmouth Hawks	470
15	Illinois State Redbirds	424
16	Campbell Fighting Camels	373
17	Harvard Crimson	349
18T	Lehigh Mountain Hawks	305
18T	Weber State Wildcats	305
20	Abilene Christian Wildcats	195
21	Idaho State Bengals	180
22	Incarnate Word Cardinals	149
23	Idaho Vandals	119
24	East Tennessee State	81
25	Princeton Tigers	79