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 Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2026.   The Jackrabbits earned 28 of 36 possible first-place tallies and 312 total points.   National runnerup Illinois State was picked second as the Redbirds earned three first-place votes and 256 total points.  Youngstown State is the third choice, with 235 total points.   

The Penguins were last picked as high as third in 2017, while the Redbirds were last picked as high as second in the league's preseason poll in 2015.

Five different MVFC schools (South Dakota State, Illinois State, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Southern Illinois) received at least one first-place vote.  That ties a record -- five teams earned first-place votes in 1993, 2001, and 2008 previously.

In conjunction with the announcement of the league's preseason poll, the Conference has announced its 2026 Watch List, which is below.
 

2026 MVFC Preseason Poll	PTS
South Dakota State (28)	312
Illinois State (3)	256
Youngstown State	235
North Dakota (2)	211
South Dakota (2)	196
Southern Illinois (1)	186
Northern Iowa	99
Indiana State	80
Murray State	45

The MVFC holds an FCS-best 14 national championships — more than any other conference in the sport's history. North Dakota State has been the standard-bearer, winning ten titles (2011–15, 2017–19, 2021, 2024), while South Dakota State claimed back-to-back crowns in 2022 and 2023. Western Kentucky (2002) and Youngstown State (1997) round out the league's championship portfolio.   League members Youngstown State (3) and Southern Illinois (1) also won titles prior to joining the conference, meaning 18 FCS championship trophies in all are housed on MVFC campuses — out of 48 total FCS championships ever awarded.

The MVFC has appeared in the FCS National Championship Game 21 times — all since 1997 — and holds a 14-7 record in those games. The league's most recent appearance came in 2025, when Illinois State fell to No. 2 seed Montana State 35–34 in overtime in Frisco, Texas. That marked the 15th consecutive championship game appearance for an MVFC program, extending the conference's own FCS record.   Runner-up finishes have been contributed by: Youngstown State (3 times), UNI (2005), Illinois State (2014 and 2025), South Dakota State (Spring 2021), and North Dakota State (2022). 

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

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.



MVFC PRESEASON WATCH LIST
QB: Beau Brungard, Youngstown State
QB: Jaxon Dailey, UNI
QB: Jerry Kaminski, North Dakota
QB: Chase Mason, South Dakota State
QB: Elijah Owens, Indiana State
QB: DJ Williams, Southern Illinois
RB: Chandler Chapman, Southern Illinois
RB: Victor Dawson, Illinois State
RB: Jaden Gilbert, Youngstown State
RB: Keyondray Jones-Logan, South Dakota
RB: Ramon McKinney Jr., South Dakota State
RB: Charles Pierre Jr., South Dakota
RB: Edward Robinson, Southern Illinois
FB: Mason South, North Dakota
WR: Tysen Boze, South Dakota
WR: Tennel Bryant, South Dakota
WR: Deng Deng, North Dakota
WR: Grahm Goering, South Dakota State
WR: Dylan Lord, Illinois State
WR: Luke Mailander, Illinois State
WR: Allen Middleton, Southern Illinois
WR: Lofton O'Groske, South Dakota State
WR: KeShon Singleton, Indiana State
WR: Fresh Walters, Youngstown State
WR: Dorian Williams, Youngstown State
TE: Austin Bray, Youngstown State
TE: Greyton Gannon, South Dakota State
TE: Coleman Kuntz, South Dakota State
TE: Jesse Miller, South Dakota
OL: Liam Becher, North Dakota
OL: Logan Brasfield, Illinois State
OL: Ben Buxa, North Dakota
OL: Quinten Christensen, South Dakota State
OL: Jake Darby, Murray State
OL: Blaine Halley, Southern Illinois
OL: Derek Harden, Southern Illinois
OL: Desmeal Leigh, Youngstown State
OL: Shane Keenan, Youngstown State
OL: Kyle Kelly, UNI
OL: Nick Nielsen, Youngstown State
OL: Drew Page, Indiana State
OL: AJ Shadid, Murray State
OL: Zach Simpson, Indiana State
OL: Trace Thaden, North Dakota
OL: Shane Willenbring, South Dakota State
OL: Landon Woodard, Illinois State
OL: Brock Woolf, South Dakota

DL: Jayden Childers, Indiana State
DL: Chris Dixon, South Dakota
DL: Amir Dwight, Southern Illinois
DL: Kolten Gajewski, Indiana State
DL: Logan Green, South Dakota State
DL: Ben Harman, Illinois State
DL: Thomas Jolly, Youngstown State
DL: Mason Knipp, Indiana State
DL: Reis Kirschenman, South Dakota State
DL: Nathan Laperi, South Dakota
DL: Jake Parrella, Southern Illinois
DL: Jaylen Pettus, UNI
DL: Dawson Ripperda, South Dakota State
DL: Lance Rucker, North Dakota
DL: Jace Sifore, South Dakota State
DL: Carter Sitzman, South Dakota State
DL: Kaden Vig, North Dakota
DL: Jayden Walker, Murray State
DL: Mike Wells, Youngstown State
LB: Andrew Behm, Southern Illinois
LB: Conlee Crossno, Murray State
LB: Micheal Devereaux, North Dakota
LB: Gabe Hardman, South Dakota
LB: Klayton Ingram, Murray State
LB: Mason Kaplan, Illinois State
LB: Carston Marshall, Youngstown State
LB: Cullen McShane, South Dakota State
LB: Kolben Miller, UNI
LB: Dexter Niekamp, Illinois State
LB: Tye Niekamp, Illinois State
LB: Chris Presto, Southern Illinois
LB: Braxton Sampson, Indiana State
LB: Chase Van Tol, South Dakota State
DB: Xavian Andrews, Indiana State
DB: La'Shavion Brown, Illinois State
DB: Raleigh Collins, Youngstown State
DB: Ife Current, South Dakota State
DB: Dev Holman, Youngstown State
DB: Jordan McClom, UNI
DB: Grant Noland, North Dakota
DB: Vinny Pierre, Southern Illinois
DB: Dylan Rowsey, Murray State
DB: Noah St. Juste, South Dakota State
DB: Gavin Shephard, Southern Illinois
DB: Cam Smith, Youngstown State
DB: RJ Stewart, South Dakota
DB: Jorge Valdes, Indiana State
DB: Nic Yatsko, Indiana State
PK: Andrew Lastovka, Youngstown State
P: Hayden Futch, Illinois State 
P: Logan Gregory, UNI
P: Max Pelham, South Dakota State
P: Luke Silvernale, North Dakota
LS: Ryan Algrim, Southern Illinois
RS/APB: Mar'Quan Gary, Illinois State
RS/APB: Jack Smith, South Dakota State