Open Season -- The Missouri Valley Football Conference begins its 42nd season of competition on Thursday, Aug. 27, with four non-league games.  Eight of the league's nine teams are in action this week/weekend.

Weekly Notebook (PDF)

Non-Conference Success — Last year the MVFC was 30-11 against non-conference FCS programs, which included an 18-2 mark at home.

National Pedigree -- The MVFC holds an FCS-best 14 national championships — more than any other conference in the sport's history.   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 Nashville. That marked the 15th consecutive championship game appearance for an MVFC program, extending the conference's own FCS record.

Playoff 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.

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

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.

 

MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL
MVFC Stats  – Click Here   |  MVFC Composite Schedule -- Click Here  |  NCAA Statistics – Click Here    |  NCAA FCS Records -- Click Here
MVFC Records  -- Click Here    |    MVFC Draft Database -- Click Here  |  MVFC in the Playoffs -- Click Here  |  MVFC All-Time Honors -- Click Here
Top-25 Polls -- Click Here  |  Stats Perform --  Click Here   |   HERO Sports -- Click Here   |   FCS Nation -- Click Here

PRESEASON HIGHLIGHTS
Missouri Valley Football Preseason Poll -- Click Here for Poll Results
Stats Perform Preseason All-America Team -- Click Here
Phil Steele Preseason All-America Team -- Click Here
FCS Football Central Preseason All-America Team -- Click Here
Stats Perform Preseason Watch Lists -- Walter Payton Award  |  Buck Buchanan Award
FCS Punter of the Year Watch List -- Click Here

Thursday, Aug. 27
Mercyhurst at [#9/9]  Youngstown State [ESPN+]	5 p.m. CT
[#16/16]  Southern Illinois at West Florida [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
Eastern Illinois at Murray State [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
LIU at [#10/10]  North Dakota [Midco/ESPN+]	7 p.m. CT
Saturday, Aug. 29
Central Conn. at [#12/12]  South Dakota [Midco/ESPN+]	1 p.m. CT
[RV]  SEMO at Indiana State [ESPN+]	5 p.m. CT
Stetson at [#3/3]  SDSU [Midco/KELO/ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
St. Francis (Ill.) at [#4/4]  Illinois State [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT

 
FCS rankings listed are Stats Perform/AFCA Coaches polls;
FBS rankings list only the highest rating of AP/AFCA