What’s On Tap -- All nine Missouri Valley Football Conference teams are in action this weekend, with a heavy slate of road games. UNI plays its season opener at Eastern Washington. Of the nine MVFC games this week, eight are on the road, and four of those are at FBS sites.

Weekly Notebook (PDF)

 

Thursday, Sept. 3
[RV/#25] Southern Illinois at Samford [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
Friday, Sept. 4
Indiana State at Purdue [Big Ten Network]	6 p.m. CT
Saturday, Sept. 5
[#9/#7] Youngstown State at Kentucky [SECN+]	12 p.m. CT
St. Thomas at [#8/#9] North Dakota [Midco/ESPN+]	3 p.m. CT
UNI at Eastern Washington [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
[#4/#4] Illinois State at Western Illinois [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
Murray State at Middle Tennessee [ESPN+]	6 p.m. CT
[#2/#2] SDSU at Northwestern [Big Ten Network]	7 p.m. CT
[#11/#12] South Dakota at Northern Colorado [ESPN+]	7 p.m. CT

 
FCS rankings listed are Stats Perform/AFCA Coaches polls;

FBS rankings list only the highest rating of AP/AFCA

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   |   FCS Nation -- Click Here


Weekly MVFC Honors -- This week's Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week include QB Austyn Modrzewski of South Dakota, LB Chase Van Tol of South Dakota State, P Hayden Futch of Illinois State, and LT Quinten Christensen of South Dakota State
Click Here (Online Story)
 

Six MVFC Teams Ranked This Week --  South Dakota State, Illinois State, Youngstown State, North Dakota, South Dakota and Southern Illinois represent the Missouri Valley Football Conference in the AFCA coaches poll this week. Six or more MVFC teams have been ranked in the same top-25 poll 98 times, including a record 14-straight weeks in 2025 and both weeks this season.

National Player of the Week -- In his first collegiate start, South Dakota QB Austyn Modrzewski had 304 yards passing and tied the USD single-game record for touchdown passes with six on the day as No. 12-ranked South Dakota rolled past Central Connecticut State 59-20. He earned Stats Perform National Freshman of the Week honors (Aug. 31).

Against the FBS -- Missouri Valley Football Conference schools have combined for 49 wins against FBS teams since 1985. Four MVFC games this weekend are against FBS teams.

MVFC Teams w/ FBS Wins (49)
11 -- UNI
8 -- Western Illinois
6 -- NDSU
5 -- Illinois State, Indiana State, Southern Illinois
4 -- Youngstown State
2 -- SDSU
1 -- Eastern Illinois, Missouri State, South Dakota

Strike Force — South Dakota’s Austyn Modrzewski threw six TD strikes in his collegiate debut over the weekend -- the six TD passes are tied for third-best in a game in MVFC history.

Most TD Passes in a Game, MVFC History
7, Ryan Berry, SDSU, vs. Illinois State, 2008
7, Michael Lindauer, SIU, vs. Murray State, 2024
6, Austyn Modrzewski, USD, vs. Central Connecticut, 2025
6, Mike Smith, UNI, vs. McNeese State, 1986
6, Kevin Glenn, ILS, vs. Southern Utah, 1998
6, Sherard Poteete, SIU, vs. Murray State, 1999
6, Matt Barr, WIU, vs. Illinois State, 2010
6, Austin Sumner, SDSU, vs. Western Illinois, 2014
6, Mark Iannotti, SIU, vs. SE Missouri State, 2014

It’s a Rush — South Dakota State (2nd) and Illinois State (4th) rank in the Top 5 nationally in rushing offense after the first weekend.

MVFC-Big Sky Challenge Series — In an effort to publicize current matchups and promote future non-conference scheduling between two of the premier FCS conferences, 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 2025 series with a 5-2 advantage.  The MVFC has never lost a season series in the Challenge.

Series History (2017-25)
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 (0-0) | Playoffs: 0-0
S5 -- UNI at Eastern Washington
S5 -- South Dakota at Northern Colorado
S12 -- Eastern Washington at South Dakota
S12 -- North Dakota at Portland State

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.