2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference season
| 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference season | |
|---|---|
| League | NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision |
| Sport | Football |
| Duration | August 28, 2025 through January 5, 2026 |
| Teams | 10 |
| TV partner(s) | ESPN College Football, ESPN+, Local TV partners |
| 2026 NFL draft | |
| Regular season | |
| Champion Playoff participants | North Dakota State South Dakota South Dakota State Youngstown State Illinois State North Dakota |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 4т North Dakota State $^ | 8 | – | 0 | 12 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 South Dakota ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Illinois State ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 12 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 North Dakota ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Youngstown State ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 South Dakota State ^ | 4 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Southern Illinois | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Iowa | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Murray State | 1 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana State | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 40th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's first season dropping to 10 teams since the 2019 season, and will be the last for now.
Illinois State made it to the National Championship as the first FCS team ever to win four playoff road games.[1] They were defeated in the title game by Montana State.[2] South Dakota made the playoffs as the 11th seed and was able to make the quarterfinals before falling to 3rd seeded Montana.[3] North Dakota State (1st seed) and South Dakota State (14th seed) both lost in the second round of the playoffs, to Illinois State[4] and Montana[5] respectively. This was the first year that NDSU made the playoffs but did not manage to reach the quarterfinal round. North Dakota also made it to the second round after playing on the road in the first round, but they fell on the road to Tarleton State to end their postseason.[6] Youngstown State made the playoffs as well, but lost to Yale at home in the first round.[7]
Conference changes
After the conclusion of the 2024 college football season, Missouri State left the conference to reclassify to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and move to Conference USA after 39 years in the league as a charter member. This move matches the Bears' departure from MVFC's sister conference, the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), which they also left after the 2024–25 collegiate season.[8]
Later, on May 5, 2025, the conference announced a new governance structure to begin on July 1, 2025 that placed MVC commissioner Jeff Jackson as the next MVFC commissioner following Patty Viverito's retirement on June 30. It also placed Summit League commissioner Josh Fenton as an executive advisor to the conference. The new structure formalized the decades-long unofficial ties between the MVC and MVFC, and also established a formal relationship between the MVFC and Summit.[9]
Coaching changes
North Dakota
On December 8, 2024, Eric Schmidt was named the next head coach at North Dakota.[10] Schmidt takes over for Bubba Schweigert, who stepped down after the 2024 season.[11]
Northern Iowa
On December 3, 2024, Todd Stepsis was named the new head coach at Northern Iowa.[12] Stepsis takes over for longtime coach Mark Farley, who retired after the 2024 season.[13]
South Dakota
On January 16, 2025, Travis Johansen was named the next head coach at South Dakota.[14] Johansen steps in for Bob Nielson, who retired after the 2024 season.[15]
South Dakota State
On December 31, 2024, Dan Jackson was named the next head coach at South Dakota State.[16] Jackson was hired after Jimmy Rogers left the program to become the next head coach at Washington State.[17]
Preseason
League poll
The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members.[18]
| Predicted finish |
Team | Points (First place votes) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | 417 (39) |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 355 |
| 3 | South Dakota | 349 (3) |
| 4 | Illinois State | 292 |
| 5 | Youngstown State | 211 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 208 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 196 |
| 8 | Northern Iowa | 130 |
| 9 | Indiana State | 105 |
| 10 | Murray State | 47 |
Individual awards
In a departure from seasons past, the MVFC released a player "watch-list" that was voted on by the league's athletic directors, coaches, and media members.
|
Rankings
| Improvement in ranking | ||
| Drop in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| No change in ranking from previous week | ||
| RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll | |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
| Pre | Wk 1 |
Wk 2 |
Wk 3 |
Wk 4 |
Wk 5 |
Wk 6 |
Wk 7 |
Wk 8 |
Wk 9 |
Wk 10 |
Wk 11 |
Wk 12 |
Wk 13 |
Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | STATS | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 17т | 2 |
| Coaches | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 11т | 17 | 2 | |
| Indiana State | STATS | |||||||||||||||
| Coaches | RV | |||||||||||||||
| Murray State | STATS | |||||||||||||||
| Coaches | ||||||||||||||||
| North Dakota | STATS | RV | 20 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 19 | 14 |
| Coaches | RV | 22 | 17 | 17 | 15т | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 23 | 16 | |
| North Dakota State | STATS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4т |
| Coaches | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Northern Iowa | STATS | |||||||||||||||
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||||||
| South Dakota | STATS | 4 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 21 | RV | 22 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
| Coaches | 5 | 6 | 20 | 21 | 18 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 11 | |
| South Dakota State | STATS | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4т | 8 | 16 | 22 | 16 | 13 |
| Coaches | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 22 | 18 | 14 | |
| Southern Illinois | STATS | 20 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 23 | 25 |
| Coaches | 20 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 23 | RV | 25 | RV | |
| Youngstown State | STATS | RV | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 24 | RV | RV | 22 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 18 |
| Coaches | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 17 |
Schedule
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| MVFC member won |
| MVFC member lost |
| MVFC teams in bold |
All times Central time.
† denotes Homecoming game
^ denotes AP Poll ranking for FBS teams
Regular season schedule
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
| Date | Bye Week | |
|---|---|---|
| September 20 | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 2 South Dakota State |
Week 5
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 27 | 1:00 PM | No. 17 South Dakota | No. 1 North Dakota State† | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 51–13 | 18,498 | [57] |
| September 27 | 2:00 PM | Mercyhurst | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 51–7 | 19,034 | [58] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 27 | No. 7 Illinois State | Indiana State | Murray State | No. 14 North Dakota | Northern Iowa | No. 11 Southern Illinois | No. 24 Youngstown State |
Week 6
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 4 | 2:00 PM | Murray State | No. 21 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 49–24 | 7,953 | [59] |
| October 4 | 4:00 PM | No. 15 North Dakota | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UND 35–7 | 12,048 | [60] |
| October 4 | 5:00 PM | No. 2 South Dakota State | No. 24 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SDSU 35–30 | 11,068 | [61] |
| October 4 | 6:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 6 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 33–16 | 9,829 | [62] |
| October 4 | 6:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 10 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 55–27 | 10,132 | [63] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 7
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 11 | 12:00 PM | No. 23 South Dakota | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | USD 19–14 | 5,373 | [64] |
| October 11 | 2:00 PM | Northern Iowa | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 31–3 | 19,342 | [65] |
| October 11 | 2:30 PM | No. 8 Southern Illinois | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 45–17 | 15,812 | [66] |
| October 11 | 3:00 PM | No. RV Youngstown State | No. 13 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 35–17 | 11,960 | [67] |
| October 11 | 6:00 PM | No. 9 Illinois State | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | ILST 46–32 | 5,647 | [68] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 8
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 18 | 12:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | NDSU 38–7 | 3,252 | [69] |
| October 18 | 1:00 PM | No. 2 South Dakota State | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | SDSU 35–14 | 6,746 | [70] |
| October 18 | 1:00 PM | No. 22 South Dakota | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | USD 17–14 | 8,434 | [71] |
| October 18 | 2:00 PM | No. RV Youngstown State | No. 10 Illinois State† | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | YSU 40–35 | 9,834 | [72] |
| October 18 | 2:00 PM | No. 9 North Dakota | No. 12 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | UND 38–19 | 5,132 | [73] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 9
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 25 | 1:00 PM | No. 18 Illinois State | No. 21 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | ILST 21–13 | 6,333 | [74] |
| October 25 | 1:00 PM | Murray State | No. 22 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 51–17 | 9,664 | [75] |
| October 25 | 2:00 PM | Northern Iowa | No. 16 Southern Illinois† | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 31–17 | 8,115 | [76] |
| October 25 | 3:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 8 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 46–17 | 10,618 | [77] |
| October 25 | 7:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD (Dakota Marker) | ESPNU | NDSU 38–7 | 19,477 | [78] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 10
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1 | 1:00 PM | No. 8 North Dakota | No. RV South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD (Sitting Bull Trophy) | ESPN+ | USD 26–21 | 6,809 | [79] |
| November 1 | 2:00 PM | Northern Iowa | No. 17 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | ILST 31–16 | 7,756 | [80] |
| November 1 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 4т South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | INST 24–12 | 15,842 | [81] |
| November 1 | 2:30 PM | No. 18 Youngstown State | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 38–30 | 14,607 | [82] |
| November 1 | 4:00 PM | No. 16 Southern Illinois | Murray State† | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | SIU 27–7 | 8,506 | [83] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 11
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 8 | 12:00 PM | No. 16 Illinois State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | ILST 52–20 | 3,202 | [84] |
| November 8 | 1:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 13 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND (Nickel Trophy) | ESPN+ | NDSU 15–10 | 12,749 | [85] |
| November 8 | 1:00 PM | Murray State | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 31–14 | 8,529 | [86] |
| November 8 | 1:00 PM | No. 15 Southern Illinois | No. 21 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 48–38 | 8,448 | [87] |
| November 8 | 3:00 PM | No. 8 South Dakota State | No. 22 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD (rivalry) | ESPNU | USD 24–17 | 9,159 | [88] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 12
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 15 | 11:00 AM | No. 13 North Dakota | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | UND 35–17 | 6,783 | [89] |
| November 15 | 11:00 AM | Indiana State | No. 20 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 48–29 | 7,392 | [90] |
| November 15 | 12:00 PM | No. 17 South Dakota | No. 21 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | USD 53–51 5OT | 5,622 | [91] |
| November 15 | 2:00 PM | No. 14 Illinois State | No. 16 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | ILST 35–21 | 11,407 | [92] |
| November 15 | 2:30 PM | Northern Iowa | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 48–16 | 14,736 | [93] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 13
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 22 | 12:00 PM | No. 24 Southern Illinois | No. 11 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 37–7 | 6,895 | [94] |
| November 22 | 12:00 PM | Murray State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | MUST 31–17 | 2,834 | [95] |
| November 22 | 1:00 PM | No. 22 South Dakota State | No. 13 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | SDSU 34–31 OT | 11,396 | [96] |
| November 22 | 1:00 PM | No. 18 Youngstown State | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | YSU 35–32 | 7,361 | [97] |
| November 22 | 2:30 PM | St. Thomas | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 62–7 | 15,278 | [98] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
|---|---|
| November 22 | No. 16 South Dakota |
FCS playoffs
In 2025, six teams made the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State (No. 1) received a first round bye; South Dakota (No. 11), South Dakota State (No. 14), Youngstown State (No. 15), Illinois State, and North Dakota played in the first round. Below are the games in which they played.
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| MVFC member won |
| MVFC member lost |
| MVFC teams in bold |
All times Central time, seedings in parenthesis.
First round
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 29 | 11:00 AM | No. 24 Yale (Ivy League) | No. 14 (15) Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | L 42–43 | 4,869 | [99] |
| November 29 | 12:00 PM | No. RV Drake (PFL) | No. 12 (11) South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | W 38–17 | 3,964 | [100] |
| November 29 | 12:00 PM | No. 22 New Hampshire (CAA) | No. 16 (14) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 41–3 | 3,843 | [101] |
| November 29 | 12:00 PM | No. 17т Illinois State | No. 17т (16) Southeastern Louisiana (Southland) | Strawberry Stadium • Hammond, LA | ESPN+ | W 21–3 | 3,321 | [102] |
| November 29 | 12:00 PM | No. 19 North Dakota | No. 6 (13) Tennessee Tech (OVC–Big South) | Tucker Stadium • Cookeville, TN | ESPN+ | W 31–6 | 4,641 | [103] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Second round
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6 | 11:00 AM | No. 11 (12) South Dakota | No. 7 (6) Mercer (SoCon) | Five Star Stadium • Macon, GA | ESPN+ | W 47–0 | 3,042 | [104] |
| December 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 17т Illinois State | No. 1 (1) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | ILST 29–28 | 10,464 | [105] |
| December 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 19 North Dakota | No. 5 (4) Tarleton State (UAC) | Memorial Stadium • Stephenville, TX | ESPN+ | L 13–31 | 19,742 | [106] |
| December 6 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 (14) South Dakota State | No. 3 (3) Montana (Big Sky) | Washington-Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT | ESPN+ | L 29–50 | 18,197 | [107] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 13 | 2:30 PM | No. 11 (12) South Dakota | No. 3 (3) Montana (Big Sky) | Washington-Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT | ABC | L 22–52 | 22,725 | [108] |
| December 13 | 4:00 PM | No. 17т Illinois State | No. 11 (8) UC Davis (Big Sky) | UC Davis Health Stadium • Davis, CA | ESPN+ | W 42–31 | 9,216 | [109] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Semifinals
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 20 | 6:30 PM | No. 17т Illinois State | No. 9 (12) Villanova (CAA) | Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA | ESPN2 | W 30–14 | 4,133 | [110] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
National Championship
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 5 | 6:30 PM | No. 17т Illinois State | No. 2 (2) Montana State (Big Sky) | FirstBank Stadium • Nashville, TN | ESPN | L 34–35OT | 24,105 | [111] |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
MVFC records vs other conferences
2025–26 records against non-conference foes:
|
Postseason
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Awards and honors
Players of the week honors
| Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special teams | Newcomer | Offensive line | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | |
| Week 1 (Sept. 1) [112] | Plez Lawrence | RB | INST | Dathan Hickey | DB | YSU | Sebastian Lopez | PK | INST | Julius Loughridge | RB | SDSU | Seth Anderson | OL | UND |
| Week 2 (Sept. 8) [113] | Beau Brungard | QB | YSU | Logan Wilson | DL | INST | Matt Maldonado | PK | ILST | Larry Stephens III | WR | INST | Jake Pope | OT | ILST |
| Week 3 (Sept. 15) [114] | L. J. Phillips Jr. | RB | USD | Tye Niekamp | LB | ILST | Paul Geelen | K/P | SIU | Ayden Price | WR | UNI | Brock Woolf | RT | USD |
| Week 4 (Sept. 22) [115] | DJ Williams | QB | SIU | Chris Presto | LB | SIU | Shadwel Nkuba II | DB | ILST | Andrew Lastovka | PK | YSU | Derek Harden | OG | SIU |
| Week 5 (Sept. 29) [116] | Cole Payton | QB | NDSU | Nathaniel Staehling | LB | NDSU | Jackson Williams | RS | NDSU | James Basinger | RB | SDSU | Griffin Empey | RG | NDSU |
| Week 6 (Oct. 6) [117] | Jerry Kaminski | QB | UND | Shug Walker | LB | SIU | Alex Bullock | WR | SDSU | Max Pelham | P | SDSU | Shane Willenbring | OC | SDSU |
| Week 7 (Oct. 13) [118] | Cole Payton | QB | NDSU | Malachi McNeal | LB | UND | B.J. Fleming | WR | UND | Will Leyland | PK | USD | Jake Pope | RT | ILST |
| Week 8 (Oct. 20) [119] | Beau Brungard | QB | YSU | Jalen Lee | S | SDSU | Zeke Mata | PK | USD | Kimal Clark | DB | INST | Liam Becher | OL | UND |
| Week 9 (Oct. 27) [120] | Cole Payton | QB | NDSU | Tye Niekamp | LB | ILST | Tae Marrero Jr. | PR | SIU | Ky Wilson | KR/WR | YSU | Trent Fraley | C | NDSU |
| Week 10 (Nov. 3) [121] | Rashad Rochelle | WR/KR | INST | DeJuan Lewis | DB | USD | Nic Yatsko | DB | INST | Jackson Williams | RS | NDSU | Landon Woodard | OG | ILST |
| Week 11 (Nov. 10) [122] | Bill Jackson | RB | UNI | Donovan Woolen | LB | NDSU | Victor Dawson | S | ILST | Aaron Bickerton | P | NDSU | Jacob Arop | OL | USD |
| Matt Maldonado | PK | ILST | |||||||||||||
| Week 12 (Nov. 17) [123] | Beau Brungard | QB | YSU | Tye Niekamp | LB | ILST | Andrew Lastovka | PK | YSU | Carson Fletcher | RB | USD | Seth Anderson | OL | UND |
| Week 13 (Nov. 28) [124] | Jawaun Northington | RB | MUST | Dylan Rowsey | DB | MUST | Ky "Flash" Wilson | KR/WR | YSU | Paul Geelen | K/P | SIU | Noah Fenske | C | SIU |
Players of the Year
On December 1, 2025, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.[125]
Offensive Player of the Year
- Beau Brungard, QB (Jr - Youngstown State)
Defensive Player of the Year
- Tye Niekamp, LB (Jr - Illinois State)
Newcomer of the Year
- Kimal Clark, DB (Sr - Indiana State)
Freshman of the Year
- Luke Mailander, WR (Fr - Illinois State)
Coach of the Year
All–Conference Teams
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|
National Awards
On November 24, 2025, STATS Perform released their list of finalists for the Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award, Jerry Rice Award, and Eddie Robinson Award, respectively. Finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is given to the best offensive player in the FCS. [126] The MVFC's own Beau Brungard (QB - Youngstown State) won the award.[127] The following players were listed as finalists for the award:
- Bryce Lance (WR - North Dakota State)
- Cole Payton (QB - North Dakota State)
- DJ Williams (QB - Southern Illinois)
- L. J. Phillips Jr. (RB - South Dakota)
Buck Buchanan Award
The following MVFC players were listed as finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, which was given to the best FCS defensive player:[128]
- Kimal Clark (DB - Indiana State)
- Logan Kopp (LB - North Dakota State)
- Tye Niekamp (LB - Illinois State)
Jerry Rice Award
The following MVFC players were listed as finalists for the Jerry Rice Award, which was the given to the most outstanding FCS freshman player:[129]
- Nic Yatsko (DB - Indiana State)
Eddie Robinson Award
The following MVFC coaches were listed as finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award, which was given to the best FCS head coach:[130]
All-Americans
| AP[131] 1st Team |
AP 2nd Team |
AFCA[132] 1st Team |
AFCA 2nd Team |
STATS[133] 1st Team |
STATS 2nd Team |
STATS 3rd Team |
ADA[134] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beau Brungard, QB, Youngstown State | ||||||||
| Beau Johnson, OL, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Caleb Bowers, LS, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Daniel Sobkowicz, WR, Illnois State | ||||||||
| DJ Williams, WR, Southern Illinois | ||||||||
| Dylan Calabrese, LS, Illinois State | ||||||||
| Eli Ozick, PK, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Griffin Empey, OL, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Jeremiah McClendon, DB, Southern Illinois | ||||||||
| Kimal Clark, DB, Indiana State | ||||||||
| Kobe Clayborne, DL, South Dakota State | ||||||||
| Lance Rucker, DL, North Dakota | ||||||||
| Logan Kopp, LB, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| L.J. Phillips Jr., RB, South Dakota | ||||||||
| Max Pelham, P, South Dakota State | ||||||||
| Max Tomczak, WR, Youngstown State | ||||||||
| Mike Wells, DL, Youngstown State | ||||||||
| Paul Geelen, PK, Southern Illinois | ||||||||
| Quinten Christensen, OL, South Dakota State | ||||||||
| Seth Anderson, OL, North Dakota | ||||||||
| Shadwel Nkuba II, DB, Illinois State | ||||||||
| Trent Fraley, OL, North Dakota State | ||||||||
| Tye Niekamp, LB, Illinois State |
Home attendance
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8 | Total | Average | % of capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | Hancock Stadium | 13,391 | 9,671 | 11,287† | 9,829 | 9,834 | 7,756 | 6,895 | 55,272 | 9,212 | 68.7% | ||
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 | 3,206 | 5,281 | 5,373† | 3,252 | 3,202 | 2,834 | 23,148 | 3,858 | 30.2% | ||
| Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium | 16,800 | 15,027† | 5,647 | 6,746 | 8,506 | 6,783 | 42,709 | 8,541 | 50.8% | |||
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 11,469 | 11,424 | 11,960 | 10,618 | 12,749† | 11,396 | 69,616 | 11,602 | 94.5% | ||
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 17,354 | 18,498† | 15,812 | 14,607 | 14,736 | 15,278 | 10,464‡ | 106,749 | 15,249 | 81.6% | |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 9,079 | 10,774 | 12,084† | 8,434 | 8,529 | 7,361 | 56,261 | 9,376 | 57.4% | ||
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 6,445 | 7,441 | 7,953 | 6,333 | 6,809 | 9,159† | 3,964‡ | 48,104 | 6,872 | 75.5% | |
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 19,163 | 19,213 | 19,034 | 19,342 | 19,477† | 15,842 | 11,407 | 3,843‡ | 127,321 | 15,915 | 82.3% |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 6,585 | 10,132† | 5,132 | 8,115 | 5,622 | 35,586 | 7,117 | 47.4% | |||
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 7,040 | 12,042† | 11,068 | 9,664 | 8,448 | 7,392 | 4,869‡ | 60,523 | 8,646 | 41.9% |
Bold - Exceed or met capacity
†Season High
‡FCS Playoff Game
2026 NFL Draft
The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2026 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | School | Draft round |
Round pick |
Overall pick |
Team |
|---|
Head coaches
Through January 5, 2026
All stats include 2025 season
| Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | MVFC record | MVFC titles | FCS playoff appearances | FCS playoff record | National titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | Brock Spack | 17 | 123–79 (.609) | 123–79 (.609) | 76–57 (.571) | 2 | 7 | 12–7 (.632) | 0 |
| Indiana State | Curt Mallory | 8[a] | 27–64 (.297) | 27–64 (.297) | 17–47 (.266) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Murray State | Jody Wright | 2 | 2–22 (.083) | 2–22 (.083) | 1–15 (.063) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| North Dakota | Eric Schmidt | 1 | 8–6 (.571) | 8–6 (.571) | 5–3 (.625) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 0 |
| North Dakota State | Tim Polasek | 2 | 26–3 (.897) | 26–3 (.897) | 15–1 (.938) | 2 | 2 | 4–1 (.800) | 1 |
| Northern Iowa | Todd Stepsis | 1 | 3–9 (.250) | 3–9 (.250) | 1–7 (.125) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| South Dakota | Travis Johansen | 1 | 10–5 (.667) | 10–5 (.667) | 6–2 (.750) | 0 | 1 | 2–1 (.667) | 0 |
| South Dakota State | Dan Jackson | 1 | 9–5 (.643) | 9–5 (.643) | 4–4 (.500) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 0 |
| Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 10 | 55–61 (.474) | 55–61 (.474) | 32–46 (.410) | 0 | 3 | 3–3 (.500) | 0 |
| Youngstown State | Doug Phillips | 6 | 29–36 (.446) | 29–36 (.446) | 20–26 (.435) | 0 | 2 | 1–2 (.333) | 0 |
- ^ Indiana State did not play football in the 2020–21 academic year
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