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Defending Missouri Valley Football and national champion South Dakota State received 42 of a possible 44 first-place votes and 482 total points to outdistance North Dakota State, which earned 437 points. South Dakota was picked third in this year’s preseason poll with 371 total points, while the next five spots in the poll were more tightly bunched. Southern Illinois was picked fourth with 293 total points; while North Dakota (5th, 276); Illinois State (6th, 264); Youngstown State (7th, 255); and UNI (8th, 227) followed close behind. Missouri State (9th, 164), Indiana State (10th, 68) and Murray State (11th, 67) rounded out the voting.
An MVFC preseason favorite has claimed the league crown just 23 times in 38 previous polls.
The 2023 season delivered yet another national championship as South Dakota State extended its winning streak to 29-straight games while earning a second-straight FCS title. Jimmy Rogers earned FCS National Coach of the Year honors in his first season as SDSU’s head coach as the Jackrabbits went 15-0. QB Mark Gronowski of SDSU was tabbed FCS Offensive Player of the Year by multiple organizations.
Last season, the MVFC extended its FCS-record to 13-straight title game appearances as SDSU defeated No. 2 seed Montana in Frisco for the crown. Notably, the 2023 season marked the 19th title appearance for a league team. The league is 13-6 in title games, although Youngstown State (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994) and Southern Illinois (1983) both played in the championship prior to joining the league. All 19 of the league’s title-game appearances have occurred since 1997.
Six MVFC teams earned playoff bids in 2023, tying an FCS and MVFC record. The MVFC is 98-45 (.685) since 2010 in the playoffs -- which includes 17 intra-conference games (meaning the league is 81-28 against teams from other leagues for a phenomenal .743 winning percentage). Last season, MVFC teams combined to go 27-10 against non-conference FCS teams. Five of the 10 losses were against ranked FCS teams.
Counting last year, an MVFC member has reached the FCS semifinals 20 times in the past 13 seasons (and 34 times overall). The MVFC has had two semifinal teams seven times since 2014, including NDSU and SDSU in 2023. The MVFC’s 34 all-time semifinal appearances rank second-best all-time among FCS leagues.
| Pos. | School (1st-Place votes) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Dakota State (42) | 482 |
| 2. | North Dakota State (1) | 437 |
| 3. | South Dakota | 371 |
| 4. | Southern Illinois | 293 |
| 5. | North Dakota | 276 |
| 6. | Illinois State | 265 |
| 7. | Youngstown State | 255 |
| 8. | Northern Iowa | 227 |
| 9. | Missouri State | 164 |
| 10. | Indiana State | 68 |
| 11. | Murray State | 67 |
In addition to team rankings, the Conference has announced its preseason teams which were voted on by coaches, sports information directors, and a media panel. South Dakota State led all league members with 15 spots (12 different players) on either the first team, second team, or honorable mention team. Illinois State and North Dakota State (both with 13) were next best. NDSU (7), SDSU (7) and USD (6) had the most spots on the first-team unit. Six different teams (Illinois State, Missouri State, North Dakota State, UNI, South Dakota, and South Dakota State) had 10 or more honorees on either the first-, second- or honorable-mention teams.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB Mark Gronowski, SDSU
RB Mason King, ILS
RB Tyshon King, YSU
FB Hunter Brozio, NDSU
WR Carter Bell, USD
WR Bo Belquist, UND
WR Dan Sobkowicz, ILS
TE JJ Galbreath, USD
OL Gus Miller, SDSU
OL Jared Penning, UNI
OL Jaison Williams, YSU
OL Grey Zabel, NDSU
OL Hunter Zambrano, ILS
Defense
DL Jarod DePriest, SDSU
DL Nick Gaes, USD
DL Dylan Hendricks, NDSU
DL Eli Mostaert, NDSU
LB Amir Abdullah, ILS
LB Adam Bock, SDSU
LB Logan Kopp, NDSU
LB Garret Ollendieck, INS
DB Dalys Beanum, SDSU
DB Maddix Blackwell, INS
DB Tucker Large, SDSU
DB Dennis Shorter, USD
DB Cole Wisniewski, NDSU
Special Teams
LS Hunter Brozio, NDSU
PK Will Leyland, USD
P Grant Burkett, MOST
RS Carter Bell, USD
AP Amar Johnson, SDSU
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB Cam Miller, NDSU
RB Amar Johnson, SDSU
RB Travis Theis, USD
FB Jaden Norby, UND
WR Vinson Davis III, SIU
WR Max Tomczak, YSU
WR Griffin Wilde, SDSU
TE Joe Stoffel, NDSU
OL Evan Beerntsen, SDSU
OL Joe Cotton, USD
OL Chase Evans, SIU
OL Joey Lombard, USD
OL Mason Miller, NDSU
Defense
DL Jake Anderson, ILS
DL Cannon Butler, UNI
DL Blake Holden, USD
DL Darion Smith, MOST
LB Colin Bohanek, SIU
LB Tucker Langenberg, UNI
LB Tye Niekamp, ILS
LB Wyatt Pedigo, UND
DB PJ Hall, MOST
DB Keondre Jackson, ILS
DB Todric McGee, MOST
DB Cale Reeder, SDSU
DB Ubayd Steed, SIU
Special Teams
LS Kaydon Olivia, SDSU
PK Griffin Crosa, NDSU
P Hunter Dustman, SDSU
RS Tucker Large, SDSU
AP Vinson Davis III, SIU
HONORABLE MENTION
Offense
QB Aidan Bouman, USD
RB Tye Edwards, UNI
RB Jacardia Wright, MOST
RB Gaven Ziebarth, UND
FB Scotty Presson Jr., ILS
WR Desmond Hutson, UNI
WR Eddie Kasper, ILS
WR Sergio Morancy, UNI
WR Jmariyae Robinson, MOST
TE Layne Pryor, UNI
TE Aidan Quinn, SIU
OL Seth Anderson, UND
OL Ashton Flynn, MUR
OL Jake Green, SIU
OL Cash Hudson, MOST
OL Hutson Lillibridge, MOST
Defense
DL Gianini Belizaire, INS
DL Carter Hewitt, UNI
DL Jake Siegel, ILS
LB Ben Belken, UNI
LB Geoffrey Brown, INS
LB Tahj Chambers, MOST
LB Jalan Gaines, ILS
LB Lavoise Deontae McCoy, ILS
DB Shahid Barros, USD
DB Jonathan Cabral-Martin, UNI
DB Mark Cannon Jr., ILS
DB Sam Jung, NDSU
DB Avery Powell, MOST
DB Kanyon Walker, MUR
Special Teams
LS Caden Bolz, MOST
LS Sam Merryman, YSU
PK Hunter Dustman, SDSU
PK Andrew Lastovka, YSU
P Noah Pettinger, UNI
AP Bo Belquist, UND
AP RaJa Nelson, NDSU
8/31 at Iowa (FBS)
9/7 at North Alabama
9/14 Western Illinois
9/21 Eastern Illinois
9/28 North Dakota State*
10/5 at Southern Illinois*
10/12 Missouri State*
10/19 at Murray State*
11/2 Youngstown State*
11/9 at Northern Iowa*
11/16 at Indiana State*
11/23 North Dakota*
8/31 at Purdue (FBS)
9/7 at Eastern Illinois
9/14 Dayton
9/28 Houston Christian
10/5 at Youngstown State*
10/12 Murray State*
10/19 at Missouri State*
10/26 Southern Illinois*
11/2 North Dakota*
11/9 at South Dakota*
11/16 Illinois State*
11/23 at Northern Iowa*
8/31 at Montana
9/7 at Ball State (FBS)
9/14 Lindenwood
9/21 at UT Martin
9/28 Youngstown State*
10/12 at Illinois State*
10/19 Indiana State*
10/26 at Northern Iowa*
11/2 Southern Illinois*
11/9 at Murray State*
11/16 at North Dakota State*
11/23 South Dakota State*
8/29 at Missouri (FBS)
9/7 Butler
9/14 Mississippi Valley State
9/28 at North Dakota*
10/5 South Dakota*
10/12 at Indiana State*
10/19 Illinois State*
10/26 North Dakota State*
11/2 at South Dakota State*
11/9 Missouri State*
11/16 at Kentucky
11/23 at Southern Illinois*
8/31 at Iowa State (FBS)
9/7 Montana
9/14 Idaho State
9/21 San Diego
9/28 Murray State*
10/5 at North Dakota State*
10/19 Northern Iowa*
10/26 at Youngstown State*
11/2 at Indiana State*
11/9 South Dakota State*
11/16 South Dakota*
11/23 at Illinois State*
829 at Colorado (FBS)
9/7 Tennessee State
9/14 at ETSU
9/21 Towson
9/28 at Illinois State*
10/5 North Dakota*
10/12 at Southern Illinois*
10/19 South Dakota State*
10/26 at Murray State*
11/2 Northern Iowa*
11/16 Missouri State*
11/23 at South Dakota
8/31 Valparaiso
9/7 at St. Thomas, MN
9/14 at Nebraska (FBS)
9/21 at Hawaii (FBS)
10/5 South Dakota State*
10/12 at South Dakota*
10/19 at North Dakota*
10/26 Missouri State*
11/2 at North Dakota State*
11/9 Illinois State*
11/16 at Youngstown State*
11/23 Indiana State*
8/29 Northern State (D2)
9/7 at Wisconsin (FBS)
9/14 at Portland State
9/21 Drake
9/28 Southern Illinois*
10/5 at Murray State*
10/12 Northern Iowa*
10/19 at Youngstown State*
10/26 at South Dakota State*
11/9 Indiana State*
11/16 at North Dakota*
11/23 North Dakota State*
8/31 at Oklahoma State (FBS)
9/7 Incarnate Word
9/14 Augustana (D3)
9/21 at SE Louisiana
10/5 Northern Iowa*
10/12 Youngstown State*
10/19 at North Dakota State*
10/26 South Dakota*
11/2 Murray State*
11/9 at North Dakota*
11/16 Southern Illinois*
11/23 at Missouri State*
8/31 at Brigham Young (FBS)
9/7 at Austin Peay
9/14 Incarnate Word
9/21 Southeast Missouri
9/28 at South Dakota*
10/5 Illinois State*
10/12 North Dakota State*
10/26 at Indiana State*
11/2 at Missouri State*
11/9 Youngstown State*
11/16 at South Dakota State*
11/23 Murray State*
8/29 at Villanova
9/7 Valparaiso
9/14 Duquesne
9/21 at Pittsburgh
9/28 at Missouri State*
10/5 Indiana State*
10/12 at South Dakota State*
10/19 South Dakota*
10/26 North Dakota*
11/2 at Illinois State*
11/9 at Southern Illinois*
11/16 Northern Iowa*