2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season | |
---|---|
League | NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision |
Sport | Football |
Duration | September 12, 2020 through May 16, 2021 |
Number of teams | 10 |
2021 NFL Draft | |
Top draft pick | Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State |
Picked by | San Francisco 49ers (round 1, pick 3) |
Regular season | |
Champion Playoff Participants | Missouri State South Dakota State North Dakota North Dakota State Southern Illinois |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 South Dakota State +^ | 5 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 12 Missouri State +^ | 5 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 North Dakota ^ | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 North Dakota State ^ | 5 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 14 Southern Illinois ^ | 3 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Iowa | 3 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Dakota | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois State† | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Illinois† | 1 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Youngstown State | 1 | – | 6 | 1 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 35th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's first season with 11 teams, as they added North Dakota in the offseason. Although, the conference technically only had 10 of their members play the season, since Indiana State opted out of the Spring season.
South Dakota State made it to their first ever National Championship as the number 1 seed, but lost to Sam Houston State. SDSU was one of three teams to be a conference co-champion, including Missouri State and North Dakota. North Dakota beat Missouri State in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to James Madison in the quarterfinals. North Dakota State and Southern Illinois also made the playoffs. North Dakota State beat Eastern Washington in the first round, but lost to eventual champion Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals to be eliminated before the semifinals for the first time since 2010. Southern Illinois beat Weber State in the first round, but lost to South Dakota State in the quarterfinals.
In 2019, North Dakota State won the conference and received the automatic bid to the 2019 playoffs. They would go on to win the National Championship for their 8th in 9 years.
Besides NDSU; South Dakota State, Illinois State, and Northern Iowa made the playoffs as well. South Dakota State was the 7 seed, and lost to Northern Iowa in the second round. Illinois State was unseeded and beat Southeast Missouri State in the first round, beat Central Arkansas in the second round, before losing to North Dakota State in the quarterfinals. Northern Iowa was unseeded as well, and beat San Diego in the first round, beat South Dakota State in the second round, but lost to James Madison in the quarterfinals.
Over the offseason, the conference welcomed in their 11th league member, North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks arrive to the Valley from being a FCS Independent. Before that, they were a part of the Big Sky Conference.
On January 16, 2020, Bobby Petrino was named the new head coach at Missouri State. [1] Petrino replaces former coach Dave Steckel after he was bought out on January 9, 2020. [2]
On February 7, 2020, Doug Phillips was named the new head coach at Youngstown State. [3] Phillips replaces former coach Bo Pelini who stepped down to take a defensive coordinator position at LSU. [4]
The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members. [5]
Predicted finish | Team | Points |
---|---|---|
1 | North Dakota State | 101 |
2 | Northern Iowa | 92 |
3 | South Dakota State | 91 |
4 | Illinois State | 80 |
5 | Southern Illinois | 68 |
6 | South Dakota | 52 |
7 | North Dakota | 39 |
8 | Youngstown State | 36 |
T9 | Missouri State | 23 |
T9 | Western Illinois | 23 |
|
|
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 | Final | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Illinois State | STATS Perform | 9 | 7 | 15 | 22 | |||||||
AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
Missouri State | STATS Perform | 19 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | ||||||
AFCA Coaches | Not released | 23 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 13 | ||||||
North Dakota | STATS Perform | 14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | |
AFCA Coaches | Not released | 2 | 5т | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||
North Dakota State | STATS Perform | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
AFCA Coaches | Not released | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | ||||
Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | ||
AFCA Coaches | Not released | 14т | 23 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | |||||
South Dakota | STATS Perform | 20т | 21 | |||||||||
AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
AFCA Coaches | Not released | 7 | 5т | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | 24 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 8 | |
AFCA Coaches | Not released | 5 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 9 | ||||
Western Illinois | STATS Perform | |||||||||||
AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
Youngstown State | STATS Perform | |||||||||||
AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
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
Some teams played a couple games in the Fall, even though the MVFC schedule was moved to the Spring.
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 12 | 6:00 PM | Missouri State | No. 5^ Oklahoma | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK | L 0–48 | 22,700 | ||
September 26 | 7:00 PM | Missouri State | No. 11 Central Arkansas | Estes Stadium • Conway, AR | ESPN3 | L 20–27 | 2,500 | |
October 3 | 2:30 PM | No. 11 Central Arkansas | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 39–28 | 471 | |
October 17 | 7:00 PM | No. 11 Central Arkansas | Missouri State † | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | L 24–33 | 5,489 | |
October 30 | 6:00 PM | No. 25 Southeast Missouri State | No. 24 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | W 20–17 | N/A | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 19 | 6:00 PM | Western Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | Cancelled | - | ||
February 19 | 7:00 PM | No. 5 South Dakota State | No. 3 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | SDSU 24–20 | 2,137 | |
February 20 | 12:00 PM | No. 24 Southern Illinois | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 44–21 | 3,176 | |
February 21 | 2:30 PM | Youngstown State | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 39–28 | 6,578 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week | |
---|---|---|
February 21 | No. 9 Illinois State | Missouri State |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
February 27 | 11:00 AM | No. 5 Northern Iowa | No. RV Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | UNI 21–0 | 2,128 | |
February 27 | 12:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 38–14 | 2,400 | |
February 27 | 12:00 PM | No. 3 South Dakota State | No. 14 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 28–17 | 3,638 | |
February 27 | 12:00 PM | South Dakota | No. 7 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | USD 27–20 | 1,853 | ||
February 27 | 12:00 PM | Missouri State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 30–24 | 421 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 4 | 5:00 PM | No. 20т South Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 21–10 | 3,491 | |
March 6 | 11:00 AM | No. 11 Southern Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SIU 30–22 | 1,901 | |
March 6 | 2:00 PM | No. 6 North Dakota State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 25–0 | 3,147 | |
March 6 | 2:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | SDSU 45–10 | 2,347 | ||
March 6 | 4:00 PM | No. 15 Illinois State | No. 3 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 20–10 | 1,920 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 13 | 1:00 PM | Missouri State | No. 21 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | MOST 27–24 | 2,051 | |
March 13 | 2:00 PM | Youngstown State | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | SDSU 19–17 | 2,653 | ||
March 13 | 2:30 PM | No. 22 Illinois State | No. 5 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 21–13 | 6,145 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 20 | 11:00 AM | South Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | YSU 28–10 | 2,159 | ||
March 20 | 12:00 PM | No. 6 South Dakota State | No. 5 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 44–3 | 2,400 | |
March 20 | 2:30 PM | No. 2 North Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 21–13 | 9,121 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 27 | 11:00 AM | No. 22 Northern Iowa | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | UNI 34–20 | 542 | |
March 27 | 1:00 PM | No. 2 North Dakota State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | Cancelled | - | |
March 27 | 2:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | Canceled | - | ||
March 27 | 2:00 PM | No. 10 Southern Illinois | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 30–27 | 3,581 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
March 27 | Youngstown State |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 2 | 6:00 PM | No. 23 Northern Iowa | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | Canceled | - | ||
April 3 | 11:00 AM | No. 19 Missouri State | No. 6 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | Canceled | - | ||
April 3 | 12:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 18 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | Canceled | - | |
April 3 | 7:00 PM | Youngstown State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | WIU 27–24 | 679 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
April 3 | No. 2 North Dakota State |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 10 | 12:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. 16 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | Canceled | - | ||
April 10 | 12:00 PM | No. 6 North Dakota | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | Canceled | - | ||
April 10 | 2:00 PM | Youngstown State | No. 15 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 21–10 | 2,948 | |
April 10 | 2:00 PM | South Dakota | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | Canceled | - | ||
April 10 | 4:00 PM | No. 2 North Dakota State | No. 24 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | NDSU 23–20 | 2,037 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 17 | 11:00 AM | No. 6 North Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | Canceled | - | ||
April 17 | 12:00 PM | No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana | No. 18 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 55–48 | 2,400 | |
April 17 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | Canceled | - | ||
April 17 | 1:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 14 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | Canceled | - | ||
April 17 | 2:30 PM | No. 4 South Dakota State | No. 2 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | SDSU 27–17 | 8,762 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Bye Week |
---|---|
April 17 | Northern Iowa |
In 2020, five teams made the FCS playoffs. South Dakota State (No. 1) was the only seeded team. Missouri State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, and Southern Illinois were all unseeded. 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. Tournament seedings in parentheses
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 24 | 2:00 PM | Holy Cross | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | W 31–3 | 2,998 | |
April 24 | 2:30 PM | No. 9 Eastern Washington | No. 6 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN3 | W 42–20 | 3,587 | |
April 24 | 3:00 PM | No. 12 Missouri State | No. 7 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN3 | UND 44–10 | 3,074 | |
April 24 | 3:00 PM | No. 14 Southern Illinois | No. 3 Weber State | Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT | ESPN3 | W 34–31 | 4,033 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 2 | 2:00 PM | No. 6 North Dakota State | No. 4 (2) Sam Houston State | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN | L 20–24 | 4,984 | |
May 2 | 5:00 PM | No. 6 North Dakota | No. 1 (2) James Madison | Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisburg, VA | ESPN2 | L 21–34 | 5,854 | |
May 2 | 8:00 PM | No. 14 Southern Illinois | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN2 | SDSU 31–26 | 3,547 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 8 | 11:00 AM | No. 5 Delaware | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN | W 33–3 | 4,527 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 16 | 1:00 PM | No. 4 (2) Sam Houston State | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ABC | L 21–23 | 7,840 | |
#Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |
2020-21 records against non-conference foes:
| Post Season
|
Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Freshman | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | |
Week 1 (Feb. 22) [7] | Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | SDSU | Devon Krzanowski | LB | UND | Jake Reinholz | PK | NDSU | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU |
Week 2 (Feb. 28) [8] | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Kevin Ellis | DE | MOST | Brady Schutt | P | USD | Josh Navratil | LB | UND |
Week 3 (Mar. 7) [9] | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU | Spencer Cuvelier | LB | UNI | Garret Wegner | P | NDSU | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU |
Week 4 (Mar. 14) [10] | Tommy Schuster | QB | UND | Montrae Braswell | CB | MOST | Cole Frahm | PK | SDSU | Cam Miller | QB | NDSU |
Week 5 (Mar. 21) [11] | Hunter Luepke | FB | NDSU | Grant Dixon | LB | YSU | Jose Pizano | K | MOST | Isaiah Davis | RB | SDSU |
Week 6 (Mar. 28) [12] | Celdon Manning | RB | MOST | Riley Van Wyhe | LB | UNI | Omar Brown | DB | UNI | Matt Struck | QB | MOST |
Week 7 (Apr. 4) [13] | Tony Tate | WR | WIU | Michael Lawson | DB | WIU | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | |||
Week 8 (Apr. 11) [14] | Christian Watson | WR | NDSU | Tylar Wiltz | LB | MOST | Garret Wegner | P | NDSU | Grant Dixon | LB | YSU |
Week 9 (Apr. 18) [15] | Javon Williams Jr. | RB | SIU | Adam Bock | LB | SDSU | Cole Frahm | PK | SDSU | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU |
On April 22, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors. [16]
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Newcomer of the Year
Freshman of the Year
Coach of the Year
|
|
Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
---|---|---|---|---|
All-Newcomer Team Offense | Carson Camp | South Dakota | QB | Fr. |
Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | Fr. | |
Tommy Schuster | North Dakota | QB | Fr. | |
Pha'Leak Brown | Illinois State | RB | Fr. | |
Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Fr. | |
Celdon Manning | Missouri State | RB | Fr. | |
Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Jr. | |
Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Fr. | |
Dallas Daniels | Western Illinois | WR | Jr. | |
Quan Hampton | Northern Iowa | WR | Jr. | |
Kyle Fourtenbary | Northern Iowa | TE | GS | |
Second Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DT | Fr. |
Brayden Thomas | North Dakota State | DE | Sr. | |
Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | Fr. | |
Grant Dixon | Youngstown State | LB | Sr. | |
Devon Krzanowski | North Dakota | LB | Jr. | |
Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | So. | |
Michael Lawson | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. | |
Kyriq McDonald | Missouri State | DB | Jr. | |
Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. | |
Myles Harden | South Dakota | CB | Fr. | |
Keyon Martin | Youngstown State | CB | Fr. |
Source: [17]
On April 28, 2021, STATS Perform released their list of finalists for the Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award, and the Jerry Rice Award, respectively.
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is given to the best FCS offensive player. Here are the MVFC finalists: [18]
There were no MVFC finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Jerry Rice Award
The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman player. Here are the MVFC finalists: [19]
AP [20] 1st Team | AP 2nd Team | AFCA [21] 1st Team | AFCA 2nd Team | STATS [22] 1st Team | STATS 2nd Team | ADA [23] | HERO [24] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avante Cox, WR, Southern Illinois | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
Cordell Volson, OL, North Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||||
Don Gardner, DB, South Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Drew Himmelman, OL, Illinois State | ![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Garret Greenfield, OL, South Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
Garrett Wegner, P, North Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||||
Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State | ![]() | |||||||
James Caesar, DB, Southern Illinois | ![]() | |||||||
James Kaczor, LB, North Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Jared Brinkman, DL, Northern Iowa | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||||
Javon Williams Jr, WR, Southern Illinois | ![]() | |||||||
Logan Backhaus, LB, South Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | ![]() | |||||||
Nathan Nguon, OL, North Dakota | ![]() | |||||||
Otis Weah, RB, North Dakota | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
Qua Brown, DB, Southern Illinois | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | |||||
Ross Kennelly, LS, North Dakota State | ![]() | |||||||
Spencer Waege, DL, North Dakota State | ![]() |
Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Illinois State | Hancock Stadium | 13,391 | 1,853 | 1,853 | 3,706 | 1,853 | 13.8% | ||||
Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 5,489† | 3,147 | 3,581 | 2,948 | 15,165 | 3,791 | 21.7% | ||
North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 3,176 | 3,638† | 3,491 | 3,074‡ | 13,379 | 3,344 | 27.2% | ||
North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 471 | 6,578 | 6,145 | 9,121† | 8,762 | 3,587‡ | 34,664 | 5,777 | 30.9% |
Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 2,137† | 1,920 | 1,608 | 2,037 | 7,702 | 1,925 | 11.8% | ||
South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 2,051† | 2,051 | 2,051 | 22.5% | |||||
South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 2,347 | 2,653 | 2,998‡ | 3,547‡ | 4,527†‡ | 16,072 | 3,214 | 16.6% | |
Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 0 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 9,600 | 1,920 | 12.8% | |
Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 421 | 658 | 542 | 679 | 2,300 | 575 | 3.4% | ||
Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 2,128 | 1,901 | 2,159 | 6,188 | 2,062 | 9.9% | |||
Bold - Exceed capacity
†Season High
‡FCS Playoff Game
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, attendance in all venues were severely limited. FCS Playoffs games were limited to 25% capacity as determined by the NCAA. [25]
The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2021 NFL draft.
Player | Position | School | Draft Round | Round Pick | Overall Pick | Team | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trey Lance | QB | North Dakota State | 1 | 3 | 3 | San Francisco 49ers | from Houston via Miami |
Dillon Radunz | OT | North Dakota State | 2 | 21 | 53 | Tennessee Titans | |
Spencer Brown | OT | Northern Iowa | 3 | 29 | 93 | Buffalo Bills | |
Elerson Smith | DE | Northern Iowa | 4 | 11 | 116 | New York Giants |
Player | Position | School | Team |
---|---|---|---|
Cade Johnson | WR | South Dakota State | Seattle Seahawks |
Romeo McKnight | DE | Illinois State | Cleveland Browns |
Travis Toivonen | WR | North Dakota | Seattle Seahawks |
Christian Uphoff | DB | Illinois State | Green Bay Packers |
Source: [26]
Through May 16, 2021
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 | 12 | 85–53 (.616) | 85–53 (.616) | 54–38 (.587) | 2 | 5 | 7–5 (.583) | 0 |
Missouri State | Bobby Petrino [lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 124–61 (.670) | 5–5 (.500) | 5–1 (.833) | 1 | 1 | 0–1 (.000) | 0 |
North Dakota | Bubba Schweigert [lower-alpha 2] | 7 | 64–55 (.538) | 42–34 (.553) | 4–1 (.800) | 0 | 3 | 1–3 (.250) | 0 |
North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 2 | 21–3 (.875) | 21–3 (.875) | 13–2 (.867) | 1 | 2 | 2–1 (.667) | 1 |
Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | 20 | 162–87 (.651) | 162–87 (.651) | 102–49 (.675) | 7 | 12 | 16–12 (.571) | 0 |
South Dakota | Bob Nielson [lower-alpha 3] | 5 | 208–109–1 (.656) | 22–29 (.431) | 15–21 (.417) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 2 |
South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier [lower-alpha 4] | 24 | 174–104 (.626) | 174–104 (.626) | 71–31 (.696) | 2 | 10 | 11–10 (.524) | 0 |
Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 5 | 23–32 (.418) | 23–32 (.418) | 13–25 (.342) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 0 |
Western Illinois | Jared Elliott | 3 | 7–2 (.778) | 7–22 (.241) | 6–18 (.250) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
Youngstown State | Doug Phillips | 1 | 1–6 (.143) | 1–6 (.143) | 1–6 (.143) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an annual post-season college football game, played since 2006, used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). From 1978 to 2005, the game was known as the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represents South Dakota State University in college football. The program competes at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The Jackrabbits play their home games at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on South Dakota State's campus in Brookings, South Dakota.
The Missouri State Bears football program is the college football team that represents Missouri State University located in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The program is in the two-year transition up to the FBS subdivision; it will join Conference USA in 2025 and become a full FBS member in 2026.
The Youngstown State Penguins football team represents Youngstown State University in American college football. Youngstown State currently plays as a member of the NCAA at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision and are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). The Penguins have played their home games in Stambaugh Stadium, more commonly called "The Ice Castle," since 1982.
The 2014 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2014 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 18th-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 9–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at–large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Jackrabbits defeated Montana State in the first round before falling to fellow MVFC member and eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the second round. The team played home games at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.
The 2018 North Dakota State Bison football team represents North Dakota State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Chris Klieman, who also coached his final season with the Bison before heading off to take over for the retiring Bill Snyder at Kansas State. The team played their 26th season in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They entered the season as defending National Champions and had won six of the last seven FCS titles. In 2018, the Bison finished the regular season 11–0, the first undefeated Bison season since the 2013 campaign, and won their eighth consecutive MVFC title. They received an automatic qualifying bid to the FCS playoff tournament and were seeded as the No. 1 team. The Bison then went 4–0 in the FCS playoffs to finish 15–0 and FCS champions.
The 2018 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 22nd-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, placing second in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first round bye, the Jackrabbits defeated Duquesne in the second round and Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals before falling to fellow MVFC member and eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the semifinals. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.
The 2019 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 23rd-year head coach John Stiegelmeier, the Jackrabbits compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. South Dakota State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where, after a first round bye, the Jackrabbits lost to Northern Iowa in the second round. The team played home games on campus at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.
The 2019 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 10–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. Illinois State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Redbirds beat Southeast Missouri State in the first round and Central Arkansas in the second round before losing to the eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the quarterfinals. The team played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.
The 2019 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team was led by Mark Farley in his 19th season and played their home games in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 10–5, 6–2 in MVFC play to finish in second place. They received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated San Diego and South Dakota State to advance to the quarterfinals where they lost to James Madison.
The 2020 Missouri State Bears football team represented Missouri State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by Bobby Petrino in his first season as the program's 21st head coach. The Bears play their home games at Robert W. Plaster Stadium. They competed as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bears won their 10th conference championship and returned the playoffs for the first time since 1990. They lost in the first round at North Dakota 44–10. Bobby Petrino won the conference coach of the year award in his first season. They finished the season ranked 13th in both Coaches and STATS poll.
The 2021 Missouri State Bears football team represented Missouri State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) for the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Bobby Petrino, and played their home games at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Missouri. This was the Bears 115th season overall and their 36th season as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bears came off a historic 2020 season which saw them return to the playoffs after a 30-year drought where they last made the playoffs in 1990. Entering the season the team was predicted to finish 6th in the conference. The Bears finished the regular season with an 8–3 record which was good enough for second place in the Valley and their best finish to a season since 1990. The 2021 team set and matched numerous school records. QB Jason Shelley broke several school records in total offense and passing yards. He broke the single season passing record, total offense in a game, total offense in a season, games with more than 200 passing yards and matched the record for passes completed in a game. WR Ty Scott set school records in receiving yards in a season, matched touchdown receptions in a season, and 100 yard receiving games in a season. Scott was also the first receiver in school history to eclipse a thousand receiving yards in a season. P Grant Burkett set school records in punting average in a game and punting average in a season. The Bears qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year and hosted UT- Martin in the first round. This was the first home playoff game in Springfield since 1990 when Missouri State hosted Idaho.
The 2021 Southern Illinois Salukis football team represented Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Nick Hill, the Salukis compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for third in the MVFC. Southern Illinois received an at-large berth in the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they beat South Dakota in the first round before losing to the eventual national champion, North Dakota State in the second round. The team played home games at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.
Mark Gronowski is an American football quarterback for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
The 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 37th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 3rd straight season with 11 teams, and was the last as the conference added a 12th team for the 2023 season.
The 2023 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game was a college football game played on January 8, 2023, at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game determined the national champion of NCAA Division I FCS for the 2022 season, featuring the finalists of the 24-team playoff bracket, which began on November 26, 2022.
The 2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 38th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's first season with 12 teams, as the conference added Murray State over the offseason. It was also the last season with 12 teams for now, as it was announced in May 2023 that Western Illinois would be leaving the MVFC after the 2023 season for the Ohio Valley Conference.
The 2021 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 36th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 2nd straight season with 11 teams.
North Dakota State made it to the National Championship and won their 9th FCS title in program history. South Dakota State made the playoffs unseeded, and won their way into the semifinals where they lost to 8th seeded Montana State. Southern Illinois also made it to the playoffs, and beat fellow MVFC member South Dakota in the first round, but would fall to eventual champion North Dakota State in the second round. Northern Iowa also made it to the playoffs, but lost to Eastern Washington in the first round.
The 2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 34th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 8th consecutive season with 10 teams, and would be their last for now as they added North Dakota in the following offseason.
The 2024 Missouri Valley Football Conference season will be the 39th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This will be the MVFC's first season returning to 11 teams, and its 4th in the last 5 seasons. It will also be their last for now as Missouri State announced before the season that they would be joining Conference USA starting in the 2025–26 academic year. They will be ineligible for the FCS playoffs during the 2024 season.