# 2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference season

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.
North Dakota State won the conference title and achieved the number 1 overall seed again in the 2019 FCS Playoffs. The Bison would go on to win their 8th National Championship in 9 years. South Dakota State, Illinois State, and Northern Iowa all made the playoffs, with the Jacks being the number 7 overall seed. Illinois State and Northern Iowa both played in the first round. Illinois State beat Southeast Missouri State and Northern Iowa beat San Diego to advance to the second round. In the second round, Illinois State beat 8th overall seed Central Arkansas and Northern Iowa upset South Dakota State to both advance to the quarterfinals. North Dakota State beat Nicholls to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, NDSU beat Illinois State to advance to the semifinals, and Northern Iowa lost to 2nd seeded James Madison. North Dakota State would beat Montana State in the semifinals, and James Madison in the championship.

## Previous season

In 2018, North Dakota State won the conference and received the automatic bid to the 2018 playoffs. The Bison won their seventh NCAA Division I Football Championship title in eight years. South Dakota State and Northern Iowa also made the playoffs. NDSU and SDSU were both national seeds, with the Bison being the number 1 overall seed and the Jacks being the number 5 overall seed and received a bye to the second round. Northern Iowa played in the first round, and beat Lamar to advance to the second round. Northern Iowa lost to UC Davis in the second round. North Dakota State beat Montana State in the second round and Colgate in the quarterfinals, before meeting South Dakota State in the semifinals and winning to advance to the title game. South Dakota State beat Duquesne in the second round, and Kennesaw State in the quarterfinals before losing to NDSU in the semifinals. NDSU beat Eastern Washington in the title game.

## Coaching changes
### North Dakota State

On December 13, 2018, Matt Entz was named the new head coach at North Dakota State. Entz takes over for Chris Klieman, who left the program for a head coaching job at Kansas State. The Wildcats allowed Klieman to finish out the 2018 playoffs at NDSU before heading to Manhattan.

## Preseason
### MVFC Media Day
#### Preseason Poll

The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members.
| Predicted finish | Team | Points (1st place votes) |
| 1 | North Dakota State | 392 (32) |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 348 (4) |
| 3 | Illinois State | 289 (3) |
| 4 | Indiana State | 279 (1) |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 266 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 176 |
| 7 | Youngstown State | 153 |
| 8 | Western Illinois | 128 |
| 9 | Southern Illinois | 89 |
| 10 | Missouri State | 80 |

### Preseason awards
#### Individual awards

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Preseason Team Offense | Ryan Boyle | Indiana State | QB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | D.J. Davis | Southern Illinois | RB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | James Robinson | Illinois State | RB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Pierre Strong Jr. | South Dakota State | RB | So. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Clint Ratkovich | Western Illinois | FB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Dakarai Allen | South Dakota | WR | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Dante Hendrix | Indiana State | WR | So. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Cade Johnson | South Dakota State | WR | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Briley Moore | Northern Iowa | TE | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Drew Himmelman | Illinois State | OL | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Zack Johnson | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Dillon Radunz | North Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Jackson Scott-Brown | Northern Iowa | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Wyatt Wozniak | Indiana State | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Ryan Earith | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Darin Greenfield | South Dakota | DL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Anthony Knighton | Southern Illinois | DL | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Derrek Tuszka | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Jabril Cox | North Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Angelo Garbutt | Missouri State | LB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Jonas Griffith | Indiana State | LB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Christian Rozeboom | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Jeremy Chinn | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | James Hendricks | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Luther Kirk | Illinois State | DB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Devin Taylor | Illinois State | DB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Xavior Williams | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Bradey Sorensen | South Dakota State | LS | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Jerry Nunez | Indiana State | PK | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Garret Wegner | North Dakota State | P | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Je'Quan Burton | Southern Illinois | RS | So. |

## Rankings

Legend :
| | 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 Perform | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 7 |
| Illinois State | AFCA Coaches | 13 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 7 |
| Indiana State | STATS Perform | 16 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana State | AFCA Coaches | 16 | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Missouri State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Missouri State | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| North Dakota State | STATS Perform | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| North Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 18 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 5 |
| Northern Iowa | AFCA Coaches | 20 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| South Dakota | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| South Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 12 |
| Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Southern Illinois | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | 25т | 25 | |
| Western Illinois | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Illinois | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | STATS Perform | | | | 24 | 22 | 18 | 19 | 19 | | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | AFCA Coaches | | | | 21 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | | | | | | | |

## 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 0

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| August 24 | 3:00 PM | Samford | Youngstown State | Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL | | W 45–22 | 12,560 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 6:30 PM | Southern Illinois | No. 17 Southeast Missouri State | Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | L 26–44 | 8,312 |
| August 29 | 7:00 PM | Western Illinois | North Alabama | Braly Municipal Stadium • Florence, AL | ESPN+ | L 17–26 | 10,567 |
| August 29 | 8:00 PM | No. 3 South Dakota State | Minnesota | TCF Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | FS1 | L 21–28 | 49,112 |
| August 29 | 8:00 PM | Missouri State | Northern Arizona | Walkup Skydome • Flagstaff, AZ | Pluto TV | L 23–37 | 6,891 |
| August 31 | 11:00 AM | No. 16 Indiana State | Kansas | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | FOX | L 17–24 | 32,611 |
| August 31 | 11:00 AM | No. 18 Northern Iowa | No. 21^ Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA | Big 12 on ESPN+ | L 26–29$^{(3OT)}$ | 61,500 |
| August 31 | 2:00 PM | No. 25 Montana | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | L 17–31 | 5,193 |
| August 31 | 3:00 PM | Butler | No. 1 North Dakota State | Target Field • Minneapolis, MN | ESPN+ | W 57–10 | 34,544 |
| August 31 | 6:00 PM | No. 15 Illinois State | Northern Illinois | Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL | ESPN+ | L 10–24 | 14,568 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 7 | 1:00 PM | Dayton | No. 14 Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | | L 35–42 | 4,950 |
| September 7 | 2:00 PM | Howard | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | | W 54–28 | 12,390 |
| September 7 | 2:30 PM | North Dakota | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 38–7 | 18,923 |
| September 7 | 2:30 PM | Southern Illinois | UMass | McGuirk Stadium • Amherts, MA | FloSports | W 45–20 | 10,524 |
| September 7 | 3:00 PM | Western Illinois | Colorado State | Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO | | L 13–38 | 24 |
| September 7 | 4:00 PM | Southern Utah | No. 11 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | | W 34–14 | 9,241 |
| September 7 | 6:00 PM | South Dakota | No. 4^ Oklahoma | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK | | L 14–70 | 82,181 |
| September 7 | 6:00 PM | Long Island | No. 3 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | W 38–3 | 10,153 |
| September 7 | 6:30 PM | Morehead State | No. 16 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | W 42–14 | 11,256 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| September 7 | Missouri State |

#### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 14 | 12:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 18 Delaware | Delaware Stadium • Newark, DE | FloSports | W 47–22 | 14,489 |
| September 14 | 1:00 PM | Eastern Kentucky | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | | W 19–7 | 4,416 |
| September 14 | 1:00 PM | Drake | No. 3 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | W 38–10 | 11,565 |
| September 14 | 2:00 PM | Duquesne | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | | W 34–14 | 15,991 |
| September 14 | 2:00 PM | Houston Baptist | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN3 | L 52–53 | 5,077 |
| September 14 | 2:00 PM | No. 13 Illinois State | Eastern Illinois | O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL | ESPN+ | W 21–3 | 6,119 |
| September 14 | 3:00 PM | No. 10 Montana State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | L 14–23 | 4,728 |
| September 14 | 6:00 PM | UT Martin | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 28–14 | 8,983 |
| September 14 | 7:00 PM | Missouri State | Tulane | Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA | ESPN3 | L 6–58 | 18,746 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| September 14 | Northern Iowa |

#### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 21 | 1:00 PM | Eastern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | | W 16–6 | 6,216 |
| September 21 | 2:00 PM | No. 6 Kennesaw State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | L 24–35 | 11,421 |
| September 21 | 2:30 PM | No. 4 UC Davis | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 27–16 | 18,425 |
| September 21 | 3:00 PM | South Dakota | Northern Colorado | Nottingham Field • Greeley, CO | Pluto TV | W 14–6 | 5,745 |
| September 21 | 3:00 PM | Tennessee Tech | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN3 | L 24–38 | 1,594 |
| September 21 | 4:00 PM | Idaho State | No. 9 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | | W 13–6 | 8,339 |
| September 21 | 6:00 PM | Southern Illinois | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN3 | L 28–41 | 24,176 |
| September 21 | 6:00 PM | Southern Utah | No. 3 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | W 43–7 | 14,269 |
| September 21 | 6:30 PM | Northern Arizona | No. 15 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | W 40–27 | 9,891 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| September 21 | No. 24 Youngstown State |

#### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 28 | 6:00 PM | Robert Morris | No. 22 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | W 45–10 | 12,659 |
| September 28 | 7:00 PM | No. 9 Northern Iowa | No. 5 Weber State | Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT | L 17–29 | 6,582 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 28 | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 3 South Dakota State | No. 14 Illinois State | Missouri State | Indiana State | South Dakota | Southern Illinois | Western Illinois |

#### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 5 | 12:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 10 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 37–3 | 13,391 |
| October 5 | 2:00 PM | Southern Illinois | No. 3 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 38–10 | 13,776 |
| October 5 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 38–0 | 5,255 |
| October 5 | 3:00 PM | Missouri State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 37–31$^{(3OT)}$ | 3,149 |
| October 5 | 4:00 PM | No. 18 Youngstown State | No. 13 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 21–14 | 10,137 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 12 | 12:00 PM | Western Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | INST 20–10 | 7,243 |
| October 12 | 1:00 PM | No. 10 Northern Iowa | No. 1 North Dakota State† | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 46–14 | 18,178 |
| October 12 | 2:00 PM | South Dakota | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | USD 45–10 | 5,784 |
| October 12 | 5:00 PM | No. 3 South Dakota State | No. 19 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SDSU 38–28 | 12,381 |
| October 12 | 6:00 PM | No. 13 Illinois State | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | ILST 21–7 | 5,525 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 19 | 12:00 PM | No. 3 South Dakota State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN3 | SDSU 42–23 | 4,642 |
| October 19 | 1:00 PM | No. 10 Illinois State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | ILST 28–14 | 2,984 |
| October 19 | 2:00 PM | No. 18 Youngstown State | Southern Illinois† | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 35–10 | 7,670 |
| October 19 | 2:30 PM | Missouri State | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 22–0 | 18,252 |
| October 19 | 4:00 PM | South Dakota | No. 14 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 42–27 | 10,201 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 9

In Week 9, the 2019 edition of the Dakota Marker was preceded by ESPN's College Gameday on the campus of South Dakota State University.
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 26 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 59–14 | 10,437 |
| October 26 | 2:00 PM | No. 11 Northern Iowa | Missouri State† | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | UNI 29–6 | 6,583 |
| October 26 | 2:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. 3 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | NDSU 23–16 | 19,371 |
| October 26 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 8 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN3 | ILST 24–7 | 8,510 |
| October 26 | 4:00 PM | Southern Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | SIU 48–28 | 4,734 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 10

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 2 | 12:00 PM | No. 9 Northern Iowa | No. 7 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | UNI 27–10 | 6,705 |
| November 2 | 12:00 PM | Southern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | MOST 23–14 | 4,110 |
| November 2 | 1:00 PM | South Dakota | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | WIU 38–34 | 1,728 |
| November 2 | 2:00 PM | No. 4 South Dakota State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | SDSU 35–14 | 5,108 |
| November 2 | 5:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | NDSU 56–17 | 11,102 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 11

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 9 | 2:00 PM | Youngstown State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 56–21 | 4,561 |
| November 9 | 2:00 PM | No. 11 Illinois State | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | ILST 27–18 | 7,211 |
| November 9 | 2:00 PM | Missouri State | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | SIU 37–14 | 4,678 |
| November 9 | 2:30 PM | Western Illinois | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 57–21 | 17,441 |
| November 9 | 4:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 5 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 17–9 | 8,442 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 12

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 16 | 1:00 PM | Youngstown State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | | INST 24–17 | 3,645 |
| November 16 | 12:00 PM | Missouri State | No. 7 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | ILST 17–12 | 5,701 |
| November 16 | 1:00 PM | Southern Illinois | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 45–21 | 1,739 |
| November 16 | 2:00 PM | No. 4 Northern Iowa | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | SDSU 38–7 | 7,317 |
| November 16 | 2:30 PM | South Dakota | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 49–14 | 17,844 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 13

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 23 | 11:00 AM | No. 7 Illinois State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 21–3 | 9,190 |
| November 23 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. 9 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 38–7 | 8,920 |
| November 23 | 2:00 PM | No. 1 North Dakota State | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 21–7 | 5,423 |
| November 23 | 2:00 PM | No. 5 South Dakota State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 24–21 | 5,405 |
| November 23 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | INST 51–24 | 3,352 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Postseason

In 2019, four MVFC teams made the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State (No. 1) and South Dakota State (No. 7) both received a first round bye. Illinois State and Northern Iowa both were unseeded and played in the first round.
* Index to colors and formatting
* MVFC member won
* MVFC member lost
* MVFC teams in bold
All times Central time. Tournament seedings in parentheses

### First round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 30 | 1:00 PM | No. 13 Illinois State | No. 12 Southeast Missouri State (OVC) | Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO | ESPN3 | W 24–6 | 3,274 |
| November 30 | 1:00 PM | San Diego (PFL) | No. 6 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | W 17–3 | 3,743 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Second round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 7 | 1:00 PM | No. 6 Northern Iowa | No. 10 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | UNI 13–10 | 4,102 |
| December 7 | 2:00 PM | No. 13 Illinois State | No. 9 Central Arkansas (ASUN) | Estes Stadium • Conway, AR | ESPN3 | W 24–14 | 5,127 |
| December 7 | 2:30 PM | No. 19 Nicholls (Southland) | No. 1 (1) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN3 | W 37–13 | 15,690 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Quarterfinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 13 | 6:00 PM | No. 6 Northern Iowa | No. 2 (2) James Madison (CAA) | Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA | ESPN2 | L 0–17 | 8,741 |
| December 14 | 11:00 AM | No. 13 Illinois State | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN | NDSU 9–3 | 14,132 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Semifinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| December 21 | 1:00 PM | No. 5 (5) Montana State (Big Sky) | No. 1 (1) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN2 | W 42–14 | 18,077 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### National Championship

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| January 11 | 11:00 AM | No. 2 (2) James Madison (CAA) | No. 1 (1) North Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ABC | W 28–20 | 17,866 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## MVFC records vs other conferences

2019-20 records against non-conference foes (through January 11, 2020):
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 5–3 |
| CAA | 2–0 |
| FCS Power Total | 7–3 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | 0–1 |
| Big South | 1–0 |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | 1–0 |
| Northeast | 2–0 |
| OVC | 4–1 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | 4–0 |
| SoCon | 1–0 |
| Southland | 1–1 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | 2–0 |
| FCS Independents | 1–0 |
| Other FCS Total | 17–3 |
| FBS Opponents | Record |
| Football Bowl Subdivision | 1–7 |
| Total Non-Conference Record | 25–13 |
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 1–0 |
| CAA | 1–1 |
| FCS Power Total | 2–1 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | 1–0 |
| Big South | None |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | 1–0 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | 1–0 |
| SoCon | None |
| Southland | 1–0 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | None |
| Other FCS Total | 4–0 |
| Total Postseason Record | 6–1 |

## Awards and honors
### Player of the week honors

| Week | Offensive | Offensive | Offensive | Defensive | Defensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Special Teams | Special Teams | Newcomer | Newcomer | Newcomer |
| Week | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team |
| Week 1 (Sept. 1) | Trey Lance | QB | NDSU | Kaleb Brewer | DL | INST | Matthew Cook | PK | UNI | Trey Lance | QB | NDSU |
| Week 2 (Sept. 8) | Javon Williams | RB | SIU | Christian Rozeboom | LB | SDSU | Jaxon Janke | PR/WR | SDSU | Will McElvain | QB | UNI |
| Week 3 (Sept. 15) | Austin Simmons | QB | USD | Inoke Moala | DL | INST | Griffin Crosa | K | NDSU | Tre' Strong | CB | SIU |
| Week 4 (Sept. 22) | Brady Davis | QB | ILST | Elerson G. Smith | DL | UNI | Sam Fenlason | PK | ILST | Avante Cox | WR | SIU |
| Week 5 (Sept. 29) | Joe Alessi | RB | YSU | Chris Kolarevic | LB | UNI | Jake Coates | PR | YSU | Will McElvian | QB | UNI |
| Week 6 (Oct. 6) | Austin Simmons | QB | USD | Elerson Smith | DE | UNI | Brendan Withrow | P | MOST | Trey Lance | QB | NDSU |
| Week 7 (Oct. 13) | J'Bore Gibbs | QB | SDSU | Clayton Glasco | LB | INST | Garret Wegner | PK | NDSU | J'Bore Gibbs | QB | SDSU |
| Week 8 (Oct. 20) | Isaiah Weston | WR | UNI | Chris Kolarevic | LB | UNI | Jack Colquhoun | P | SIU | Javon Williams | RB | SIU |
| Week 9 (Oct. 27) | Avante Cox | WR | SIU | Josh Hayes | CB | NDSU | Matthew Cook | PK | UNI | Avante Cox | WR | SIU |
| Week 10 (Nov. 3) | Connor Sampson | QB | WIU | Omar Brown | DB | UNI | Kobe Johnson | RB/KR | NDSU | Omar Brown | DB | UNI |
| Week 11 (Nov. 10) | Austin Simmons | QB | USD | Dylan Draka | LB | ILST | Sam Fenlason | PK | ILST | Jalen Bussey | RB | NDSU |
| Week 12 (Nov. 17) | D.J. Davis | RB | SIU | Devin Taylor | DB | ILST | Brendan Withrow | P | MOST | Javon Williams Jr. | RB | SIU |
| Week 12 (Nov. 17) | D.J. Davis | RB | SIU | Devin Taylor | DB | ILST | Brendan Withrow | P | MOST | Keaton Heide | QB | SDSU |
| Week 13 (Nov. 24) | Nathan Mays | QB | YSU | Justus Reed | DE | YSU | Dalton Godfrey | LS | USD | Dominique Dafney | WR | INST |
| Week 13 (Nov. 24) | Dominique Dafney | WR | INST | Justus Reed | DE | YSU | Dalton Godfrey | LS | USD | Dominique Dafney | WR | INST |

### Players of the Year

On November 27, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.

#### Offensive Player of the Year

* Trey Lance, QB (Fr, North Dakota State)

#### Defensive Player of the Year

* Derrek Tuszka, DE (Sr, North Dakota State)

#### Newcomer of the Year

* Trey Lance, QB (Fr, North Dakota State)

#### Freshman of the Year

* Trey Lance, QB (North Dakota State)

#### Coach of the Year

* Matt Entz (North Dakota State)

### All-Conference Teams

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Trey Lance | North Dakota State | QB | Fr. |
| First Team Offense | James Robinson | Illinois State | RB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Pierre Strong Jr. | South Dakota State | RB | So. |
| First Team Offense | Clint Ratkovich | Western Illinois | FB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Dante Hendrix | Indiana State | WR | So. |
| First Team Offense | Cade Johnson | South Dakota State | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | WR | So. |
| First Team Offense | Ben Ellefson | North Dakota State | TE | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Drew Himmelman | Illinois State | OL | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Zack Johnson | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Dillon Radunz | North Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Jackson Scott-Brown | Northern Iowa | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Cordell Volson | North Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Romeo McKnight | Illinois State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Justus Reed | Youngstown State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Elerson Smith | Northern Iowa | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Derrek Tuszka | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Jabril Cox | North Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | McNeece Egbim | Missouri State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Jonas Griffith | Indiana State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Christian Rozeboom | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Omar Brown | Northern Iowa | DB | Fr. |
| First Team Defense | Jeremy Chinn | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | James Hendricks | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Luther Kirk | Illinois State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Devin Taylor | Illinois State | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Fr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Chandler Collins | Missouri State | LS | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Brady Schutt | South Dakota | P | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Dakota Caton | Indiana State | RS | So. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Austin Simmons | South Dakota | QB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | D.J. Davis | Southern Illinois | RB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | RB | Fr. |
| Second Team Offense | Dominique Dafney | Indiana State | FB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Luke Sellers | South Dakota State | FB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Avante Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Caleb Vander Esch | South Dakota | WR | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | WR | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Brett Samson | South Dakota | TE | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Spencer Brown | Northern Iowa | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Matt Clark | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Ernest Dye Jr. | Southern Illinois | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Zeveyon Furcron | Southern Illinois | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Wyatt Wozniak | Indiana State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jared Brinkman | Northern Iowa | DL | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Ryan Earith | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Darin Greenfield | South Dakota | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Ma'Lik Richmond | Youngstown State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jack Cochrane | South Dakota | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Cody Crider | Southern Illinois | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Ty DeForest | Illinois State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Chris Kolarevic | Northern Iowa | LB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Marquise Bridges | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Qua Brown | Southern Illinois | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Don Gardner | South Dakota State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Josh Hayes | North Dakota State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Xavior Williams | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jerry Nunez | Indiana State | PK | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jared Drake | Western Illinois | LS | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Brendan Withrow | Missouri State | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jake Coates | Youngstown State | RS | Jr. |

### All-Newcomer Team

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Trey Lance | North Dakota State | QB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | J'Bore Gibbs | South Dakota State | QB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Will McElvain | Northern Iowa | QB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Kobe Johnson | North Dakota State | RB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Jeff Proctor | Illinois State | RB | Jr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | RB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Dominique Dafney | Indiana State | FB | Sr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Avante Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | So. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Kacper Rutkiewicz | Illinois State | WR | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Offense | Adam Solomon | Illinois State | OL | Sr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Quinton Hicks | South Dakota State | DE | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Aaron Mends | Illinois State | LB | Sr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Jakari Starling | South Dakota | LB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Omar Brown | Northern Iowa | DB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Keawvis Cummings | Indiana State | DB | Sr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Zaire Jones | Youngstown State | DB | Jr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Marquis Smith | Western Illinois | DB | Jr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Diamond Evans | South Dakota State | CB | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Michael Griffin II | South Dakota State | S | Jr. |
| Newcomer Team Defense | Clayton Isbell | Illinois State | S | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Fr. |
| Newcomer Team Special Teams | Jack Colquhoun | Southern Illinois | P | Jr. |
| Newcomer Team Special Teams | Justin Hall | Western Illinois | RS/WR | Fr. |
Source:

### National awards

On November 25, 2019, 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. Trey Lance (QB) of North Dakota State won the award. Lance was also the first freshman to win the Walter Payton Award in its 33-year history. Here were the other MVFC finalists:
* Cade Johnson (WR - South Dakota State)
* James Robinson (RB - Illinois State)

#### Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best FCS defensive player. Here were the MVFC finalists:
* Jeremy Chinn (S - Southern Illinois)
* Christian Rozeboom (LB - South Dakota State)
* Elerson Smith (DL - Northern Iowa)
* Derrek Tuszka (DL - North Dakota State)

#### Jerry Rice Award

The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman. Trey Lance (QB) of North Dakota State won the award. Here were the other MVFC finalists:
* Omar Brown (DB - Northern Iowa)
* Javon Williams Jr. (RB - Southern Illinois)

#### FCS Coach of the Year

Matt Entz of North Dakota State was the only finalist for FCS Coach of the Year.
Finalists source: Winners source:

### All-Americans

| | AP 1st Team | AP 2nd Team | AP 3rd Team | AFCA 1st Team | AFCA 2nd Team | STATS 1st Team | STATS 2nd Team | STATS 3rd Team | ADA | HERO 1st Team | HERO 2nd Team | HERO 3rd Team |
| Ben Ellefson, TE, North Dakota State | | | | | Y | | | Y | | | | Y |
| Bradey Sorenson, LS, South Dakota State | | | | | | | | | | | Y | |
| Cade Johnson, WR, South Dakota State | Y | | | | | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Chandler Collins, LS, Missouri State | | | | | | | Y | | | | | |
| Christian Rozeboom, LB, South Dakota State | | Y | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Derrek Tuszka, DL, North Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Dillon Radunz, OL, North Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y | Y | | |
| Drew Himmelman, OL, Illinois State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | | | Y |
| Elerson Smith, DL, Northern Iowa | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | | | | Y |
| Isaiah Weston, WR, Northern Iowa | | | | | | | | | | | | Y |
| Jabril Cox, LB, North Dakota State | | | Y | | | | Y | | | Y | | |
| James Hendricks, DB, North Dakota State | | | | | | | | | | | Y | |
| James Robinson, RB, Illinois State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Javon Williams Jr., WR, Southern Illinois | | | | | | | Y | | | | | |
| Jeremy Chinn, DB, Southern Illinois | | Y | | | Y | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Jonas Griffith, LB, Indiana State | | | | | | | Y | | | | | Y |
| LaCale London, DL, Western Illinois | | | | | | | | | | | | Y |
| Luther Kirk, DB, Illinois State | | | Y | Y | | | Y | | | Y | | |
| Omar Brown, DB, Northern Iowa | | | Y | | | | | | | | | |
| Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State | | | Y | | | | | | | | Y | |
| Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State | | Y | | | Y | | Y | | Y | Y | | |
| Zack Johnson, OL, North Dakota State | | Y | | | | | | Y | | Y | | |

## Home attendance

| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Game 7 | Game 8 | Game 9 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
| Illinois State | Hancock Stadium | 13,391 | 11,256 | 9,891 | 13,391† | 8,510 | 6,705 | 5,701 | | | | 55,454 | 9,242 | 69.0% |
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 | 4,950 | 4,416 | 6,216 | 7,243† | 4,642 | 4,110 | 3,645 | | | 35,222 | 5,031 | 39.4% |
| Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 11,421† | 5,784 | 6,583 | 5,108 | 3,352 | | | | | 32,248 | 6,449 | 36.9% |
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 18,923† | 18,425 | 18,178 | 18,252 | 17,441 | 17,844 | 15,690‡ | 14,132‡ | 18,077‡ | 156,962 | 17,440 | 93.3% |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 9,241 | 8,339 | 10,137 | 10,201† | 8,442 | 8,920 | 3,743‡ | | | 59,023 | 8,431 | 51.7% |
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 5,193 | 5,077 | 5,255 | 4,734 | 4,561 | 5,405† | | | | 30,225 | 5,037 | 55.4% |
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 10,153 | 11,565 | 14,269 | 13,776 | 19,371† | 7,211 | 7,317 | 4,102‡ | | 87,764 | 10,970 | 56.7% |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 8,983† | 5,525 | 7,670 | 4,678 | 5,423 | | | | | 32,279 | 6,455 | 43.0% |
| Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 4,728† | 1,594 | 3,149 | 2,984 | 1,728 | 1,739 | | | | 15,922 | 2,653 | 15.5% |
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 12,390 | 15,991† | 12,659 | 12,381 | 10,437 | 11,102 | 9,190 | | | 84,150 | 12,021 | 58.3% |
Bold - Exceed capacity †Season high

## 2020 NFL Draft

The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2020 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | School | Draft Round | Round Pick | Overall Pick | Team | Notes |
| Jeremy Chinn | S | Southern Illinois | 2 | 32 | 64 | Carolina Panthers | from Kansas City via Seattle |
| Derrek Tuszka | ILB | North Dakota State | 7 | 40 | 254 | Denver Broncos | Compensatory selection |

### Undrafted free agents

| Player | Position | School | Team |
| Kameron Cline | DL | South Dakota | Indianapolis Colts |
| Dominique Dafney | TE | Indiana State | Indianapolis Colts |
| James Robinson | RB | Illinois State | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Ben Ellefson | TE | North Dakota State | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Zack Johnson | OL | North Dakota State | Green Bay Packers |
| Madre Harper | CB | Southern Illinois | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Luther Kirk | S | Illinois State | Dallas Cowboys |
| Luke Sellers | FB | South Dakota State | Detroit Lions |
| Mikey Daniel | FB | South Dakota State | Atlanta Falcons |
| Jermiah Braswell | WR | Youngstown State | Arizona Cardinals |
| Jonas Griffith | LB | Indiana State | San Francisco 49ers |
Source:

## Head coaches

Through January 11, 2020
| 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 | 11 | 84–50 (.627) | 84–50 (.627) | 53–35 (.602) | 2 | 5 | 7–5 (.583) | 0 |
| Indiana State | Curt Mallory | 3 | 12–22 (.353) | 12–22 (.353) | 8–16 (.333) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Missouri State | Dave Steckel | 5 | 13–42 (.236) | 13–42 (.236) | 7–33 (.175) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 1 | 16–0 (1.000) | 16–0 (1.000) | 8–0 (1.000) | 1 | 1 | 4–0 (1.000) | 1 |
| Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | 19 | 159–83 (.657) | 159–83 (.657) | 99–45 (.688) | 7 | 12 | 16–12 (.571) | 0 |
| South Dakota | Bob Nielson | 4 | 207–106–1 (.661) | 21–26 (.447) | 14–18 (.438) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 2 |
| South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 23 | 166–102 (.619) | 166–102 (.619) | 66–30 (.688) | 1 | 9 | 8–9 (.471) | 0 |
| Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 4 | 17–28 (.378) | 17–28 (.378) | 10–22 (.313) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Western Illinois | Jared Elliott | 2 | 6–17 (.261) | 6–17 (.261) | 5–13 (.278) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Youngstown State | Bo Pelini | 5 | 100–55 (.645) | 33–28 (.541) | 18–22 (.450) | 0 | 1 | 4–1 (.800) | 0 |
* ↑ Bob Nielson coached Western Illinois from 2013-15, which included a run in the playoffs that ended in the second round. Nielson also coached Minnesota-Duluth from 1999-2003 and 2008-12, that second stint included five consecutive NCAA Division II playoff appearances highlighted by 2 National Titles. In the first stint at MN-Duluth included his first Division II playoff appearance. Nielson also coached Wisconsin-Eau Claire from 1996-98 that included one NCAA Division III playoff run that ended in the semifinals. Before that, he coached Wartburg from 1991-95, which included two Division III playoff runs as well. His first head coaching job was at Ripon from 1989-90.
* ↑ John Stiegelmeier has coached South Dakota State since 1997, when the school was still part of NCAA Division II. While in Division II, the school did not achieve any playoff appearances.
* ↑ Bo Pelini previously coached Nebraska of the FBS for 7 straight seasons between 2008-2014. He also coached the Cornhuskers for one game back in 2003. Pelini's teams at Nebraska finished with a 67-27 overall record and a 39-17 conference record between the Big 12 and the Big Ten, since the Cornhuskers moved to the Big Ten in 2011. While at Nebraska, his teams achieved bowl berths in all seven years he was a full-time head coach, including 3 bowl wins in the Gator and Holiday bowls.