# 2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season

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.

## Previous season

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.

## Offseason

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.

## Coaching changes
### Missouri State

On January 16, 2020, Bobby Petrino was named the new head coach at Missouri State. Petrino replaces former coach Dave Steckel after he was bought out on January 9, 2020.

### Youngstown State

On February 7, 2020, Doug Phillips was named the new head coach at Youngstown State. Phillips replaces former coach Bo Pelini who stepped down to take a defensive coordinator position at LSU.

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

The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members.
| 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 |

### Preseason Awards
#### Individual awards

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Preseason Team Offense | Will McElvain | Northern Iowa | QB | So. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Kai Henry | South Dakota | RB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Pierre Strong Jr. | South Dakota State | RB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | RB | So. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | FB | So. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Avante Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | WR | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | WR | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Brett Samson | South Dakota | TE | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Dan Becker | Youngstown State | OL | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | ZeVeyon Furcron | Southern Illinois | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Drew Himmelman | Illinois State | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Mason Scheidegger | South Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Offense | Cordell Volson | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Jared Brinkman | Northern Iowa | DL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Anthony Knighton | Southern Illinois | DL | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Spencer Waege | North Dakota State | DL | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Reece Winkelman | South Dakota State | DL | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Logan Backhaus | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Jack Cochrane | South Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Bryce Flater | Northern Iowa | LB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Jackson Hankey | North Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Omar Brown | Northern Iowa | DB | So. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Qua Brown | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Don Gardner | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Josh Hayes | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Defense | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State | DB | Jr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Ross Kennelly | North Dakota State | LS | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | So. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Brady Schutt | South Dakota | P | Sr. |
| Preseason Team Special Teams | Jake Coates | Youngstown State | RS | Sr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Honorable Mention Offense | J'Bore Gibbs | South Dakota State | QB | So. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Tim McCloyn | Illinois State | FB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Caleb Vander Esch | South Dakota | WR | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Damoriea Vick | Missouri State | WR | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Josh Babicz | North Dakota State | TE | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Wes Genant | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Ryan Tobin | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Nick Ellis | Northern Iowa | OL | RS Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | John Ridgeway | Illinois State | DL | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Xavier Ward | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | DeMarko Craig | Youngstown State | DL | So. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Jaxson Turner | North Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Makel Calhoun | Southern Illinois | LB | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Zeke Vandenburg | Illinois State | LB | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Jordan Canady | North Dakota | DB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Michael Griffin II | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Charles Woods | Illinois State | DB | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Zack Sanders | Missouri State | DB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Dalton Godfrey | South Dakota | LS | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Mason Lorber | South Dakota | PK | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Adam Fellner | Western Illinois | P | So. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | 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 | Final |
| Illinois State | STATS Perform | 9 | 7 | 15 | 22 | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | |
| Missouri State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | 19 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 |
| Missouri State | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | 23 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 13 |
| North Dakota | STATS Perform | | 14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| North Dakota | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | 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 |
| North Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 23 | 24 | | 24 | |
| Northern Iowa | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 14т | 23 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | |
| South Dakota | STATS Perform | 20т | 21 | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| South Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 7 | 5т | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | 24 | | 11 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 8 |
| Southern Illinois | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 5 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 9 |
| Western Illinois | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Illinois | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | AFCA Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | | | | | | | |

## 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
#### Fall 2020 Games

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 |
| September 12 | 6:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 5^ Oklahoma | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK | | L 0–48 | 22,700 |
| September 26 | 7:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 11 Central Arkansas | Estes Stadium • Conway, AR | ESPN3 | L 20–27 | 2,500 |
| October 3 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 11 Central Arkansas | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 39–28 | 471 |
| October 17 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 11 Central Arkansas | Missouri State† | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | L 24–33 | 5,489 |
| October 30 | 6:00 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

#### Week 1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| February 19 | 6:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | | Cancelled | - |
| February 19 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 5 South Dakota State | No. 3 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | SDSU 24–20 | 2,137 |
| February 20 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 24 Southern Illinois | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 44–21 | 3,176 |
| February 21 | 2:30 p.m. | 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 | Bye Week |
| February 21 | No. 9 Illinois State | Missouri State |

#### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| February 27 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 5 Northern Iowa | No. RV Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | UNI 21–0 | 2,128 |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 1 North Dakota State | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 38–14 | 2,400 |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 3 South Dakota State | No. 14 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 28–17 | 3,638 |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 7 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | | USD 27–20 | 1,853 |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | Missouri State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 30–24 | 421 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| March 4 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 20т South Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 21–10 | 3,491 |
| March 6 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 11 Southern Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SIU 30–22 | 1,901 |
| March 6 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 25–0 | 3,147 |
| March 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | SDSU 45–10 | 2,347 |
| March 6 | 4:00 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

#### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| March 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 21 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | MOST 27–24 | 2,051 |
| March 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | SDSU 19–17 | 2,653 |
| March 13 | 2:30 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

#### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| March 20 | 11:00 a.m. | South Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | | YSU 28–10 | 2,159 |
| March 20 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 6 South Dakota State | No. 5 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 44–3 | 2,400 |
| March 20 | 2:30 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

#### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| March 27 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 22 Northern Iowa | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | UNI 34–20 | 542 |
| March 27 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 North Dakota State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | Cancelled | - |
| March 27 | 2:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | Canceled | - |
| March 27 | 2:00 p.m. | 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 |

#### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| April 2 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 23 Northern Iowa | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | | Canceled | - |
| April 3 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 19 Missouri State | No. 6 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | | Canceled | - |
| April 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 18 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | Canceled | - |
| April 3 | 7:00 p.m. | 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 |

#### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| April 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 16 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | | Canceled | - |
| April 10 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | | Canceled | - |
| April 10 | 2:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 15 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 21–10 | 2,948 |
| April 10 | 2:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | | Canceled | - |
| April 10 | 4:00 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

#### Week 9

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| April 17 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 6 North Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | | Canceled | - |
| April 17 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana | No. 18 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 55–48 | 2,400 |
| April 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | | Canceled | - |
| April 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 14 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | | Canceled | - |
| April 17 | 2:30 p.m. | 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 |

## Postseason

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

### First round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| April 24 | 2:00 p.m. | Holy Cross | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | W 31–3 | 2,998 |
| April 24 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 9 Eastern Washington | No. 6 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN3 | W 42–20 | 3,587 |
| April 24 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 12 Missouri State | No. 7 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN3 | UND 44–10 | 3,074 |
| April 24 | 3:00 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

### Quarterfinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| May 2 | 2:00 p.m. | 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 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota | No. 1 (2) James Madison | Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisburg, VA | ESPN2 | L 21–34 | 5,854 |
| May 2 | 8:00 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

### Semifinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| May 8 | 11:00 a.m. | 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. |||||||||

### National Championship

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| May 16 | 1:00 p.m. | 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. |||||||||

## MVFC records vs other conferences

2020-21 records against non-conference foes:
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | None |
| CAA | None |
| FCS Power Total | 0–0 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | None |
| Big South | None |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | 1–0 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | None |
| SoCon | None |
| Southland | 3–1 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | None |
| Other FCS Total | 4–1 |
| FBS Opponents | Record |
| Football Bowl Subdivision | 0–1 |
| Total Non-Conference Record | 4–2 |
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 2–0 |
| CAA | 1–1 |
| FCS Power Total | 3–1 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | None |
| Big South | None |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | None |
| Patriot | 1–0 |
| PFL | None |
| SoCon | None |
| Southland | 0–2 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | None |
| Other FCS Total | 1–2 |
| Total Postseason Record | 4–3 |

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

| Week | Offensive | Offensive | Offensive | Defensive | Defensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Special Teams | Special Teams | Freshman | Freshman | Freshman |
| Week | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team |
| Week 1 (Feb. 22) | Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | SDSU | Devon Krzanowski | LB | UND | Jake Reinholz | PK | NDSU | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU |
| Week 2 (Feb. 28) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Kevin Ellis | DE | MOST | Brady Schutt | P | USD | Josh Navratil | LB | UND |
| Week 3 (Mar. 7) | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU | Spencer Cuvelier | LB | UNI | Garret Wegner | P | NDSU | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU |
| Week 4 (Mar. 14) | Tommy Schuster | QB | UND | Montrae Braswell | CB | MOST | Cole Frahm | PK | SDSU | Cam Miller | QB | NDSU |
| Week 5 (Mar. 21) | Hunter Luepke | FB | NDSU | Grant Dixon | LB | YSU | Jose Pizano | K | MOST | Isaiah Davis | RB | SDSU |
| Week 6 (Mar. 28) | Celdon Manning | RB | MOST | Riley Van Wyhe | LB | UNI | Omar Brown | DB | UNI | Matt Struck | QB | MOST |
| Week 7 (Apr. 4) | Tony Tate | WR | WIU | Michael Lawson | DB | WIU | | | | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU |
| Week 8 (Apr. 11) | Christian Watson | WR | NDSU | Tylar Wiltz | LB | MOST | Garret Wegner | P | NDSU | Grant Dixon | LB | YSU |
| Week 9 (Apr. 18) | Javon Williams Jr. | RB | SIU | Adam Bock | LB | SDSU | Cole Frahm | PK | SDSU | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU |

### Players of the Year

On April 22, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.
Offensive Player of the Year
* Mark Gronowski, QB (Fr, South Dakota State)
Defensive Player of the Year
* Jared Brinkman, DL (Sr, Northern Iowa)
Newcomer of the Year
* Mark Gronowski, QB (Fr, South Dakota State)
Freshman of the Year
* Mark Gronowski, QB (South Dakota State)
Coach of the Year
* Bobby Petrino, (Missouri State)

### All-Conference Teams

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | Fr. |
| First Team Offense | Pierre Strong Jr. | South Dakota State | RB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Otis Weah | North Dakota | RB | So. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | FB | So. |
| First Team Offense | Avante Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Dennis Houston | Western Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Zach Heins | South Dakota State | TE | So. |
| First Team Offense | Zeveyon Furcron | Southern Illinois | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State | OL | So. |
| First Team Offense | Drew Himmelman | Illinois State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Nathan Nguon | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Cordell Volson | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Jared Brinkman | Northern Iowa | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | John Ridgeway | Illinois State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Caleb Sanders | South Dakota State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Waege | North Dakota State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Logan Backhaus | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Cuvelier | Northern Iowa | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Grant Dixon | Youngstown State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | James Kaczor | North Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | So. |
| First Team Defense | Qua Brown | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | James Caesar | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Don Gardner | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Josh Hayes | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | So. |
| First Team Special Teams | Ross Kennelly | North Dakota State | LS | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Garret Wegner | North Dakota State | P | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Tony Tate | Western Illinois | RS | Sr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Connor Sampson | Western Illinois | QB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Tommy Schuster | North Dakota | QB | Fr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | RB | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Jacob Garrett | Southern Illinois | FB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Tony Tate | Western Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Caleb Vander Esch | South Dakota | WR | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Noah Gindorff | North Dakota State | TE | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Landon Bebee | Missouri State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Dan Becker | Youngstown State | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Cody Mauch | North Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Matt Waletzko | North Dakota | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jordan Berner | Southern Illinois | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Kevin Ellis | Missouri State | DL | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Eric Johnson | Missouri State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Brantae Wells | Northern Iowa | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Devon Krzanowski | North Dakota | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Brock Mogensen | South Dakota | LB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Bryson Strong | Southern Illinois | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Tylar Wiltz | Missouri State | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Austin Evans | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Evan Holm | North Dakota | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Zaire Jones | Youngstown State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Kyriq McDonald | Missouri State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jose Pizano | Missouri State | PK | So. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Dalton Godfrey | South Dakota | LS | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Brady Schutt | South Dakota | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | RS | Jr. |

### All-Newcomer Team

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Carson Camp | South Dakota | QB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Tommy Schuster | North Dakota | QB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Pha'Leak Brown | Illinois State | RB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Celdon Manning | Missouri State | RB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Dallas Daniels | Western Illinois | WR | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Quan Hampton | Northern Iowa | WR | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Kyle Fourtenbary | Northern Iowa | TE | GS |
| Second Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DT | Fr. |
| Second Team Defense | Brayden Thomas | North Dakota State | DE | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | Fr. |
| Second Team Defense | Grant Dixon | Youngstown State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Devon Krzanowski | North Dakota | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Michael Lawson | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Kyriq McDonald | Missouri State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Myles Harden | South Dakota | CB | Fr. |
| Second Team Defense | Keyon Martin | Youngstown State | CB | Fr. |
Source:

### National Awards

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:
* Pierre Strong Jr. (RB - South Dakota State)
* Otis Weah (RB - North Dakota)
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:
* Mark Gronowski (QB - South Dakota State)
* Tommy Schuster (QB - North Dakota)

### All-Americans

| | AP 1st Team | AP 2nd Team | AFCA 1st Team | AFCA 2nd Team | STATS 1st Team | STATS 2nd Team | ADA | HERO |
| Avante Cox, WR, Southern Illinois | | Y | Y | | Y | | | |
| Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | | | Y |
| Cordell Volson, OL, North Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | | Y | Y |
| Don Gardner, DB, South Dakota State | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Drew Himmelman, OL, Illinois State | | | | | Y | | | Y |
| Garret Greenfield, OL, South Dakota State | Y | | Y | | Y | | | |
| Garrett Wegner, P, North Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | | Y | Y |
| Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State | | | | | Y | | | |
| James Caesar, DB, Southern Illinois | | | Y | | | | | |
| James Kaczor, LB, North Dakota State | | | | Y | | Y | | |
| Jared Brinkman, DL, Northern Iowa | Y | | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Javon Williams Jr, WR, Southern Illinois | | | | | Y | | | |
| Logan Backhaus, LB, South Dakota State | | | | | | Y | | Y |
| Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | | | | | | | | Y |
| Nathan Nguon, OL, North Dakota | | Y | | | | | | |
| Otis Weah, RB, North Dakota | Y | | | | Y | | | Y |
| Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State | | | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Qua Brown, DB, Southern Illinois | | Y | | | | Y | | Y |
| Ross Kennelly, LS, North Dakota State | | | | | | Y | | |
| Spencer Waege, DL, North Dakota State | | | | Y | | | | |

## Home attendance

| 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.

## 2021 NFL Draft

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 | |

### Undrafted Free Agents

| 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:

## Head coaches

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 | 1 | 124–61 (.670) | 5–5 (.500) | 5–1 (.833) | 1 | 1 | 0–1 (.000) | 0 |
| North Dakota | Bubba Schweigert | 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 | 5 | 208–109–1 (.656) | 22–29 (.431) | 15–21 (.417) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 2 |
| South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 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 |
* ↑ Bobby Petrino coached in the FBS from 2003-06 and 2015-18 for Louisville, 2008-11 for Arkansas, as well as in 2013 for Western Kentucky.
* ↑ Bubba Schweigert coached Minnesota Duluth of NCAA Division II from 2004-07. He also coached North Dakota while they were a part of the Big Sky Conference from 2014-17 and were independents in 2018 and 2019.
* ↑ 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.