# 2022 Missouri Valley Football Conference season

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.
South Dakota State and North Dakota State met in the National Championship Game after winning all three of their home playoff games. It was only the second time in FCS history and MVFC history that the final game was played between two same-conference teams, the last one pitting North Dakota State and Illinois State against each other in 2015. The Jackrabbits would go on to win their first National Title, 45-21.

## Previous season

In 2021, North Dakota State won the conference and received the automatic bid to the 2021 playoffs. They would go on to win the FCS Championship Game to win their 9th title in 11 years.
Besides NDSU; Southern Illinois, South Dakota, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, and Missouri State made the playoffs. Southern Illinois and South Dakota faced off in the first round, SIU was victorious but lost to NDSU the next week. Northern Iowa played Eastern Washington in the first round, but they lost 19-9. SDSU beat UC Davis in the first round, beat 4th seeded Sacramento State in the second round, and 5th seeded Villanova in the quarterfinals. Their run ended in the semifinal, when the Jacks lost to 8th seeded Montana State. Missouri State lost to UT Martin in the opening round.

## Coaching changes
### Western Illinois

On December 17, 2021, Myers Hendrickson was named the new head coach at Western Illinois. Hendrickson played for the Leathernecks in his brief college career as a wide receiver from 2008-10. He replaces coach Jared Elliot who led the program since 2018.

## 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 | 446 (39) |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 407 (2) |
| 3 | Missouri State | 355 |
| 4 | Southern Illinois | 306 |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 304 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 235 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 190 |
| 8 | Illinois State | 178 |
| 9 | Youngstown State | 132 |
| 10 | Indiana State | 109 |
| 11 | Western Illinois | 44 |

### Preseason Awards
#### Individual awards

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Jason Shelley | Missouri State | QB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Javon Williams | Southern Illinois | RB/AP | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | FB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Avante Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Tyrone Scott | Missouri State | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Tucker Kraft | South Dakota State | TE | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Landon Bebee | Missouri State | OL | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Cody Mauch | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Alex Jensen | South Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Kevin Ellis | Missouri State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Caleb Sanders | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Reece Winkelman | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Cuvelier | Northern Iowa | LB | RS Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Brock Mogensen | South Dakota | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Zeke Vandenburgh | Illinois State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | PJ Jules | Southern Illinois | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Kyriq McDonald | Missouri State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Dalton Godfrey | South Dakota | LS | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Grant Burkett | Missouri State | P | So. |
| First Team Special Teams | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | RS | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Carter Bell | South Dakota | AP | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Kobe Johnson | North Dakota State | RB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Cole Mueller | Illinois State | RB | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Jacob Garrett | Southern Illinois | FB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Carter Bell | South Dakota | WR | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Dante Hendrix | Indiana State | WR | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Noah Gindorff | North Dakota State | TE | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Drew Bones | Illinois State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Nash Jensen | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Erik Sorensen | Northern Iowa | OL | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Donny Ventrelli | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jaison Williams | Youngstown State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Braydon Deming | Illinois State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Nick Gaes | South Dakota | DL | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Caden Houghtelling | Northern Iowa | DL | RS Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Devin Rice | Northern Iowa | OL | RS Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Spencer Waege | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Greg Benton Jr. | Youngstown State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Bryce Flater | Northern Iowa | LB | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | James Kaczor | North Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Devon Krzanowski | North Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Clayton Bush | Southern Illinois | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Korby Sander | Northern Iowa | DB | Fr. |
| Second Team Defense | C.J. Siegel | North Dakota | CB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Destin Talbert | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Dawson Weber | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Joey Malinowski | Illinois State | LS | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jose Pizano | Missouri State | PK | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Cade Peterson | North Dakota | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jayden Price | North Dakota State | RS | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Quan Hampton | Northern Iowa | AP/WR | Sr. |

## 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 | Final |
| Illinois State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | RV | RV | RV | | | | | |
| Illinois State | AFCA Coaches | | RV | RV | | | | | RV | RV | | | | | |
| Indiana State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana State | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Missouri State | STATS Perform | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 20 | RV | RV | | | | | | |
| Missouri State | AFCA Coaches | 8 | 7 | 4т | 9 | 19 | RV | RV | | | | | | | |
| North Dakota | STATS Perform | | RV | 22 | 19 | RV | 22 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 20 |
| North Dakota | AFCA Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 23 | 24т | RV |
| North Dakota State | STATS Perform | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| North Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 21 | 24 | RV | | | | | | | RV | | | | |
| Northern Iowa | AFCA Coaches | 21 | 24 | | | | | | | | RV | | | | |
| South Dakota | STATS Perform | | | RV | RV | | RV | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota | AFCA Coaches | RV | RV | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2т | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| South Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | 9 | 17 | RV | 24 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 20 | RV | RV | | | |
| Southern Illinois | AFCA Coaches | 9 | 19 | RV | RV | RV | 24 | 19 | 17 | 24 | RV | RV | | | |
| Western Illinois | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Illinois | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | STATS Perform | | | RV | RV | RV | | | | | | RV | | RV | RV |
| Youngstown State | AFCA Coaches | | RV | 23 | 25т | RV | RV | | | | | RV | | RV | RV |

## Schedule

* Index to colors and formatting
* MVFC member won
* MVFC member lost
* MVFC teams in bold
All times Central time.
† denotes Homecoming game ^ denotes AP Poll ranking for FBS teams

### Regular season schedule
#### Week 1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 5:00 p.m. | North Alabama | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | W 17–14 $^{OT}$ | 4,851 |
| September 1 | 6:30 p.m. | Western Illinois | UT Martin | Hardy M. Graham Stadium • Martin, TN | ESPN+ | L 25–42 | 5,127 |
| September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 5 Missouri State | Central Arkansas | Estes Stadium • Conway, AR | ESPN+ | W 27–14 | 10,277 |
| September 3 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 2 South Dakota State | Iowa | Kinnick Stadium • Iowa City, IA | FS1 | L 3–7 | 69,250 |
| September 3 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 21 Northern Iowa | Air Force | Falcon Stadium • Colorado Springs, CO | | L 17–48 | 31,180 |
| September 3 | 1:00 p.m. | Duquesne | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 31–14 | 9,835 |
| September 3 | 2:30 p.m. | North Dakota | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | BTN | L 17–38 | 86,590 |
| September 3 | 2:30 p.m. | Drake | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 56–14 | 15,951 |
| September 3 | 6:00 p.m. | South Dakota | Kansas State | Bill Snyder Family Stadium • Manhattan, KS | Big 12 on ESPN+ | L 0–34 | 50,469 |
| September 3 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 9 Southern Illinois | Incarnate Word | Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium • San Antonio, TX | ESPN+ | L 29–64 | 2,656 |
| September 3 | 6:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 18^ Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI | FS1 | L 0–38 | 73,727 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 8 | 7:00 p.m. | UT Martin | No. 5 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 35–30 | 9,872 |
| September 10 | 11:00 a.m. | Western Illinois | Minnesota | Huntington Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | BTN | L 10–62 | 43,859 |
| September 10 | 1:00 p.m. | Dayton | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 49–16 | 13,597 |
| September 10 | 2:30 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 3 Montana | Washington-Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT | ESPN+ | L 7–24 | 24,404 |
| September 10 | 2:30 p.m. | North Carolina A&T | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 43–3 | 16,269 |
| September 10 | 3:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Purdue | Ross-Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, IN | BTN | L 0–56 | 53,676 |
| September 10 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 24 Northern Iowa | No. RV North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 29–27 | 9,940 |
| September 10 | 6:00 p.m. | UC Davis | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 24–22 | 15,182 |
| September 10 | 6:00 p.m. | Southeast Missouri State | No. 17 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | L 31–34 | 8,662 |
| September 10 | 6:30 p.m. | Valparaiso | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | W 28–21 | 6,937 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 17 | 11:00 a.m. | No. RV Youngstown State | No. 9^ Kentucky | Kroger Field • Lexington, KY | SECN | L 0–31 | 59,308 |
| September 17 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 5 Missouri State | No. 10^ Arkansas | Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | SEC+/ESPN+ | L 17–38 | 74,133 |
| September 17 | 11:00 a.m. | No. RV Southern Illinois | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | W 31–24 | 23,146 |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Montana | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | L 14–49 | 5,929 |
| September 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Cal Poly | No. RV South Dakota† | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | W 38–21 | 6,812 |
| September 17 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 22 North Dakota | Northern Arizona | J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome • Flagstaff, AZ | ESPN+ | W 27–24 | 7,841 |
| September 17 | 3:00 p.m. | Southern Utah | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | L 10–17 | 5,024 |
| September 17 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 7 Sacramento State | No. RV Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | L 21–37 | 8,818 |
| September 17 | 6:00 p.m. | Butler | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 45–17 | 16,414 |
| September 17 | 6:30 p.m. | Eastern Illinois | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | W 35–7 | 8,208 |
| September 17 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 1 North Dakota State | Arizona | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | FS1 | L 28–31 | 41,211 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 24 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 1 North Dakota State | No. RV South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | NDSU 34–17 | 6,530 |
| September 24 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 2 South Dakota State | No. 6 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | SDSU 28–14 | 13,189 |
| September 24 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 19 North Dakota | No. 24 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 34–17 | 8,053 |
| September 24 | 3:00 p.m. | Northern Iowa | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | UNI 52–17 | 4,500 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 24 | Illinois State | Indiana State | No. RV Youngstown State |

#### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 1 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 7 Missouri State | No. RV North Dakota† | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 48–31 | 10,020 |
| October 1 | 1:00 p.m. | No. RV Youngstown State | No. 1 North Dakota State † | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 27–14 | 18,055 |
| October 1 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 2 South Dakota State† | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 34–10 | 15,237 |
| October 1 | 4:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 20–14 | 6,830 |
| October 1 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 19 Southern Illinois | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 19–14 | 11,127 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 1 | South Dakota |

#### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 8 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 1 North Dakota State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | NDSU 31–26 | 4,185 |
| October 8 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 17 Southern Illinois | No. 20 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | SIU 38–21 | 7,061 |
| October 8 | 2:00 p.m. | No. RV South Dakota | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD (Battle for South Dakota) | ESPN+ | SDSU 28–3 | 19,332 |
| October 8 | 4:00 p.m. | Illinois State | Northern Iowa† | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | ILL ST 23–21 | 9,306 |
| October 8 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 22 North Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | UND 35–30 | 11,009 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 8 | Western Illinois |

#### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Youngstown State† | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 48–42 | 9,326 |
| October 15 | 2:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. RV Illinois State† | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN3 | ILL ST 12–10 | 9,302 |
| October 15 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 16 Southern Illinois† | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 30–7 | 10,118 |
| October 15 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 South Dakota State | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND (Dakota Marker) | ESPN+ | SDSU 23–21 | 18,603 |
| October 15 | 4:00 p.m. | Utah Tech | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | W 41–14 | 6,942 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 15 | No. RV Missouri State | No. 20 North Dakota |

#### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 22 | 12:00 p.m. | No. RV Illinois State | Indiana State† | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN3 | ILL ST 27–21 | 5,182 |
| October 22 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 14 Southern Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 27–24 | 7,599 |
| October 22 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 1 South Dakota State | No. 20 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | SDSU 49–35 | 11,067 |
| October 22 | 3:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | Western Illinois† | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | YSU 28–27 | 7,217 |
| October 22 | 4:00 p.m. | No. RV Missouri State | Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 41–20 | 8,809 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| October 22 | No. 4 North Dakota State |

#### Week 9

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 29 | 1:00 p.m. | South Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 45–24 | 9,240 |
| October 29 | 2:00 p.m. | Indiana State | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 49–7 | 19,041 |
| October 29 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | Missouri State† | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MO ST 64–14 | 10,712 |
| October 29 | 2:00 p.m. | Northern Iowa | No. 20 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | UNI 37–36 | 6,155 |
| October 29 | 2:30 p.m. | No. RV Illinois State | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 24–7 | 16,172 |
| October 29 | 3:00 p.m. | Abilene Christian | No. 23 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | W 34–31 | 8,355 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 10

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 5 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 21 North Dakota | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | UND 42–7 | 2,534 |
| November 5 | 1:00 p.m. | Missouri State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN3 | USD 20–13 | 5,341 |
| November 5 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 4 North Dakota State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 56–17 | 2,534 |
| November 5 | 2:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | YSU 19–17 | 4,989 |
| November 5 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 1 South Dakota State | No. RV Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | SDSU 31–28 | 9,449 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| November 5 | No. RV Southern Illinois |

#### Week 11

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 12 | 12:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 19 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 28–19 | 9,516 |
| November 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | IND ST 21–0 | 2,661 |
| November 12 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 4 North Dakota State | No. RV Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 21–18 | 4,575 |
| November 12 | 2:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 31–7 | 8,160 |
| November 12 | 2:00 p.m. | No. RV Youngstown State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | MO ST 25–22 | 5,148 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| November 12 | Northern Iowa |

#### Week 12

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 19 | 11:00 a.m. | Western Illinois | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | ILL ST 20–13 $^{OT}$ | 2,579 |
| November 19 | 11:00 a.m. | Southern Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN3 | YSU 28–21 | 7,381 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Missouri State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | MO ST 24–7 | 2,575 |
| November 19 | 1:00 p.m. | Northern Iowa | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | UNI 58–14 | 5,490 |
| November 19 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 16 North Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND (Nickel Trophy) | ESPN+ | NDSU 42–21 | 18,806 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| November 19 | No. 1 South Dakota State |

## Postseason

In 2022, three teams made the FCS Playoffs. South Dakota State (No. 1) and North Dakota State (No. 3) both received byes, while North Dakota was unseeded and played in the opening round. Below are the games in which they played.
* Index to colors and formatting
* MVFC member won
* MVFC member lost
* MVFC teams in bold
All times Central time. Tournament seedings in parentheses

### First round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| November 26 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 20 North Dakota | No. 9 Weber State (Big Sky) | Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT | ESPN+ | L 31–38 | 4,495 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Second round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 3 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 23 Delaware (CAA) | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 42–6 | 6,117 |
| December 3 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 19 Montana (Big Sky) | No. 4 (3) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 49–26 | 12,929 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Quarterfinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 9 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 8 (6) Samford (SoCon) | No. 4 (3) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN2 | W 27–9 | 11,825 |
| December 10 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 7 (8) Holy Cross (Patriot League) | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN | W 42–21 | 6,549 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Semifinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 16 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 5 (7) Incarnate Word (Southland) | No. 4 (3) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN2 | W 35–32 | 12,569 |
| December 17 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 3 (4) Montana State (Big Sky) | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN2 | W 39–18 | 7,195 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### National Championship

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| January 8 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 4 (3) North Dakota State | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ABC | SDSU 45-21 | 18,023 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## MVFC records vs other conferences

2022-23 records against non-conference foes (through December 17, 2022):
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 3-4 |
| CAA | None |
| FCS Power Total | 3-4 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | 2-0 |
| Big South | 1-0 |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | 3-1 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | 4-0 |
| SoCon | None |
| Southland | 0-1 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | 2-0 |
| Other FCS Total | 12-2 |
| FBS Opponents | Record |
| Football Bowl Subdivision | 1-10 |
| Total Non-Conference Record | 16-16 |
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 2-1 |
| CAA | 1-0 |
| 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 | 1-0 |
| Southland | 1-0 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | None |
| Other FCS Total | 3-0 |
| Total Postseason Record | 6-1 |
Source:

## 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 (Sept. 4) | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | Adam Bock | LB | SDSU | Ryan O'Grady | PK | IN ST | Naseim Brantley | WR | WIU |
| Week 1 (Sept. 4) | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | Ryan Cole | S | IN ST | Montrae Braswell | CB/RS | MO ST | Naseim Brantley | WR | WIU |
| Week 2 (Sept. 11) | Jason Shelley | QB | MO ST | Zeke Vandenburgh | LB | ILL ST | Jalen Carr | KR | ILL ST | Jacardia Wright | RB | MO ST |
| Week 3 (Sept. 18) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Zeke Vandenburgh | LB | ILL ST | Cade Peterson | P | UND | Zack Annexstad | QB | ILL ST |
| Week 3 (Sept. 18) | Jason Shelley | QB | MO ST | Zeke Vandenburgh | LB | ILL ST | Cade Peterson | P | UND | Zack Annexstad | QB | ILL ST |
| Week 4 (Sept. 25) | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU | Woo Governor | DB | UNI | Griffin Crosa | K | NDSU | Dillon Thomas | S | MO ST |
| Week 5 (Oct. 2) | Isaiah Davis | RB | SDSU | Zeke Vandenburgh | LB | ILL ST | Brady Stevens | PK | UND | D'Ante' Cox | WR | SIU |
| Week 6 (Oct. 9) | Javon Williams Jr. | AP | SIU | Rylan Cole | S | IN ST | Will Mostaert | DT | NDSU | Cole Davis | DB | UND |
| Week 6 (Oct. 9) | Javon Williams Jr. | AP | SIU | Rylan Cole | S | IN ST | Will Mostaert | DT | NDSU | Ian Wagner | PK | ILL ST |
| Week 7 (Oct. 16) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Stephen Hillis | LB | USD | Hunter Dustman | K/P | SDSU | Cade Chambers | QB | IN ST |
| Week 8 (Oct. 23) | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU | Cameron Tisdale | CB | USD | Colt McFadden | PK | YSU | Zack Annexstad | QB | ILL ST |
| Week 8 (Oct. 23) | Dom Williams | RB | UNI | Cameron Tisdale | CB | USD | Colt McFadden | PK | YSU | Zack Annexstad | QB | ILL ST |
| Week 9 (Oct. 13) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Dylan Wudke | DE | YSU | Jose Pizano | PK | MO ST | Desmond Hutson | WR | UNI |
| Week 10 (Nov. 7) | TaMerik Williams | RB | NDSU | Alex Howard | LB | YSU | Hunter Dustman | K/P | SDSU | Aidan Bouman | QB | USD |
| Week 11 (Nov. 14) | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | James Kaczor | LB | NDSU | Montrae Braswell | CB/RS | MO ST | Malachi McNeal | LB | UND |
| Week 11 (Nov. 14) | Tommy Schuster | QB | UND | James Kaczor | LB | NDSU | Montrae Braswell | CB/RS | MO ST | Malachi McNeal | LB | UND |
| Week 12 (Nov. 21) | Cam Miller | QB | NDSU | Zeke Vandenburg | LB | ILL ST | DJ Hart | WR/RS | NDSU | Garret Ollendieck | LB | IN ST |
| Week 12 (Nov. 21) | Theo Day | QB | UNI | Zeke Vandenburg | LB | ILL ST | DJ Hart | WR/RS | NDSU | Garret Ollendieck | LB | IN ST |
In Week 12, an Offensive Lineman was also named to the player of the week honors, Nash Jensen of North Dakota State.

### Players of the Year

On November 28, 2022, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.

#### Offensive Player of the Year

* Jaleel McLaughlin, RB (Sr - Youngstown State)

#### Defensive Player of the Year

* Zeke Vandenburg, LB (Sr - Illinois State)

#### Newcomer of the Year

* Naseim Brantley, WR (Jr - Western Illinois)

#### Freshman of the Year

* Cade Chambers, QB (Fr - Indiana State)

#### Coach of the Year

* John Stiegelmeier (South Dakota State)

### All-Conference Teams

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Theo Day | Northern Iowa | QB | RS Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | FB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Naseim Brantley | Western Illinois | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Dante Hendrix | Indiana State | WR | RS Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Bryce Oliver | Youngstown State | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Tucker Kraft | South Dakota State | TE | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Drew Bones | Illinois State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Nash Jensen | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Cody Mauch | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | AP | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Richie Hagarty | Southern Illinois | DL | So. |
| First Team Defense | Caleb Sanders | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Waege | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Reece Winkelman | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Stephen Hillis | South Dakota | LB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | James Kaczor | North Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Zeke Vandenburg | Illinois State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Dyshawn Gales | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Dawson Weber | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Grant Burkett | Missouri State | P | So. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Dalton Godfrey | South Dakota | DS | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | RS | Jr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Justin Dinka | Indiana State | RB | RS So. |
| Second Team Offense | Tyler Hoosman | North Dakota | RB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jacob Garrett | Southern Illinois | FB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Avante Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Zach Heins | South Dakota State | TE | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Landon Bebee | Missouri State | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Alex Jensen | South Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Mike McAllister | Youngstown State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Erik Sorenson | Northern Iowa | OL | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Donny Ventrelli | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | AP | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Khristian Boyd | Northern Iowa | DL | RS Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Kevin Ellis | Missouri State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Ben McNaboe | North Dakota | DL | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Dylan Wudke | Youngstown State | DL | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Branson Combs | Southern Illinois | LB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Spencer Cuvelier | Northern Iowa | LB | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Ferrin Manuleleua | Missouri State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Brock Mogensen | South Dakota | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Korby Sander | Northern Iowa | LB | GS |
| Second Team Defense | Rylan Cole | Indiana State | DB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Woo Governor | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Myles Harden | South Dakota | DB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | PJ Jules | Southern Illinois | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | C.J. Siegel | North Dakota | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | John Bickle | South Dakota | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Colt McFadden | Youngstown State | PK | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Hunter Brozio | North Dakota State | DS | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jadon Janke | South Dakota State | RS | Sr. |

### All-Newcomer Team

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Zack Annexstad | Illinois State | QB | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Aidan Bouman | South Dakota | QB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Naseim Brantley | Western Illinois | WR | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Brayden Bryant | North Dakota | OL | So. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Cade Chambers | Indiana State | QB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | D'Ante' Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Desmond Hutson | Northern Iowa | WR | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Shomari Lawrence | South Dakota | RB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | John O'Brian | South Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Max Tomczak | Youngstown State | WR | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Jacardia Wright | Missouri State | RB | So. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Wenkers Wright | Illinois State | RB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Cordarrius Bailey | Northern Iowa | DE | RS Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | John Bickle | South Dakota | P | Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Jaxon Duttenhefer | North Dakota State | DT | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Jason Freeman | South Dakota State | LB | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Chris Harris | Southern Illinois | LB | Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Logan Kopp | North Dakota State | LB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Deandre Lamont | Illinois State | DB | Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Tucker Large | South Dakota State | S/LB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Kole Menz | North Dakota State | DE | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Edmund Ocansey | North Dakota | DB | RS Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Garret Ollendieck | Indiana State | LB | So. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Noah Pettinger | Northern Iowa | P | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Defense | Michael Scott | South Dakota | DE | Sr. |
Source:

### National Awards

On December 5, 2022, 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:
* Jaleel McLaughlin (RB - Youngstown State)
* Cody Mauch (OL - North Dakota State)
* Hunter Luepke (FB - North Dakota State)

#### Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best FCS defensive player. The MVFC’s own Zeke Vandenburg (LB - Illinois State) won the award, and was honored at the National Championship game in January. Here are the other MVFC finalists:
* Spencer Waege (DL - North Dakota State)
* Caleb Sanders (DL - South Dakota State)

#### Jerry Rice Award

The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman player. Here are the MVFC finalists:
* Cade Chambers (QB - Indiana State)

### 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 |
| Benny Sapp III, DB, Northern Iowa | | | Y | | Y | | Y | | | |
| Caleb Sanders, DL, South Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y |
| Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y | Y |
| Garret Greenfield, OL, South Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | Y | | | | |
| Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State | | Y | | | | Y | | | | Y |
| Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Youngstown State | Y | | | | Y | Y | | | | Y |
| Matthew Cook, PK, Northern Iowa | | Y | | | Y | | | Y | | Y |
| Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | | Y | | | Y |
| Michael Tutsie, DB, North Dakota State | | | Y | | Y | | | | | |
| Nash Jensen, OL, North Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | | Y | | | |
| Spencer Waege, DE, North Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | Y | | | | Y |
| Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State | | | Y | | | | | Y | | |
| Zeke Vandenburgh, LB, Illinois State | Y | | | Y | | 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 | 6,937 | 8,208 | 11,127† | 9,302 | 4,989 | 2,579 | | | | 43,142 | 7,190 | 53.7% |
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 | 4,851 | 5,929† | 4,185 | 5,182 | 2,534 | 2,575 | | | | 25,256 | 4,209 | 32.9% |
| Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 9,872 | 13,189† | 7,064 | 10,712 | 5,148 | | | | | 45,985 | 9,197 | 52.5% |
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 9,940 | 10,020 | 11,067† | 8,355 | 9,516 | | | | | 48,898 | 9,779 | 79.6% |
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 15,951 | 16,269 | 18,055 | 18,603 | 16,172 | 18,806† | 12,929‡ | 11,825‡ | 12,569‡ | 141,179 | 15,686 | 83.9% |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 8,818 | 6,830 | 9,306 | 6,942 | 8,809 | 9,449† | | | | 50,154 | 8,359 | 51.2% |
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 6,812 | 6,530 | 7,599† | 5,341 | 5,490 | | | | | 31,772 | 6,354 | 69.8% |
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 15,182 | 16,414 | 15,237 | 19,332† | 19,041 | 8,160 | 6,117‡ | 6,549‡ | 7,195‡ | 113,227 | 12,580 | 65.1% |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 8,662 | 8,053 | 10,118† | 6,155 | 4,575 | | | | | 37,563 | 7,512 | 50.0% |
| Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 5,024† | 4,500 | 4,973 | 2,534 | 2,661 | | | | | 19,692 | 3,938 | 23.0% |
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 9,835 | 13,597† | 11,009 | 9,326 | 9,240 | 7,381 | | | | 60,388 | 10,064 | 48.8% |
Bold - Exceed capacity †Season High ‡FCS Playoff Game

## 2023 NFL Draft

The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2023 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | School | Draft Round | Round Pick | Overall Pick | Team | Notes |
| Cody Mauch | OT | North Dakota State | 2 | 17 | 48 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | from Detroit via Green Bay |
| Tucker Kraft | TE | South Dakota State | 3 | 15 | 78 | Green Bay Packers | |

### Undrafted Free Agents

| Player | Position | School | Team |
| Hunter Luepke | FB | North Dakota State | Dallas Cowboys |
| Noah Gindorff | TE | North Dakota State | Seattle Seahawks |
| Nash Jensen | OL | North Dakota State | Carolina Panthers |
| Spencer Waege | DL | North Dakota State | San Francisco 49ers |
| Tyler Hoosman | RB | North Dakota | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Benny Sapp | CB | Northern Iowa | Green Bay Packers |
| Ty Scott | WR | Missouri State | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Mike McAllister | C | Youngstown State | Los Angeles Rams |
| Zeke Vandenburgh | LB | Illinois State | Miami Dolphins |
| Tanner Taula | TE | Illinois State | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Jason Lewan | DE | Illinois State | Green Bay Packers |
| Alex Jensen | OT | South Dakota | Miami Dolphins |
| Caleb Sanders | DL | South Dakota State | New York Giants |
Source:

## Head coaches

Through January 10, 2023
| 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 | 14 | 95–66 (.590) | 95–66 (.590) | 60–48 (.556) | 2 | 5 | 7–5 (.583) | 0 |
| Indiana State | Curt Mallory | 5 | 19–37 (.339) | 19–37 (.339) | 12–28 (.300) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Missouri State | Bobby Petrino | 3 | 137–71 (.659) | 18–15 (.545) | 14–8 (.636) | 1 | 2 | 0–2 (.000) | 0 |
| North Dakota | Bubba Schweigert | 9 | 76–66 (.535) | 54–45 (.545) | 12–9 (.571) | 0 | 4 | 1–4 (.200) | 0 |
| North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 4 | 49–7 (.875) | 49–7 (.875) | 27–4 (.871) | 2 | 4 | 9–2 (.818) | 2 |
| Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | 22 | 174–98 (.640) | 174–98 (.640) | 111–56 (.665) | 7 | 13 | 16–13 (.552) | 0 |
| South Dakota | Bob Nielson | 7 | 218–122–1 (.641) | 32–34 (.485) | 22–30 (.423) | 0 | 2 | 1–2 (.333) | 2 |
| South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 26 | 198–112 (.639) | 198–112 (.639) | 84–34 (.712) | 3 | 12 | 18–11 (.621) | 1 |
| Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 7 | 34–39 (.466) | 34–39 (.466) | 20–28 (.417) | 0 | 2 | 2–2 (.500) | 0 |
| Western Illinois | Myers Hendrickson | 1 | 0–11 (.000) | 0–11 (.000) | 0–8 (.000) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Youngstown State | Doug Phillips | 3 | 11–17 (.393) | 11–17 (.393) | 8–15 (.348) | 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.
* ↑ Myers Hendrickson previously coached at Kansas Wesleyan of the NAIA from 2019-21, and helped the Coyotes to two NAIA playoff appearances.