# 2021 Missouri Valley Football Conference season

The 2021 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 36th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's 2nd straight season with 11 teams.
North Dakota State made it to the National Championship and won their 9th FCS title in program history. South Dakota State made the playoffs unseeded, and won their way into the semifinals where they lost to 8th seeded Montana State. Southern Illinois also made it to the playoffs, and beat fellow MVFC member South Dakota in the first round, but would fall to eventual champion North Dakota State in the second round. Northern Iowa also made it to the playoffs, but lost to Eastern Washington in the first round.

## Previous season

The 2020 season was a spread out season after the conference schedule and FCS playoffs were postponed to the spring due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the modified Spring 2021 season, South Dakota State made it to the National Championship for the first time in program history, but fell to Sam Houston State. North Dakota State also made the playoffs and beat Eastern Washington in the first round, but fell to eventual champion Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals. Southern Illinois made the playoffs as well and beat Weber State in the first round before falling to South Dakota State in the quarterfinals. North Dakota made the playoffs as well and beat fellow MVFC member, Missouri State, in the first round but fell to James Madison in the quarterfinals.

## 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 | South Dakota State | 454 (24) |
| 2 | North Dakota State | 435 (18) |
| 3 | North Dakota | 357 |
| 4 | Southern Illinois | 345 |
| 5 | Northern Iowa | 311 (1) |
| 6 | Missouri State | 256 |
| 7 | Illinois State | 196 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 163 |
| 9 | Youngstown State | 126 |
| 10 | Indiana State | 112 |
| 11 | Western Illinois | 83 |

### Preseason Awards
#### Individual awards

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Tommy Schuster | North Dakota | QB | RS So. |
| First Team Offense | Pierre Strong Jr. | South Dakota State | RB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Otis Weah | North Dakota | RB | RS Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | FB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Zach Heins | South Dakota State | TE | So. |
| First Team Offense | Avante Cox Jr. | Southern Illinois | WR | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Dennis Houston | Western Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | ZeVeyon Furcron | Southern Illinois | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State | OL | So. |
| First Team Offense | Cody Mauch | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Cordell Volson | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Matt Waletzko | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | AP | So. |
| First Team Defense | Jordan Berner | Southern Illinois | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Jared Brinkman | Northern Iowa | DL | GS |
| First Team Defense | Caleb Sanders | South Dakota State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Waege | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Logan Backhaus | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Cuvelier | Northern Iowa | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Grant Dixon | Youngstown State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | James Kaczor | North Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| 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 | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Brady Schutt | South Dakota | P | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Dalton Godfrey | South Dakota | LS | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | RS | Sr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Stone Labanowitz | Southern Illinois | QB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Fr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jacob Garrett | Southern Illinois | FB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Noah Gindorff | North Dakota State | TE | Sr. |
| 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 | Landon Bebee | Missouri State | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Dan Becker | Youngstown State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Wes Genant | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Deion McShane | Northern Iowa | AP | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Kevin Ellis | Missouri State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Eric Johnson | Missouri State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Anthony Knighton | Southern Illinois | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DL | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Devon Krzanowski | North Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Brock Mogensen | South Dakota | LB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Bryson Strong Jr. | Southern Illinois | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Tylar Wiltz | Missouri State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Omar Brown | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Austin Evans | Northern Iowa | DB | GS |
| 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 | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jack Colquhoun | Southern Illinois | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jose Pizano | Missouri State | PK | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Bradey Sorenson | South Dakota State | LS | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Tony Tate | Western Illinois | RS | Sr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Will McElvain | Northern Iowa | QB | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Connor Sampson | Western Illinois | QB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Tyler Hoosman | Northern Iowa | RB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Tim McCloyn | Illinois State | FB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Josh Babicz | North Dakota State | TE | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Dante Hendrix | Indiana State | WR | RS Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | WR | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Isaiah Edwards | Indiana State | OL | RS Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Mason Scheidegger | South Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | William Waddell | Western Illinois | OL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Offense | Christian Turner | Youngstown State | AP | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | James Jackson | Youngstown State | DL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Jacob Matthew | South Dakota | DL | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Inoke Moala | Indiana State | DL | RS Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Reece Winkelman | South Dakota State | DL | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Jack Cochrane | South Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Jaxson Turner | North Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Jordan Canady | North Dakota | DB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Myles Harden | South Dakota | DB | Fr. |
| Honorable Mention Defense | Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Adam Fellner | Western Illinois | P | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Nico Gualdoni | Southern Illinois | PK | Sr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Dan Heilbron | Southern Illinois | LS | Jr. |
| Honorable Mention Special Teams | Luke Skokna | North Dakota | RS | Jr. |

## 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Illinois State | AFCA Coaches | | RV | | RV | RV | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Indiana State | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Missouri State | STATS Perform | 24 | 23 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 14 |
| Missouri State | AFCA Coaches | RV | 25 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 14 |
| North Dakota | STATS Perform | 8 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 22 | RV | RV | | | RV | | |
| North Dakota | AFCA Coaches | 7 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 24 | RV | RV | | | | | |
| North Dakota State | STATS Perform | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| North Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 21 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 20 | RV | RV | 23 |
| Northern Iowa | AFCA Coaches | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 24 | 17 | 15 | 24 | RV | 25 | 25 |
| South Dakota | STATS Perform | | | | RV | RV | RV | 21 | 15 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| South Dakota | AFCA Coaches | | RV | RV | RV | | RV | | | | | | | | |
| South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 12 | 11 | 4 |
| South Dakota State | AFCA Coaches | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 5 |
| Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 17 | 21 | 16 |
| Southern Illinois | AFCA Coaches | 10 | 9 | 9т | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 15 | 23 | 17 |
| Western Illinois | STATS Perform | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Illinois | AFCA Coaches | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | STATS Perform | | | | | | | RV | RV | | | | | | |
| Youngstown State | AFCA Coaches | 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 0

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| August 28 | 6:00 PM | Eastern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | W 26–21 | 5,540 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 1

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 6:30 PM | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Southeast Missouri State | Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 47–21 | 4,075 |
| September 2 | 7:00 PM | Western Illinois | Ball State | Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN | ESPN+ | L 21–31 | 13,149 |
| September 2 | 7:00 PM | Incarnate Word | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 44–41$^{OT}$ | 8,637 |
| September 3 | 7:00 PM | South Dakota | Kansas | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | ESPN+ | L 14–17 | 26,103 |
| September 3 | 8:00 PM | No. 3 South Dakota State | Colorado State | Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO | FS1 | W 42–23 | 32,327 |
| September 4 | 2:00 PM | No. 8 North Dakota | Idaho State | Holt Arena • Pocatello, ID | ESPN+ | W 35–14 | 4,667 |
| September 4 | 2:30 PM | Albany | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 28–6 | 15,156 |
| September 4 | 3:30 PM | No. 21 Northern Iowa | No. 7^ Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA | ESPN+ | L 10–16 | 61,500 |
| September 4 | 6:00 PM | No. 24 Missouri State | Oklahoma State | Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK | ESPN+ | L 16–23 | 50,807 |
| September 4 | 6:30 PM | Butler | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN3 | W 49–7 | 8,148 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| September 4 | Indiana State |

#### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 10 | 8:00 PM | No. 9 North Dakota | Utah State | Maverik Stadium • Logan, UT | CBSSN | L 24–48 | 18,124 |
| September 11 | 12:00 PM | Indiana State | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | L 6–24 | 26,181 |
| September 11 | 11:00 AM | Youngstown State | Michigan State | Spartan Stadium • East Lancing, MI | BTN | L 14–42 | 70,103 |
| September 11 | 1:00 PM | Northern Arizona | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | | W 34–7 | 5,247 |
| September 11 | 2:30 PM | Valparaiso | No. 5 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 64–0 | 15,118 |
| September 11 | 4:00 PM | Illinois State | Western Michigan | Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI | ESPN3 | L 0–28 | 18,122 |
| September 11 | 6:00 PM | No. 8 Southern Illinois | Kansas State | Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, KS | ESPN+ | L 23–31 | 47,628 |
| September 11 | 6:00 PM | Lindenwood | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | W 52–7 | 15,162 |
| September 11 | 7:00 PM | No. 19 Central Arkansas | No. 23 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 43–34 | 11,247 |
| September 11 | 7:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. 4 Montana | Washington-Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT | ESPN+ | L 7–42 | 25,238 |
| September 11 | 8:00 PM | No. 21 Northern Iowa | Sacramento State | Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA | ESPN+ | W 34–16 | 8,067 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 18 | 3:00 PM | No. 7 Eastern Washington | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | L 56–62 | 5,385 |
| September 18 | 4:00 PM | St. Thomas | No. 18 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN3 | W 44–3 | 5,124 |
| September 18 | 4:00 PM | Drake | No. 11 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | W 38–0 | 10,143 |
| September 18 | 5:00 PM | No. 5 North Dakota State | Towson | Johnny Unitas Stadium • Towson, MD | FloSports | W 35–7 | 9,109 |
| September 18 | 6:00 PM | Dayton | No. 8 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 55–3 | 7,338 |
| September 18 | 6:00 PM | Illinois State | Eastern Illinois | O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL (Mid-America Classic) | ESPN+ | W 31–24 | 6,424 |
| September 18 | 7:00 PM | South Dakota | Cal Poly | Alex G. Spanos Stadium • San Luis Obispo, CA | | W 48–14 | 11,075 |
| September 18 | 7:00 PM | Indiana State | Eastern Kentucky | Roy Kidd Stadium • Richmond, KY | ESPN+ | W 23–21 | 4,550 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 18 | No. 17 Missouri State | No. 2 South Dakota State |

#### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 25 | 12:00 PM | No. 2 South Dakota State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | SDSU 44–0 | 6,652 |
| September 25 | 2:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 35–17 | 8,618 |
| September 25 | 6:00 PM | Western Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN3 | YSU 38–35 | 13,751 |
| September 25 | 7:00 PM | South Dakota | No. 18 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | MOST 31–23 | 12,738 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 25 | No. 5 North Dakota State | No. 17 Northern Iowa | No. 10 North Dakota |

#### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 2 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 Missouri State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 41–20 | - |
| October 2 | 2:00 PM | No. 5 North Dakota State | No. 10 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 16–10 | 12,846 |
| October 2 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | | USD 38–10 | 6,267 |
| October 2 | 3:00 PM | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 31–30$^{OT}$ | 4,107 |
| October 2 | 4:00 PM | Youngstown State | No. 15 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | | UNI 34–7 | 8,771 |
| October 2 | 6:00 PM | Dixie State | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 55–7 | 14,427 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 9 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 Northern Iowa | No. 5 North Dakota State† | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 34–20 | 18,536 |
| October 9 | 1:00 PM | No. 16 Missouri State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 41–33 | 12,444 |
| October 9 | 2:00 PM | No. 8 Southern Illinois | No. 2 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SIU 42–41$^{OT}$ | 12,216 |
| October 9 | 2:00 PM | No. 13 North Dakota | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD (Sitting Bull Trophy) | ESPN+ | USD 20–13 | 5,304 |
| October 9 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | INST 37–27 | 3,943 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| October 9 | Illinois State |

#### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 16 | 12:00 PM | No. 7 South Dakota State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 41–17 | 2,827 |
| October 16 | 2:00 PM | No. 3 North Dakota State | Illinois State† | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 20–0 | 12,416 |
| October 16 | 2:00 PM | Indiana State | No. 20 Missouri State† | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 37–7 | 14,336 |
| October 16 | 2:00 PM | No. 22 North Dakota | No. 4 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | SIU 31–28 | 10,644 |
| October 16 | 4:00 PM | No. 21 South Dakota | No. 16 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | | USD 34–21 | 7,202 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| October 16 | Youngstown State |

#### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 23 | 2:30 PM | No. 17 Missouri State | No. 3 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 27–20 | 15,559 |
| October 23 | 1:00 PM | Illinois State | No. 15 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | ILST 20–14 | 5,415 |
| October 23 | 2:00 PM | No. 20 Northern Iowa | No. 6 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | UNI 26–17 | 16,889 |
| October 23 | 1:00 PM | Youngstown State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | INST 28–17 | 5,479 |
| October 23 | 2:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. RV North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 34–10 | 8,807 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| October 23 | No. 4 Southern Illinois |

#### Week 9

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 30 | 1:00 PM | No. 10 South Dakota State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SDSU 47–16 | 9,423 |
| October 30 | 2:30 PM | Indiana State | No. 2 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 44–2 | 14,383 |
| October 30 | 2:00 PM | No. RV North Dakota | No. 17 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 32–28 | 8,372 |
| October 30 | 4:00 PM | No. 3 Southern Illinois | No. 16 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 23–16 | 5,902 |
| October 30 | 3:00 PM | Illinois State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN3 | WIU 38–31 | 2,118 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| October 30 | No. 21 South Dakota |

#### Week 10

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 6 | 2:00 PM | No. 2 North Dakota State | No. 9 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD (Dakota Marker) | ESPN+ | SDSU 27–19 | 18,122 |
| November 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 17 Missouri State | No. 7 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | MOST 38–28 | 7,176 |
| November 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 23 South Dakota | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | USD 42–21 | 1,972 |
| November 6 | 12:00 PM | No. 13 Northern Iowa | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | | ILST 17–10$^{OT}$ | 6,000 |
| November 6 | 12:00 PM | Youngstown State | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 24–21 | 8,441 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| November 6 | Indiana State |

#### Week 11

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 13 | 11:00 AM | No. 5 North Dakota State | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | NDSU 49–17 | 8,307 |
| November 13 | 2:00 PM | No. 20 Northern Iowa | No. 16 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 34–27 | 9,173 |
| November 13 | 12:00 PM | No. 15 Southern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN3 | SIU 47–21 | 3,265 |
| November 13 | 1:00 PM | No. 4 South Dakota State | No. 19 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | | USD 23–20 | 9,068 |
| November 13 | 2:00 PM | Illinois State | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 14–7 | 6,141 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| November 13 | Western Illinois |

#### Week 12

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 20 | 12:00 PM | Youngstown State | No. 17 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | YSU 35–18 | 4,935 |
| November 20 | 1:00 PM | Indiana State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | | INST 15–10 | 2,890 |
| November 20 | 1:00 PM | Western Illinois | No. RV Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN3 | UNI 41–3 | 6,785 |
| November 20 | 2:00 PM | North Dakota | No. 12 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 24–21 | 8,132 |
| November 20 | 2:30 PM | No. 16 South Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 52–24 | 16,252 |
| November 20 | 8:00 PM | No. 14 Missouri State | Dixie State | Greater Zion Stadium • St. George, UT | ESPN+ | W 55–24 | 2,794 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## Postseason

In 2021, six teams made the FCS playoffs. North Dakota State (No. 2) received a first bye. Missouri State, Southern Illinois, South Dakota, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa were all unseeded and played in the first 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 |
| November 27 | 2:00 PM | No. 14 UC Davis (Big Sky) | No. 11 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 56–24 | 3,681 |
| November 27 | 3:00 PM | No. 16 UT Martin (OVC) | No. 12 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | L 31–32 | 5,072 |
| November 27 | 3:00 PM | No. RV Northern Iowa | No. 4 Eastern Washington (Big Sky) | Roos Field • Cheney, WA | ESPN+ | L 9–19 | 3,845 |
| November 27 | 5:00 PM | No. 21 Southern Illinois | No. 17 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | SIU 22–10 | 3,597 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Second round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 4 | 2:30 PM | No. 21 Southern Illinois | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 38–7 | 12,557 |
| December 4 | 8:00 PM | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 8 (4) Sacramento State | Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA | ESPN+ | W 24–19 | 10,031 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Quarterfinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 11 | 11:00 AM | No. 7 (7) East Tennessee State (SoCon) | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN | W 27–3 | 11,794 |
| December 11 | 1:00 PM | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 6 (5) Villanova (CAA) | Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA | ESPN+ | W 35–21 | 3,401 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### Semifinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 17 | 8:15 PM | No. 2 (3) James Madison (CAA) | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN2 | W 20–14 | 16,550 |
| December 18 | 1:00 PM | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 7 (8) Montana State (Big Sky) | Bobcat Stadium • Bozeman, MT | ESPN2 | L 17–31 | 20,457 |
| $^#$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 | 11:00 AM | No. 7 (8) Montana State (Big Sky) | No. 3 (2) North Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ESPN2 | W 38–10 | 18,942 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## MVFC records vs other conferences

2021-22 records against non-conference foes (through January 8, 2022):
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 4–2 |
| CAA | 2–0 |
| FCS Power Total | 6–2 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | 2–0 |
| Big South | None |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | 3–0 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | 5–0 |
| SoCon | None |
| Southland | 1–0 |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | 2–0 |
| Other FCS Total | 13–0 |
| FCS Total | 19–2 |
| FBS Opponents | Record |
| Football Bowl Subdivision | 1–9 |
| Other NCAA Divisions | Record |
| Division II | 1–0 |
| Total Non-Conference Record | 21–11 |
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 3–2 |
| CAA | 2–0 |
| FCS Power Total | 5–2 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| ASUN | None |
| Big South | None |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | 0–1 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | None |
| SoCon | 1–0 |
| Southland | None |
| SWAC | None |
| WAC | None |
| Other FCS Total | 1–1 |
| Total Postseason Record | 6–3 |

## 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 (Sept. 5) | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | Michael Thomas | DB | INST | Colt McFadden | PK | YSU | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST |
| Week 1 (Sept. 5) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Michael Thomas | DB | INST | Colt McFadden | PK | YSU | Chris Oladokun | QB | SDSU |
| Week 2 (Sept. 12) | Xavier Lane | WR | MOST | Spencer Cuvelier | MLB | UNI | Montrae Braswell | CB | MOST | Xavier Lane | WR | MOST |
| Week 3 (Sept. 19) | Connor Sampson | QB | WIU | Braydon Deming | DE | ILST | Hunter Lunsford | DB | INST | Phazione McClurge | WR | INST |
| Week 4 (Sept. 26) | Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | SDSU | Darius Joiner | DB | WIU | Izaiah Hartrup | WR | SIU | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST |
| Week 5 (Oct. 3) | Tobias Little | RB | MOST | Spencer Cuvelier | LB | UNI | Jake Reinholz | K | NDSU | Nate Thomas | RB | USD |
| Week 6 (Oct. 10) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Inoke Moala | DE | INST | Jack Colquhoun | P | SIU | Demeatric Crenshaw | QB | YSU |
| Week 7 (Oct. 17) | Isaiah Smith | RB | UND | Jack Cochrane | LB | USD | Steven Ward | LB | MOST | Quincy Patterson | QB | NDSU |
| Week 8 (Oct. 24) | Cole Mueller | RB | ILST | JJ Henderson | DB | INST | Matthew Cook | PK | UNI | Cole Mueller | RB | ILST |
| Week 9 (Oct. 31) | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST | Ferrin Manuleleua | LB | MOST | Nate Murphy | P | UNI | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST |
| Week 10 (Nov. 7) | Pierre Strong Jr | RB | SDSU | Zeke Vandenburg | LB | ILST | JT Bohlken | P | ILST | Nate Thomas | RB | USD |
| Week 11 (Nov. 14) | Jason Shelley | QB | MOST | David Miller | CB | SIU | Cade Peterson | P | UND | Jeremiah Webb | WR | USD |
| Week 12 (Nov. 21) | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | Riley Van Wyhe | LB | UNI | Jose Pizano | PK | MOST | Kevon Latulas | RB | MOST |

### Players of the Year

On November 29, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.

#### Offensive Player of the Year

* Jason Shelley, QB (RS-Jr, Missouri State)

#### Defensive Player of the Year

* Jared Brinkman, DL (RS-Sr, Northern Iowa)

#### Newcomer of the Year

* Jason Shelley, QB (RS-Jr, Missouri State)

#### Freshman of the Year

* Demeatric Crenshaw, QB (RS-Fr, Youngstown State)

#### Coach of the Year

* Matt Entz (North Dakota State)

### All-Conference Teams

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Jason Shelley | Missouri State | QB | RS-Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Pierre Strong Jr. | South Dakota State | RB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Luepke | North Dakota State | FB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Tucker Kraft | South Dakota State | TE | So. |
| First Team Offense | Dennis Houston | Western Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Tyrone Scott | Missouri State | WR | RS-So. |
| First Team Offense | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Zeveyon Furcron | Southern Illinois | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Cody Mauch | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Trevor Penning | Northern Iowa | OL | RS-Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Cordell Volson | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Matt Waletzko | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Christian Watson | North Dakota State | AP | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Jared Brinkman | Northern Iowa | DL | RS-Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Kevin Ellis | Missouri State | DL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Inoke Moala | Indiana State | DL | RS-Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Brayden Thomas | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Logan Backhaus | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | So. |
| First Team Defense | Jack Cochrane | South Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Spencer Cuvelier | Northern Iowa | LB | RS-Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | So. |
| First Team Defense | Qua Brown | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Darius Joiner | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Michael Tutsie | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Grant Burkett | Missouri State | P | RS-Fr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | So. |
| First Team Special Teams | Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | RS | So. |
| First Team Special Teams | Dalton Godfrey | South Dakota | DS | Jr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Connor Sampson | Western Illinois | QB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Otis Weah | North Dakota | RB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Javon Williams Jr. | Southern Illinois | RB | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Tim McCloyn | Illinois State | FB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Josh Babicz | North Dakota State | TE | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Landon Lenoir | Southern Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | WR | RS-Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Landon Bebee | Missouri State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Wes Genant | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Alex Jensen | South Dakota | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Aron Johnson | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Isaiah Weston | Northern Iowa | AP | RS-Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Eric Johnson | Missouri State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Anthony Knighton | Southern Illinois | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Caleb Sanders | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Reece Winkelman | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jasir Cox | North Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jackson Hankey | North Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Bryce Notree | Southern Illinois | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Tylar Wiltz | Missouri State | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Don Gardner | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Evan Holm | North Dakota | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Clayton Isbell | Illinois State | DB | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Michael Lawson | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Elijah Reed | South Dakota | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Brady Schutt | South Dakota | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jose Pizano | Missouri State | PK | So. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jayden Price | North Dakota State | RS | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Bradey Sorenson | South Dakota State | DS | Sr. |

### All-Newcomer Team

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Demeatric Crenshaw | Youngstown State | QB | RS-Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Theo Day | Northern Iowa | QB | RS-So. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Bryson Deming | Illinois State | TE | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Xavier Lane | Missouri State | WR | RS-Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Cole Mueller | Illinois State | RB | RS-Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Chris Oladokun | South Dakota State | QB | GS |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Quincy Patterson | North Dakota State | QB | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Tyrone Scott | Missouri State | WR | RS-So. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Jason Shelley | Missouri State | QB | RS-Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Isaiah Smith | North Dakota | RB | RS-Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Nate Thomas | South Dakota | RB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Tamerik Williams | North Dakota State | RB | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Geoffrey Brown | Indiana State | LB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Braydon Deming | Illinois State | DL | Jr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Nick Gaes | South Dakota | DT | RS-Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Josiah Ganues | South Dakota | DB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | JJ Henderson | Indiana State | DB | GS |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Darius Joiner | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Allen Love | Missouri State | DL | RS-So. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Ben McNaboe | North Dakota | DL | So. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | David Miller | Southern Illinois | CB | Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Loshiaka Roques | North Dakota State | DE | RS-Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Marques Sigle | North Dakota State | CB | RS-Fr. |
| All-Newcomer Team Defense | Siale Suliafu | Missouri State | DL | Fr. |
Source:

### National Awards

On December 7, 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)
* Trevor Penning (OT - Northern Iowa)
* Jason Shelley (QB - Missouri State)

#### Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best FCS defensive player. Here are the MVFC finalists:
* Darius Joiner (S - Western Illinois)
* Adam Bock (LB - South Dakota State)

#### Jerry Rice Award

The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman player. Here are the MVFC finalists:
* Demeatric Crenshaw (QB - Youngstown 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 1st Team | HERO 2nd Team | HERO 3rd Team |
| Adam Bock, LB, South Dakota State | | | | | | | Y | | | Y | | |
| Brayden Thomas, DL, North Dakota State | | | Y | | | | | Y | | | | Y |
| Cordell Volson, OL, North Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Cody Mauch, OL, North Dakota State | | Y | | | | | | | | | | Y |
| Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State | | Y | | | | | Y | | | Y | | |
| Darius Joiner, DB, Western Illinois | Y | | | | | | | | | | Y | |
| Dennis Houston, WR, Western Illinois | | | Y | | | | | Y | | | | Y |
| Grant Burkett, P, Missouri State | | | Y | | Y | | | Y | | | | |
| Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State | | | | | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Jack Cochrane, LB, South Dakota | | | | | | | Y | | | | | Y |
| Jared Brinkman, DL, Northern Iowa | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Jaleel McLaughlin, RB, Youngstown State | | | Y | | | | | Y | | | | Y |
| Jayden Price, PR, North Dakota State | | | | | | | | Y | | | | |
| Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | | | | | | | | | | Y | | |
| Matt Waletzko, OL, North Dakota | | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | |
| Matthew Cook, PK, Northern Iowa | | | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | |
| Michael Tutsie, DB, North Dakota State | | | | | | | | Y | | Y | | |
| Montrae Braswell, DB, Missouri State | | Y | | | | | Y | | | | | |
| Noah Gindorff, TE, North Dakota State | | | | | | | | | | | | Y |
| Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| Qua Brown, DB, Missouri State | | | | | | | Y | | | | Y | |
| Trevor Penning, OL, Northern Iowa | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y | Y | | |
| Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State | | Y | | | | Y | | | | Y | | |
| ZeVeyon Furcron, OL, Southern Illinois | | 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 | 8,148 | N/A | 12,416† | 6,000 | 2,890 | | | | | 29,454 | 7,363 | 55.0% |
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 | 5,540 | 6,652† | 3,943 | 5,479 | 3,265 | | | | | 24,879 | 4,975 | 38.9% |
| Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 11,247 | 12,738 | 14,336† | 8,372 | 9,173 | 5,072‡ | | | | 60,938 | 10,156 | 58.0% |
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 10,143 | 12,846† | 8,807 | 8,441 | 8,068 | | | | | 48,305 | 9,661 | 78.7% |
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 15,156 | 15,118 | 18,536† | 15,559 | 14,383 | 16,252 | 12,557‡ | 11,794‡ | 16,550‡ | 135,905 | 15,100 | 80.8% |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 5,124 | 8,771† | 7,202 | 5,902 | 6,785 | | | | | 33,784 | 6,756 | 41.4% |
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 5,247 | 6,267 | 5,304 | 5,415 | 9,068† | 3,597‡ | | | | 34,898 | 5,816 | 63.9% |
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 15,162 | 14,473 | 12,216 | 16,889 | 18,122† | 8,135 | 3,681‡ | | | 88,678 | 12,668 | 65.5% |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 7,338 | 8,618 | 10,644† | 7,176 | 4,935 | | | | | 38,711 | 7,742 | 51.6% |
| Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 5,385† | 4,107 | 2,827 | 2,118 | 1,972 | | | | | 16,409 | 3,281 | 19.2% |
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 8,637 | 13,751† | 12,444 | 9,423 | 8,307 | | | | | 52,562 | 10,512 | 51.0% |
Bold - Exceed capacity †Season High ‡FCS Playoff Game

## 2022 NFL Draft

The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2022 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | School | Draft Round | Round Pick | Overall Pick | Team | Notes |
| Trevor Penning | OT | Northern Iowa | 1 | 19 | 19 | New Orleans Saints | from Philadelphia |
| Christian Watson | WR | North Dakota State | 2 | 2 | 34 | Green Bay Packers | from Detroit via Minnesota |
| Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | South Dakota State | 4 | 22 | 127 | New England Patriots | |
| Cordell Volson | OT | North Dakota State | 4 | 31 | 136 | Cincinnati Bengals | |
| Matt Waletzko | OT | North Dakota | 5 | 12 | 155 | Dallas Cowboys | from Cleveland |
| Eric Johnson | DT | Missouri State | 5 | 16 | 159 | Indianapolis Colts | |
| Andrew Ogletree | TE | Youngstown State | 6 | 13 | 192 | Indianapolis Colts | from Minnesota |
| Chris Oladokun | QB | South Dakota State | 7 | 20 | 241 | Pittsburgh Steelers | |

### Undrafted Free Agents

| Player | Position | School | Team |
| Aron Johnson | OT | South Dakota State | Baltimore Ravens |
| Don Gardner | CB | South Dakota State | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Michael Griffin | S | South Dakota State | Tennessee Titans |
| Josh Babicz | TE | North Dakota State | Carolina Panthers |
| Brayden Thomas | OLB | North Dakota State | Los Angeles Rams |
| Isaiah Weston | WR | Northern Iowa | Cleveland Browns |
| Jack Cochrane | LB | South Dakota | Kansas City Chiefs |
Source:

## Head coaches

Through January 8, 2022
| 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 | 13 | 89–60 (.597) | 89–60 (.597) | 56–44 (.560) | 2 | 5 | 7–5 (.583) | 0 |
| Indiana State | Curt Mallory | 4 | 17–28 (.378) | 17–28 (.378) | 11–21 (.344) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Missouri State | Bobby Petrino | 2 | 132–65 (.670) | 13–9 (.591) | 11–3 (.786) | 1 | 2 | 0–2 (.000) | 0 |
| North Dakota | Bubba Schweigert | 8 | 69–61 (.531) | 47–40 (.540) | 7–6 (.538) | 0 | 3 | 1–3 (.250) | 0 |
| North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 3 | 35–4 (.897) | 35–4 (.897) | 20–3 (.870) | 2 | 3 | 6–1 (.857) | 2 |
| Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | 21 | 168–93 (.644) | 168–93 (.644) | 106–53 (.667) | 7 | 13 | 16–13 (.552) | 0 |
| South Dakota | Bob Nielson | 6 | 215–114–1 (.653) | 29–34 (.460) | 20–24 (.455) | 0 | 2 | 1–2 (.333) | 2 |
| South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 25 | 185–111 (.625) | 185–111 (.625) | 76–34 (.691) | 2 | 11 | 14–11 (.560) | 0 |
| Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 6 | 31–37 (.456) | 31–37 (.456) | 18–28 (.391) | 0 | 2 | 2–2 (.500) | 0 |
| Western Illinois | Jared Elliott | 4 | 9–31 (.225) | 9–31 (.225) | 8–22 (.267) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Youngstown State | Doug Phillips | 2 | 4–13 (.235) | 4–13 (.235) | 3–12 (.200) | 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.