# 2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference season

The 2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference football season was the 38th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's first season with 12 teams, as the conference added Murray State over the offseason. It was also the last season with 12 teams for now, as it was announced in May 2023 that Western Illinois would be leaving the MVFC after the 2023 season for the Ohio Valley Conference.
South Dakota State made it to the National Championship and won their 2nd FCS title in program history and became the third MVFC team to win back to back titles. North Dakota State made the playoffs unseeded, and won their way into the semifinals where they lost to 2nd seeded Montana. South Dakota made the playoffs as the 3rd seed, and made it to the quarterfinals, where they lost to North Dakota State. Youngstown State and Southern Illinois made the playoffs unseeded as well, and made it to the 2nd round, losing to 8th seeded Villanova and 4th seeded Idaho. North Dakota made the playoffs unseeded and lost to Sacramento State in the opening round.

## Previous season

In 2022, South Dakota State won the conference and received the automatic bid to the 2022 playoffs. The Jacks would go on to win their first FCS Championship over rival North Dakota State.
Besides SDSU and NDSU; North Dakota made the playoffs as well. UND lost to Weber State in the first round to be eliminated from contention.

## Offseason

Over the offseason, the conference officially welcomed in their 12th league member. Murray State will begin their tenure as a MVFC member after joining the sister conference (Missouri Valley Conference) in the summer of 2022. The Racers arrive in the Valley from the Ohio Valley Conference.

## Coaching changes
### Missouri State

On December 19, 2022, Ryan Beard was named the new head coach at Missouri State. Beard was previously the Bears defensive coordinator for the last three years. He takes over for Bobby Petrino who left the program for an eventual job at Texas A&M.

### South Dakota State

On January 20, 2023, Jimmy Rogers was named the new head coach at South Dakota State. Rogers was promoted from defensive coordinator for the Jacks. Former coach John Stiegelmeier retired after the end of last season, leading South Dakota State for 26 seasons.

## Preseason
### Preseason League 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 | 539 (44) |
| 2 | North Dakota State | 492 (1) |
| 3 | Northern Iowa | 409 |
| 4 | North Dakota | 399 |
| 5 | Southern Illinois | 337 |
| 6 | Youngstown State | 323 |
| 7 | Illinois State | 269 |
| 8 | Missouri State | 229 |
| 9 | South Dakota | 226 |
| 10 | Indiana State | 148 |
| 11 | Murray State | 74 |
| 12 | Western Illinois | 65 |

### Preseason Individual Awards

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Justin Dinka | Indiana State | RB | RS Jr. |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Brozio | North Dakota State | FB | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Jaxon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Bryce Oliver | Youngstown State | WR | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Zach Heins | South Dakota State | TE | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Donny Ventrelli | North Dakota | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Jalen Sundell | North Dakota State | OL | Sr. |
| First Team Offense | Jaison Williams | Youngstown State | OL | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Khristian Boyd | Northern Iowa | DL | RS Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Ben McNaboe | North Dakota | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Dylan Wudke | Youngstown State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Brock Mogensen | South Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Stephen Hillis | South Dakota | LB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Branson Combs | Southern Illinois | LB | RS Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Woo Governor | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | DyShawn Gales | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| First Team Defense | PJ Jules | Southern Illinois | DB | RS Sr. |
| First Team Defense | Rylan Cole | Indiana State | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Defense | Myles Harden | South Dakota | DB | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Grant Burkett | Missouri State | P | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Caden Bolz | Missouri State | LS | Jr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Jayden Price | North Dakota State | RS | Sr. |
| First Team Special Teams | Carter Bell | South Dakota | AP | Jr. |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Theo Day | Northern Iowa | QB | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | TaMerik Williams | North Dakota State | RB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Travis Theis | South Dakota | RB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jacardia Wright | Missouri State | RB | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Mike Morgan | South Dakota State | FB | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | D'Ante' Cox | Southern Illinois | WR | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jadon Janke | South Dakota State | WR/RS | Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Sam Schnee | Northern Iowa | WR | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Alex Allen | Northern Iowa | TE | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Joe Stoffel | North Dakota State | TE | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jared Penning | Northern Iowa | OL | RS Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Isaac Erbes | South Dakota | OL | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Jake Kubas | North Dakota State | OL | Jr. |
| Second Team Offense | Jose Vazquez IV | Indiana State | OL | RS Sr. |
| Second Team Offense | Brandon Westberg | North Dakota State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Offense | Hunter Zambrano | Illinois State | OL | So. |
| Second Team Defense | Will Mostaert | North Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Lucas Hunter | Indiana State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Cade Terveer | South Dakota State | DL | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Chris Fitzgerald | Youngstown State | DL | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jason Freeman | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Juan DelaCruz | Western Illinois | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Geoffrey Brown | Indiana State | LB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Isaiah Stalbird | South Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Cole Wisniewski | North Dakota State | LB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | C.J. Siegel | North Dakota | DB/RS | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Dalys Beanum | South Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | Jayden Price | North Dakota State | DB | Sr. |
| Second Team Defense | PJ Hall | Missouri State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Defense | Dillon Gearhart | Illinois State | DB | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Griffin Crosa | North Dakota State | PK | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Hunter Dustman | South Dakota State | P | Sr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Sam Merryman | Youngstown State | LS | Jr. |
| Second Team Special Teams | Jalen Carr | Illinois State | AP | Jr. |
Source:

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

## 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 |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | L 0–27 | 4,355 |
| August 31 | 6:30 p.m. | Valparaiso | No. RV Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 52–10 | 8,593 |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Oregon | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 45–7 | 16,258 |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | South Dakota | Missouri | Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium • Columbia, MO | SECN | L 10–35 | 50,434 |
| September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Missouri State | Kansas | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | Big 12 NOW, ESPN+ | L 17–48 | 41,091 |
| September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Dayton | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | W 41–0 | 6,740 |
| September 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 23 Northern Iowa | Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA | Big 12 NOW, ESPN+ | L 9–30 | 58,248 |
| September 2 | 2:30 p.m. | Eastern Washington | No. 2 North Dakota State | US Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN | ESPN+ | W 35–10 | 22,546 |
| September 2 | 3:00 p.m. | Drake | No. 17 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | W 55–7 | 8,503 |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | No. RV Austin Peay | No. RV Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 49–23 | 8,327 |
| September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Presbyterian | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | W 41–10 | 6,953 |
| September 2 | 8:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN+ | L 21–58 | 17,943 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 2

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Murray State | No. RV^ Louisville | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium • Louisville, KY | ACCN | L 0–56 | 45,273 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | BTN | L 7–41 | 42,775 |
| September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 25 Youngstown State | No. 5^ Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | BTN | L 7–35 | 102,897 |
| September 9 | 1:00 p.m. | No. RV St. Thomas | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | W 24–0 | 6,126 |
| September 9 | 2:30 p.m. | Maine | No. 2 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 44–7 | 15,044 |
| September 9 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 24 Southern Illinois | Northern Illinois | Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, IL | ESPN+ | W 14–11 | 13,114 |
| September 9 | 3:00 p.m. | Illinois State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | ILST 34–18 | 3,648 |
| September 9 | 3:00 p.m. | Northern Arizona | No. 17 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | W 37–22 | 10,009 |
| September 9 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 12 Weber State | No. 21 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | L 17–34 | 7,967 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. RV UT Martin | Graham Stadium • Martin, TN | ESPN+ | L 31–38 | 6,104 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 3 Montana State | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 20–16 | 19,332 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 3

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 16 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 14 North Dakota | Boise State | Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID | FS1 | L 18–42 | 35,610 |
| September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Lamar | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | W 35–6 | 5,618 |
| September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Robert Morris | No. 25 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 48–28 | 12,826 |
| September 16 | 2:00 p.m. | No. RV Illinois State | Eastern Illinois | O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL | ESPN+ | L 13–14 | 6,602 |
| September 16 | 2:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Ball State | Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN | ESPN+ | L 7–45 | 15,054 |
| September 16 | 2:30 p.m. | No. RV Central Arkansas | No. 2 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 49–31 | 15,016 |
| September 16 | 2:30 p.m. | Drake | No. 1 South Dakota State | Target Field • Minneapolis, MN | ESPN+ | W 70–7 | 18,174 |
| September 16 | 5:00 p.m. | No. RV Northern Iowa | Idaho State | Holt Arena • Pocatello, ID | ESPN+ | W 41–17 | N/A |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | Lindenwood | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | L 40–43 | 3,548 |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 15 Southern Illinois | No. 13 Southeast Missouri State | Houck Stadium • Cape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | W 26–25 | 8,613 |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | Murray State | Middle Tennessee State | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | L 14–35 | 16,605 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
| September 16 | Missouri State |

#### Week 4

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 23 | 12:00 p.m. | Lindenwood | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | W 48–17 | 13,391 |
| September 23 | 2:00 p.m. | Utah Tech | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 59–14 | 11,002 |
| September 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | Southern Utah | Eccles Coliseum • Cedar City, UT | ESPN+ | L 17–37 | 6,504 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 23 | No. 24 Youngstown State | No. RV Northern Iowa | No. 2 North Dakota State | No. 1 South Dakota State | South Dakota | No. 14 North Dakota | Indiana State | No. 12 Southern Illinois | Murray State |

#### Week 5

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 30 | 1:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 2 North Dakota State† | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | USD 24–19 | 18,342 |
| September 30 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 23 Youngstown State | No. RV Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 44–41 | 10,346 |
| September 30 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 12 North Dakota | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 42–21 | 19,231 |
| September 30 | 4:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 10 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 33–20 | 10,359 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | MUST 30–28 | 13,213 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | Bye Week |
| September 30 | Western Illinois | Illinois State |

#### Week 6

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 7 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 16 North Dakota† | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 49–10 | 9,758 |
| October 7 | 2:00 p.m. | Murray State | No. 15 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 38–7 | 7,907 |
| October 7 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 7 North Dakota State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | NDSU 38–10 | 8,727 |
| October 7 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 6 Southern Illinois | No. RV Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 31–3 | 9,767 |
| October 7 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 1 South Dakota State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 40–21 | 8,272 |
| October 7 | 7:00 p.m. | No. RV Northern Iowa | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | UNI 27–20 | 3,228 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 7

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 14 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota State | No. 15 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 49–24 | 13,091 |
| October 14 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 23 Youngstown State | No. 10 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 34–31 | 3,608 |
| October 14 | 2:00 p.m. | No. RV Northern Iowa | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 41–6 | 19,357 |
| October 14 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 13 Southern Illinois | Murray State† | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | SIU 27–6 | 15,868 |
| October 14 | 3:00 p.m. | Missouri State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 48–7 | 2,809 |
| October 14 | 3:00 p.m. | Indiana State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | ILST 44–7 | N/A |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 8

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 6 South Dakota | Indiana State† | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | USD 17–3 | 4,908 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 1 South Dakota State | No. 12 Southern Illinois† | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 17–10 | 11,927 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | No. RV Illinois State | No. 25 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 41–38 | 10,022 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | Murray State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 28–24 | 11,386 |
| October 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 14 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 52–7 | 14,255 |
| October 21 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 11 North Dakota | No. RV Northern Iowa† | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN3 | UNI 27–0 | 10,677 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 9

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 23 Northern Iowa | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | UNI 24–21 | N/A |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 11 Southern Illinois | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 63–0 | 2,636 |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 24 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | YSU 44–28 | 9,880 |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | Indiana State | No. 15 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 36–33 $^{OT}$ | 11,125 |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 1 South Dakota State | No. 4 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 37–3 | 9,458 |
| October 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Murray State | No. 12 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 38–6 | 13,876 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 10

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 4 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 22 Youngstown State | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | YSU 19–7 | 4,798 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 18 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 50–6 | 8,051 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 9 South Dakota | No. 10 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | USD 14–7 | 7,106 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 13 North Dakota | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | UND 45–31 | 6,217 |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 11 North Dakota State | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 33–16 | 19,431 |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | Illinois State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | ILST 36–35 | 7,700 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 11

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 11 | 11:00 a.m. | Murray State | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | ESPN+ | ILST 44–7 | 5,623 |
| November 11 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 1 South Dakota State | No. 22 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SDSU 34–0 | 9,303 |
| November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | Indiana State | Memorial Stadium • Terre Haute, IN | ESPN+ | INST 27–6 | 3,151 |
| November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 10 North Dakota | No. 6 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | USD 14–10 | 6,834 |
| November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 15 Northern Iowa | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 35–16 | 6,898 |
| November 11 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 11 Southern Illinois | No. 12 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 34–10 | 14,191 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Week 12

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 5 South Dakota | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | USD 48–6 | 1,935 |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 13 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 22–21 | 9,238 |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Indiana State | No. 16 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 38–9 | N/A |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 25 Youngstown State | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium • Murray, KY | ESPN+ | YSU 34–17 | 5,957 |
| November 18 | 2:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | SDSU 35–17 | 15,637 |
| November 18 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 9 North Dakota State | No. 22 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | NDSU 48–27 | 9,852 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

### FCS Playoffs

In 2023, six teams made the FCS Playoffs. South Dakota State (No. 1) and South Dakota (No. 3) both received byes; while North Dakota, North Dakota State, Southern Illinois, and Youngstown State were unseeded and played in the opening round. Below are the games in which they played.
All times Central time. Tournament seedings in parentheses.

#### First round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 15 Sacramento State (Big Sky) | No. 12 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | L 35–42 | 6,522 |
| November 25 | 2:00 p.m. | No. RV Nicholls (Southland) | No. 14 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 35–0 | 4,576 |
| November 25 | 2:30 p.m. | No. RV Drake (PFL) | No. 8 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 66–3 | 7,798 |
| November 25 | 4:00 p.m. | No. RV Duquesne (Northeast) | No. 21 Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | W 40–7 | 3,866 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Second round

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 2 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 21 Youngstown State | No. 6 (8) Villanova (CAA) | Villanova Stadium • Villanova, PA | ESPN+ | L 28–45 | 2,105 |
| December 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 15 Sacramento State (Big Sky) | No. 3 (3) South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | W 34–24 | 6,288 |
| December 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 17 Mercer (SoCon) | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN+ | W 41–0 | 10,171 |
| December 2 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 8 North Dakota State | No. 5 (6) Montana State (Big Sky) | Bobcat Stadium • Bozeman, MT | ESPN+ | W 35–34 $^{OT}$ | 17,247 |
| December 2 | 9:00 p.m. | No. 14 Southern Illinois | No. 4 (4) Idaho (Big Sky) | Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID | ESPN+ | L 17–20 | 9,224 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Quarterfinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 9 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 6 (8) Villanova (CAA) | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN | W 23–12 | 10,216 |
| December 9 | 1:30 p.m. | No. 8 North Dakota State | No. 3 (3) South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ABC | NDSU 45–17 | 9,141 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### Semifinals

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| December 15 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 9 (5) Albany (CAA) | No. 1 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN2 | W 59–0 | 12,265 |
| December 16 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 8 North Dakota State | No. 2 (2) Montana (Big Sky) | Washington-Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT | ESPN2 | L 29–31 $^{2OT}$ | 26,544 |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

#### National Championship

| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
| January 7 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 (2) Montana (Big Sky) | No. 1 (1) South Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ABC | W 23–3 | 19,512 | |
| $^#$Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. |||||||||

## MVFC records vs other conferences

2023-24 records against non-conference foes:
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 4–1 |
| CAA | 1–0 |
| FCS Power Total | 5–1 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| Big South | 1–0 |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | None |
| OVC | 2–4 |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | 6–0 |
| SoCon | None |
| Southland | 1–0 |
| SWAC | None |
| UAC (ASUN–WAC) | 3–1 |
| Other FCS Total | 13–5 |
| Other Division I Opponents | Record |
| Football Bowl Subdivision | 1–10 |
| Total Division I | 19–16 |
| Other NCAA Opponents | Record |
| Division II | 1–0 |
| Total Non-Conference Record | 20–16 |
| FCS Power Conferences | Record |
| Big Sky | 3–3 |
| CAA | 2–1 |
| FCS Power Total | 5–4 |
| Other FCS Conferences | Record |
| Big South | None |
| Ivy League | None |
| MEAC | None |
| Northeast | 1–0 |
| OVC | None |
| Patriot | None |
| PFL | 1–0 |
| SoCon | 1–0 |
| Southland | 1–0 |
| SWAC | None |
| UAC (ASUN–WAC) | None |
| Other FCS Total | 4–0 |
| Total Postseason Record | 9–4 |

## 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) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Cole Wisniewski | S | NDSU | Kaedin Steindorf | P | NDSU | Tyshon King | RB | YSU |
| Week 2 (Sept. 11) | Mason Blakemore | RB | ILST | Nick Gaes | DT | USD | Griffin Crosa | K | NDSU | Griffin Wilde | WR | SDSU |
| Week 2 (Sept. 11) | Mason Blakemore | RB | ILST | PJ Jules | S | SIU | Griffin Crosa | K | NDSU | Griffin Wilde | WR | SDSU |
| Week 3 (Sept. 18) | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | PJ Jules | S | SIU | Tucker Large | PR/S | SDSU | Tyshon King | RB | YSU |
| Week 4 (Sept. 25) | Jacob Clark | QB | MOST | Caleb Blake | CB | MOST | Ian Wagner | K/P | ILST | Jayden Becks | RB | MOST |
| Week 5 (Oct. 2) | Theo Day | QB | UNI | Dennis Shorter | SS | USD | Orion Phillips | P | MUST | Plez Lawrence | RB | INST |
| Week 5 (Oct. 2) | Carter Bell | WR | USD | Dennis Shorter | SS | USD | Orion Phillips | P | MUST | Plez Lawrence | RB | INST |
| Week 6 (Oct. 9) | Isaiah Davis | RB | SDSU | Logan Kopp | LB | NDSU | Jake Andjelic | PK | INST | Tyshon King | RB | YSU |
| Week 7 (Oct. 16) | Gaven Ziebarth | RB | UND | Isaiah Stalbird | LB | SDSU | Will Leyland | PK | USD | Owen Rozanc | PK | MOST |
| Week 7 (Oct. 16) | Gaven Ziebarth | RB | UND | Isaiah Stalbird | LB | SDSU | Luke Skokna | RB/RS | UND | Owen Rozanc | PK | MOST |
| Week 8 (Oct. 23) | Amauri Pesek-Hickson | RB | UNI | Devin Goree | DL | MOST | Andrew Lastovka | PK | YSU | Charles Pierre Jr. | RB | USD |
| Week 9 (Oct. 30) | Mitch Davidson | QB | YSU | Logan Kopp | LB | NDSU | Hunter Dustman | PK/P | SDSU | C.J. Elrichs | PK | UND |
| Week 10 (Nov. 6) | Tommy Schuster | QB | UND | Brendan Webb | LB | USD | Hunter Dustman | K/P | SDSU | Mason Blakemore | QB | ILST |
| Week 11 (Nov. 13) | Raylen Sharpe | WR | MOST | Garret Ollendieck | LB | INST | Red Wilson | WR/RS | UND | Amir Abdullah | LB | ILST |
| Week 12 (Nov. 20) | Jadon Janke | WR | SDSU | Cole Wisniewski | S | NDSU | Will Leyland | PK | USD | Tim Varga | DE | SIU |
| Week 12 (Nov. 20) | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU | Cole Wisniewski | S | NDSU | Will Leyland | PK | USD | Tim Varga | DE | SIU |

### Players of the Year

On November 27, 2023, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.

#### Offensive Player of the Year

Two players were named as Offensive Player of the Year.
* Mark Gronowski, QB (Jr - South Dakota State)
* Isaiah Davis, RB (Sr - South Dakota State)

#### Defensive Player of the Year

* Brock Mogensen, LB (Sr - South Dakota)

#### Newcomer of the Year

* Mason Blakemore, RB (Jr - Illinois State)

#### Freshman of the Year

* Tye Niekamp, LB (RS-Fr - Illinois State)

#### Coach of the Year

* Bob Nielson (South Dakota)

### All-Conference Teams

| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| First Team Offense | Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | Jr |
| First Team Offense | Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Mason Blakemore | Illinois State | RB | Jr |
| First Team Offense | Hunter Brozio | North Dakota State | FB | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Cam Grandy | Illinois State | TE | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Jadon Janke | South Dakota State | WR | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Sam Schnee | Northern Iowa | WR | RS-Sr |
| First Team Offense | Raylen Sharpe | Missouri State | WR | Jr |
| First Team Offense | Garret Greenfield | South Dakota State | OL | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Jake Kubas | North Dakota State | OL | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Mason McCormick | South Dakota State | OL | Sr |
| First Team Offense | Jared Penning | Northern Iowa | OL | RS-Jr |
| First Team Offense | Jalen Sundell | North Dakota State | OL | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Khristian Boyd | Northern Iowa | DL | RS-Sr |
| First Team Defense | Dylan Hendricks | North Dakota State | DL | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Cade Terveer | South Dakota State | DL | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Brendan Webb | South Dakota | DL | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Amir Abdullah | Illinois State | LB | Jr |
| First Team Defense | Jason Freeman | South Dakota State | LB | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Logan Kopp | North Dakota State | LB | So |
| First Team Defense | Brock Mogensen | South Dakota | LB | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Woo Governor | Northern Iowa | DB | Sr |
| First Team Defense | PJ Jules | Southern Illinois | DB | Sr |
| First Team Defense | Tucker Large | South Dakota State | DB | So |
| First Team Defense | Cole Wisniewski | North Dakota State | DB | Sr |
| First Team Special Teams | Matthew Cook | Northern Iowa | PK | Sr |
| First Team Special Teams | Grant Burkett | Missouri State | P | Jr |
| First Team Special Teams | Hunter Brozio | North Dakota State | LS | Sr |
| First Team Special Teams | Luke Skokna | North Dakota | RS | Sr |
| First Team Special Teams | Amar Johnson | South Dakota State | AP | Jr |
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
| Second Team Offense | Cam Miller | North Dakota State | QB | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Tyshon King | Youngstown State | RB | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Jacardia Wright | Missouri State | RB | Jr |
| Second Team Offense | Mike Morgan | South Dakota State | FB | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Travis Theis | South Dakota | FB | Jr |
| Second Team Offense | Zach Heins | South Dakota State | TE | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Bryce Oliver | Youngstown State | WR | Sr |
| Second Team Offense | Daniel Sobkowicz | Illinois State | WR | So |
| Second Team Offense | Joey Lombard | South Dakota | OL | Jr |
| Second Team Offense | Gus Miller | South Dakota State | OL | Jr |
| Second Team Offense | Donny Ventrelli | North Dakota | OL | 5th |
| Second Team Offense | Jaison Williams | Youngstown State | OL | Jr |
| Second Team Offense | Hunter Zambrano | Illinois State | OL | Jr |
| Second Team Defense | Josh Dinga | Illinois State | DL | RS-Sr |
| Second Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DL | Sr |
| Second Team Defense | Ryan Van Marel | South Dakota State | DL | Sr |
| Second Team Defense | Dylan Wudke | Youngstown State | DL | Sr |
| Second Team Defense | Branson Combs | Southern Illinois | LB | Jr |
| Second Team Defense | Garret Ollendieck | Indiana State | LB | Jr |
| Second Team Defense | Wyatt Pedigo | North Dakota | LB | Jr |
| Second Team Defense | Isaiah Stalbird | South Dakota State | LB | Sr |
| Second Team Defense | Maddix Blackwell | Indiana State | DB | RS-So |
| Second Team Defense | Dyshawn Gales | South Dakota State | DB | Sr |
| Second Team Defense | Troy Jakubec | Youngstown State | DB | Jr |
| Second Team Defense | Todric McGee | Missouri State | DB | So |
| Second Team Defense | C.J. Siegel | North Dakota | DB | 5th |
| Second Team Special Teams | Will Leyland | South Dakota | PK | So |
| Second Team Special Teams | Hunter Dustman | South Dakota State | P | Sr |
| Second Team Special Teams | Kaydon Olivia | South Dakota State | LS | So |
| Second Team Special Teams | Tucker Large | South Dakota State | RS | So |
| Second Team Special Teams | Carter Bell | South Dakota | AP | Jr |

### National Awards

On November 21, 2023, STATS Perform released their list of finalists for the Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award, Jerry Rice Award, and the Eddie Robinson Award, respectively. Finalists are listed by order they appeared in the STATS Perform article.

#### Walter Payton Award

The Walter Payton Award is given to the best FCS offensive player. The MVFC's own Mark Gronowski won the award (QB - South Dakota State). Here were the other MVFC finalists:
* Cam Miller (QB - North Dakota State)
* Isaiah Davis (RB - South Dakota State)

#### Buck Buchanan Award

The Buck Buchanan Award is given to the best FCS defensive player. Here were the MVFC finalists:
* Amir Abdullah (LB - Illinois State)
* Logan Kopp (LB - North Dakota State)
* Brock Mogensen (LB - South Dakota)
* PJ Jules (DB - Southern Illinois)

#### Jerry Rice Award

The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman player. Here were the MVFC finalists:
* Tye Niekamp (LB - Illinois State)

#### Eddie Robinson Award

The Eddie Robinson Award is given to the best FCS head coach. The MVFC's own Jimmy Rogers won the award, and it was announced on December 7, 2023. Here were the MVFC finalists:
* Bob Nielson (South Dakota)
* Jimmy Rogers (South Dakota 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 |
| Amir Abdullah, LB, Illinois State | | | Y | | | | | Y | |
| Brendan Webb, DL, South Dakota | | | Y | | Y | | | | |
| Brock Mogensen, LB, South Dakota | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | |
| Cam Grandy, TE, Illinois State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Cam Miller, QB, North Dakota State | | | | | | | Y | | |
| Cole Rusk, TE, Murray State | | | Y | | | | | | |
| Cole Wisniewski, DB, North Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Garret Greenfield, OL, South Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Grant Burkett, P, Missouri State | | Y | | | | | | | |
| Hunter Brozio, LS, North Dakota State | | | | Y | | | Y | | |
| Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | |
| Jake Kubas, OL, North Dakota State | | | Y | | | Y | | | |
| Jalen Sundell, OL, North Dakota State | | | | Y | | | | Y | |
| Jared Penning, OL, Northern Iowa | | | | | | | | Y | |
| Khristian Boyd, DL, Northern Iowa | | | Y | | | | | Y | |
| Mark Gronowski, QB, South Dakota State | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | Y |
| Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | Y | | | | Y | Y | | | |
| Matthew Cook, PK, Northern Iowa | Y | | | | Y | | Y | | Y |
| Myles Harden, DB, South Dakota | | | Y | Y | | Y | | | |
| PJ Jules, DB, Southern Illinois | Y | | | Y | | Y | | | |
| Raylen Sharpe, WR, Missouri State | | | Y | | | | | Y | |
| Sam Schnee, WR, Northern Iowa | | | | | 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 | 6,740 | 13,391† | 8,272 | N/A | N/A | 5,623 | | | | 34,026 | 8,506 | 63.5% |
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 | 4,355 | 3,228 | 4,908† | 4,798 | 3,151 | | | | | 20,440 | 4,088 | 32.0% |
| Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 11,002 | 8,727 | 11,386† | 7,700 | 6,898 | | | | | 45,713 | 9,142 | 52.2% |
| Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium | 16,800 | 6,953 | 13,213 | 15,868† | 6,217 | 5,957 | | | | | 48,208 | 9,641 | 57.4% |
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 8,503 | 10,009 | 9,758 | 13,091† | 11,125 | 9,238 | 6,522‡ | | | 68,246 | 9,749 | 79.4% |
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 15,044 | 15,016 | 18,342† | 14,255 | 13,876 | 14,191 | 7,798‡ | | | 98,522 | 14,074 | 75.3% |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 7,967 | 10,346 | 10,677† | 8,051 | 9,852 | | | | | 46,893 | 9,378 | 57.5% |
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 6,126 | 5,618 | 7,907 | 3,608 | 9,458† | 6,834 | 6,288‡ | 9,141‡ | | 54,980 | 6,872 | 75.5% |
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 16,258 | 19,332 | 19,231 | 19,357 | 19,431† | 15,637 | 10,171‡ | 10,216‡ | 12,265‡ | 141,881 | 15,764 | 81.5% |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 8,327 | 10,359 | 11,927† | 7,106 | 4,812 | 4,576‡ | | | | 47,107 | 7,851 | 52.3% |
| Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 3,648† | 3,548 | 2,809 | 2,636 | 1,935 | | | | | 14,576 | 2,915 | 17.0% |
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 8,593 | 12,826† | 9,767 | 10,022 | 9,880 | 9,303 | 3,866‡ | | | 64,257 | 9,179 | 44.5% |
Bold - Exceed or met capacity †Season High ‡FCS Playoff Game

## 2024 NFL draft

The following list includes all MVFC players who were drafted in the 2024 NFL draft.
| Player | Position | School | Draft Round | Round Pick | Overall Pick | Team | Notes |
| Mason McCormick | OT | South Dakota State | 4 | 19 | 119 | Pittsburgh Steelers | |
| Isaiah Davis | RB | South Dakota State | 5 | 38 | 173 | New York Jets | from Kansas City via San Francisco |
| Khristian Boyd | DT | Northern Iowa | 6 | 23 | 199 | New Orleans Saints | from Philadelphia |
| Myles Harden | CB | South Dakota | 7 | 7 | 227 | Cleveland Browns | from Tennessee |

### Undrafted Free Agents

| Player | Position | School | Team |
| Zack Annexstad | QB | Illinois State | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| Terique Owens | WR | Missouri State | San Francisco 49ers |
| TaMerik Williams | RB | North Dakota State | Seattle Seahawks |
| Jalen Sundell | OL | North Dakota State | Cleveland Browns |
| Jake Kubas | OL | North Dakota State | New York Giants |
| Jayden Price | CB | North Dakota State | Atlanta Falcons |
| Demarcus Governor | CB | Northern Iowa | Las Vegas Raiders |
| Sam Schnee | WR | Northern Iowa | Tennessee Titans |
| P.J. Jules | S | Southern Illinois | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Brock Mogensen | LB | South Dakota | Dallas Cowboys |
| Jadon Janke | WR | South Dakota State | Houston Texans |
| Jaxon Janke | WR | South Dakota State | Houston Texans |
| Zach Heins | TE | South Dakota State | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Garret Greenfield | OT | South Dakota State | Seattle Seahawks |
| DyShawn Gales | CB | South Dakota State | Cleveland Browns |
| Isaiah Stalbird | LB | South Dakota State | New Orleans Saints |
| Bryce Oliver | WR | Youngstown State | Tennessee Titans |
Source:

## Head coaches

Through January 7, 2024 All stats include 2023 season
| 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 | 15 | 101–70 (.591) | 101–70 (.591) | 64–52 (.552) | 2 | 5 | 7–5 (.583) | 0 |
| Indiana State | Curt Mallory | 6 | 20–47 (.299) | 20–47 (.299) | 13–35 (.271) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Missouri State | Ryan Beard | 1 | 4–7 (.364) | 4–7 (.364) | 3–5 (.375) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Murray State | Dean Hood | 4 | 70–62 (.530) | 15–24 (.385) | 1–6 (.143) | 0 | 3 | 0–3 (.000) | 0 |
| North Dakota | Bubba Schweigert | 10 | 83–71 (.539) | 61–50 (.550) | 17–12 (.586) | 0 | 5 | 1–5 (.167) | 0 |
| North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 5 | 60–11 (.845) | 60–11 (.845) | 32–7 (.821) | 2 | 5 | 12–3 (.800) | 2 |
| Northern Iowa | Mark Farley | 23 | 180–103 (.636) | 180–103 (.636) | 116–59 (.663) | 7 | 13 | 16–13 (.552) | 0 |
| South Dakota | Bob Nielson | 8 | 228–125–1 (.645) | 42–45 (.483) | 29–31 (.483) | 0 | 3 | 2–3 (.400) | 2 |
| South Dakota State | Jimmy Rogers | 1 | 15–0 (1.000) | 15–0 (1.000) | 8–0 (1.000) | 1 | 1 | 4–0 (1.000) | 1 |
| Southern Illinois | Nick Hill | 8 | 44–48 (.478) | 44–48 (.478) | 26–36 (.419) | 0 | 3 | 3–3 (.500) | 0 |
| Western Illinois | Myers Hendrickson | 2 | 0–22 (.000) | 0–22 (.000) | 0–16 (.000) | 0 | 0 | 0–0 (–) | 0 |
| Youngstown State | Doug Phillips | 4 | 18–22 (.450) | 18–22 (.450) | 12–18 (.400) | 0 | 1 | 1–1 (.500) | 0 |
* ↑ Indiana State did not play football in the 2020-21 academic year
* ↑ Dean Hood coached Eastern Kentucky from 2008-2015. During his time there, the Colonels went 55-38 overall and 44-19 in the Ohio Valley Conference. This also included three FCS playoff berths, all three of which ended in the first round. Hood has coached Murray State since 2020, and while in the Ohio Valley Conference the team finished with a 13-16 overall record and a 9-9 league record.
* ↑ 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.
* ↑ Myers Hendrickson previously coached at Kansas Wesleyan of the NAIA from 2019-21, and helped the Coyotes to two NAIA playoff appearances.