The 2026 MVFC football schedule is set, and the Missouri Valley enters the year as the deepest league in the FCS even after losing perennial power North Dakota State, which moved up to the FBS in the Mountain West. Nine teams remain, and the Valley still sends multiple programs to the FCS playoffs almost every year. Below is the full 2026 membership, how the conference season is structured, the road to the FCS bracket, and a free printable standings tracker you can use to follow the race all fall.

2026 MVFC Conference Schedule

Every 2026 MVFC conference game, week by week. Conference play opens Sept 26 and runs through the final weekend on November 21. Non-conference dates fill in around these matchups, and kickoff times plus TV are confirmed closer to each weekend.

Week	Conference Games (Away at Home)
Week 1 Sept 26	Illinois State at Northern Iowa North Dakota at Indiana State Southern Illinois at Murray State South Dakota at Youngstown State
Week 2 Oct 3	South Dakota State at Illinois State Indiana State at South Dakota Murray State at North Dakota Youngstown State at Southern Illinois
Week 3 Oct 10	Youngstown State at Indiana State Murray State at South Dakota State North Dakota at Northern Iowa Southern Illinois at South Dakota
Week 4 Oct 17	Illinois State at Southern Illinois South Dakota at Murray State South Dakota State at North Dakota Northern Iowa at Youngstown State
Week 5 Oct 24	Indiana State at Illinois State North Dakota at South Dakota Northern Iowa at Southern Illinois Youngstown State at South Dakota State
Week 6 Oct 31	Murray State at Illinois State Indiana State at Northern Iowa North Dakota at Youngstown State South Dakota at South Dakota State
Week 7 Nov 7	Illinois State at North Dakota Southern Illinois at Indiana State Youngstown State at Murray State South Dakota State at Northern Iowa
Week 8 Nov 14	Illinois State at Youngstown State Murray State at Indiana State Northern Iowa at South Dakota South Dakota State at Southern Illinois
Week 9 Nov 21	South Dakota at Illinois State Indiana State at South Dakota State Northern Iowa at Murray State Southern Illinois at North Dakota

2026 MVFC Members

Here are the 9 schools playing MVFC football in 2026.

School	Location	Nickname	Stadium
Illinois State Redbirds	Normal, IL	Redbirds	Hancock Stadium
Indiana State Sycamores	Terre Haute, IN	Sycamores	Memorial Stadium
Murray State Racers	Murray, KY	Racers	Roy Stewart Stadium
North Dakota Fighting Hawks	Grand Forks, ND	Fighting Hawks	Alerus Center
Northern Iowa Panthers	Cedar Falls, IA	Panthers	UNI-Dome
South Dakota Coyotes	Vermillion, SD	Coyotes	DakotaDome
South Dakota State Jackrabbits	Brookings, SD	Jackrabbits	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
Southern Illinois Salukis	Carbondale, IL	Salukis	Saluki Stadium
Youngstown State Penguins	Youngstown, OH	Penguins	Stambaugh Stadium

2026 Realignment: What Changed

North Dakota State left the MVFC for the FBS ranks in 2026, dropping the league to nine football members. The rest of the lineup is unchanged from 2025, with Murray State still settling in after joining from the Ohio Valley in recent years.

How the 2026 MVFC Season Works

The 2026 MVFC football schedule gives each team 8 conference games between August 27, 2026 and November 21, 2026. Programs fill the rest of the schedule with non-conference opponents, and the league standings decide the automatic playoff bid plus seeding for teams in the hunt for at-large spots. Kickoff times and TV or streaming details are confirmed closer to each weekend.

MVFC and the FCS Playoffs

The MVFC champion earns the conference automatic bid into the 24-team FCS playoff, and in most years the Valley places three to five teams in the bracket through at-large selection. South Dakota State, South Dakota, and North Dakota have all been recent national contenders, so seeding and hosting rights inside the league carry real weight. You can print the full postseason field with our 2026 FCS playoff bracket.

How to Watch MVFC Football in 2026

MVFC games are carried across ESPN platforms, including ESPN+, along with regional and conference streaming outlets. Exact network and start time for each game are confirmed in the weeks before kickoff, so bookmark this page and check back as the matchups firm up.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many teams are in the MVFC for 2026?

9 teams play Missouri Valley Football Conference football in 2026. North Dakota State left the MVFC for the FBS ranks in 2026, dropping the league to nine football members. The rest of the lineup is unchanged from 2025, with Murray State still settling in after joining from the Ohio Valley in recent years.

How many conference games does each MVFC team play?

Each team plays 8 conference games in 2026, with non-conference dates added around them. FCS programs may now play a full 12-game regular season.

When does the 2026 MVFC season start and end?

The 2026 MVFC season runs from August 27, 2026 through the final regular-season weekend on November 21, 2026, ahead of the FCS playoffs.

How does the MVFC make the FCS playoffs?

The MVFC champion earns an automatic bid into the 24-team FCS playoff bracket, and additional teams can reach the field as at-large selections.

Is there a printable MVFC schedule and standings tracker?

Yes. A free printable PDF standings tracker is available above, with every 2026 member listed and blank columns to fill in conference and overall records all season.

More 2026 FCS Coverage

Explore the rest of our FCS hub: the 2026 FCS football schedule and conference guide, the printable 2026 FCS playoff bracket, and every notable 2026 FCS vs FBS matchup.