Missouri Valley Football Conference facts for kids
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| Formerly | Gateway Football Conference (1992–2008) Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (1982–1992) |
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| Association | NCAA |
| Founded | 1982 (chartered) 1985 (began football) |
| Commissioner | Jeff Jackson (since 2025) |
| Sports fielded |
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| Division | Division I |
| Subdivision | FCS |
| No. of teams | 10 |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Region | Midwest |
| Locations | |
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The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) is a college sports group in the Midwestern United States. It used to be called the Gateway Football Conference. This conference is special because it only focuses on football. Its teams play in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). This means they are part of a top level of college sports.
Contents
History of the MVFC
The Missouri Valley Football Conference has an interesting past. It grew out of three other sports groups:
- The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC): This was a very old conference that started in 1907. It used to have football teams until 1985.
- The Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (Gateway): This group started in 1982 for women's sports. Many schools from the MVC were also part of Gateway.
- The Association of Mid-Continent Universities (AMCU): This group also started in 1982. It had football teams until 1984.
How the Conference Started
In 1985, the MVC stopped having football teams. Two of its football teams, Illinois State and Southern Illinois, needed a new home. They joined teams from the AMCU, including Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Southwest Missouri State, and Western Illinois. Together, they formed a new football conference under the Gateway name. Indiana State joined them the next year.
Name Changes and New Teams
In 1992, the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference joined with the MVC. The football conference kept the "Gateway" name but became the Gateway Football Conference.
Over the years, some teams left, and new ones joined.
- Eastern Illinois left in 1996.
- Youngstown State joined in 1997.
- Western Kentucky University joined in 2001.
- Southwest Missouri State changed its name to Missouri State in 2005.
In 2007, Western Kentucky left to play in a different division of college football. This left the Gateway Football Conference with seven teams. To make the conference stronger, North Dakota State and South Dakota State joined in 2008.
Because many of its teams were also part of the Missouri Valley Conference, the Gateway Football Conference changed its name in June 2008. It became the Missouri Valley Football Conference. This helped connect it to the larger Missouri Valley Conference. Both conferences share office space in St. Louis, Missouri, but they are managed separately.
Recent Changes to the MVFC
The University of South Dakota became the 10th member in 2012. The University of North Dakota joined in 2020. This brought back old rivalries between the North Dakota and South Dakota schools.
In 2023, Murray State University joined the MVFC, making it 12 teams. However, this was a short time. Western Illinois announced in May 2023 that they would leave the MVFC after the 2023 football season. Then, in May 2024, Missouri State announced it would join Conference USA in 2025.
On July 1, 2025, the conference got a new leader, Jeff Jackson. He is also the commissioner for the Missouri Valley Conference. This change helps connect the MVFC even more with the main conferences that its teams belong to.
Member Schools
The MVFC has different schools that are part of the conference.
Current Members
These are the schools that are currently part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Type | Enrollment | Endowment | Nickname | Colors | Current primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois | 1857 | 1985 | Public | 20,989 | $204 million | Redbirds | Missouri Valley | |
| Indiana State University | Terre Haute, Indiana | 1865 | 1986 | 12,144 | $103.1 million | Sycamores | |||
| Murray State University | Murray, Kentucky | 1922 | 2023 | 9,427 | $90.8 million | Racers | |||
| University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, North Dakota | 1883 | 2020 | 15,019 | $422.1 million | Fighting Hawks | Summit | ||
| North Dakota State University | Fargo, North Dakota | 1890 | 2008 | 11,952 | $457 million | Bison | |||
| University of Northern Iowa | Cedar Falls, Iowa | 1876 | 1985 | 10,497 | $163 million | Panthers | Missouri Valley | ||
| University of South Dakota | Vermillion, South Dakota | 1862 | 2012 | 10,619 | $328.5 million | Coyotes | Summit | ||
| South Dakota State University | Brookings, South Dakota | 1881 | 2008 | 11,331 | $213 million | Jackrabbits | |||
| Southern Illinois University | Carbondale, Illinois | 1869 | 1985 | 11,366 | $190.1 million | Salukis | Missouri Valley | ||
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown, Ohio | 1908 | 1997 | 12,155 | $321.5 million | Penguins | Horizon |
Former Members
These schools used to be part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference:
| Institution | Location | Founded | Joined | Left | Type | Nickname | Colors | Primary conference during tenure in the MVFC |
Current primary conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, Illinois | 1895 | 1985 | 1995 | Public | Panthers | Mid-Continent | Ohio Valley | |
| Missouri State University | Springfield, Missouri | 1905 | 1985 | 2025 | Bears | Missouri Valley | CUSA | ||
| Western Illinois University | Macomb, Illinois | 1899 | 1985 | 2024 | Leathernecks | Summit | Ohio Valley | ||
| Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, Kentucky | 1906 | 2001 | 2007 | Hilltoppers | Sun Belt | CUSA |
Membership Timeline
This chart shows when different schools joined and left the MVFC.
Current members Former members Dual members (list additional conferences)
Conference Champions
Many different teams have won MVFC championships. The most recent champions are South Dakota State, North Dakota State, and South Dakota. The team with the most championships is Northern Iowa, with 16 wins.
NCAA Football Championship Subdivision National Championships
The MVFC teams have also won national championships in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Here's a list of teams and their titles:
| Team | Titles | Title Years | Finals | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 10 | 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024 | 11 | 2022 |
| Youngstown State | 4 | 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997 | 7 | 1992, 1999, 2016 |
| South Dakota State | 2 | 2022, 2023 | 3 | 2020 |
| Southern Illinois | 1 | 1983 | 1 | |
| Western Kentucky♯ | 1 | 2002 | 1 | |
| Northern Iowa | 0 | 1 | 2005 | |
| Illinois State | 0 | 1 | 2014 |
♯ This team is now part of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which is a different level of college football.
Records
Overall Winning Streaks
This table shows the longest winning streaks by teams in the MVFC:
| # | Team | Streak | Spoiler | Season(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | North Dakota State | 39 † | Southern Illinois | 2017–2020 |
| 2. | North Dakota State | 33 | Northern Iowa | 2012–2014 |
| 3. | South Dakota State | 29 | Oklahoma State | 2022–2024 |
| 4. | North Dakota State | 14 | South Dakota State | 2015–2016 |
| 5. | Western Kentucky | 13 | Auburn | 2002–2003 |
| Northern Iowa | 13 | Delaware | 2006–2007 |
† This is a record for the FCS.
Consecutive Conference Wins
These are the longest winning streaks within the conference games only:
- North Dakota State, 19 wins (2017–2020)
- South Dakota State, 19 wins (2022–2024)
- North Dakota State, 18 wins (2012–2014)
Facilities
Each school in the MVFC has its own stadium where their football teams play. Here are some of them:
| School | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | Hancock Stadium | 13,391 |
| Indiana State | Memorial Stadium | 12,764 |
| Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium | 16,800 |
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 |
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 19,000 |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 |
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 |
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,300 |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 |
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 |
See also
In Spanish: Missouri Valley Football Conference para niños
