South Dakota State entered the 2026 Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason rankings as the clear favorite, capturing 28 of the 36 first‑place votes and accumulating 312 points.
Illinois State followed in second place with 256 points, while Youngstown State, North Dakota, and South Dakota rounded out the top five with 235, 211, and 196 points respectively. Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Indiana State, and Murray State completed the rest of the top nine.
A New Reality Without North Dakota State
The announcement came during the conference’s media day at the Sanford Pentagon, where officials highlighted the absence of the historic North Dakota State program, which departed for the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference earlier in the year.
Conference leaders noted that this marks the first preseason poll in almost 20 years that does not feature the Bison, who had dominated the preseason favorites list for over a decade.
Coaches and administrators expressed optimism about the competitive balance, with Illinois State receiving three first‑place votes and both North Dakota and South Dakota each earning two.
The poll also underscored the rise of other programs, as Youngstown State secured its highest preseason ranking since 2017, while Southern Illinois earned a solitary first‑place nod.