The big news of the FCS offseason has been the departure of North Dakota State to the FBS. With the Bison gone, the Missouri Valley Conference title race became the most intriguing one practically overnight. Gone are the days of the green and gold dominating the league and, naturally, the question of who will step up and take over that top spot is now getting asked. Several teams have the ingredients to get it done in 2026 and almost every game in the conference will be a big one this fall. These four in particular, though, could be the deciding showdowns in what will surely be the most competitive conference again.
4. South Dakota at Illinois State – November 21
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So much is always on the line come the regular season finale and such will be the case when South Dakota rolls into Illinois State to close out the season this year. The defending national runner-up Redbirds are hoping for another run like last year, only with a conference title in hand this time around. Although QB Tommy Rittenhouse is gone, ISU still should have a pretty solid bunch in 2026. Receiver Dylan Lord is back as is running back Victor Dawson along with the Niekamp brothers on defense; all key pieces in their run to Nashville last year. If ex-USC signal caller Gage Roy works out, then Brock Spack’s team could be right there again. South Dakota, meanwhile, is a big question mark right now after also losing their star quarterback Aidan Bouman. If one or both of these teams is still alive for the conference crown by this point, this game will be a must-win. It may also very well decide who gets in and who doesn’t as far as the postseason is concerned.
3. Southern Illinois at North Dakota – November 21
There’s a lot of reasons to be hopeful for the Southern Illinois faithful this year and perhaps the biggest is D.J. Williams. The Salukis dynamic quarterback is coming into his redshirt senior season in Carbondale and that means one last chance to make a playoff push that has eluded SIU for a couple of years now. Williams might be the most lethal dual-threat QB in the country and, if he stays healthy, Southern Illinois is certainly a contender to win the conference. North Dakota, however, is nothing to scoff at either and with guys like QB Jerry Kaminski and receiver Korey Tai back, UND should, at the very least, be a playoff squad once more. The Hawks will host Williams and SIU in the final regular season game and it looks as though it could be one with a whole awful lot riding on it.
2. South Dakota at South Dakota State – October 31
The “South Dakota Showdown” rivalry will now be the premier one in the Missouri Valley now that the Dakota Marker has gone by the wayside and this season’s iteration on Halloween should have a lot to say about the eventual league standings when the dust settles. This year it is South Dakota that must go on the road but it will be South Dakota State who will be looking to enact revenge for last year’s 24-17 loss. Jackrabbits quarterback Chase Mason did not play in that game but should in this one if he is healthy and wideout Lofton O’Groske is a budding star at the position. For USD, the team will look drastically different than it did a year ago when it made a run to the quarterfinals. Matt Vitzhum makes his head coaching debut after being promoted earlier this offseason. The winner here will not only secure in-state bragging rights but will also have a big leg up in the push for a league title.
1. Youngstown State at South Dakota State – October 24
The de-facto conference championship game might just be in late October when South Dakota State welcomes in Youngstown State. The Jacks and the Penguins both look to be frontrunners and it should be a battle of the two best quarterbacks in the league. Mason is clearly a difference maker for SDSU as was evident last season by his absence when he was hurt. Beau Brungard on the other side took home the Walter Payton Award and had YSU in the playoffs as well. Had it not been for an epic collapse against Yale, Youngstown State would have been at least a second-round team. South Dakota State, who actually was a second-round team, should be better in Dan Jackson’s season in charge. It is not at all a stretch to say that the Missouri Valley trophy will reside on one of these two campuses when all is said and done. If that is indeed the case, then whoever wins in Brookings when they meet will more than likely win the conference.