2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season
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| 2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season | |
|---|---|
| League | NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision |
| Sport | Football |
| Duration | September 12, 2020 through May 16, 2021 |
| Teams | 10 |
| 2021 NFL Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State |
| Picked by | San Francisco 49ers (round 1, pick 3) |
| Regular season | |
| Champion Playoff Participants | Missouri State South Dakota State North Dakota North Dakota State Southern Illinois |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 South Dakota State +^ | 5 | – | 1 | 8 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Missouri State +^ | 5 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 North Dakota ^ | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 North Dakota State ^ | 5 | – | 2 | 7 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Southern Illinois ^ | 3 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Iowa | 3 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Dakota | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois State† | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Illinois† | 1 | – | 5 | 1 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youngstown State | 1 | – | 6 | 1 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2020 Missouri Valley Football Conference season was the 35th season of college football play for the Missouri Valley Football Conference and part of the 2020-21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the MVFC's first season with 11 teams, as they added North Dakota in the offseason. Although, the conference technically only had 10 of their members play the season, since Indiana State opted out of the Spring season.
South Dakota State made it to their first ever National Championship as the number 1 seed, but lost to Sam Houston State. SDSU was one of three teams to be a conference co-champion, including Missouri State and North Dakota. North Dakota beat Missouri State in the first round of the playoffs, but lost to James Madison in the quarterfinals. North Dakota State and Southern Illinois also made the playoffs. North Dakota State beat Eastern Washington in the first round, but lost to eventual champion Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals to be eliminated before the semifinals for the first time since 2010. Southern Illinois beat Weber State in the first round, but lost to South Dakota State in the quarterfinals.
Over the offseason, the conference welcomed in their 11th league member, North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks arrive to the Valley from being a FCS Independent. Before that, they were a part of the Big Sky Conference.
Coaching changes
Missouri State
On January 16, 2020, Bobby Petrino was named the new head coach at Missouri State.[1] Petrino replaces former coach Dave Steckel after he was bought out on January 9, 2020.[2]
Youngstown State
On February 7, 2020, Doug Phillips was named the new head coach at Youngstown State.[3] Phillips replaces former coach Bo Pelini who stepped down to take a defensive coordinator position at LSU.[4]
Preseason
MVFC Media Day
Preseason Poll
The annual preseason poll; voted on by conference coaches, athletic directors, and media members.[5]
| Predicted finish | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota State | 101 |
| 2 | Northern Iowa | 92 |
| 3 | South Dakota State | 91 |
| 4 | Illinois State | 80 |
| 5 | Southern Illinois | 68 |
| 6 | South Dakota | 52 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 39 |
| 8 | Youngstown State | 36 |
| T9 | Missouri State | 23 |
| T9 | Western Illinois | 23 |
Preseason Awards
Individual awards
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Rankings
| 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 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | STATS Perform | 9 | 7 | 15 | 22 | |||||||
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
| Missouri State | STATS Perform | 19 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | ||||||
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | 23 | 23 | 18 | 17 | 13 | ||||||
| North Dakota | STATS Perform | 14 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | |
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | 2 | 5т | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | ||||
| North Dakota State | STATS Perform | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 | ||||
| Northern Iowa | STATS Perform | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | ||
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | 14т | 23 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | |||||
| South Dakota | STATS Perform | 20т | 21 | |||||||||
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
| South Dakota State | STATS Perform | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | 7 | 5т | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Southern Illinois | STATS Perform | 24 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 14 | 8 | |
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | 5 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 9 | ||||
| Western Illinois | STATS Perform | |||||||||||
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
| Youngstown State | STATS Perform | |||||||||||
| AFCA Coaches | Not released | |||||||||||
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
Fall 2020 Games
Some teams played a couple games in the Fall, even though the MVFC schedule was moved to the Spring.
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | 6:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 5^ Oklahoma | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK | L 0–48 | 22,700 | ||
| September 26 | 7:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 11 Central Arkansas | Estes Stadium • Conway, AR | ESPN3 | L 20–27 | 2,500 | |
| October 3 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 11 Central Arkansas | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 39–28 | 471 | |
| October 17 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 11 Central Arkansas | Missouri State† | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN3 | L 24–33 | 5,489 | |
| October 30 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 25 Southeast Missouri State | No. 24 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN3 | W 20–17 | N/A | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 1
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 19 | 6:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | Cancelled | - | ||
| February 19 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 5 South Dakota State | No. 3 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | SDSU 24–20 | 2,137 | |
| February 20 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 24 Southern Illinois | North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 44–21 | 3,176 | |
| February 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 1 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 39–28 | 6,578 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week | |
|---|---|---|
| February 21 | No. 9 Illinois State | Missouri State |
Week 2
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 27 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 5 Northern Iowa | No. RV Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | UNI 21–0 | 2,128 | |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 1 North Dakota State | Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SIU 38–14 | 2,400 | |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 3 South Dakota State | No. 14 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 28–17 | 3,638 | |
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 7 Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | USD 27–20 | 1,853 | ||
| February 27 | 12:00 p.m. | Missouri State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | MOST 30–24 | 421 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 3
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 20т South Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN+ | UND 21–10 | 3,491 | |
| March 6 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 11 Southern Illinois | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | ESPN+ | SIU 30–22 | 1,901 | |
| March 6 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota State | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | NDSU 25–0 | 3,147 | |
| March 6 | 2:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | SDSU 45–10 | 2,347 | ||
| March 6 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 15 Illinois State | No. 3 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | UNI 20–10 | 1,920 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 4
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Missouri State | No. 21 South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | MOST 27–24 | 2,051 | |
| March 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 8 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | SDSU 19–17 | 2,653 | ||
| March 13 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 22 Illinois State | No. 5 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 21–13 | 6,145 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 5
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | 11:00 a.m. | South Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | YSU 28–10 | 2,159 | ||
| March 20 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 6 South Dakota State | No. 5 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | SDSU 44–3 | 2,400 | |
| March 20 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 North Dakota | No. 4 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | NDSU 21–13 | 9,121 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 6
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 27 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 22 Northern Iowa | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | UNI 34–20 | 542 | |
| March 27 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 2 North Dakota State | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | ESPN+ | Cancelled | - | |
| March 27 | 2:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | Canceled | - | ||
| March 27 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 10 Southern Illinois | Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 30–27 | 3,581 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
|---|---|
| March 27 | Youngstown State |
Week 7
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 23 Northern Iowa | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | Canceled | - | ||
| April 3 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 19 Missouri State | No. 6 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | Canceled | - | ||
| April 3 | 12:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 18 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | Canceled | - | |
| April 3 | 7:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | Western Illinois | Hanson Field • Macomb, IL | ESPN+ | WIU 27–24 | 679 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
|---|---|
| April 3 | No. 2 North Dakota State |
Week 8
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | No. 16 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | Canceled | - | ||
| April 10 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium • Normal, IL | Canceled | - | ||
| April 10 | 2:00 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 15 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | ESPN+ | MOST 21–10 | 2,948 | |
| April 10 | 2:00 p.m. | South Dakota | No. 4 South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | Canceled | - | ||
| April 10 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 2 North Dakota State | No. 24 Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome • Cedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | NDSU 23–20 | 2,037 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week 9
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 6 North Dakota | Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium • Youngstown, OH | Canceled | - | ||
| April 17 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 15 Southeastern Louisiana | No. 18 Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium • Carbondale, IL | ESPN+ | W 55–48 | 2,400 | |
| April 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | South Dakota | DakotaDome • Vermillion, SD | Canceled | - | ||
| April 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Illinois State | No. 14 Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO | Canceled | - | ||
| April 17 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 4 South Dakota State | No. 2 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN+ | SDSU 27–17 | 8,762 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
| Date | Bye Week |
|---|---|
| April 17 | Northern Iowa |
Postseason
In 2020, five teams made the FCS playoffs. South Dakota State (No. 1) was the only seeded team. Missouri State, North Dakota, North Dakota State, and Southern Illinois were all unseeded. Below are the games in which they played.
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| MVFC member won |
| MVFC member lost |
| MVFC teams in bold |
All times Central time. Tournament seedings in parentheses
First round
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 24 | 2:00 p.m. | Holy Cross | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN3 | W 31–3 | 2,998 | |
| April 24 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 9 Eastern Washington | No. 6 North Dakota State | Fargodome • Fargo, ND | ESPN3 | W 42–20 | 3,587 | |
| April 24 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 12 Missouri State | No. 7 North Dakota | Alerus Center • Grand Forks, ND | ESPN3 | UND 44–10 | 3,074 | |
| April 24 | 3:00 p.m. | No. 14 Southern Illinois | No. 3 Weber State | Stewart Stadium • Ogden, UT | ESPN3 | W 34–31 | 4,033 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota State | No. 4 (2) Sam Houston State | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN | L 20–24 | 4,984 | |
| May 2 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 6 North Dakota | No. 1 (2) James Madison | Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisburg, VA | ESPN2 | L 21–34 | 5,854 | |
| May 2 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 14 Southern Illinois | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN2 | SDSU 31–26 | 3,547 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Semifinals
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 8 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 5 Delaware | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD | ESPN | W 33–3 | 4,527 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
National Championship
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 4 (2) Sam Houston State | No. 2 (1) South Dakota State | Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX | ABC | L 21–23 | 7,840 | |
| #Rankings from Stats Perform. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
MVFC records vs other conferences
2020-21 records against non-conference foes:
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Post Season
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Awards and honors
Player of the week honors
| Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | Freshman | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | |
| Week 1 (Feb. 22) [7] | Pierre Strong Jr. | RB | SDSU | Devon Krzanowski | LB | UND | Jake Reinholz | PK | NDSU | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU |
| Week 2 (Feb. 28) [8] | Nic Baker | QB | SIU | Kevin Ellis | DE | MOST | Brady Schutt | P | USD | Josh Navratil | LB | UND |
| Week 3 (Mar. 7) [9] | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU | Spencer Cuvelier | LB | UNI | Garret Wegner | P | NDSU | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU |
| Week 4 (Mar. 14) [10] | Tommy Schuster | QB | UND | Montrae Braswell | CB | MOST | Cole Frahm | PK | SDSU | Cam Miller | QB | NDSU |
| Week 5 (Mar. 21) [11] | Hunter Luepke | FB | NDSU | Grant Dixon | LB | YSU | Jose Pizano | K | MOST | Isaiah Davis | RB | SDSU |
| Week 6 (Mar. 28) [12] | Celdon Manning | RB | MOST | Riley Van Wyhe | LB | UNI | Omar Brown | DB | UNI | Matt Struck | QB | MOST |
| Week 7 (Apr. 4) [13] | Tony Tate | WR | WIU | Michael Lawson | DB | WIU | Jaleel McLaughlin | RB | YSU | |||
| Week 8 (Apr. 11) [14] | Christian Watson | WR | NDSU | Tylar Wiltz | LB | MOST | Garret Wegner | P | NDSU | Grant Dixon | LB | YSU |
| Week 9 (Apr. 18) [15] | Javon Williams Jr. | RB | SIU | Adam Bock | LB | SDSU | Cole Frahm | PK | SDSU | Mark Gronowski | QB | SDSU |
Players of the Year
On April 22, 2021, the Missouri Valley Football Conference released their Players of the Year and All-Conference Honors.[16]
Offensive Player of the Year
- Mark Gronowski, QB (Fr, South Dakota State)
Defensive Player of the Year
- Jared Brinkman, DL (Sr, Northern Iowa)
Newcomer of the Year
- Mark Gronowski, QB (Fr, South Dakota State)
Freshman of the Year
- Mark Gronowski, QB (South Dakota State)
Coach of the Year
All-Conference Teams
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All-Newcomer Team
| Award | Player | School | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Newcomer Team Offense | Carson Camp | South Dakota | QB | Fr. |
| Mark Gronowski | South Dakota State | QB | Fr. | |
| Tommy Schuster | North Dakota | QB | Fr. | |
| Pha'Leak Brown | Illinois State | RB | Fr. | |
| Isaiah Davis | South Dakota State | RB | Fr. | |
| Celdon Manning | Missouri State | RB | Fr. | |
| Jaleel McLaughlin | Youngstown State | RB | Jr. | |
| Bo Belquist | North Dakota | WR | Fr. | |
| Dallas Daniels | Western Illinois | WR | Jr. | |
| Quan Hampton | Northern Iowa | WR | Jr. | |
| Kyle Fourtenbary | Northern Iowa | TE | GS | |
| Second Team Defense | Eli Mostaert | North Dakota State | DT | Fr. |
| Brayden Thomas | North Dakota State | DE | Sr. | |
| Adam Bock | South Dakota State | LB | Fr. | |
| Grant Dixon | Youngstown State | LB | Sr. | |
| Devon Krzanowski | North Dakota | LB | Jr. | |
| Montrae Braswell | Missouri State | DB | So. | |
| Michael Lawson | Western Illinois | DB | Sr. | |
| Kyriq McDonald | Missouri State | DB | Jr. | |
| Benny Sapp III | Northern Iowa | DB | Jr. | |
| Myles Harden | South Dakota | CB | Fr. | |
| Keyon Martin | Youngstown State | CB | Fr. |
Source:[17]
National Awards
On April 28, 2021, STATS Perform released their list of finalists for the Walter Payton Award, Buck Buchanan Award, and the Jerry Rice Award, respectively.
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is given to the best FCS offensive player. Here are the MVFC finalists:[18]
- Pierre Strong Jr. (RB - South Dakota State)
- Otis Weah (RB - North Dakota)
There were no MVFC finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Jerry Rice Award
The Jerry Rice Award is given to the best FCS freshman player. Here are the MVFC finalists:[19]
- Mark Gronowski (QB - South Dakota State)
- Tommy Schuster (QB - North Dakota)
All-Americans
| AP[20] 1st Team |
AP 2nd Team |
AFCA[21] 1st Team |
AFCA 2nd Team |
STATS[22] 1st Team |
STATS 2nd Team |
ADA [23] |
HERO [24] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avante Cox, WR, Southern Illinois |  |
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| Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State | |
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| Cordell Volson, OL, North Dakota State | |
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| Don Gardner, DB, South Dakota State | |
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| Drew Himmelman, OL, Illinois State | |
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| Garret Greenfield, OL, South Dakota State | |
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| Garrett Wegner, P, North Dakota State | |
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| Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State | |
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| James Caesar, DB, Southern Illinois | |
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| James Kaczor, LB, North Dakota State | |
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| Jared Brinkman, DL, Northern Iowa | |
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| Javon Williams Jr, WR, Southern Illinois | |
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| Logan Backhaus, LB, South Dakota State | |
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| Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State | | |||||||
| Nathan Nguon, OL, North Dakota | |
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| Otis Weah, RB, North Dakota | |
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| Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State | |
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| Qua Brown, DB, Southern Illinois | |
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| Ross Kennelly, LS, North Dakota State | |
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| Spencer Waege, DL, North Dakota State | |
Home attendance
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 | Game 6 | Total | Average | % of Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | Hancock Stadium | 13,391 | 1,853 | 1,853 | 3,706 | 1,853 | 13.8% | ||||
| Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 17,500 | 5,489† | 3,147 | 3,581 | 2,948 | 15,165 | 3,791 | 21.7% | ||
| North Dakota | Alerus Center | 12,283 | 3,176 | 3,638† | 3,491 | 3,074‡ | 13,379 | 3,344 | 27.2% | ||
| North Dakota State | Fargodome | 18,700 | 471 | 6,578 | 6,145 | 9,121† | 8,762 | 3,587‡ | 34,664 | 5,777 | 30.9% |
| Northern Iowa | UNI-Dome | 16,324 | 2,137† | 1,920 | 1,608 | 2,037 | 7,702 | 1,925 | 11.8% | ||
| South Dakota | DakotaDome | 9,100 | 2,051† | 2,051 | 2,051 | 22.5% | |||||
| South Dakota State | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | 19,340 | 2,347 | 2,653 | 2,998‡ | 3,547‡ | 4,527†‡ | 16,072 | 3,214 | 16.6% | |
| Southern Illinois | Saluki Stadium | 15,000 | 0 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 2,400 | 9,600 | 1,920 | 12.8% | |
| Western Illinois | Hanson Field | 17,128 | 421 | 658 | 542 | 679 | 2,300 | 575 | 3.4% | ||
| Youngstown State | Stambaugh Stadium | 20,630 | 2,128 | 1,901 | 2,159 | 6,188 | 2,062 | 9.9% | |||
Bold - Exceed capacity
†Season High
‡FCS Playoff Game
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, attendance in all venues were severely limited. FCS Playoffs games were limited to 25% capacity as determined by the NCAA.[25]