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South Dakota State named preseason favorite in Missouri Valley Football Conference

Yahoo Sports • 2 min read • Latest: Jul 14, 2026, 2:35 PM

Last updated Jul 14, 2026

Summary

On July 14, 2026, South Dakota State was announced as the preseason favorite in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the upcoming season. They received 28 of 36 first-place votes and a total of 312 vote points. The ranking indicates a significant shift as the poll is the first without North Dakota State, which moved to the FBS level earlier this year. Illinois State ranked second with 256 points, while Youngstown State came in third with 235 points. This marks Illinois State's first top-two preseason ranking since 2015 and Youngstown State's highest since 2017. The poll was revealed at the conference's media day at the Sanford Pentagon.

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By the Numbers
  • •South Dakota State secured 28 first-place votes with 312 points.
  • •Illinois State and Youngstown State follow in second and third places.
  • •This is the first preseason poll without North Dakota State since their FBS transition.
  • •The preseason ranking marks a high for Youngstown State since 2017.
  • •The poll was released during the Missouri Valley Football Conference media day.
Latest Updates
  • 2:35 PMYahoo Sports — South Dakota State picked as preseason favorite in Missouri Valley Football Conference
  • 2:34 PMYahoo Sports — UND picked to finish fourth in Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll
What they're saying
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Jul. 14—SIOUX FALLS — The UND football team has been picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, which was released by the league on Tuesday morning. South Dakota State was pegged No. 1 with 28 first-place votes, followed by Illinois State, Youngstown State, UND, South Dakota, Southern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Indiana State and Murray State. Illinois ...

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Jul. 14—SIOUX FALLS — For the third time in the last four seasons, South Dakota State is the preseason favorite in the Missouri Valley Football Conference ahead of the 2026 season, the league announced on Tuesday. SDSU received 28 of the 36 first-place votes and 312 vote points to land in first place. Illinois State was second with 256 points, Youngstown State was third with 235 points, ...

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