So, the dust has finally settled on the 2025-26 season, and if you haven't been glued to the Missouri Valley football scores lately, you missed a complete fever dream of a postseason. Honestly, it was chaotic. We’re talking about a year where the "old guard" got shook, a massive road-warrior streak nearly ended in a miracle, and the national title game came down to a single point in overtime.
If you just look at the final standings, you might think it was business as usual. North Dakota State went 8-0 in the conference. Typical, right? But the scores tell a much deeper, weirder story about how the power dynamics in the MVFC are shifting.
The Playoff Run That Defied Logic
Let’s talk about Illinois State. Seriously. They entered the playoffs unseeded. Most people figured they’d have a nice little run and then bow out to one of the big seeds. Instead, they became the first team in FCS history to win four straight road games to reach the championship.
Their path was basically a "who's who" of carnage:
👉 See also: Meaning of Grand Slam: Why We Use It for Tennis, Baseball, and Breakfast
- They went into Fargo and stunned the top-seeded North Dakota State Bison 29-28.
- They handled UC Davis 42-31 on the West Coast.
- They traveled to Villanova and ground out a 30-14 win.
By the time they hit the national championship game against Montana State on January 5, 2026, they were 10.5-point underdogs. They fell behind 14-0 early and everyone thought the Cinderella story was dead. But this team just wouldn't quit. They forced overtime, only to lose 35-34 because Montana State converted a wild fourth-down pass and an extra point. It was a brutal way to end it, but those Missouri Valley football scores in December and January proved that the gap between the "middle" of the Valley and the elite is getting smaller.
Why North Dakota State Isn't The Only Big Bad Anymore
North Dakota State did win the conference title with an undefeated 8-0 league record. Tim Polasek grabbed the Coach of the Year honors, and rightly so. But look at the scores from the second round of the playoffs. The Bison lost. South Dakota State, usually the other titan of the league, lost to Montana.
Actually, it was South Dakota that hung around the longest alongside Illinois State, making it to the quarterfinals before falling 52-22 to the Grizzlies.
✨ Don't miss: NFL Week 5 2025 Point Spreads: What Most People Get Wrong
| Team | Conference Record | Overall Record |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 8-0 | 12-1 |
| South Dakota | 6-2 | 10-5 |
| Illinois State | 5-3 | 12-5 |
| Youngstown State | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| North Dakota | 5-3 | 8-6 |
Youngstown State is another one to watch. Beau Brungard was basically a human highlight reel this year. He became the first player in FCS history to have a 300-yard passing and 200-yard rushing game in the same outing (that was against Illinois State, by the way). He finished the season with over 1,300 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground. When your quarterback is putting up those kinds of numbers, your final scores are always going to be interesting.
The Bottom of the Barrel and High School Heartbreak
It wasn't all glory. Northern Iowa, Indiana State, and Murray State all struggled, finishing with identical 1-7 conference records. It's a tough league. If you aren't elite, you're lunch.
And just to clear up any confusion for the casual searcher: if you were looking for the Missouri Valley Big Reds (the high school team), their season was a bit of a rough ride too. They finished 0-8. Their scores were tough to look at, including a 48-0 shutout against Treynor and a 56-7 loss to Underwood. It’s a different level of football, but the passion in those small towns is just as high.
🔗 Read more: Bethany Hamilton and the Shark: What Really Happened That Morning
What Most People Get Wrong About the Valley
A lot of fans think the MVFC is just "The Bison and everyone else." This year proved that’s a lie. When you have an unseeded team like Illinois State knocking off the #1 seed on the road, the "dominance" narrative changes. The scores from the 2025 playoffs showed that the MVFC is deep, but also vulnerable to teams with momentum.
Actionable Insights for Next Season
If you're a bettor or just a die-hard fan looking ahead to the 2026 season, here is what you need to keep an eye on:
- Watch the Transfer Portal for Quarterbacks: With guys like Brungard and Rittenhouse setting the bar high, teams like UNI and Murray State are going to be aggressive in the portal to fix their offensive output.
- Home Field isn't a Lock: If we learned anything from the 12-5 Illinois State run, it's that playing in the Fargodome or Brookings isn't the automatic win it used to be in December.
- Follow the Defensive Player of the Year: Tye Niekamp is a name you’ll keep hearing. Defense still wins championships in this league, even if the overtime scores look like basketball games.
The 2025 season showed us that the Missouri Valley remains the premier conference in the FCS, but the crown is heavier than ever. Keep an eye on the early 2026 non-conference matchups to see if the mid-tier teams can maintain this new "anybody can win" energy.