List of Missouri Valley Football Conference champions

This is a list of yearly Missouri Valley Football Conference champions. Co-champions are listed in alphabetical order. Italics indicate a school that no longer competes in the MVFC

Champions by year Note: The conference was known as the Gateway Football Conference prior from 1992-2008. Then, from 1982-92 the conference was known as the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference. Record Ranking Year Champions Conference Overall STATS Coaches Playoff finish Head coach 1985 Northern Iowa 5–0 11–2 4 – NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal 33–41 vs. Georgia Southern Darrell Mudra 1986 Eastern Illinois 5–1 11–2 3 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 21–28 vs. Eastern Kentucky Al Molde 1987 Northern Iowa 6–0 10–4 4 – NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal 41–44OT vs. Louisiana-Monroe Darrell Mudra 1988 Western Illinois 6–0 10–2 3 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 32–35 vs. Western Kentucky Bruce Craddock 1989 Missouri State 5–1 10–3 9 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 22–55 vs Stephen F. Austin Jesse Branch 1990 Missouri State 5–1 9–3 6 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 35–41 vs. Idaho Jesse Branch Northern Iowa 5–1 8–4 11 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 3–20 vs. Boise State Terry Allen 1991 Northern Iowa 5–1 11–2 4 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 13–41 vs. Marshall Terry Allen 1992 Northern Iowa 5–1 12–2 3 – NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal 7–19 vs. Youngstown State Terry Allen 1993 Northern Iowa 5–1 8–4 13 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 21–272OT at Boston University Terry Allen 1994 Northern Iowa 6–0 8–4 11 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 21–23 at Montana Terry Allen 1995 Eastern Illinois 5–1 10-2 14 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 29–34 at Stephen F. Austin Bob Spoo Northern Iowa 5–1 8–5 13 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 24–41 at Marshall Terry Allen 1996 Northern Iowa 5–0 12–2 3 – NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal 14–31 at Marshall Terry Allen 1997 Western Illinois 6–0 11–2 6 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 12–14 vs. McNeese State Randy Ball 1998 Western Illinois 5–1 11–3 4 – NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal 14–42 at Georgia Southern Randy Ball 1999 Illinois State 6–0 11–3 3 – NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal 17–31 at Georgia Southern Todd Berry 2000 Western Illinois 5–1 9–3 12 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 7–37 vs. Lehigh Don Patterson 2001 Northern Iowa 6–1 11–3 4 – NCAA Division I-AA 0–38 at Montana Mark Farley 2002 Western Illinois 6–1 11–2 5 – NCAA Division I-AA 28–31 vs. Western Kentucky Don Patterson Western Kentucky 6–1 12–3 1 – National Champion 34–14 vs. McNeese State Jack Harbaugh 2003 Northern Iowa 6–1 10–3 5 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 7–37 at Delaware Mark Farley Southern Illinois 6–1 10–2 9 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 7–48 at Delaware Jerry Kill 2004 Southern Illinois 7–0 10–2 9 – NCAA Division I-AA First Round 31–35 vs. Eastern Washington Jerry Kill 2005 Northern Iowa 5–2 11–4 2 – NCAA Division I-AA Runner-up 16–21 vs. Appalachian State Mark Farley Southern Illinois 5–2 9–4 7 – NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal 24–38 at Appalachian State Jerry Kill Youngstown State 5–2 8–3 14 – None Jon Heacock 2006 Youngstown State 6–1 11–3 4 – NCAA FCS Semifinal 24–49 at Appalachian State Jon Heacock 2007 Northern Iowa 6–0 12–1 4 5 NCAA FCS Quarterfinal 27–39 vs. Delaware Mark Farley 2008 Northern Iowa 7–1 12–3 4 4 NCAA FCS Semifinal 20–21 vs. Richmond Mark Farley Southern Illinois 7–1 9–3 11 10 NCAA FCS First Round 20–29 vs. New Hampshire Dale Lennon 2009 Southern Illinois 8–0 11–2 6 6 NCAA FCS Quarterfinal 3–24 at William & Mary Dale Lennon 2010 Northern Iowa 6–2 7–5 19 18 NCAA FCS First Round 7–14 vs. Lehigh Mark Farley 2011 North Dakota State 7–1 14–1 1 1 National Champion 17–6 vs. Sam Houston Craig Bohl 2012 North Dakota State 7–1 14–1 1 1 National Champion 39–13 vs. Sam Houston Craig Bohl 2013 North Dakota State 8–0 15–0 1 1 National Champion 35–7 vs. Towson Craig Bohl 2014 Illinois State 7–1 13–2 2 2 NCAA FCS Runner-up 27–29 vs. North Dakota State Brock Spack North Dakota State 7–1 15–1 1 1 National Champion 29–27 vs. Illinois State Chris Klieman 2015 Illinois State 7–1 10–3 5 5 NCAA FCS Quarterfinal 27–39 vs. Richmond Brock Spack North Dakota State 7–1 13–2 1 1 National Champion 37–10 vs. Jacksonville State Chris Klieman 2016 North Dakota State 7–1 12–2 3 3 NCAA FCS Semifinal 17–27 vs. James Madison Chris Klieman South Dakota State 7–1 9–4 6 7 NCAA FCS Quarterfinal 10–36 at North Dakota State John Stiegelmeier 2017 North Dakota State 7–1 14–1 1 1 National Champion 17–13 vs. James Madison Chris Klieman 2018 North Dakota State 8–0 15–0 1 1 National Champion 38–24 vs. Eastern Washington Chris Klieman 2019 North Dakota State 8–0 16–0 1 1 National Champion 28–20 vs. James Madison Matt Entz 2020 Missouri State 5–1 5–5 13 13 NCAA FCS First Round 10–44 vs. North Dakota Bobby Petrino South Dakota State 5–1 8–2 2 2 NCAA FCS Runner-up 21–23 vs. Sam Houston John Stiegelmeier North Dakota 4–1 5–2 6 6 NCAA FCS Quarterfinal 21–34 at James Madison Bubba Schweigert 2021 North Dakota State 7–1 14–1 1 1 National Champion 38–10 vs. Montana State Matt Entz 2022 South Dakota State 8–0 14–1 1 1 National Champion 45–21 vs. North Dakota State John Stiegelmeier 2023 South Dakota State 8–0 15–0 1 1 National Champion 23–3 vs. Montana Jimmy Rogers 2024 North Dakota State 7–1 14–2 1 1 National Champion 35–32 vs. Montana State Tim Polasek South Dakota 7–1 11–3 4 4 NCAA FCS Semifinal 17–31 at Montana State Bob Nielson South Dakota State 7–1 12–3 3 3 NCAA FCS Semifinal 21–28 at North Dakota State Jimmy Rogers 2025 North Dakota State 8–0 12–1 4т 5 NCAA FCS Second Round 28–29 vs Illinois State Tim Polasek Source:

Championships by team Team MVFCtitles OutrightMVFC titles Winning years Northern Iowa 1985, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 North Dakota State 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024, 2025 Western Illinois 1988, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2002 Southern Illinois 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 South Dakota State 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 Missouri State 1989, 1990, 2020 Illinois State 1999, 2014, 2015 Eastern Illinois 1986, 1995 Youngstown State 2005, 2006 Western Kentucky 2002 North Dakota 2020 South Dakota 2024 Indiana State Murray State Total

Keys Bold indicates an outright conference championship Italics indicates a school currently not a member of the MVFC, as of the 2026 season

Championships by head coach Head coach School MVFCChampionships Terry Allen Northern Iowa 7 Mark Farley Northern Iowa 6 Chris Klieman North Dakota State 5 John Stiegelmeier South Dakota State 3 Craig Bohl North Dakota State 3 Darrell Mudra Northern Iowa 2 Jesse Branch Missouri State 2 Randy Ball Western Illinois 2 Don Patterson Western Illinois 2 Jerry Kill Southern Illinois 2 Jon Heacock Youngstown State 2 Dale Lennon Southern Illinois 2 Matt Entz North Dakota State 2 Brock Spack Illinois State 2 Jimmy Rogers South Dakota State 2 Tim Polasek North Dakota State 2 Al Molde Eastern Illinois 1 Bruce Craddock Western Illinois 1 Bob Spoo Eastern Illinois 1 Todd Berry Illinois State 1 Jack Harbaugh Western Kentucky 1 Bobby Petrino Missouri State 1 Bubba Schweigert North Dakota 1 Bob Nielson South Dakota 1

References