NDSU Unanimously Picked to Win Missouri Valley Football Confernence

NDSU captured all 39 first-place votes in a preseason poll

ST. LOUIS – (NDSU Athletics) Defending national champion North Dakota State is the preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference after capturing all 39 first-place votes in a preseason poll of the league’s head coaches, sports information directors and media released Monday, July 30.

North Dakota State, which has won seven straight conference titles, won its third outright crown last year with a 7-1 league record. The Bison finished 14-1 overall and won their sixth NCAA national championship in seven years.

This is just the second time in league history that a team has received all of the first-place votes in the preseason poll. NDSU was the unanimous pick in 2013 and went on to a 15-0 record winning its third of five consecutive national championships.

South Dakota State earned the second spot in the poll, finishing with 340 total points, followed by Northern Iowa (270), Youngstown State (258), Illinois State (248) and South Dakota (206). Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, Missouri State and Indiana State rounded out the final four spots in order.

A preseason favorite has claimed the league crown 20 times (in 32 previous polls).

North Dakota State is scheduled to host Cal Poly in the season opener Sept. 1 and the Bison will host North Alabama and Delaware before opening conference play at home Sept. 29 against South Dakota State.