The unprecedented four-time defending national champion North Dakota State Bison have been tabbed to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference crown in 2015.
In the past four seasons, NDSU has produced four NCAA Division I Football titles, four-straight MVFC titles (2 outright, 2 shared) and an overall record of 58-3. This year, NDSU earned 32 of a possible 40 first-place votes and 389 total points in a poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors.
Last year’s co-champ Illinois State received the other eight first-place tallies and is slated for second in the poll. The Redbirds lost the FCS title game, 29-27, to NDSU last year, marking the only time in FCS history two teams from the same league played one another for the crown.
UNI, South Dakota State and Indiana State each earned a playoff spot in 2014, and each won a post-season game. They are slated 3rd, 5th, and 6th, respectively. Youngstown State, one of two league schools with a new head coach (MSU the other), is picked fourth in the poll. The Penguins tied Indiana State for 5th last year.
A pre-season favorite has claimed the league crown 17 times (in 29 previous polls). North Dakota State was picked to win the league last season. Valley Football is celebrating its 31st season in 2015. In its first 30 seasons the league owns six national crowns.
| 1. North Dakota State (32) | 389 |
| 2. Illinois State (8) | 366 |
| 3. UNI | 300 |
| 4. Youngstown State | 265 |
| 5. South Dakota State | 251 |
| 6. Indiana State | 190 |
| 7. Southern Illinois | 143 |
| 8. Western Illinois | 139 |
| 9. Missouri State | 91 |
| 10. South Dakota | 66 |
