Is the Missouri Valley Football Conference Fine at Nine Schools?

North Dakota State is finally moving to the FBS level. One of the greatest dynasties in sports comes to an abrupt end when the Bisons join the Mountain West. In all, North Dakota State won 10 FCS Championships in 18 years of eligibility. While most of the attention diverts to the Mountain West, the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) has its own quandary to deal with. The departures of North Dakota State and Missouri State last year leave the MVFC with nine members. Nine is a stable number, but the departure of North Dakota State could lead to other departures.

The conference’s reputation as the strongest league in FCS football has earned it the privilege of a reactionary approach. Still, one has to wonder whether the league should continue to be proactive in its expansion efforts. No school can replace North Dakota State, but the MVFC’s next move must provide more than stability.

The conference made a strategic move in 2025 by partnering with the Summit League. The agreement between the non-football Summit League and the MVFC allows any new member of the MVFC to join the Summit League for its other sports. This is significant for the MVFC’s expansion efforts since it simplifies the Olympic Sports situation for each school.

Naturally, the Ohio Valley Conference’s (OVC) two Missouri schools, Southeast Missouri State and Lindenwood, are two prime candidates. Still, both have their drawbacks and questions about their ability to compete in the MVFC. Southeast Missouri State has become a playoff regular with four playoff appearances since 2018, but figures to be little more than a face in the crowd in the conference.

The Redhawks are 1-5 in the FCS Playoffs with four first-round exits and hold a 68-99-9 record against current MVFC members and a 28-46 record against former member Missouri State. This includes a dreadful 14-43-1 mark against current MFVC bottom-dweller and former OVC school, Murray State. Furthermore, the Redhawks reside in a small market in a state with two FBS schools.

Lindenwood is a recent call-up to the FCS but offers more market value than Southeast Missouri State, residing in the St. Louis metro area. Still, the Lions are unproven at the FCS level. 2025’s 6-6 record was the Lions’ best finish at the FCS level since they finished 7-3 with three wins over non-Division I schools in their first season in 2022. Both schools provide stability without stretching the MVFC or Summit League’s footprint too much.

The MVFC’s other options will stretch the conference’s boundaries but could maintain its status as the premier FCS conference.The United Athletic Conference (UAC) officially takes the WAC’s identity after this academic year. The conference has eight programs and seems to be on the rise. After all, the OVC nearly had an existential crisis stemming from multiple schools making overtures to the UAC. Nonetheless, the conference lags behind the MVFC and Big Sky in national perception.

This is where the MVFC can make a transformational move. Tarleton State, Abilene Christian, and Central Arkansas are all attractive candidates for the MVFC. All three schools will push the boundaries of both the Summit League and MVFC, but have the highest ceilings of any MVFC expansion candidate.Starting with football, all three are proven competitors at the FCS level.

Central Arkansas has five FCS Playoff appearances since 2011, while Abilene Christian has made the playoffs in back-to-back years. Still, neither school has made a deep playoff run and carries the same competitive concerns as Southeast Missouri State and Lindenwood.

Tarleton State is the prize of the three. The Texans are 47-19 since moving to Division I in 2020, with back-to-back playoff appearances in the last two years. Tarleton officially became a title contender this past season, beating Fenway Bowl champion Army, peaking at #2 in the FCS poll, and reaching the quarterfinals after a 12-2 record. The Texans can compete in the MVFC immediately.

Obviously, geography is a concern for all three, as the table below demonstrates.

Yet, despite the distance, Central Arkansas, Abilene Christian, and Tarleton State each benefit the MVFC and Summit League in a multitude of ways. Access to Texas improves the MVFC’s high school recruiting efforts. High school recruiting has become an even more lucrative gold mine for FCS schools, with FBS schools largely relying on the transfer portal.

The Summit League also enters negotiations for a new TV contract after this academic year. The addition of a school in Texas or Arkansas could increase the conference’s media value. However, it may not be enough to cover the increased travel costs that come with adding any of these three.

Despite the distance, the Summit League could find a way to make adding any of these schools work. The conference already has Oral Roberts and Kansas City as southern castaways In the league. Adding two more schools creates a southern corridor that could make scheduling easier.

North Dakota State is irreplaceable. The FCS will never see a dynasty of their magnitude ever again. Normally, losing a power like this would devastate a conference. Instead, the MVFC has consistently demonstrated its parity over the last 15 years and remains in good standing. The best options either spread the MVFC and its sister conference to its limits or provide no increase in competition. Maybe the MVFC is fine at nine.