The Missouri Valley Football Conference has long been the premier league in FCS football. Whether it be through intense regional rivalries or ultra competitive road contests; the Valley embodies everything that the subdivision prides itself on.
When commissioner Patty Viverito founded the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1982, her focus was devoted entirely toward Title IX and ensuring equality for women in sports – not even thinking about other alternatives.
In an appearance on Kelly Burke's MVFC First & Goal podcast, Viverito reflected on her early priorities: "I decided that I was going to go back and get a degree in sports management and dedicate my career to marketing women's opportunities."
Ironically – just three years later – Viverito would find herself investing the majority of her time and resources into developing a Division I-AA football conference.
"Several years into my career I had the opportunity to be named commissioner of what was then the Gateway Football Conference," explained Viverito in an interview with College Football Performance Awards.
Little did she know during the early stages of her career, Viverito would go on to build arguably the most dominant conference in FCS history.
Commitment to Success
Throughout her storied career, Viverito was very strategic when it came to how she operated the conference and the selection of new members. Following the departure of Eastern Illinois in 1996, Viverito extended an invitation to established power Youngstown State, who had just won three national championships.
Not only did YSU's unique position as the easternmost team in the league make them a natural fit, but their vision for greatness combined with a growing tradition aligned with the top priorities of Viverito.
"I remember back in the first year that Youngstown State was a member and they had had great success nationally," recalled Viverito to Burke during the interview. "The first year in the league they finished third in our conference, and then went on to win the national championship."
Searching for another consistent counterpart, Viverito decided to add Western Kentucky in 2001. The Hilltoppers almost found immediate success, winning a national title in 2002 and finishing with a record of 6-1 in conference play. Unfortunately for Viverito, WKU bolted from the Gateway in 2006 and pursued FBS endeavors.
In the couple of years between the departure of WKU and the eventual introduction of new conference affiliates, Viverito spent a considerable amount of time contemplating the state of the Gateway as a whole. She understood that the future of the conference was in jeopardy with only seven members remaining, but didn't want to force her hand.
Making a strong decision, she continued the expansion tour in 2008, pairing North Dakota State and South Dakota State together out of the Great West Football Conference. Despite push back from existing Gateway members, Viverito stood firm in her judgement. "Bringing North Dakota State and South Dakota State into the league made all of our teams better," she said on the Dizzo's Den Podcast.
After the two Dakota schools joined, the Gateway Football Conference changed its name to the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The new name honored the long-standing Missouri Valley Conference, since five of the nine football schools were also full members of that conference in all sports.
She would later welcome South Dakota (2012), North Dakota (2020), and Murray State (2023), capping a legendary tenure as conference commissioner and pointing to her dedication and perseverance.
The Key to Stability
Viverito has worked hard to retain schools and make sure that they remain loyal to the conference. Decades ago, Viverito constructed a mission statement with the university presidents to maintain stability and encourage members to try to be the best FCS program they could be on a yearly basis.
"We weren't going to talk about a cost saving enterprise of football in division one nor were we going to succumb to what we consider to be a rather false allure of moving to FBS," Viverito emphasized later on in her discussion with College Football Performance Awards. "We were going to concentrate on being the best nationally competitive league at this level."
Taking the pact personally, member schools transformed the MVFC into one of the most – if not the most – brutal conferences in the entire FCS. Over the years, the MVFC has drawn comparisons to "death row," as teams battle for a playoff pulse and obliterate each other week in and week out, making it hard to survive league play unscathed.
One of the most overlooked aspects of competing in the Valley is the tremendous challenge of playing on the road. Brock Spack, the head coach at Illinois State, discussed how "difficult" it is to "play on the road in [the MVFC]" regardless of "who you're playing" in one of his weekly pressers last season.
YSU offensive lineman Aidan Parker echoed Spack's sentiments, stating "road games are tough to win, especially in the Valley."
The past four seasons, teams ranked three through six in the conference (which varies) have accumulated a road record of 43-53 in league matchups. In 2015-2018, that same order of teams (3-6) combined for a road record of 41-56.
Those numbers prove just how grueling it can be to travel to a MVFC opponent and pull out a win on the road.
Pointing more to the prosperity and longevity of the conference, the Valley earned six bids to the FCS playoffs in both 2021 and 2023, highlighting the tremendous depth and talent in the league. The MVFC has also been represented in 14 straight national title games, with two of those contests being an all Valley clash.
All of the accomplishments of the conference can be attributed back to the powerful mission statement commissioner Patty Viverito initiated when the Valley was still young and her emphasis on forming the most competitive league in the entire FCS.
"To me she keeps challenging us to take it to another level and be the best across the country," stated former North Dakota head coach Bubba Schweigert. He then went on to note: "Patty has had a great influence on that."
A Legend Forever
Early on in her career, Viverito did virtually everything but manage collegiate athletics and pay attention to the happenings of the football landscape. She worked as a sales rep for a paper company and sold products to individuals in Northern Indiana, but she could never imagine the great influence she would soon have on football at the FCS level. As Viverito prepares to step down after 40 years at the helm, she leaves behind a legacy that people across the country will forever cherish and celebrate. Not only has she blazed a trail for her successor, but she has also left behind a blueprint that many will use along their own journeys. Thank you, Patty Viverito, for all that you've done.
