For Immediate Release May 11, 2021 Mike Kern

Illinois State • State • Missouri State • North Dakota • North Dakota State • Northern South Dakota • South Dakota State • Southern Illinois • Western Illinois • Youngstown State

1818 Chouteau Ave. • St. Louis, MO 63103 • (314) 444-4326 • (314) 435-4779 [Kern cell]

2020-21 Valley Football Standings (through Saturday, May 8) 6 MVFC Teams in Top 25 The Missouri Valley Football Conference MVFC Points Overall Points continues to dominate the Top 25 rankings, Team W-L Pct. For Opp W-L Pct. For Opp H A Stk. with six teams in both the Stats Perform and South Dakota State 5-1 .833 176 95 8-1 .889 271 127 5-0 3-1 W7 AFCA coaches final regular-season polls. Missouri State 5-1 .833 121 116 5-5 .500 175 268 2-2 3-3 L1 Stats Perform Top 25 (April 18) North Dakota 4-1 .800 144 103 5-2 .714 209 147 4-0 1-2 L1 North Dakota State 5-2 .714 159 118 7-3 .700 260 190 5-1 2-2 L1 School (first-place votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Southern Illinois 3-3 .500 136 170 6-4 .600 271 297 4-1 2-3 L1 1 James Madison (30) 5-0 982 1 UNI 3-4 .429 137 107 3-4 .429 137 107 1-3 2-1 L1 2 South Dakota State (7) 5-1 953 4 South Dakota 1-3 .250 71 96 1-3 .250 71 96 0-1 1-2 L3 3 Weber State 5-0 900 3 Illinois State 1-3 .250 69 86 1-3 .250 69 86 1-1 0-2 W1 4 Sam Houston State 6-0 896 5 Western Illinois 1-5 .167 120 197 1-5 .167 120 197 1-3 0-2 W1 5 Delaware 5-0 808 7 Youngstown State 1-6 .143 108 153 1-6 .143 108 153 1-2 0-4 L2 6 North Dakota State 6-2 803 2 7 North Dakota 4-1 788 6 Indiana State opted out of the Spring 2021 season; Illinois State opted out after its fourth spring game; 8 Jacksonville State 9-2 700 9 Western Illinois opted out after its sixth spring game. 9 Eastern Washington 5-1 697 8 10 Monmouth 3-0 590 12 2020-21 FCS Playoff Schedule 11 VMI 6-1 532 15 • • Media Services • • 12 Missouri State 5-4 509 14 13 UC Davis 3-2 471 13 Players of the Week Saturday, April 24 14 Southern Illinois 5-3 463 18 Each week a panel will select players of Holy Cross (3-0) at #1 SDSU (5-1) SDSU, 31-3 15 Richmond 3-1 439 11 16 Villanova 2-2 423 10 the week for offense, defense, newcomer, Southern Illinois (5-3) at Weber St. (5-0) SIU, 34-31 offensive line and special teams. 17 Kennesaw State 4-1 383 16 Sacred Heart (3-1) at Delaware (5-0) DEL, 19-10 18 Rhode Island 2-1 260 19 Davidson (4-2) at #4 Jacksonville St. (9-2) JSU, 49-14 19 Murray State 5-2 256 20 VMI (6-1) at #3 James Madison (5-0) JMU, 31-24 20 Southeastern Louisiana 4-2 237 17 Weekly Features Missouri State (5-4) at North Dakota (4-1) UND, 44-10 21 Austin Peay 4-5 175 22 The league produces weekly video Eastern Washington (5-1) at NDSU (6-2) NDSU, 42-20 22 ETSU 4-2 150 24 segments (Two Minute Drill and The Extra Monmouth (3-0) at #2 Sam Houston (6-0) SHSU, 21-15 23 Nicholls 4-3 141 21 Point) and a bimonthly audio podcast (First 24 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 4-0 92 NR and Goal). Each is available by visiting the Sunday, May 2 25 Northern Iowa 3-4 74 NR league’s web site (valleyfootball.org) - under North Dakota State at #2 Sam Houston SHSU, 24-20 AFCA Coaches Top 25 (April 19) the Multimedia tab on the main menu bar. North Dakota at #3 James Madison JMU, 34-21 Delaware at #4 Jacksonville State DEL, 20-14 School (first-place votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. Southern Illinois at #1 South Dakota State SDSU, 31-26 1 James Madison (18) 5-0 545 1 www.valley-football.org 2 South Dakota St. (3) 5-1 516 4 Saturday, May 8 3 Weber St. 5-0 513 2 facebook.com/ValleyFootball 4 Sam Houston State 6-0 460 5 Delaware at #1 South Dakota State SDSU, 33-3 5 Delaware 5-0 441 7 @valleyfootball • @FCS_Insider #3 James Madison at #2 Sam Houston SHSU, 38-35 6 North Dakota 4-1 430 6 @ESPNCFB • @NCAA_FCS 7 North Dakota St. 6-2 408 3 @FCS_STATS • @HEROSports_FCS Sunday, May 16 8 Eastern Washington 5-1 401 8 #1 South Dakota State vs. #2 Sam Houston 9 Jacksonville St. 9-2 397 9 National Championship - Frisco, Texas [ABC] 1 p.m. CT 10 Monmouth (NJ) 3-0 325 13 11 VMI 6-1 317 12 12 UC Davis 3-2 287 14 MVFC Playoff For the seventh time in FCS history, the top two seeds will face 13 Richmond 3-1 281 10 History & Records one another in the title game. It marks the first time that it’s 14 Southern Illinois 5-3 260 17 Please scan the QR happened in back-to-back seasons (#1 NDSU defeated #2 JMU 15 Kennesaw St. 4-1 243 16 16 Villanova 2-2 228 11 code at the left to access in last year’s title game.) The #2-seeded team has won five of Missouri Valley Football 17 Missouri St. 5-4 201 18 the previous times in the games featuring the top two seeds. 18 Murray St. 5-2 154 19 Conference playoff history, Seasons in which it has occurred: 1981, 1996, 2009, 2011, 19 Southern (1) 5-1 141 21 including all-time playoff 2017, 2019 (the last 3 games were played in January of the 20 Nicholls 4-3 122 20 results for MVFC schools, following calendar year.) 21 Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 121 15 previous playoff game recaps, and MVFC team and 22 Alabama A&M 4-3 81 T25 23 East Tennessee St. 4-2 76 24 individual records in the tournament. Rankings above designate championship seed, not national 24 Northern Iowa 3-4 57 23 ranking. Conference records: CAA (4-2), Southland (3-0), 25 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 4-0 32 NR MVFC (6-4); OVC (1-1); Patriot (0-1); Pioneer (0-1); NEC (0- 1); Big South (0-1); Southern (0-1); Big Sky (0-2). 2020-21 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (May 11)

Playoff Notables 5 Teams in the Field Title Contenders The Missouri Valley Football Conference The 2020-21 season marks the 15th title matched an all-time high with five bids in this appearance for a league team. The league 2020 NCAA® DIVISION I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS (10) year’s field. Only three times previously in is 9-4 in previous title games, although FCS playoff history has one conference sent Youngstown State (1991, 1992, 1993, Big Sky -- Weber State Big South -- Monmouth as many as five teamsin a 16-team field 1994) and Southern Illinois (1983) both Colonial -- Delaware (CAA had five bids in both 2007 and 2008, played in the championship prior to joining Missouri Valley Football -- South Dakota State and the CAA holds the all-time record with six the league. All 15 of the league’s title-game Northeast -- Sacred Heart Ohio Valley -- Jacksonville State berths during the 2018 tournament.) appearances have occurred since 1997. Patriot -- Holy Cross SDSU has extended the MVFC’s record for Pioneer Football -- Davidson MVFC All-Americans having a title-game participant to 10-straight Southern -- VMI Southland -- Sam Houston In the recently announced 2020-21 seasons. Stats Perform FCS All-America Team Illinois State (0-1): 2014-L 2020 NCAA® DIVISION I FOOTBALL (Monday, May 10), the Missouri Valley North Dakota State (7-0): 2011-W, 12-W, 13-W, CHAMPIONSHIP AT-LARGE SELECTIONS (6) Football Conference had an FCS-best 16 14-W, 15-W, 17-W, 18-W, 19-? UNI (0-1): 2005-L Eastern Washington (Big Sky) players honored, including 10 on the first- South Dakota State (0-0): 2020-21 James Madison (Colonial team unit. North Dakota State led all FCS Southern Illinois (1-0): 1983-W North Dakota (MVFC) schools with six selections. Western Kentucky (1-0): 2002-W North Dakota State (MVFC) Youngstown (4-3): 1991-W, 1992-L, 1993-W, Missouri State (MVFC) 1994-W, 1997-W, 1999-L, 2016-L Southern Illinois (MVFC) MVFC in the Playoffs Year Team Result -- Opponent Longest Consecutive Tournament Appearances The Missouri Valley Football Conference in the Championship (Including 2020) is 109-59 during the past 23+ years in the 1997 Youngstown State W -- McNeese State 1999 Youngstown State L -- Georgia Southern North Dakota State – 11 FCS playoffs (since 1997). That includes 15 2002 Western Kentucky W -- McNeese State South Dakota State – 9 intra-conference matchups, meaning the 2005 UNI L -- Appalachian State James Madison – 7 league is 94-44 (.681) against teams from 2011 North Dakota State W -- Sam Houston Weber State – 5 2012 North Dakota State W -- Sam Houston other leagues. Overall, a league team has 2013 North Dakota State W -- Towson Most Tournament Appearances in the appeared in 15 championship games and in 2014 North Dakota State W -- Illinois State Championship (Including 2020) 28 semifinal games, including SDSU’s semi- Illinois State L -- North Dakota State 2015 North Dakota State W -- Jacksonville State Delaware – 17 final and title-game appearances this year. 2016 Youngstown State L -- James Madison James Madison – 17 The league’s 121 all-time playoff wins are 2017 North Dakota State W -- James Madison Eastern Wash. – 14 2018 North Dakota State W -- Eastern Washington Sam Houston – 12 more than any other FCS league (despite not 2019 North Dakota State W -- James Madison North Dakota State – 11 participating in the first seven tourneys). 20-21 South Dakota State vs. Sam Houston

Schools Making the Championship for the First Time Against the Top 25 Title Games, Consecutive Years League teams have combined for a total Davidson, VMI South Dakota State has extended the of 24 top-25 wins this year (six non-league MVFC’s FCS-record to 10-straight title game Longest Stretch between Championship games and 18 wins against league foes). Appearances appearances for the league. The CAA (5 in a MVFC Top-25 Victories This Season (24) row), OVC (4-straight) and SoCon (4 appear- Missouri State – 1990 10-03-20 #1 NDSU vs. #11 Central Arkansas, 39-28 ances in a row) are next on the list. Last Southern Illinois – 2009 10-30-20 #24 SIU vs. #25 SE Missouri State, 20-17 Sacred Heart – 2014 02-19-21 #5 SDSU at #3 UNI, 24-20 year featured an MVFC (NDSU) and CAA 02-20-21 North Dakota vs. #24 SIU, 44-21 (James Madison) matchup. Schools by Conference 02-27-21 South Dakota at #7 Illinois State, 27-20 02-27-21 Southern Illinois vs. #1 NDSU, 38-14 10 -- MVFC (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20-21) Missouri Valley Football Conference – 5 02-27-21 #14 UND vs. #3 SDSU, 28-17 5 -- CAA (2006, 07, 08, 09, 10) – 2 03-04-21 #4 UND vs. #20 South Dakota, 21-10 4 -- OVC (1979, 80, 81, 82) Colonial Athletic Association- 2 03-06-21 #3 UNI vs. #15 Illinois State, 20-10 4 -- SoCon (1998, 99, 00, 01) 03-13-21 #10 Southern Illinois vs. #4 UNI, 17-16 3 -- Big Sky (1994, 95, 96) 03-13-21 Missouri State at #21 S. Dakota, 27-24 3 -- Big Sky (2008, 09, 10) 03-13-21 #5 NDSU vs. #22 Illinois State, 21-13 3 -- Southern (1991, 92, 93) 03-20-21 Missouri State at #10 UNI, 13-6 3 -- SoCon (2005, 06, 07) 03-20-21 #6 SDSU at #5 Southern Illinois, 44-3 03-20-21 #4 NDSU vs. #2 North Dakota, 34-13 03-27-21 Missouri State vs. #10 S. Illinois, 30-27 04-10-21 #2 NDSU at #21 UNI, 23-20 Against the Southland 04-17-21 #4 SDSU at #2 NDSU, 27-17 An MVFC team has faced a Southland 04-17-21 #17 SIU vs. #14 SE Louisiana, 55-48 04-24-21 #6 NDSU vs. #8 E. Washington, 42-20 Conference team in the title game four times 04-24-21 #6 UND vs. #12 Missouri State, 44-10 previously, and the MVFC is 4-0 in those 04-24-21 #14 SIU at #3 Weber State, 34-31 matchups. The MVFC holds a 60-53-2 all- 05-02-21 #2 SDSU vs. #14 S. Illinois, 31-26 05-08-21 #2 SDSU vs. #5 Delaware, 33-3 time record against Southland teams, includ- MVFC Top-25 Victories This Season, By School ing a 2-3 mark this season. 5 - NDSU, SDSU, Southern Illinois 1997 Youngstown State 10, McNeese 9 (Chattanooga 4 - North Dakota 2002 Western Kentucky 34, McNeese 14 (Chattanooga) 3 - Missouri State 2011 North Dakota State 17, Sam Houston 6 (Frisco) 1 - UNI, South Dakota 2012 North Dakota State 39, Sam Houston 13 (Frisco) 2020-21 Missouri Valley Football Conference Weekly Release (May 11)

Players of the Week The Power 5 Playoff Scorecard In the past 11 playoffs (2010-20/21), Valley Football schools have combined Fall MVFC Performers of the Week five leagues (Big Sky, CAA Football, MVFC, to go 6-4 in the 2020-21 playoffs, which in- S15 -- LB Tylar Wiltz, Missouri State Southern and Southland) have combined cludes two intraconference matchups (the S29 -- TB/WR Kevon Latulas, Missouri State to win 196 of 232 total games. The MVFC league is 4-2 against non-MVFC teams). O6 -- FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State O6 -- LB James Kaczor, North Dakota State has 73 of those 196 wins (37 percent). (1) 3-0 1.000 O20 -- TB Jeremiah Wilson, Missouri State CAA Football (2) 4-2 .667 N3 -- RB Javon Williams Jr., Southern Illinois Missouri Valley Football (5) 6-4 .600 N3 -- Blake Parzych, Southern Illinois Title Town Ohio Valley (1) 1-1 .500 Big South (1) 0-1 .000 N3 -- PK Nico Gualdoni, Southern Illinois For the second time in MVFC history, the Pioneer Football League (1) 0-1 .000 Feb. 22 league had tri-champions. Missouri State, (1) 0-1 .000 North Dakota and South Dakota State (1) 0-1 .000 Offense -- RB Pierre Strong Jr., SDSU (1) 0-1 .000 Defense -- LB Devon Krzanowski, North Dakota shared the crown. It’s Missouri State’s third Big Sky Conference (2) 0-2 .000 Special Teams -- PK Jake Reinholz, NDSU crown, UND’s first (in its first year in the *Newcomer -- QB Mark Gronowski, SDSU league). and South Dakota State’s second. Offensive Lineman -- C Nathan Nguon, UND NDSU’s record-setting streak of nine-straight Dominance By Decade March 1 league championships came to an end as The MVFC is 73-32 (.695) since 2010 in the playoffs -- which includes 13 intra-confer- Offense -- QB Nic Baker, Southern Illinois the Bison finished a game behind the others. ence games (meaning the league is 60-19 Defense -- DE Kevin Ellis, Missouri State (The other season in which the MVFC had Newcomer -- LB Josh Navratil, North Dakota against teams from other leagues). Special Teams -- P Brady Schutt, South Dakota tri-champions was in 2005 as UNI, Southern By Decade *85-89 90-99 00-09 10-19 20-pres. ALL Offensive Lineman -- C Chase Arends, UNI Illinois and Youngstown State shared the crown with identical 5-2 marks.) MVFC 6-6 18-16 24-22 67-28 6-4 121-76 March 8 Big Sky 8-11 23-20 24-21 30-31 0-2 97-90 Offense -- QB Mark Gronowski, South Dakota State MVFC Total Tiles (Outright and Shared) Big South 0-0 0-0 0-1 13-15 0-1 13-17 CAA 2-8 16-23 47-29 44-39 4-2 117-107 Defense -- LB Spencer Cuvelier, UNI 16 -- UNI MEAC 0-2 4-9 0-11 0-8 0-0 8-32 Newcomer -- TB Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown St. 9 -- North Dakota State Northeast 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-10 0-1 2-11 *Special Teams -- P Garret Wegner, North Dakota St. 5 -- Southern Illinois; Western Illinois Ohio Valley 6-9 7-16 1-14 11-18 1-1 36-64 Offensive Lineman -- RT Garret Greenfield, SDSU 3 -- Illinois State; Missouri State Patriot 0-0 1-5 6-12 7-12 0-1 14-30 2 -- Eastern Illinois; SDSU, Youngstown State Pioneer 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-7 0-1 2-8 March 15 1 -- North Dakota, Western Kentucky Southern 14-9 36-20 35-19 20-25 0-1 109-78 Offense -- QB Tommy Schuster, North Dakota Southland 13-6 16-20 9-17 22-24 3-0 68-71 Defense -- CB Montrae Braswell, Missouri State Great West 0-0 0-0 1-2 0-0 0-0 1-2 Newcomer -- QB Cam Miller, North Dakota State Elite Company SWAC 0-6 0-6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-18 Special Teams -- PK Cole Frahm, South Dakota St. NDSU and SDSU are the only two FCS Ind. 22-14 29-13 3-2 0-1 0-0 64-46 Offensive Lineman -- OG ZeVeyon Furcron, SIU programs to reach the playoffs each of the *does not include pre-MVFC seasons (1978-84) March 22 last nine seasons. NDSU holds the longest *Offense -- FB Hunter Luepke, North Dakota State active streak with 11 consecutive trips to the All-Time Title Game Trips Defense -- LB Grant Dixon, Youngstown State playoffs. Every league member, including The MVFC has 10 total titles, the most by Newcomer -- RB Isaiah Davis, South Dakota State past members, have earned a playoff spot. an FCS league. The 2020-21 season marks Special Teams -- K Jose Pizano, Missouri State Offensive Lineman -- RT Garret Greenfield, SDSU All-Time Playoff Appearances, As MVFC Member the 15th title game appearance for an MVFC member. The SoCon leads with 16 trips. March 29 21 - UNI 11 - North Dakota State, Western Illinois 16 - Southern Conference (8 titles) *Offense -- RB Celdon Manning, Missouri State 10 - South Dakota State 15 - Missouri Valley Football (10 titles) Defense -- LB Riley Van Wyhe, UNI 8 - Illinois State 14 - Big Sky Conference (6 titles) Newcomer -- QB Matt Struck, Missouri State 7 - Southern Illinois 13 - CAA Football (6 titles) Special Teams -- DB Omar Brown, UNI 5 - Youngstown State 12 - Independents (9 titles)* Offensive Lineman -- OL Ian Fitzgerald, Missouri St. 4 - Western Kentucky 9 - Southland Conference (1 title) 3 - Eastern Illinois, Missouri State 4 - (2 titles) April 4 1 - Indiana State, North Dakota, South Dakota *includes 5 combined trips by YSU (4) and SIU (1), Offense -- WR Tony Tate, Western Illinois with 4 FCS titles when they played as independents. Defense -- DB Michael Lawson, Western Illinois Newcomer -- TB Jaleel McLaughlin, Youngstown St. Special Teams -- WR Tony Tate, Western Illinois 2020-21 Valley Football Teams in the Top 25 April 11 Team Pre F22 M1 M8 M15 M22 M29 A5 A12 A19 Offense -- WR Christian Watson, North Dakota State Defense -- LB Tylar Wiltz, Missouri State Illinois State 9 7 15 22 rv rv ------Newcomer -- LB Grant Dixon, Youngstown State Indiana St. ------Special Teams -- P Garret Wegner, North Dakota St. Missouri St. ------rv rv 19 15 14 12 UND rv 14 4 3 2 5 6 6 6 6 April 18 NDSU 1 1 6 5 4 2 2 2 2 6 Offense -- RB Javon Williams Jr., Southern Illinois UNI 3 5 3 4 10 22 20 21 23 24 Defense -- LB Adam Bock, South Dakota State S. Dakota -- -- 20 21 rv ------Newcomer -- QB Mark Gronowski, South Dakota St. SDSU 5 3 8 8 6 4 4 4 4 2 Special Teams -- PK Cole Frahm, South Dakota St. S. Illinois 24 rv 11 10 5 10 18 16 17 14 Offensive Lineman -- OG ZeVeyon Furcron, SIU W. Illinois ------*denotes National Player of the Week Youngstown rv rv ------*Rank represents highest position in the two polls (Stats Perform or AFCA FCS Coaches polls)