ST. LOUIS – Defending champion South Dakota State is a near-unanimous pick to finish at the top of the pack in the Missouri Valley Football Conference during the upcoming 2023 season, according to a preseason poll conducted among the 12-team league’s coaches, sports information personnel and select media members that was announced Tuesday morning.
The Jackrabbits, who completed a perfect 8-0 mark in league play last season en route to the first Football Championship Subdivision national title in program history, were awarded 44 of 45 first-place votes for a total of 539 points. SDSU ended the 2022 campaign 14-1 overall, bring a school-record 14-game winning streak into their Aug. 31 season opener against Western Oregon.
North Dakota State, which finished as runner-up to the Jackrabbit in both the league and postseason races, tallied the other first-place vote to finish second in the poll with 492 points. Northern Iowa (409) and North Dakota (399) completed the upper third of teams in the preseason survey.
Southern Illinois led the middle third of teams by placing fifth with 337 points, followed by Youngstown State (323), Illinois State (269) and Missouri State (229).
Rounding out the poll were South Dakota (226) and Indiana State (148) in the ninth and 10th positions, respectively, with MVFC newcomer Murray State (74) and outgoing member Western Illinois (65) filling out the final two spots.