SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Illinois State football team was picked fourth in the annual Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, as announced by the Conference office on Monday at the league's media day in Sioux Falls. A panel of league head coaches, communications directors, and media conducted the voting.
Defending FCS national champ North Dakota State was picked as the favorite once again, as the Bison received 39 of a possible 42 first-place tallies and 417 total points to outdistance South Dakota State (355 points) and South Dakota (349 points). All three teams reached the national semifinals in 2024, and fellow NCAA playoff team Illinois State's fourth place spot (292) was its highest pre-season pick since 2019.