ST. LOUIS – Last year's Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions appear to be on a collision course again in 2017. A single vote separated top-pick North Dakota State from second-place South Dakota State in the MVFC preseason poll, which was relea
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ST. LOUIS – Last year's Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions appear to be on a collision course again in 2017. A single vote separated top-pick North Dakota State from second-place South Dakota State in the MVFC preseason poll, which was released Tuesday.
It marks the tightest vote for a preseason favorite in league history.
NDSU picked up 21 of 40 first-place votes and a total of 380 points, while the Jackrabbits earned the other 19 first-place votes and 379 points. Youngstown State was tabbed third with 290 points.
In nine previous seasons as a league member, SDSU has finished at or higher than its preseason selection seven times. In 2016, the Jackrabbits were picked to finish third before winning a share of their first-ever MVFC title.
Northern Iowa (255 points) and Illinois State (246) completed the upper half of the poll, which was conducted among league coaches and sports information directors, as well as select media.
Rounding out the poll were Western Illinois (188), South Dakota (182), Southern Illinois (132), Missouri State (81) and Indiana State (67).
The league is coming off a season in which four teams – NDSU, SDSU, Youngstown State and Illinois State – represented the conference in the FCS Playoffs. The MVFC has had four or more playoff teams in three straight seasons.
A preseason favorite has claimed the league crown 19 times (in 31 previous polls). North Dakota State was picked to win the league last season, and the Bison shared last year's title with SDSU.
Valley Football is celebrating its 33rd season in 2017. In its first 32 seasons, the league owns seven national crowns.
2017 MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
(First-place votes in parenthesis)
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
IN MVFC PRESEASON POLLS
Year Preseason Poll Finish
2008 6th 3rd
2009 3rd 2nd
2010 2nd tie-3rd
2011 4th tie-4th
2012 6th 2nd
2013 2nd tie-2nd
2014 2nd 4th
2015 5th 3rd
2016 3rd tie-first
2017 2nd —
