The 2026 Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) season marks the 41st year of play for the conference and will be its first with just nine teams since 2011. In a major shakeup, North Dakota State accepted an invitation to join the Mountain West Conference and reclassify to the FBS, effective July 1, 2026. On the coaching front, South Dakota lost head coach Travis Johansen to the defensive coordinator role at Rutgers, leading the program to promote Matt Vitzthum as its 32nd head coach. The season will feature the standard preseason coaches' poll and watch list, a full 13-week regular season schedule played in Central time, and a slate of non-conference matchups against other FCS and FBS foes. Throughout the year, the conference will track player of the week honors, home attendance records, and the prospects of players aiming for the 2027 NFL Draft.