UNI Picked For Third-Place Finish In 2015 MVFC Race [Video]

The UNI Panthers are picked for a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) for a third-straight year, while unprecedented four-time defending national champion North Dakota State has been tabbed to win the league crown again in 2015.

In the past four seasons, the Bison have produced four NCAA Division I Football titles, four-straight MVFC titles (2 outright, 2 shared) and an overall record of 58-3. This year, NDSU earned 32 of a possible 40 first-place votes and 389 total points in a poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors.

Last year's co-champ, Illinois State, received the other eight first-place tallies and is slated for second in the poll. The Redbirds lost the FCS title game, 29-27, to NDSU last year, marking the only time in FCS history that two teams from the same league played one another for the crown.

The Bison and Illinois State both lost their only league game at UNI in 2014, as each finished MVFC play with 7-1 marks. The Panthers compiled a 6-2 league record, before losing at Illinois State in the second-round of the FCS playoffs.

UNI, South Dakota State and Indiana State each earned a playoff spot in 2014, and each won a post-season game. They are slated 3rd, 5th, and 6th, respectively.

Youngstown State, one of two league schools with a new head coach (MSU the other), is picked fourth in the poll. The Penguins tied Indiana State for 5th last year.

A pre-season favorite has claimed the league crown 17 times (in 29 previous polls). North Dakota State was picked to win the league last season.

Valley Football is celebrating its 31st season in 2015. In its first 30 seasons, the league owns six national crowns.

UNI returns 14 starters to the grid iron after a 2014 season that saw 26 school records fall. With an explosive offense that led the FCS and MVFC in red-zone offense, along with a defense that finished the season ranked in the top-15 in eight different statistical categories, Panther fans have an exciting season to look forward to.

The Panthers will kick off the 2015 season on Sept. 5 when they travel to Ames, Iowa to take on the Iowa State Cyclones. For UNI's 2015 Football Schedule, CLICK HERE.

The Panthers notched six spots on the 2015 Missouri Valley Football Conference Pre-season team. UNI’s six first-team selections for the All-MVFC team is the most in the league and ties for second in the Valley in total picks for the pre-season team. The entire team is listed below the video.

2015 Missouri Valley Football Conference Pre-Season Team

Honorable Mention:
QB Carson Wentz (NDSU); RB Calan Crowder (MSU); TE Luke Albers (NDSU); TE Jamar Brown
(INS); WR Andrew Williams (YSU); WR Eric Shufford (USD); LS James Fisher (NDSU); OL Zack
Johnson (NDSU); OL Jeremy Kelly (NDSU); OL Sam Ellifrits (MSU); OL Ethan Wirth (SIU); DL Drew
Iddings (USD); DL Terrell Williams (YSU); LB Chase Allen (SIU); LB Dylan Cole (MSU); DB C.J.
Smith (NDSU); RS LeMonte Booker (INS).

Total picks (First Team denoted in parentheses), includes honorable mentions, by school:
Illinois State - 4 (4); Indiana State - 6 (4); Missouri State - 4 (1); North Dakota State - 9 (3)
Northern Iowa - 6 (6); South Dakota - 2; South Dakota State - 5 (5); Southern Illinois - 2
Western Illinois - 2 (2); Youngstown State - 5 (3).