Murray State to join Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2023
BROOKINGS – The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) will soon have a 12th member: The Murray State University Racers.
The Racers, who will officially join the conference in July of 2023, were invited after the MVFC Presidents Council voted to extend an offer of membership to Murray St. last week.
"With Murray State becoming the 12th Missouri Valley Football Conference member, we have stabilized and strengthened FCS football in the Midwest and cemented the MVFC's position as the premier FCS football conference in the nation," said MVFC Commissioner Patty Viverito. "This course of action makes good sense for our conference, our member institutions, our fans and most importantly our student-athletes. With this move, we will turn long-standing traditional games with neighboring schools into conference rivalries and open the way for equally satisfying new rivalries throughout the league."
Not all MVFC members voted in favor of extending the Racers an invitation however. The (Fargo) Forum reported that North Dakota State University voted against Murray St. joining the conference, citing “a number of reasons.” Those reasons have not been made clear or public yet.
With the addition of Murray St., the MVFC will be “balanced” with 12 total teams. The addition of Murray St. also extends the MVFC’s footprint into Kentucky, as the school is located in the town of Murray, which is two hours northwest of Nashville and three hours south of St. Louis.
“We are appreciative, grateful and blessed to align our football program within the best competitive environment in the country, the Missouri Valley Football Conference,” said Murray St. Director of Athletics Kevin Saal. “The journey ahead will constitute great challenge, however, through the commitment and support of Murray State University, President Jackson and the Board of Regents, our athletics department, coaches, student-athletes, community, donors, and season-ticket holders, we will meet these challenges with great energy and enthusiasm. Thank you to the MVFC Presidents Council for this honor and opportunity. Prospective student-athletes who desire to align themselves with a football program committed to growth within the best competitive environment in the country need look no further than Murray State University.”
Previously, the Racers have been a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. Last season, Murray St. went 6-5, missing out on the FCS Playoffs. The last conference title for the Racers was in 2002, coinciding with their last appearance in the playoffs.
"The addition of Murray State expands the MVFC footprint and sets up the league for new rivalries," said David Harris, University of Northern Iowa director of athletics. "The MVFC is the strongest conference in the FCS subdivision and we are pleased that Murray State wants to commit their program to the high level of competition that exists within our league.”
Murray St. will play football in the Ohio Valley Conference this fall before joining the league the following summer. In all other sports (minus the rifle program), Murray St. will be joining the Missouri Valley Conference (non-football) this summer.
Murray St. will join Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, Missouri St., Illinois St., and Indiana St. as members of both Missouri Valley Conferences.
An official announcement will be made by the MVFC and Murray St. on April 8.