As the Pioneer and Big Sky conferences of the FCS level announced this morning that they are postponing their fall 2020 seasons and planning to play in the spring of 2021, the focus for many has shifted to what the Missouri Valley Conference's plans are.
With 8 of the 13 FCS conferences calling off fall football so far, one of the biggest dominoes yet to fall is the Missouri Valley - home to North Dakota State, who has won the past 3 national titles at the FCS level under Chris Klieman (now at K-State) and second-year head coach Matt Entz.
According to Ross Uglem of 247, the Missouri Valley is "likely going to announce this afternoon that they're cancelling the fall season."
That would bring the total of FCS conferences not playing a fall season to 9 out of 13, and with national powers like North Dakota State, James Madison, Weber State, and Montana State aiming for playing in the spring, the chances of an FCS playoff in the fall seem all but officially off the table. That playoff is likely going to be forced to take place in the spring.
Uglem goes on to share that the league would move to a 6 or 8 game schedule in the spring, providing facility logistics would work out and shares that NDSU is still looking at non-conference options to play this fall. NDSU opens camp today.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.