ST. LOUIS – Coming off a second-straight share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title and an appearance in the FCS playoffs for the third time in the past four years, the Illinois State football team was picked to finish fourth in the 2016 Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, announced Tuesday by the league office. Five-time defending national champion North Dakota State was selected first in the annual poll voted on by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media.
A total of five Redbird standouts, three of which are STATS preseason All-Americans, were also selected for the 2016 MVFC Preseason Team.