Northern Iowa Football
Northern Iowa is an NCAA Division I FCS football program in the MVFC, based in Cedar Falls, IA. The 2026 record stands at 4-4. The Cooper Predictor rates Northern Iowa at +10.3, No. 19 of 127 FCS teams and No. 7 of 9 in the MVFC. The model projects a 5-6 finish, with Playoff Odds of 12.9%. The model's pre-game picks are 6-2 in Northern Iowa games this season. Most recent result: beat Indiana State 45-23 on Oct 31. Next up: vs South Dakota State on Nov 7 — the model projects South Dakota State 28-17, giving Northern Iowa a 22% chance to win.
Open Northern Iowa in Cooper Predictor U →Updated Nov 2, 2026 · power ratings compare teams within NCAA Division I FCS.
2026 schedule, predictions & results
| Date | Opponent | Projection | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 5 | @ Eastern Washington | L 21-24 42% ✓ | L 24-34 |
| Sep 12 | vs Drake | W 24-21 56% ✓ | W 56-14 |
| Sep 19 | @ Iowa | L 3-35 2% ✓ | L 0-55 |
| Sep 26 | vs Illinois State | L 17-35 9% ✗ | W 28-21 |
| Oct 10 | vs North Dakota | L 27-31 36% ✗ | W 24-17 |
| Oct 17 | @ Youngstown State | L 20-35 14% ✓ | L 22-35 |
| Oct 24 | @ Southern Illinois | L 21-24 41% ✓ | L 17-20 |
| Oct 31 | vs Indiana State | W 31-21 76% ✓ | W 45-23 |
| Nov 7 | vs South Dakota State | L 17-28 22% | — |
| Nov 14 | @ South Dakota | L 20-31 22% | — |
| Nov 21 | @ Murray State | W 35-17 88% | — |
Projection = the model's pick, projected score and Northern Iowa's win probability. For games already played it is the pick frozen before kickoff, with ✓ or ✗ beside it — every pick stays public.
MVFC by power rating
| # | Team | 2026 | Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  South Dakota State | 7-2 | +23.9 |
| 2 |  Youngstown State | 7-2 | +21.6 |
| 3 |  Illinois State | 7-2 | +19.7 |
| 4 |  South Dakota | 7-3 | +18.4 |
| 5 |  North Dakota | 6-4 | +17.5 |
| 6 |  Southern Illinois | 4-5 | +10.5 |
| 7 | Northern Iowa | 4-4 | +10.3 |
| 8 |  Indiana State | 2-7 | +0.7 |
| 9 |  Murray State | 1-8 | -9.5 |
High schools on the Northern Iowa roster
From publicly published rosters, for the high school states the Cooper Predictor covers. Some rosters do not list a high school, so a player may be missing.
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