Saluki Football opens conference play at Murray State in updated Valley schedule

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois will open the 2026 conference season at Murray State on Sept. 26, in the new version of the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule released on Friday morning.

Previously, the Salukis were slated to begin conference play at North Dakota State on Oct. 3., but after the Bison bolted for the Mountain West Conference, the Valley was forced to re-work the league schedule on short notice.

As a nine-team league, the Valley will play an eight-game, round-robin schedule next fall.

2026 Saluki Football Schedule

Sept. 3: at Samford

Sept. 12: SEMO

Sept. 19: at Illinois

Sept. 26: at Murray State

Oct. 3: Youngstown State

Oct. 10: at South Dakota

Oct. 17: Illinois State (Homecoming)

Oct. 24: Northern Iowa

Nov. 7: at Indiana State

Nov. 14: South Dakota State

Nov. 21: at North Dakota

Southern’s non-conference schedule remains incomplete, with the potential to add one more game. SIU will play road games at Samford (Sept. 3) and Illinois (Sept. 19), while hosting SEMO (Sept. 12) in the War For the Wheel rivalry game.

SIU head coach Nick Hill said the Salukis had a tentative agreement to open the season with a guarantee game at Sacramento State on Aug. 27, but the deal fell through after the Hornets announced last week they were moving up to play in the Mid-American Conference.

Hill said he prefers to play an FCS opponent, and that date would fall on either Aug. 27 or Oct. 31.