The Missouri Valley Football Conference enters its 26th season in 2010. In June 2008, presidents of the nine-member Gateway Football Conference and the 10-member Missouri Valley Conference approved a rebranding initiative that changed the football conference name from the Gateway Football Conference to the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The league competed as the Gateway Conference from 1985-2007.

The original Gateway Conference was founded as a women's athletics organization in August, 1982. The Gateway football division was born on August 21, 1985. In July of 1992, the league assumed its new name - Gateway Football Conference - as the women's programs realigned with their men's counterparts in their respective conferences, with most of the schools realigning in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Although the league will share the Missouri Valley name, the football-playing members will compete under a separate administrative umbrella, as the Missouri Valley Conference and the Missouri Valley Football Conference will remain separate entities.

Members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (and initial year of membership) include Illinois State (1985), Indiana State (1986), Missouri State (1985), North Dakota State (2008), Northern Iowa (1985), South Dakota State (2008), Southern Illinois (1985), Western Illinois (1985), and Youngstown State (1997).