The Illinois State (0-0, 0-0 MVFC) football team will open its 2014 season in front of a home crowd at Hancock Stadium Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m., against the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley State (1-0, 0-0 SWAC). Saturday's game marks the first meeting in program history between the two teams and the second competition against a Southwestern Athletic Conference member for the Redbirds.

Coming off its first sub-.500 season in the last five years, the Illinois State football team was picked to finish sixth in the 2014 Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll. Three-time defending national champion North Dakota State was selected first in the annual list selected by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media.