Youngstown State
8-5 2025 finalYoungstown State is the historic FCS dynasty of the Jim Tressel era — four national titles and a Steel City identity — that watched college football rise above it and could never climb back.
Penguins country waits.
Youngstown State is the historic FCS dynasty of the Jim Tressel era — four national titles and a Steel City identity — that watched college football rise above it and could never climb back.
Youngstown State went 8-5 in 2025 under head coach Doug Phillips in his seventh season, continuing a pattern of consistent but unremarkable Valley mediocrity. The Penguins are competitive in conference play but far removed from th…
Offseason
69 days
until kickoff · Sun Aug 30 · 17:00 UTC
The 2026 Outlook
The Pulse on Youngstown State
What moved it — offseason · last 30 days
Aspiration Ladder
Brief Part III §33.4 · Youngstown State
The baseline expectation.
The annual recruiting proof point.
Conference qualifier or at-large.
Championship weekend. Top-4 in the country.
Youngstown State · Next-Season Outcome Band
Floor / Base / Ceiling
Variance assumed at ±2 wins from last-season record. Replace with the season-path projection once preview data is built.
Who We Are
Fanbase Health Index · Youngstown State · medium confidence
Growing (52)
Home-Field Advantage · Youngstown State · 2018-present
Elite
70% home win rate vs 28% on the road. margin runs +18.6 better at home.
Act IIILast Season Reviewed
2025 season · tap to expand
Recent Form · last 10 games
Mixed
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
MVFC Standing · 2025
4th in the MVFC
Youngstown State sits 4th of 9 in the MVFC at 8-5. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Illinois State | 12-5 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 10-5 |
| 3 | South Dakota State | 9-5 |
| 4 | Youngstown State | 8-5 |
| 5 | North Dakota | 8-6 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois | 7-5 |
| 7 | Indiana State | 3-9 |
| 8 | Northern Iowa | 3-9 |
| 9 | Murray State | 1-11 |
Schedule Strength · Youngstown State · 2025
Balanced
Average opponent win rate 48% across 13 finalized games. No top-25 opponents, but mid-tier slate kept the schedule honest.
FCS → NFL Pipeline
2022–2022Developing
1 picks last 5 cycles. The pipeline is real but still building volume.
Moment of the Year · Youngstown State · 2025
Won 56-17 vs Robert Morris
Week 2 of 2025. A statement margin. Recruiting boards re-rendered overnight.
Playoff History
Recent postseason (2023): 1-1
Most recent: 2023 — loss 45-28 (away). Last 5 postseason: 1-1.
From the Archive — Youngstown State
2021: Lost 7-34 at Northern Iowa
In 2021, the program lost 7-34 at Northern Iowa — a stinging road result, 27 points either way.
Go Penguins.