In 1957, the Southern Illinois Salukis football team had a highly successful season, finishing with a 9-1 record and winning their first Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) championship. The team was led by head coach Nick Hill, who had taken over the program just a year earlier.

The Salukis dominated their MVC opponents throughout the season, winning all six conference games by a combined score of 196-48. Their lone loss came in a non-conference game against Eastern Kentucky.

Despite the loss, Southern Illinois was awarded a bid to play in the Mineral Water Bowl against the Northeastern State Riverhawks. The Salukis won the game 34-21, capping off their championship season with a bowl victory.

Several players from the 1957 team went on to have successful careers at Southern Illinois and beyond. Halfback Jim “Butch” Gorecki was named an All-American and went on to play in the CFL, while fullback Jerry Kill became a successful college football coach, leading programs at Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois, and Minnesota. The 1957 championship was a significant milestone in the history of Southern Illinois football, and helped establish the program as a force to be reckoned with in the MVC.