I hope you had a chance to read the 2024 Missouri State Year in Review email that went out last week. A huge thank you to our university marketing and communications team for capturing many of the wonderful new stories of 2024.

One of those stories was Missouri State accepting the invitation to join Conference USA (CUSA) in 2025 – July 1 to be precise. We’ve been a member of the highly regarded Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) for over 30 years. Moving to another conference was not a quick decision, nor one taken lightly.

My opinion of the move is, this is a pretty big deal – one that places Missouri State in the NCAA’s exclusive Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the first time. With the expanded TV exposure associated with this transition, we have the opportunity to grow as a university and elevate our academic and athletic reputation.

What we need to do

There are many things to get done as we prepare for the move. Taking care of our student athletes is our highest priority. We had several sports that are not included within the realm of CUSA. Thus, men’s soccer has joined the American Athletic Conference (AAC) as an affiliate member. This is a great opportunity for the program since the AAC is an elite league with top soccer competition. Our swim and diving program will continue to compete in the MVC as an affiliate member.

You’ll see branding changes around campus as we replace our MVC logos with CUSA logos on fields, courts, signages, etc. One major change will be the football field in Plaster Stadium. The turf has exceeded its useful life and needs to be replaced. Happily, that timing aligns with this change.

As noted above, you’ll see more of Missouri State athletics as we move from ESPN+ to the mainstream ESPN channels. This mainstream access is a game-changer (pun intended) for the university as more audiences will be able to easily view our athletic competitions. The two football games in October will be played during the week, offering a unique opportunity for fans. These games will take place in the middle of the week, filling an open spot on ESPN’s schedule and making them the only major game to watch during that time. With this timing, the coverage is expected to be incredible, drawing even more attention to the games. It could be a great way to highlight these matchups and make the most of the spotlight on a weekday.

I’ve been attending meetings of CUSA presidents and Patrick Ransdell, our athletics director, has been attending a lot of CUSA and NCAA meetings. College athletics is undergoing major transitions, especially football. There’s a lot to discuss and many decisions to be made. We’ll keep you updated on the changes that impact Missouri State.

We’ll be traveling the state and beyond introducing the new conference to alums starting in May through July. We’re also planning a kickoff with our students in August. There’s much to do and celebrate. I appreciate the work of so many people working hard to make this a successful transition.

Thanks for checking in. It’s a great day to be a Bear!

Biff