Missouri State announced Friday morning it will depart the Missouri Valley Conference and join Conference USA as a full-league member beginning in July 2025.
The school will hold a news conference on Monday at 1 p.m. to formally reveal its transition plans. It will be the 12th member of CUSA.
By joining Conference USA, Missouri State will become a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision program for the first time.
Conference USA programs also include:
- Florida International University (FIU) | Miami, Florida
- Jacksonville State University (Jax State) | Jacksonville, Alabama
- Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia
- Louisiana Tech University (LA Tech) | Ruston, Louisiana
- Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, New Mexico
- Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, Texas
- University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) | El Paso, Texas
- Western Kentucky University | Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, Georgia (joining July 1, 2024)
- University of Delaware | Newark, Delaware (joining July 1, 2025)
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“We are so excited for the opportunities that CUSA membership will bring to our university, our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans,” Kyle Moats, Missouri State’s athletics director, said in a release. “This move represents a transition to a national brand and a platform that will help raise the profile of Missouri State University and the city of Springfield. The steps we have taken over the past 15 years to invest in a successful broad-based athletics program have prepared us for this long-awaited moment.”
The Bears will compete in CUSA sports including football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, women’s soccer, women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, women’s tennis, women’s track and field and beach volleyball.
Moats said in the release that the anticipated increase in revenue from joining an FBS conference will ultimately make the move to a budget-neutral transition. He also noted more financial resources for student-athletes and travel upgrades as significant factors in the university’s decision.
“This move will absolutely open doors for us,” Moats said. “For our student-athletes, they will have less bus travel and more flights which will get them back to campus in a safer and more-timely manner. They will also have more financial resources at their disposal for cost of attendance, Alston funds, and a more strategic presence in the name, image and likeness (NIL) space.”
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The move represents one final, university-altering move by outgoing Missouri State president Clif Smart, who is set to retire at the end of June. Incoming president Richard “Biff” Williams will lead the university into a new era of MSU athletics.
“This is an exciting day for Missouri State,” Smart said in a release. “The opportunities associated with membership in an FBS conference allows us to continue to expand as a university and raise our reputation to the next level. We have valued our membership in the Missouri Valley Conference – a premier conference in the NCAA — and look forward to a final year in the league before we transition to CUSA.”
Missouri State said it will release more information in the coming months regarding men’s soccer and swimming and diving, which are not part of CUSA’s sports sponsorship profile.
The Bears will have one last season in the MVC and Missouri Valley Football Conference.
“Today marks a monumental achievement for our athletics program,” Lynn Parman, the school’s Board of Governors Chair, said. “Our admission into Conference USA validates the hard work of our student-athletes, coaches and staff over many years. Competing at the highest level will challenge our teams like never before, but I’m confident their grit and determination will shine. This move elevates our university’s reputation and opens doors for greater national exposure.”
Missouri State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference since 1990. Its invitation to join CUSA was unanimously approved by the university’s Board of Governors meeting on Thursday.