Missouri State accepts an invitation to join Conference USA as a full-league member, effective July 1, 2025. The school will become the 12th full-time member of the league, while the move will officially place Missouri State in the DI Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the first time. AD Kyle Moats: “We are so excited for the opportunities that CUSA membership will bring to our university, our student-athletes, our coaches and our fans. 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.” Missouri State “will compete in CUSA in the sports of 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.” The Bears will continue on as part of the Missouri Valley Conference for the 2024-25 season while remaining eligible for regular-season and postseason championships. (link)