Cuonzo Martin, seen when he was Missouri’s men’s basketball coach, was hired to lead Missouri State’s team on March 27, 2024. Martin, who coached the Bears from 2008-11, returned to Springfield after he left for stints in power conferences.
Chris O’Meara, Associated Press
Liberty's Kaidon Salter runs for a first down behind the block of Xavior Gray against New Mexico State in the Conference USA championship in Lynchburg, Va.
Missouri State University will move to Conference USA from its longstanding home in the Missouri Valley Conference effective July 1, 2025.
The decision to accept the invitation and leave the St. Louis based-MVC will place Missouri State in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Bears will become the 12th member of CUSA after joining the MVC in 1990.
“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,” Missouri State president Clif Smart said in a statement.
The move will give school’s teams more far-flung travel in a conference with Florida International, Jacksonville State, Liberty, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State, Texas-El Paso, Western Kentucky, Kennesaw State and Delaware.
Missouri State will remain in the MVC for the 2024-25 academic year, competing in all sports in which it fields teams.
Athletics director Kyle Moats said the move will provide “a national brand and a platform that will help raise the profile of Missouri State.”
The move was unanimously approved by the university’s board of governors Thursday.
“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.”
Cuonzo Martin, seen when he was Missouri’s men’s basketball coach, was hired to lead Missouri State’s team on March 27, 2024. Martin, who coached the Bears from 2008-11, returned to Springfield after he left for stints in power conferences.
Liberty's Kaidon Salter runs for a first down behind the block of Xavior Gray against New Mexico State in the Conference USA championship in Lynchburg, Va.