Missouri State University has accepted an invitation to join Conference USA as a full-league member, effective July 1, 2025. A news conference will be held at 1 p.m. May 13 at Great Southern Bank Arena on the Springfield campus to formally announce the transition plans. The event is open to the public with parking available in the lots adjacent to the arena.
The announcement will officially place Missouri State University in the NCAA’s exclusive Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the first time.
“This is an exciting day for Missouri State,” said MSU president, Clif Smart. “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 will become the 12th full-time member of CUSA, which is comprised of the following universities:
• 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)
