SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Change is coming within the Missouri Valley Conference.
Missouri State University released a statement Friday saying it is leaving the current 12-team MVC to be part of Conference USA July 1, 2025. Bradley University and Illinois State University are among the current members of The Valley.
Missouri State has scheduled a 1 p.m. news conference Monday to formally announce its transition plans.
Missouri State has been a member of the Missouri Valley Conference since 1990.
The announcement mostly benefits MSU’s football program which will be placed in the NCAA’s exclusive Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for the first time.
“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,” Director of Athletics Kyle Moats said in the statement. “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 retain its membership in the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the 2024-25 season. All sports currently in the MVC will be eligible for regular season and postseason championships.
Missouri State’s invitation to Conference USA was unanimously approved by the university’s Board of Governors Thursday. MSU’s application to change Division I classifications from FCS to FBS is also subject to formal approval by the NCAA.
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