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.

The tough hits keep coming for Auburn baseball.

Auburn held an 11-6 lead over Missouri in the 7th inning of Friday’s series opener. Then, as has been the case for most of the SEC slate, Auburn’s luck ran out in the final innings. Missouri rattled off six unanswered runs over the final two innings to stun Auburn and claim the first game of the weekend series, 12-11, on Friday night at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Missouri.

Each team traded blows through the first six innings with Missouri hanging on to a 6-5 lead. Auburn caught momentum in the 7th inning by scoring six runs to build a comfortable 11-6 lead. Eric Guevara kicked off the inning by scoring two runs on a double, with Ike Irish following suit later in the inning with a three-run triple. Cooper McMurray capped scoring by grounding out to the shortstop which allowed Irish to score.

Auburn’s momentum was taken away immediately as Missouri scored twice in the bottom frame and stole the lead in the 8th inning by scoring four runs. Missouri’s final blow was delivered by Matt Garcia, when he doubled home three runs to push his team ahead, 12-11.

Irish led the team in hits with three. Chris Stanfield, Caden Green, and Eric Guevara each recorded multiple hits. On the mound, Parker Carlson took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits. Starter Tanner Bauman allowed three runs on four hits while striking out three batters in four innings of work.

Game two of the weekend series between Auburn and Missouri is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD, MO (Dakota News Now) – Another round of college re-alignment is hitting the FCS and Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Missouri State announced today that they are leaving the Missouri Valley and Missouri Valley Football Conference to join FBS Conference USA effective in the 2025-26 season.

They are the second charter member of the Valley to leave the conference in the last two years after Western Illinois bolted following the end of last season for the Ohio Valley. They were effectively replaced by Murray State who joined last season.

As it stands the league will be down to ten teams after 2024 when Missouri State heads up to the FBS. The Bears will not be eligible for the FCS Playoffs this season.

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