Missouri adds Illinois State to 2027 football schedule

By Kevin Kelley -

The Missouri Tigers have added the Illinois State Redbirds to their 2027 football schedule, according to Mizzou’s official athletics website.

Missouri will host Illinois State at Faurot Field in Columbia to open the 2027 season on Saturday, September 4. The Tigers defeated the Redbirds 38-17 in the only previous meeting between the two schools on September 22, 2007 in Columbia.

Illinois State is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The Redbirds finished the 2018 season 6-5 overall and 3-5 in MVFC play.

Mizzou now has three non-conference games scheduled for the 2027 season. Other opponents include San Diego State on the road on Sept. 11 and Illinois at home on Sept. 18.

The addition of Illinois State gives Missouri eight future games against FCS opponents. Mizzou is slated to host Southeast Missouri in 2019, 2021, and 2023, Central Arkansas in 2020, South Dakota in 2022, Murray State in 2024, North Dakota in 2025, and now Illinois State in 2027.

Missouri is the first scheduled opponent for Illinois State in 2027. Other FBS opponents on their future schedules include Northern Illinois (2019 and 2026), Illinois (2020), Western Michigan (2021), Wisconsin (2022), and Iowa (2024).

Missouri is scheduled to open the 2019 season on Saturday, August 31 on the road against the Wyoming Cowboys. Illinois State opens the season on the same day at the Northern Illinois Huskies.

Football Schedules