The Missouri State Bears have added the Marshall Thundering Herd and SMU Mustangs to their 2025 and 2026 football schedules, according to their official athletics website.
Both series will be home-and-home affairs. Missouri State will host SMU at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Mo., on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. The Bears will then travel to Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas for the return outing on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.
Missouri State will travel to Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W.Va., on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, to open the two-game set between the Bears and Thundering Herd. Marshall will make the return trip to Springfield on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026.
“Playing Missouri State, a brand-new member of Conference USA, should be an engaging series for us,” Christian Spears, Marshall’s Director of Athletics said. “They wanted to play Marshall and early on, we recognized their sincere desire to bring their team to Huntington.”
The Bears have previously announced 2025 contests at Arkansas (Aug. 30) and at home against UT Martin (Sept. 20), along with a Sept. 5, 2026, tilt at Kansas State.
Missouri State will celebrate its inaugural FBS football season in 2025. The Bears will join CUSA, effective July 1, 2025.
Football Schedules