Date Changed for Mizzou Football Season Opener
2/24/2026 3:05:00 PM | Football
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou's 2026 football season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, originally scheduled for Saturday, September. 5, will now be played Thursday, September 3, at Memorial Stadium.
The first meeting between the two programs will kick off at 7 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network. The Thursday night matchup marks the fifth consecutive season the Tigers have opened in a primetime slot and the ninth weeknight home game since 2015.
The 2026 opener will mark the official opening of the renovated north end zone concourse as part of the $250 million Memorial Stadium Centennial Project.
"Opening the season on a Thursday night in CoMo is becoming a great tradition for our program," head coach Eli Drinkwitz said. "We appreciate Arkansas-Pine Bluff and the SEC for working with us on the adjustment so our season opener can be broadcast nationally on SEC Network. There's nothing like a renovated and full Memorial Stadium to kick off a season, and we're excited to carry our program-record sellout streak into 2026."
MU boasts a 19-3 record at Faurot Field over the last three seasons and carries a 20-game home sellout streak into the opener. The Tigers have won 29 games over the past three seasons, compiling a 29-10 record — the second best three-year stretch in program history. During that span, Mizzou is 19-3 at home, 11-4 in one-score games and 2-1 in bowl games, with victories over Ohio State (2023 Cotton Bowl) and Iowa (2024 Music City Bowl).
The Tigers also host Troy (Sept. 19), Florida (Oct. 3), Texas A&M (Oct. 10), Texas (Nov. 7), Kentucky (Nov. 21) and Oklahoma (Nov. 28) during the 2026 home slate.
JOIN THE SEASON TICKET WAITLIST!
The deadline to renew 2026 season tickets is Tuesday, March 31. Fans can be added to the 2026 Mizzou football season ticket waitlist by clicking HERE.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest information on Mizzou Athletics, please visit MUTigers.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Missouri football (@MizzouFootball) and Coach Drinkwitz (@CoachDrinkwitz) on X. You can also find the Tigers on Instagram and Facebook.
