Who is Missouri's new non-conference opponent in 2025?
By Zach Sweet
Over the past week, Missouri announced a buyout of one of their non-conference games in 2025, creating an opportunity for a new season-opening matchup. On Monday morning, it was revealed that Missouri will face Central Arkansas, an FCS opponent, to kick off the season. The game is scheduled to take place at Faurot Field on Saturday, August 30th.
Missouri now has eight home games next season, including all four of their non-conference games. Besides Central Arkansas, the other teams traveling to face Missouri are the Kansas Jayhawks (September 6th), the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns (October 4th), and the UMass Minutemen (October 18th).
Missouri paid $750,000 to the Miami RedHawks to buy out the contest. They have also guaranteed $500,000 to Central Arkansas for making the trip to Columbia next fall. This move is expected to help generate more revenue for the school as they aim for sustained success in 2025.
NEWS: #Mizzou football is scheduled to open its 2025 season with a home game against Central Arkansas, according to a game contract obtained by @stltoday.
— Eli Hoff (@byEliHoff) August 5, 2024
Paired with the buyout of a road game against Miami (Ohio), MU will have 4 noncon home games in '25.https://t.co/Pe1k1iQ8TB
Who is Central Arkansas?
The Central Arkansas Bears are an FCS program currently competing in the United Athletic Conference (UAC). Based in Conway, Arkansas, they have been active since 1908. Despite being an FCS program, the Bears have a rich history.
From 1979 to 1992, they won 13 of 14 conference championships while competing in the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC). During that period, they also won three NAIA national championships and made the playoffs in 12 out of 14 seasons. After the 1992 season, they moved up to Division II and competed in the Gulf South Conference (GSC).
They competed in the GSC for over a decade, winning the title in 2005. After continued success, the Bears moved up once again in 2007, this time to the Southland Conference. Playing in the FCS, the program won its first playoff game against Tennessee Tech in 2011. In the Southland Conference, the Bears won four conference titles.
Over the past four years, the program has experienced constant movement due to conference realignment. In 2021, the Bears opted to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Upon their arrival, the WAC merged with another conference, the ASUN, and they played jointly as one conference. After the 2022 season, the two conferences fully merged and were renamed the United Athletic Conference (UAC), which is where we find ourselves today.
Regardless of their conference, the smaller FCS opponent will make the short trip to Columbia, Missouri, in 2025 for quite a price. A guaranteed $500,000 contract was signed back in 2021 for this non-conference matchup. With Central Arkansas coming off a 7-4 season in 2023, they will look to continue improving ahead of this 2025 opener.