The Missouri State Bears have inked their first two home-and-home series since declaring their move to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The Bears announced Thursday night that Southern Methodist will be the first FBS opponent to visit Plaster Stadium in Springfield, doing so Sept. 13th, 2025. Missouri State will return the favor with a trip to the ACC newcomers in Dallas on Sept. 26th, 2026. The Bears also agreed to a home-and-home setup with the Thundering Herd of Marshall, who will host Missouri State on Sept. 6th, 2025, while traveling to Springfield on Sept. 19th, 2026.

The 2025 season has Missouri State visiting Arkansas and hosting Tennessee-Martin to round out their non-conference schedule, while the Bears are scheduled to visit Kansas State to kick off the 2026 season. Missouri State will move to Conference USA for the 2025 season, after spending one last season this fall in the Missouri Valley Conference and Football Championship Subdivision.