Missouri opens its 2026 football season Thursday night with a home matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Memorial Stadium, and there’s plenty of newness around the Tigers as the ball gets rolling.
Eli Drinkwitz begins his seventh season leading Missouri, and Austin Simmons is in line to make his first start at quarterback for Mizzou. The Tigers, though, will be without star running back Ahmad Hardy, who is still rehabbing from an offseason gunshot wound to his upper leg.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff arrives already having played once. The Golden Lions are 1-0 after knocking off Division-II Morehouse College 35-15 in Week 0 last Saturday in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Thursday’s game will air on SEC Network, with Chuckie Kempf handling play-by-play, Dustin Fox working as the analyst and Marilyn Payne reporting from the sideline. Fans can also stream the game on FUBO, which offers a free trial.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CDT on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Memorial Stadium in Columbia.
Drinkwitz said Saturday that the game had sold out of single-game tickets, extending Missouri’s streak to 21 straight capacity crowds for home games. As of Wednesday afternoon, StubHub listings were starting at $25.
For radio listeners, the game will be on 1580 AM and 105.1 FM locally, and on Sirius XM 381. Tiger Radio Network will carry the broadcast with Mike Kelly on play-by-play, Howard Richards as analyst and Chris Gervino on the sideline.
Missouri’s 2026 schedule continues after Thursday with a Friday, Sept. 11 trip to Kansas on FOX, followed by a Sept. 19 home game against Troy on SEC Network+. The rest of the slate includes Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky and Oklahoma, with an idle week on Oct. 24.
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Drinkwitz Sends Mizzou An Early Warning Before Kansas
Eli Drinkwitz had plenty to like in Missouris 54-14 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, but the postgame mood was not all celebration. The Tigers handled business on the scoreboard, yet the coachs remarks made clear he was looking beyond the lopsided result and sorting through the parts of the performance that still need cleaning up before the schedule stiffens.
Drinkwitz pointed to a second half that left him wanting more, especially in the areas that often decide tighter games later in the season. Penalties, a lack of pressure on the quarterback and a missed takeaway chance all stood out, and the edge in intensity he expected was not always there. With Kansas next, Missouri is already getting an early reminder that the margin for those mistakes is about to shrink. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Brings Back A Familiar Star For A Milestone Opening Day
Sheryl Crow will help set the tone for a big day at Memorial Stadium when Missouri opens the 2026 football season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, with the Missouri native scheduled to perform the national anthem. The matchup is already carrying extra weight as the stadium marks its 100th anniversary and welcomes fans back for the first home game after renovations to the north end zone.
Crows return adds a familiar name to a milestone backdrop for Mizzou, blending pageantry with one of the more notable dates on the programs calendar. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee is also set to release a new album, "Pick You Up," on October 9, giving the Tigers an opening-day spotlight that stretches well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Opens 2026 With Two Big Questions Fans Will Notice
Missouri opens its 2026 season at 7 p.m. against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Faurot Field, and the first night of the new year already comes with a different look in more ways than one. The Tigers are stepping onto a field that has just gone through the finish of a massive North End Zone renovation, a long-awaited backdrop for the program as it starts over in front of its own crowd.
The bigger early concern, though, is on the injury front. Missouri will be without All-American running back Ahmad Hardy and All-SEC left tackle Cayden Green, two key pieces who shape both the backfield and the line of scrimmage. Even with a manageable opener on the schedule, their absence gives the Tigers something to sort through right away, and it makes the first few snaps of the season worth watching a little closer. [Read more 🡒]