Mizzou fans heading into Memorial Stadium this football season will find a food lineup that leans harder into Columbia and Missouri than ever before.
The biggest addition is Shakespeare’s Pizza, which will be served in the stadium for the first time. Alongside that longtime local favorite, Sodexo Live!, Mizzou Athletics and Columbia-based Upper Crust Food Service are rolling out a wider mix of hometown names and new game-day items designed to change the feel of the concourse and suite level.
“As we looked at the new hospitality offerings we wanted to bring to fans this season, we wanted to focus on food that feels like home while giving fans new reasons to explore and enjoy the game-day experience,” said Brian Gaskill, Regional Vice President, Sodexo Live!. “Shakespeare’s is a huge part of Columbia, and we know how excited fans will be to see it in the stadium. We’re bringing a strong lineup of local favorites, Missouri flavors and some fun new takes on game-day classics straight to fans.”
The local lineup doesn’t stop there. Champ’s Chicken, Buck’s Ice Cream and Mya’s Gourmet Popcorn are also part of the push to bring more Columbia flavor into Memorial Stadium. The idea, according to the groups involved, is to make the stadium feel more connected to the community around it.
“We’re excited to welcome more of Columbia and Missouri’s great local flavors to Mizzou game days,” said Mizzou Director of Athletics Laird Veatch. “Our new partnership with Sodexo Live!
gives us an opportunity to elevate the food and hospitality experience throughout Memorial Stadium, and Adam Guy has been instrumental in helping bring that vision to life. We’re grateful for his commitment and his contributions to this new operation, and we’re thrilled to showcase businesses and flavors our fans know and love while creating an even better game-day experience for Tiger fans.”
The concession menu is getting a makeover as well, with several new items joining the mix. Among the additions are hand-breaded Southern-style Tiger Tenders, a Kansas City Burnt End Hot Dog and two Stack Burgers - one classic and one Smokehouse.
Hospitality upgrades will be spread across the stadium, from the concourse to the suite level, with refreshed menus and more options throughout.
There’s also a charitable piece built into the setup. A portion of the proceeds from every refillable souvenir soda cup sold at Memorial Stadium will go to Every True Tiger Brands, Mizzou’s official Name, Image and Likeness marketing agency.
“As a former Tiger, I know how much Mizzou means to this community, and food is a huge part of that connection,” said Adam Guy, CEO of Upper Crust Food Service. “Shakespeare’s is part of the fabric of Columbia, so bringing it into the stadium is incredibly exciting.
We’re taking flavors people already know and love and putting them right where the Tigers are playing. That’s what makes this partnership so special.”
Sodexo Live! and Upper Crust are pairing broad hospitality experience with local ties as Memorial Stadium enters a major stretch of change. The updates arrive during Mizzou Athletics’ $250 million renovation of Memorial Stadium in its 100-year anniversary season, along with improvements at Mizzou Arena and other competition facilities.
In Other News...
Missouri Faces An Early 2026 Test That Could Define Everything
Missouri enters the 2026 football season with a schedule that looks heavy before the first snap is even taken. Oddsmakers have already hung the Tigers at a 6.5 win total, and the path to getting beyond that number will run through a nine-game SEC slate that leaves little room for error.
What makes the outlook even more daunting is the midseason stretch, where Missouri is lined up to face five preseason top-10 opponents in a seven-game span. For a team already facing a week-to-week grind in league play, that kind of run can shape not just the record, but the entire feel of the season by the time the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
Mizzou Opens With Plenty Riding On More Than Just The Score
Missouri will open its 2026 season on Sept. 3 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Faurot Field, and there will be a lot more to watch than the final score. The Tigers are set to unveil a newly renovated stadium after a $250-million overhaul, giving fans their first real look at the updated home environment as the season begins on SEC Network and FUBO.
Austin Simmons is also slated to make his debut as Missouris starting quarterback, but the opener will come with some notable absences. Ahmad Hardy and Cayden Green are both expected to miss the game because of injury, leaving the Tigers to manage their first step into the new season without two key pieces in place. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Mitchell Just Changed Missouri's Outlook In A Huge Way
Mark Mitchells path took a sudden turn this week, and it lands with real significance for Missouri. After initially committing to Kentucky following his gain of a fifth year of eligibility, Mitchell is no longer headed to Lexington and will instead return to Missouri for that extra season. The swing matters because it keeps an experienced forward in the SEC mix while giving Missouri a familiar piece back in a spot where roster stability always carries weight.
The change came after the conference stepped in on intra-conference transfer rules, leaving Kentucky in a difficult spot if Mitchell were to play. For Missouri, the news reshapes the outlook in a positive way, while Kentucky has had to sort out its options at the four, where Ousmane N'Diaye and Justin McBride now sit atop the depth chart and John Calipari may need to consider positional adjustments. Mitchells return closes one door in Lexington and opens another in Columbia, even if the full ripple effects are still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]