Our 100-Day Countdown to Kickoff keeps rolling, and Missouri is now 40 days out from its 2026 season opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Thursday, Sept. 3, at Faurot Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
As the countdown moves forward, the series is starting to fold in more preseason material, and this week’s focus is coming out of 2026 SEC Media Days. The latest notebook from Tampa includes a few leftover items worth circling back to.
One of the clearest themes around Missouri’s offseason was the impact of Eli Drinkwitz’s decision to stay put. Back in December and January, as the Tigers were building out the 2026 roster, Drinkwitz found a message that resonated in retention conversations.
"I had opportunities to do something else," Drinkwitz said in an interview on KTRS in April, "but I chose to be at the University of Missouri. I think that's powerful to use in conversations when you're trying to get people to stay."
That line carried real weight inside the program. During a coaching carousel that turned historic, Drinkwitz signed a six-year, $64.5 million extension that keeps him in Columbia through 2031. Missouri leaned on that commitment while bringing back as many as 37 players from the 2025 roster for 2026.
At SEC Media Days, the message from Missouri’s player representatives matched what Drinkwitz had been saying all along. Running back Jamal Roberts, offensive lineman Cayden Green and linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez all said his choice to remain at Missouri mattered quite a bit.
In Other News...
Missouri Alum Euphenie Andre Is Now A National Champion
Euphenie Andres rise has been building for a while, and Missouri fans have had a front-row seat to it since her college days in Columbia. After a standout Tigers career that included records and All-American honors, she has kept climbing on the national and international stage, representing the United States at the 2026 Pan American Athletics Championship and adding to a medal collection that already includes strong NACAC results.
Now she has a national title to go with that resume. Andre won the womens triple jump at the 2026 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championship with a personal best of 13.94 meters, continuing the kind of upward trajectory that made her one of the more reliable names in the event. For Missouri, it is another reminder that one of its former stars is not just staying relevant after college, but pushing into the top tier of American track and field. [Read more 🡒]