Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears

Collegiate sports club in the United States

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Athletic teams representing Missouri State University

Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears

University| Missouri State University
Conference| Missouri Valley (primary)
MVFC (football)
CUSA (beach volleyball;
primary on July 1, 2025)
The American (men's soccer, from 2025)
NCAA| Division I (FCS)
Athletic director| Patrick Ransdell
Location| Springfield, Missouri
Varsity teams| 19
Football stadium| Robert W. Plaster Stadium
Basketball arena| Great Southern Bank Arena
Baseball stadium| Hammons Field
Soccer stadium| Allison South Stadium
Mascot| Boomer the Bear and Growl the Bear
Nickname| Bears and Lady Bears
Beach Bears (beach volleyball)
Fight song| The Scotsman
Colors| Maroon and white[1]

Website| missouristatebears.com

The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University (formerly Southwest Missouri State University). Missouri State's athletics programs date back to 1908. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, but started a transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision on July 1, 2024. The majority of sports play in the Division I Missouri Valley Conference.

Missouri State football competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and the women's beach volleyball team, nicknamed Beach Bears instead of "Bears" or "Lady Bears",[2] competes in Conference USA (CUSA), having moved from the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association after the spring 2023 season.[3]

Men's swimming & diving had competed in the Mid-American Conference through the 2023–24 season, but sponsorship of that sport transferred from that conference to the MVC in July 2024.[4] Missouri State will become a full member of CUSA on July 1, 2025.[5] With CUSA sponsoring soccer only for women, the men's soccer team will join the American Athletic Conference.[6]

Missouri State athletics are frequently abbreviated as "MOST" when televised.

## Sports sponsored

[edit]

Men's sports  | Women's sports

|

Baseball | Acrobatics & tumbling
Basketball | Basketball
Football | Beach volleyball
Golf | Cross country
Soccer | Golf
Swimming & diving | Soccer
| Softball
| Stunt
| Swimming & diving
| Tennis
| Track & field†
| Volleyball
† – Track & field includes both indoor and outdoor

A member of the Missouri Valley Conference, Missouri State University sponsors six men's and 13 women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports. The women's sports of acrobatics & tumbling and stunt, both included in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, were added in 2024–25.[7]

## National championships

[edit]

### Team

[edit]

Assoc.  | Div.  | Tournament  | Sport / team  | Year  | Runner-up  | Score

|
|
|
|
|
|

NAIA | n/a | NAIA Basketball championship | Men's basketball | 1952  | Murray State | 73–64
NAIA | n/a | NAIA Basketball championship | Men's basketball | 1953  | Hamline | 79–71
NCAA | Division II | NCAA Golf championship[8] | Men's golf  | 1963  | Aquinas | 1,188–1,199
AIAW | n/a | AIAW Softball championship [n 1] | Softball  | 1974 | Northern Colorado | 14–7
AIAW | Division II  | AIAW Field hockey championship | Field hockey  | 1979  | Colgate | 2–0

Notes

1. ^ Women's College World Series

## Women's basketball NCAA tournament results

[edit]

See also: Missouri State Lady Bears basketball

### NCAA Tournament appearances

[edit]

Year  | Seed  | Round  | Opponent  | Result

|
|
|
|

1991 | #8 | First Round
Second Round | #9 Tennessee Tech
#1 Tennessee | W 94–64
L 47–55
1992 | #8 | First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four | #9 Kansas
#1 Iowa
#5 UCLA
#2 Ole Miss
#4 Western Kentucky | W 75–59
W 61–60
W 83–57
W 94–71
L 72–84
1993 | #7 | First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen | #10 Oklahoma State
#2 Maryland
#6 Louisiana Tech | W 86–71
W 86–82
L 43–59
1994 | #6 | First Round
Second Round | #11 Northern Illinois
#3 Virginia | W 75–56
L 63–67
1995 | #9 | First Round
Second Round | #8 Utah
#1 Colorado | W 49–47
L 34–78
1996 | #12 | First Round | #5 Texas | L 55–73
1998 | #8 | First Round | #9 Notre Dame | L 64–78
1999 | #7 | First Round
Second Round | #10 UC Santa Barbara
#2 Colorado State | W 72–70
L 70–86
2000 | #10 | First Round | #7 Auburn | L 74–78
2001 | #5 | First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four | #12 Toledo
#4 Rutgers
#1 Duke
#6 Washington
#3 Purdue | W 89–71
W 60–53
W 81–71
W 104–87
L 64–81
2003 | #15 | First Round | #2 Texas Tech | L 59–67
2004 | #12 | First Round | #5 Notre Dame | L 65–69 (OT)
2006 | #13 | First Round | #4 Purdue | L 52–73
2016 | #13 | First Round | #4 Texas A&M | L 65–74
2019 | #11 | First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen | #6 DePaul
#3 Iowa State
#2 Stanford | W 89–77
W 69–60
L 46–55
2021 | #5 | First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen | #12 UC Davis
#13 Wright State
#1 Stanford | W 70–51
W 64–39
L 62–89
2022 | #11 | First Four
First Round | #11 Florida State
#6 Ohio State | W 61-50
L 63-56

### WBIT appearances

[edit]

2024

### WNIT appearances

[edit]

2002, 2005 (Champions), 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023

### AIAW tournament appearances

[edit]

Missouri AIAW state tournament: 1970–1982 (won 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1981 tournaments)
AIAW Region VI tournament: 1974, 1975, 1981
AIAW Division II national tournament: 1981

### Conference championships

[edit]

Missouri Valley Conference logo in Missouri State's colors

Gateway Conference (1983–1992) 2
1991, 1992

Missouri Valley Conference (1992–present) 12
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2020, 2021

### Head coaches

[edit]

* Reba Sims (10 seasons, 129–116), 1969–1979
* Marti Gasser (4 seasons, 62–60), 1979–1983
* Valerie Goodwin-Colbert (4 seasons, 48–63), 1983–1987
* Cheryl Burnett (15 seasons, 319–136), 1987–2002
* 10 NCAA Tournament Appearances
* 2 Final Four Appearances
* 3 Sweet 16 Appearances
* 1 WNIT Appearance
* Katie Abrahamson-Henderson (5 seasons, 95–61), 2002–2007
* 3 NCAA Tournament Appearances
* WNIT Championship
* Nyla Milleson (5 seasons, 105–87), 2007–2013
* 3 WNIT Appearances
* Kellie Harper (6 seasons, 118–79), 2013–2019
* 2 NCAA Appearances
* 3 WNIT Appearances
* Amaka Agugua-Hamilton (3 seasons, 73-15), 2019–2022
* 1 NCAA Appearance
* 1 Sweet Sixteen Appearance

• Beth Cunningham (2 seasons, 43-20) 2022–Present

*     * 1 WBIT Appearance
* 1 WNIT Appearance

### Retired numbers

[edit]

* 10 Jackie Stiles, 1997–2001 (finished career as leading career scorer in NCAA Division I women's basketball with 3,393 points; now #5 on the list)
* 22 Kari Koch, 2002-2006
* 35 Melody Howard, 1990–1994
* 42 Jeanette Tendai, 1982–1986

## Facilities

[edit]

GSB Arena (exterior)

GSB Arena (interior)

Plaster Sports Complex

Hammons Field

Facility  | Opened  | Sport  | Capacity

|
|
|

Robert W. Plaster Stadium | 1941 | Football | 17,500
Great Southern Bank Arena | 2008 | Basketball | 11,000
Hammons Student Center | 1976 | Volleyball
Swimming | 8,846 [n 1]
Hammons Field | 2004 | Baseball | 7,986
Killian Sports Complex | 2009 | Softball | 1,200
Betty and Bobby Allison Stadium | 2014 | Soccer
Track & field
Field hockey
Lacrosse | 1,500 [n 2]
Betty and Bobby Allison Courts | 2014 | Beach volleyball | 150
Cooper Tennis Complex | 1994 | Tennis | 2,500
Twin Oaks Country Club
\+ 4 Other local courses | n/a | Golf | N/A

Notes

1. ^ For swimming, capacity decreases to 300.
2. ^ For field hockey and lacrosse, the capacity is 250.

## Club sports

[edit]

The university also sponsors several club sports teams, including ice hockey (ACHA), lacrosse (MCLA), and roller hockey (NCRHA).

### Men's ice hockey

[edit]

Main article: Missouri State Ice Bears

Missouri State ice hockey players celebrate a goal against University of Missouri in 2010

Missouri State men's ice hockey, known as the "Ice Bears", began in 2001 and despite not being a varsity NCAA sport receives much attention on and off-campus. The Ice Bears currently compete at the Division I level of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in the Western Collegiate Hockey League (WCHL).[9] The teams play off-campus at the 2,000-seat Mediacom Ice Park.[10][11][12]

Men's varsity ice hockey finished the 2009–2010 season ranked 2nd in the MACHA DII with a record of 12–4–0 in 16 league games, the team lost in the MACHA Championship 1–5 to Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville. In addition to the ACHA DII team the University also fields a JV teams playing at the ACHA DIII level.[13] The team won the MACHA DIII championship with a 5–3 win over Robert Morris University- Peoria.[14][15][16]

### Men's lacrosse

[edit]

Missouri State also fields a highly successful club Lacrosse Team. Founded in 2003, it competes in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) Division II and was a member of the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (GRLC) through 2017 before it moved to Division II of the Lone Star Alliance (LSA) in 2018. The Bears have been conference champions five times in their history (2004, 2009, 2010, 2017, and 2018) and have qualified for the MCLA National Championships on four occasions (2009, 2010, 2017, and 2018). The Bears finished the 2018 season with a record of 12–3, including a perfect 6–0 conference record and victories over Creighton, Baylor, and in-state rival University of Missouri. Since 2003, Missouri State has fielded 11 All-Americans, over 80 All-Conference players, 3 GRLC Tournament MVP's, and 4 GRLC Division II Coach's of the Year.

Head coach  | Year  | Record

|
|

Daren Turner | 2002–2008 | 24–21
Austin Holman | 2009–2010 | 23–9
Pat Callaham | 2011–2012 | 12-13
Dustin Rich  | 2013–2018  | 32-30
Donnie Curran  | 2019–present  | 0-0

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Colors - Identity Standards - Missouri State University". February 5, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
2. ^ See, e.g., "Beach Volleyball Program Will Join C-USA in 2024" (Press release). Missouri State Athletics. May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023. "The Beach Bears will part ways with the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) next season to join TCU and Tarleton State as affiliate members of Conference USA."
3. ^ "BVB: C-USA Adds TCU, Tarleton State and Missouri State as Affiliate Members for Beach Volleyball" (Press release). Conference USA. May 11, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
4. ^ "MVC To Sponsor Men's Swimming & Diving in 2024-25" (Press release). Missouri Valley Conference. April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
5. ^ "CUSA Adds Missouri State" (Press release). Conference USA. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
6. ^ "American Athletic Conference Adds Missouri State University as Affiliate Member in Men's Soccer" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. October 25, 2024. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
7. ^ "Missouri State Will Add Two Women's Varsity Sports" (Press release). Missouri State Athletics. December 11, 2023. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
8. ^ "NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship Results" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
9. ^ [1][dead link‍]
10. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20080724171155/http://www.cfpmidweek.com/weeks/IssuePDFs/vo5i19web.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2010. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
11. ^ "Experience Fall in the Ozarks - Springfield Missouri Travel & Tourism - Ozarks/Midwest Vacations". springfieldmo.org. Archived from the original on 13 June 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
12. ^ "Alumni News - Missouri State University Alumni Association - Missouri State University". Archived from the original on June 1, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2010.
13. ^ "Mid-America Collegiate Hockey Association Home Page". Machahockey.com. 2012-03-08. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
14. ^ [2][dead link‍]
15. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20080724170815/http://www.cfpmidweek.com/weeks/IssuePDFs/vo5i21web.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2010. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
16. ^ [3][dead link‍]

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Missouri State University athletics.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Missouri State University

Located in: Springfield, Missouri

Academics|

* Missouri State University–West Plains

Athletics|

* Baseball
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Football
* Soccer
* Robert W. Plaster Stadium
* Great Southern Bank Arena
* Hammons Field

Campus|

* KSMU
* KOZK
* Duane G. Meyer Library
* Greenwood Laboratory School

* Founded: 1905

Links to related articles

* v
* t
* e

Missouri Valley Conference

Members|

* Belmont Bruins
* Bradley Braves
* Drake Bulldogs
* Evansville Purple Aces
* Illinois State Redbirds
* Indiana State Sycamores
* Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears (leaving in 2025)
* Murray State Racers
* Northern Iowa Panthers
* Southern Illinois Salukis
* Valparaiso Beacons
* UIC Flames

Men's soccer associates|

* Bowling Green Falcons
* Northern Illinois Huskies
* Western Michigan Broncos

Men's swimming & diving associates|

* Ball State Cardinals
* Miami RedHawks

Women's swimming & diving associate|

* Little Rock Trojans

Championships & awards|

* Baseball tournament
* Men's basketball tournament (Arch Madness)
* Women's basketball tournament (Hoops in the Heartland)
* Men's soccer tournament
* Women's soccer tournament
* Hall of Fame

* v
* t
* e

Missouri Valley Football Conference

Teams|

* Illinois State Redbirds
* Indiana State Sycamores
* Missouri State Bears (leaving in 2025)
* Murray State Racers
* North Dakota Fighting Hawks
* North Dakota State Bison
* Northern Iowa Panthers
* South Dakota Coyotes
* South Dakota State Jackrabbits
* Southern Illinois Salukis
* Youngstown State Penguins

Championships & awards|

* All-time standings
* Conference champions

Seasons|

* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1991
* 1992
* 1993
* 1994
* 1995
* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

* v
* t
* e

Conference USA

Full members|

* FIU Panthers
* Jacksonville State Gamecocks
* Kennesaw State Owls
* Liberty Flames/Lady Flames
* Louisiana Tech Bulldogs/Lady Techsters
* Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
* New Mexico State Aggies
* Sam Houston Bearkats
* UTEP Miners (leaving in 2026)
* Western Kentucky Hilltoppers/Lady Toppers

Future full members|

* Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (joining in 2025)
* Missouri State Bears/Lady Bears (joining in 2025)

Baseball affiliate members|

* Dallas Baptist Patriots

Beach volleyball affiliate members|

* Florida Atlantic Owls
* Missouri State Beach Bears (becoming full member in 2025)
* Tarleton Texans
* Tulane Green Wave
* UAB Blazers

Bowling affiliate members|

* Arkansas State Red Wolves
* Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
* Tulane Green Wave
* Valparaiso Beacons
* Vanderbilt Commodores
* Wichita State Shockers
* Youngstown State Penguins

History|

* Metro Conference
* Great Midwest Conference
* 2005 NCAA conference realignment
* 2010–2013 Conference USA realignment
* 2021–2026 NCAA conference realignment
* Southland Bowling League

* v
* t
* e

Sports teams based in Missouri

Baseball|

MLB
Kansas City Royals
St. Louis Cardinals

Springfield Cardinals

Cape Catfish
O'Fallon Hoots

Basketball|

IBA
St. Louis Trotters

Football|

NFL
Kansas City Chiefs
UFL
St. Louis Battlehawks
X League
Kansas City Force
Independent
Kansas City Storm

Ice hockey|

NHL
St. Louis Blues
ECHL
Kansas City Mavericks
NA3HL
St. Louis Jr. Blues

Roller derby|

WFTDA
Arch Rival Roller Derby
CoMo Derby Dames
Springfield Roller Derby
St. Chux Derby Chix
MRDA
St. Louis GateKeepers

Rugby|

USAR
Kansas City Blues
St. Louis Bombers

Soccer|

MLS
St. Louis City SC
MLS Next Pro
St. Louis City 2
NWSL
Kansas City Current
USL2
St. Charles FC
St. Louis Scott Gallagher
NPSL
Club Atletico Saint Louis
Demize NPSL
MASL
Kansas City Comets
St. Louis Ambush

Tennis|

WTT
Springfield Lasers

College
athletics|

| NCAA
Division I|

Kansas City Roos
Lindenwood Lions
Missouri Tigers
Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears
Saint Louis Billikens
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks

|

NCAA
Division II|

* Central Missouri Mules and Jennies
* Drury Panthers
* Lincoln Blue Tigers
* Maryville Saints
* Missouri S&T Miners
* Missouri Southern Lions
* Missouri Western Griffons
* Northwest Missouri State Bearcats
* Southwest Baptist Bearcats
* Truman Bulldogs
* UMSL Tritons
* William Jewell Cardinals

NCAA
Division III|

* Washington Bears

NAIA|

* Central Methodist Eagles

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