The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State's athletics programs date back to 1908. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The majority of sports play in the Division I Conference USA. Missouri State became a full member of CUSA on July 1, 2025.
Men's swimming and diving had competed in the Mid-American Conference through the 2023âÂÂ24 season, but sponsorship of that sport transferred to the Missouri Valley Conference in July 2024. With CUSA sponsoring soccer only for women, the men's soccer team joined the American Conference.
Missouri State athletics are frequently abbreviated as "MOST".
A member of Conference USA, 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 2024âÂÂ25.
2002, 2005 (Champions), 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023
Missouri AIAW state tournament: 1970âÂÂ1982 (won 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1981 tournaments)<br /> AIAW Region VI tournament: 1974, 1975, 1981<br /> AIAW Division II national tournament: 1981
Gateway Conference (1983âÂÂ1992) 2 <br /> 1991, 1992
Missouri Valley Conference (1992âÂÂpresent) 12 <br /> 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2020, 2021
The university also sponsors several club sports teams, including ice hockey (ACHA), lacrosse (MCLA), and roller hockey (NCRHA).
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). The teams play off-campus at the 2,000-seat Mediacom Ice Park.
Men's varsity ice hockey finished the 2009âÂÂ2010 season ranked 2nd in the MACHA DII with a record of 12âÂÂ4âÂÂ0 in 16 league games, the team lost in the MACHA Championship 1âÂÂ5 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. The team won the MACHA DIII championship with a 5âÂÂ3 win over Robert Morris University- Peoria.
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 12âÂÂ3, including a perfect 6âÂÂ0 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.