Missouri schedules 2017 football game against Missouri State
Former Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel will return to Memorial Stadium in 2017.
Steckel left coach Gary Pinkel’s staff in December to take over as head coach at Missouri State, which announced Wednesday that it has scheduled a game against the Tigers on Sept. 2, 2017.
“It’s fun and exciting for us to get to play at Mizzou in 2017,” Steckel said in a statement from Missouri State. “Our alums have been asking for a game like this, and I’m really happy we were able to do this for them and for all football fans in the state of Missouri.”
A spokesman for Missouri confirmed the game.
Steckel worked under Pinkel for four seasons at Toledo and, after a stint at Rutgers, joined his first Tigers’ staff in 2001 as linebackers coach. He was promoted to defensive coordinator before MU’s 2009 season.
“I want to thank our athletic director, Kyle Moats, as well as (Missouri executive associate athletic director) Bryan Maggard and Gary Pinkel at Missouri for working so hard to pull this together,” Steckel said.
The Bears, who play at Kansas State in 2016, have not met the Tigers on the gridiron since a 10-0 loss on Oct. 6 in the 1923 season opener.
“The game at Missouri is important for our fans and alumni, and I know it is something that Stec really wanted to do,” Moats said in the Bears’ statement. “We’re grateful to (Tigers athletic director) Mike Alden and the administration at Missouri for helping make it a reality.”
Southeast Missouri also announced a game at Missouri scheduled for Sept. 21, 2019. The Tigers also open the 2015 season against the Redhawks on Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium.
Missouri, which already has games scheduled against Purdue and at Connecticut for 2017, has two nonconference openings on its 2016 schedule and one unfilled game for 2017.
Upcoming Missouri nonconference football schedules
2015
▪ Sept. 5: Southeast Missouri
▪ Sept. 12: at Arkansas State
▪ Sept. 19: Connecticut
▪ Nov. 14: BYU (at Arrowhead Stadium)
2016
▪ Sept. 3: at West Virginia
▪ Sept. 10: Eastern Michigan
▪ Two games TBA
2017
▪ Sept. 2: Missouri State
▪ Sept. 16: Purdue
▪ Sept. 23: at Connecticut
▪ One game TBA
2018
▪ Sept. 8: Wyoming
▪ Sept. 15: at Purdue
▪ Oct. 20: Memphis
▪ One game TBA
2019
▪ Aug. 31: at Wyoming
▪ Sept. 7: West Virginia
▪ Sept. 21: Southeast Missouri
▪ One game TBA
2020
▪ Sept. 26: Eastern Michigan
▪ Nov. 7: at BYU
▪ Two games TBA
2021
▪ Sept. 18: at Memphis
▪ Three games TBA
To reach Tod Palmer, call 816-234-4389 or send email to tpalmer@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter at @todpalmer.
This story was originally published March 11, 2015 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Missouri schedules 2017 football game against Missouri State."