Missouri’s Thursday game vs. Mississippi State highlights 2015 football schedule

Missouri will host Mississippi State in a rare Thursday night ESPN game Nov. 5 as one of the highlights of the Tigers’ 2015 football season.

That game and the rest of the conference schedule were released Tuesday by the Tigers in conjunction with the SEC.

The SEC West crossover game with the Bulldogs, who are ranked No. 1 for the first time since 1964, will kick off at 8 p.m. at Memorial Stadium.

“The Thursday night home game is certainly unique, and it’s a great opportunity to showcase Mizzou to a national audience,” Missouri executive associate athletic director Bryan Maggard. “The SEC asked both schools to consider it, and after we visited with campus and faculty leaders, we decided to go that route. We will consider future Thursday opportunities if asked by the league, but only occasionally.”

It will mark Missouri’s third appearance on ESPN’s Thursday night game, including Colorado (1992) and Nebraska (2009).

The game will mark Mississippi State’s first appearance in Columbia since 1984.

Next season’s schedule reverts to a 13-week format with only one open date.

For the Tigers, the bye week comes Oct. 31, but Missouri still needs a non-conference opponent on Nov. 14.

Coach Gary Pinkel’s squad opens the 2015 SEC slate on Sept. 26 at Kentucky.

Missouri once again faces a three-week gauntlet against the SEC East’s traditional powers with back-to-back home games against South Carolina (Oct. 3) and Florida (Oct. 10) followed by a trip to Georgia (Oct. 17).

The Tigers’ previously announced non-conference games are Sept. 5 vs. Southeast Missouri State, Sept. 12 at Arkansas State and Sept. 19 vs. Connecticut.

Missouri’s other home conference game is Nov. 21 against Tennessee, while coach Gary Pinkel’s squad plays at Vanderbilt (Oct. 24) and at Arkansas (Nov. 28).

This story was originally published October 14, 2014 at 6:51 PM with the headline "Missouri’s Thursday game vs. Mississippi State highlights 2015 football schedule."