COLUMBIA, Mo. — Football is right around the corner!
The University of Missouri will kick off its 2024 season on Thursday with hopes of making it into the newly expanded College Football Playoffs.
The Tigers are looking to follow up on their 11-2 season, including their win at the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic. There are several returning players and coaches, and new transfers looking to help the team accomplish their goals.
Here's what you need to know ahead of the season:
Recap of 2023 season
Missouri began the season 5-0 after beating South Dakota, Middle Tennessee, Kansas State, Memphis and Vanderbilt.
In their game against Kansas State, they won off an SEC record 61-yard field goal as time expired by Harrison Mevis.
Their first loss of the season came against LSU at Faurot Field.
But the Tigers bounced back with back-to-back wins against Kentucky and South Carolina, which helped them debut in the College Football Playoff rankings at No. 12.
Their second loss of the season came against No. 2 ranked Georgia in Athens, falling 30-21.
Mizzou would go on to win their final three games against Tennessee, Florida and Arkansas to finish 10-2. It was the first time they finished the regular season with 10 wins since 2014.
Missouri defeated No. 7 Ohio State 14-3 in the 2023 Cotton Bowl Classic, the program's first New Year's Six Bowl victory.
Overall, the team would finish No. 8 in both the AP poll and Coaches poll.
Where does Mizzou rank to start the season?
Missouri was ranked No. 11 in the Preseason AP Coaches Poll on Aug. 5.
They will kick off the season at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 29, against Murray State.
Are tickets still available for the first game?
Tickets for Mizzou's first game this season at Faurot Field are sold out!
The athletics department made the announcement Wednesday morning via X, formerly known as Twitter.
Verified resale tickets are available for the game on Ticketmaster, the department said. Click here for more information.
Notable departures, transfers and returning players
Quarterback Brady Cook and wide receiver Luther Burden III will be starting once again for the Tigers. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz will be returning for his fifth season after the University of Missouri announced his contract extension through the 2028 season.
LSU hired Mizzou's defensive coordinator Blake Baker at the beginning of 2024. South Alabama defensive coordinator Corey Batoon replaced Baker.
Breakout start Cody Schrader graduated and declared for the National League Football Draft after last year's Cotton Bowl win. To fill the gap, running backs Marcus Carroll from Georgia State and Nate Noel from Appalachian State transferred to Mizzou.
The Tigers lost two corners to the NFL Draft, meaning some players will have to setup up at defensive back. East St. Louis grad Toriano Pride transferred to Missouri from Clemson and Cardinal Ritter grad Marvin Burks Jr., who played as a true freshman last season for the Tigers, are ready for the challenge.
What is Mizzou's schedule this year?
Here's the 2024 football schedule:
- Missouri vs. Murray State at 7 p.m. Aug. 29
- Missouri vs. Buffalo at 6 p.m. Sept. 7
- Missouri vs. Boston College at 11:45 a.m. Sept. 14
- Missouri vs. Vanderbilt on Sept. 21
- Missouri at Texas A&M on Oct. 5
- Missouri at UMass on Oct. 12
- Missouri vs. Auburn on Oct. 19
- Missouri at Alabama on Oct. 26
- Missouri vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 9
- Missouri at South Carolina on Nov. 16
- Missouri at Mississippi State on Nov. 23
- Missouri vs. Arkansas on Nov. 30
2024 College Football Playoffs
The CFP will expand from a four-team knockout bracket to a 12-team expanded playoff this season.
The 12 teams will be made up of the five conference champions ranked highest by the CFP selection committee and the next seven highest-ranked teams.
The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive first-round byes.
The remaining teams will play each other in the first round at the home fields of the higher-ranked seeds. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be hosted by the New Year's Six.
Click here for more information about the new playoff format.
Traveling to Columbia, Missouri
On Monday, the Missouri Department of Transportation put out an advisory for those heading to Mizzou's season opener.
Drivers should be aware of possible delays on Interstate 70 between Columbia and Kingdom City where construction is underway.
MoDOT asks drivers to watch out for crews, barrier walls, narrow lanes and reduced speed limits between Routes J and M.
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