COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Southeastern Conference has released its 2017 football schedule for all league schools, as announced tonight on the SEC Network. Mizzou’s slate of foes includes an exciting seven-game home schedule, three away games at Eastern Division rivals, the annual Thanksgiving weekend game against Arkansas (in Fayetteville) and a first-ever trip to play at UConn.
The schedule in 2017 starts with a rarity – four straight home games. The last time Mizzou opened a season with four straight home games dates all the way back to 1908, when Head Coach W.J. Monilaw’s crew hosted Warrensburg, the Missouri School of Mines, Iowa and Westminster on four consecutive weekends.
Next season, the foes look a little different, including the season opener on Sept. 2 against longtime former MU assistant coach Dave Steckel and his Missouri State Bears. The following three Saturdays will see visits to Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium by South Carolina (Sept. 9), Purdue (Sept. 16) and Auburn (Sept. 23), the latter of which will be making its first-ever appearance in Columbia.
The month of October will see Head Coach Barry Odom’s troops play three of four games on the road, and it will begin at Kentucky (Oct. 7), followed by a game between the hedges at Georgia (Oct. 14). Mizzou will return home for Homecoming on Oct. 21st against Idaho, and then will wrap up non-conference play for the regular season with a game at UConn (Oct. 28).
The stretch run of November starts with a pair of home games against Eastern Division rivals Florida (Nov. 4) and the home finale against Tennessee (Nov. 11), and concludes with road games at Vanderbilt (Nov. 18) and the annual Thanksgiving-weekend rivalry game against Arkansas (Nov. 25 in Fayetteville).
The schedule is subject to change due to television considerations, and all kickoff times will not be determined until the summer of 2017 at the earliest.
“We are very excited about the schedule for next season,” said Executive Associate Athletic Director Bryan Maggard, who oversees scheduling as the football sport administrator. “It certainly provides our fans with an exciting home game experience as well as several fun and manageable road trips. We’re pleased to begin the series with Purdue, which we feel is a good regional matchup. Although the spacing of home and away games is unique, we look forward to a very exciting September at Faurot Field, and of course Homecoming in October,” he said.
2017 MIZZOU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 MISSOURI STATE
Sept. 9 SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 16 PURDUE
Sept. 23 AUBURN
Oct. 7 at Kentucky
Oct. 14 at Georgia
Oct. 21 IDAHO
Oct. 28 at UConn
Nov. 4 FLORIDA
Nov. 11 TENNESSEE
Nov. 18 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 25 at Arkansas
— Mizzou Athletics —