Missouri Southern State University Athletics

Missouri Southern competes in NCAA Division II, which offers athletic scholarships but without the massive crowds and TV deals of major college sports. The Lions field 11 varsity teams with 380 total athletes, meaning about 12% of the 3,101 students participate in varsity athletics. The school awards $2.6 million in athletic scholarships across all sports. Missouri Southern plays in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association alongside regional rivals like Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri State. The Lions have traditionally been competitive in football and basketball within their conference. Division II athletics at Missouri Southern strikes a balance between serious competition and academic focus, allowing student-athletes to compete at a high level while maintaining smaller, more intimate game-day atmospheres than Division I programs.