SPRINGFIELD -- With last week's announcement of plans to replace the lighting system at Plaster Sports Complex, Missouri State University has finalized its 2010 football schedule, including all start times for the upcoming season.

The Bears will open their 29th NCAA Division I campaign with a Thursday night home game against Eastern Kentucky University on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. The Colonels out of the Ohio Valley Conference are coming off a 5-6 season, but tied for second in the conference with a 5-3 league record that included a road win over eventual OVC champion and NCAA playoff qualifier Eastern Illinois. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Bears and EKU.

The Bears then embark on their annual game against a Football Bowl Subdivision program with a 6:10 p.m. kickoff at Kansas State on Sept. 11. The Wildcats of legendary coach Bill Snyder return more than 40 lettermen from a 6-6 squad that tied for Big 12 North runner-up honors in 2009. Kansas State defeated Massachusetts, 21-17, in its annual Football Championship Subdivision game a year ago and won the only previous meeting against the Bears with a 61-10 decision on Sept. 15, 2007.

The other non-conference opponent on this year's schedule is Murray State. The Bears will travel to Murray, Ky., on Oct. 9 -- Missouri State's fifth game of the season -- in hopes of building on last year's 35-10 home win over the Racers. The Ohio Valley Conference squad was 3-8 a year ago, but has won five of the six meetings all-time between the two clubs.

MSU's fifth-year head coach Terry Allen says he likes the early challenges on his 2010 slate and thinks they will help prepare the Bears for the difficult road ahead in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

"We are really looking forward to the tests this year's schedule will provide," said Allen. "Eastern Kentucky is a great opponent to open the season with, and will tell us a lot of things about our squad early. The road games at Kansas State and Murray State will absolutely push us and prepare us for conference play. Of course, our ultimate goal is to be competitive in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and continue to climb the ladder in our league this season."

After the game at Kansas State in week two, the Bears get a week off before beginning Missouri Valley Football Conference play at Illinois State on Sept. 25. The Redbirds are sure to be one of the preseason front-runners for the conference title after winning four of their last five MVFC games to close out a breakthrough 6-5 campaign in 2009.

The Bears will then return to Plaster Field to take on Youngstown State on Oct. 2 for a Family Weekend contest. The Bears have won two in a row against the Penguins who will feature new head coach this season in hometown product Eric Wolford.

Following the road game at Murray State on Oct. 9, Missouri State will wrap a two-game road series at Indiana State on Oct. 16. The much-improved Sycamores have dropped six of the last seven to the Bears, but split the last four head-to-head meetings in Terre Haute with two overtime games in that span.

After playing four of their first six contests on the road, the Bears will make it a true Homecoming on Oct. 23 when they host Western Illinois and then take on defending league champion and NCAA playoff qualifier Southern Illinois on Showcase Weekend at Plaster Field, Oct. 30. The Bears earned a dramatic come-from-behind win at WIU last season, while Missouri State's 464 yards in total offense against Southern Illinois in the season finale was the most allowed by the Salukis all season.

The squad's final two conference road games will be at 2009 playoff participant South Dakota State on Nov. 6 and at perennial league power Northern Iowa on Nov. 13. The two Valley Football foes finished second and third, respectively, in the conference a year ago and combined to win nine of their 11 home games last season.

Missouri State will close out the 2010 campaign on Nov. 20 against North Dakota State at Plaster Field. The Bears defeated the Bison in Fargo, 21-17, last season to hand NDSU just its second-ever loss in a Harvest Bowl contest and just its 19th home loss in 18 seasons.

Season ticket information is available now by calling (417) 836-7678. Reserved bleacher season tickets are $50, bleacher-back seats are $80, and reserved chairback seating is $100 for the season. Group rates, as well as discounted rates for seniors and Missouri State faculty and staff, are also available.

Single-game tickets, as well as the "Food, Fun and Football" Four Packs, will go on sale at a later date. All kids 12 and under are free for reserved bleacher seating throughout the season.

The Bears will return 42 lettermen and 66 squad members from a 6-5 team that finished 4-4 in the MVFC a year ago to tie for fifth place in the nine-team conference.

-MSU-

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