Missouri State will travel to New Mexico on Dec. 3, 2011 to take on former Bears' head coach Steve Alford and his squad in the third annual Mountain West-Missouri Valley Conference Challenge, the conferences announced Friday (Jan. 28).

  The nine-game challenge series was won by the MVC (5-4) in its inaugural campaign in 2009-10 and won by the MWC (8-1) this season.  Missouri State is 1-0 in the series with its 2009 win over Air Force but was the odd team out of the 2010 challenge since the Mountain West has just nine members.

  Other match-ups in the 2011 series are:

2011 CHALLENGE DATES   Series Records
Nov. 30 Creighton at San Diego State CU leads, 3-1; last meeting 1/3/1974
Dec. 3 Air Force at Drake   DU leads, 5-0; last meeting 12/12/1981
Dec. 3 Indiana State at Boise State  First meeting
Dec. 3 Colorado State at UNI  First meeting
Dec. 3 Missouri State at New Mexico UNM leads, 1-0; only meeting Dec. 22, 1962
Dec. 3 TCU at Evansville   First meeting
Dec. 3 Bradley at Wyoming  BU leads, 1-0; only meeting 3/30/1951
Dec. 4 UNLV at Wichita State  Series tied, 1-1; last meeting 1/10/1979

 The Bears are contracted to play non-conference home games next season with Tulsa and Oklahoma State, along with road contests at Nevada, Arkansas State, Arkansas-Little Rock and Oral Roberts. Missouri State is also slated to play a BracketBusters home game in addition to four games in the Las Vegas Classic which will include a pair of home games and two games in Las Vegas. Specific game dates and additional contests will be announced when the schedule is finalized this summer.

  Missouri State (17-4, 9-1 MVC) and head coach Cuonzo Martin will host defending league champion Northern Iowa this Sunday (Jan. 30) at 7 p.m. in a nationally-televised game on ESPNU. The game is being publicized as a White Out event with fans encouraged to show their support by wearing white to the game. Tickets are available by calling (417) 836-7678, visiting www.MissouriStateTix.com or stopping by the JQH Arena Box Office which will be open during extended hours Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.