A new championship era begins at Memorial Stadium
Aug. 31, 2026
This is the week Tigers have been waiting for!
Tomorrow is the Mizzou Day of Celebration, where we’ll recognize our generous supporters and mark historic investments in student success, research and engagement, while showing the world our remarkable momentum.
As part of the day’s many highlights, we’re celebrating a ribbon cutting for the $260 million Memorial Stadium Centennial Project. The home of Tiger Football now stands among the best in the SEC. Modern upgrades, including an incredible North End Zone, honor Tiger traditions while providing student-athletes and fans an excellent gameday experience worthy of a powerhouse program.
The excitement continues Thursday when Mizzou takes on the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions for Kickoff in CoMo. Coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers are ranked #25 in the country and are ready to dominate all season long. Alumna Sheryl Crow (BS Ed ’84) will perform the National Anthem.
But that’s not all. Alumni are also invited to our Sept. 19 Memorial Stadium 100th Anniversary Game, where we’ll commemorate a century of Tiger football and look forward to a new era of excellence. Tigers will wear throwback uniforms that honor generations of Mizzou greats as they take on the Troy Trojans. We’ll also celebrate the long-overdue recognition of the 1960 Tiger team as national champions, following a unanimous resolution in the U.S. Senate introduced by Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt.
In connection with a landmark season, a special 100th anniversary collection is available for fans. I’m also honored to provide a foreword to a centennial book documenting the history of Memorial Stadium and featuring rare photos and unforgettable highlights. Look for the collection and book this fall in the new Tiger Team Store in the North End Zone.
Once you’re geared up for the new season, be sure to share your Mizzou spirit during Black and Gold Fridays. Each Friday throughout the season, all fans are invited to show that Mizzou pride runs deep in every corner of Missouri and wherever Tigers live and make a difference.
We’re ready to continue our momentum on the field and beyond as we win championships, drive impactful discoveries and prepare future leaders for success, all while bringing pride to Missourians and Tiger fans everywhere. See you at Memorial Stadium!
— Mun
Tigers get involved to make a difference
Aug. 30, 2026
Last week, we welcomed more than 9,000 new students to campus. As the Fall semester begins, the Mizzou community is ready to support their success by creating opportunities for all Tigers to get involved and start the year off strong.
Today marks the beginning of Involvement Week, highlighting over 650 recognized student organizations and opportunities to join fraternity and sorority life, club sports or another organization for students to explore. Across events including today’s Get Involved Fair, tomorrow’s Volunteer Fair and next week’s Study Abroad Fair, Tigers connect with each other and learn through hands-on experiences and meaningful engagement.
Mizzou is also a leader in undergraduate research opportunities, where students work alongside our world-class faculty to make a difference through discovery. Programs such as BioFLARE and Freshmen Research in Plants engage students in groundbreaking innovations and train a new generation to lead their fields. Mizzou’s Office of Undergraduate Research is ready to offer research support and mentorship.
We also prepare Tigers to compete for the nation’s top research honors. Through the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) Sprint, offered by our Office of Global and National Fellowships, students strengthen their applications for the prestigious NSF GRFP and position themselves for success in graduate school and as researchers.
At Mizzou, there are countless ways for students to get involved and develop the connections and skills they need to achieve excellence. I can’t wait to see what our Tigers achieve this semester.
— Mun
Transforming lives with the Thompson Center
Aug. 27, 2026
As we kick off another exciting semester, we’re also celebrating the growth of the Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment, which marked the grand opening of their new facility in May.
Already, the expanded Thompson Center is making a remarkable impact. The center recorded more than 21,000 patient visits and nearly 1,000 autism evaluations last fiscal year. Both are new records and are expected to increase in the year ahead. The waitlist for services has also decreased by 50%.
The team at the Thompson Center continues to change lives through breakthrough research and community outreach. In the last year, faculty published 35 impactful research articles, and staff trained more than 1,100 professionals through the Autism Friendly Business initiative. Beyond the numbers, the Thompson Center team is driven to make a difference, while setting a world-class standard of care.
We remain deeply grateful for the visionary leadership of Bill and Nancy Thompson, as well as the Thompson Foundation for Autism & Neurodevelopment, the State of Missouri and all supporters. The Thompsons saw the importance of this new facility and its transformative potential for our community. Their incredible dedication is changing lives and creating new opportunities for the next generation.
With the support of the Thompsons and the entire Thompson Center community, we are proud to meet the needs of families in Missouri and beyond.
— Mun
Alumni Power the Roar with historic results
Aug. 24, 2026
Momentum for Mizzou’s historic fundraising campaign, Power the Roar, is undeniable. Though publicly launched just a year ago, I’m excited to share that Tigers have already contributed $1.1 billion towards our $2 billion goal!
The new fiscal year just started, and we’re already on track for another record thanks to two recent signature gifts.
We’re honored that longtime supporters Rich Kinder (BA ’66, JD ’68) and Nancy Kinder have contributed an additional $25 million to grow the important work of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy. Their latest gift brings the Kinders’ total lifetime support of the university to $85 million. Then next week on Sept. 2, as part of our Mizzou Day of Celebration, we’ll announce an incredible $50 million gift from David Payne (BS EE ’83) to transform engineering education and research.
Also on Sept. 2, we’ll hold a grand-opening for the $260 million Memorial Stadium Centennial Project, ground-breaking for the $150 million Energy Innovation Center and pep rally for the entire Tiger community that celebrates the excitement and momentum of Power the Roar. I’ll share additional details about the Mizzou Day of Celebration events in next week’s email.
Power the Roar is an investment in excellence and drives meaningful progress in five priority pillars: educate future leaders, save and improve lives, build a resilient world, strengthen communities and develop champions. We’ve already received support from more than 70,000 donors around the world, and the number continues to grow.
Thank you for your dedication to Mizzou’s land-grant mission. With your help and ongoing support, we’ll continue to break new ground and make an extraordinary impact for our students and society.
— Mun
Our land-grant mission in action
Aug. 20, 2026
Mizzou’s impact reaches every community in Missouri. Throughout the summer, I’ve had the honor of seeing the difference we make firsthand at events across our great state.
I recently traveled to Portageville in Missouri’s Bootheel to celebrate the annual Fisher Delta Appreciation Breakfast and Field Day. The event featured U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, Congressman Jason Smith, Governor Mike Kehoe, State Senator Jason Bean, Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn, Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins and University of Missouri Curator John Raines, among many other state, community and university leaders. Our Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center is a world-class resource for producers in the Bootheel, and we continue to make great progress on the Roy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory. When completed, the facility will offer the very best resources for producers in the region and make a difference for the local economy and workforce.
Last week, we kicked off the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia with Mizzou Day, including a full schedule of exciting Tiger-themed events and announcements. Alongside Governor Kehoe, we celebrated a ribbon-cutting for the transformed 4-H Building on the fairgrounds and announced the game-changing new 4-H Mizzou Ready program, which provides guaranteed admission to Mizzou for qualified 4-H members. Missouri 4-H is a program of MU Extension, and this pathway program recognizes that 4-H members have the drive, resilience and leadership skills to succeed on campus. We’re proud to create even more opportunities for students across the state to earn a Mizzou degree and lead their communities.
Earlier this month, we celebrated the life and legacy of Congressman Jerry Litton at the Litton Legacy of Dreams 50th Anniversary in Chillicothe. The event was sponsored by the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, Mizzou and CAFNR.
I was pleased to participate in the program alongside Congressman Sam Graves, Director Chinn, former President of the University of Missouri Board of Curators Ed Turner and Litton Leadership Scholars alum Carley McLean. The late Congressman Litton was a proud Mizzou alum, a pioneer of cattle genetics and a prominent voice for rural Missourians. His legacy lives on throughout the state, including here on campus with the Litton Leadership Scholars, which supports the next generation of ag leaders.
Agriculture is central to who we are as the state’s flagship, land-grant university. Through partnerships and outreach across Missouri, we continue to support producers, invest in future leaders and work each day to meet the needs of all we serve.
— Mun
Mizzou Tigers are First Class
Aug. 17, 2026
For generations of alumni, Welcome Week traditions like Paint the M and First Roar introduced them to what makes our community a special place. Building on that legacy, this year we’re excited to include a new Welcome Week tradition for incoming students: First Class.
First Class is an academic convocation, highlighting the resources and support available to help Tigers succeed on their Mizzou journey. Some of you may remember a more traditional ceremony from years past. At this year’s newly reimagined ceremony held in Hearnes Center, students will hear from university leaders, along with a special keynote address from Mizzou alum David Novak, BJ ’74, co-founder and retired chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands. David and his family have made major investments in the next generation of Mizzou leaders by establishing the Novak Leadership Institute, the world’s first center dedicated to strategic communication-based leadership, available to students of all majors. His path from campus to global business leader shows the power and possibilities of a Mizzou degree.
The event will be emceed by two distinguished student leaders, seniors Tyson Ellison and Hailey Hester. Tyson is a broadcast journalism major from Boonville, Missouri, who contributes to KOMU 8 and the Tiger Kickoff Show and has interned with NBCUniversal. Hailey is a broadcast journalism major and Honors College student from McKinney, Texas, who serves as an anchor for KOMU 8, a member of the Alumni Association Student Board and vice president of recruitment for the Phi Mu chapter at Mizzou.
Hailey, Tyson and David all prove that Mizzou is where leaders are made, and they provide incredible examples of the life-changing opportunities available to our incoming students.
Marching Mizzou will also perform throughout the ceremony, along with special remarks from Director of Marching Mizzou and alum Dr. Amy M. Knopps, BS Ed ’01. All alumni are invited to join the livestream of First Class on Aug. 23 starting at 2 p.m.
No matter where their Mizzou education takes them, Tigers are dedicated to leadership, service and excellence. As we begin a new academic year, I am proud to welcome our incoming students at First Class, and I look forward to seeing how they make a difference on campus and beyond.
— Mun
A premier partnership with Oxford
Aug. 13, 2026
Mizzou’s Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy is a national leader in the study of America’s founding and global impact. Central to its continued growth and success is our strong partnership with the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, including the Rothermere American Institute and Corpus Christi College.
A delegation from Mizzou recently traveled to the U.K. to visit students participating in the Kinder Institute’s summer programs at Oxford. Along with exploring how the histories of the U.K. and U.S. inform the development of constitutional democracy, they saw firsthand the impact and excellence of one of the finest international partnerships in higher education.
Guests met with the 23 students completing our four-week Kinder-Rothermere American Institute Summer School course. For the first time, Mizzou students were joined this year by 15 students from the Patman Center at the University of Texas and the Hamilton School at the University of Florida, reflecting the Kinder Institute’s strong national and international reputation. The delegation also spent an evening with our MA in Atlantic History & Politics cohort.
Other highlights included a formal dinner with Sir John Major, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, as well as private tours of Blenheim Palace, Parliament and Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea Football Club, which is led by Mizzou alum Jason Gannon.
Together, more than 50 Mizzou students studied at Oxford through the Kinder Institute this summer. In each program, they earned a deeper appreciation for the foundations of our constitution while also preparing to be civic leaders who will move our state and nation forward.
We’re thrilled by the momentum of the Kinder Institute’s Oxford programs, and we remain deeply grateful for the support of Rich and Nancy Kinder and the Kinder Foundation®. We look forward to further strengthening our connections to the University of Oxford and providing transformative experiences for our students.
— Mun
Mizzou earns top rating for free expression
Aug. 10, 2026
I was thrilled to learn that Mizzou earned a “green light” speech code rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) for the second year in a row. This recognition represents the organization’s highest rating for policies that protect free expression and places Mizzou at #16 in the country. Other notable rankings in Missouri include Washington University at #72 and Missouri State University at #123. The University of Kansas is at #177.
FIRE’s speech code rating scale (green light, yellow light, red light and warning) evaluates policies that impact expression and reflect an institution’s overall commitment to free speech. Nearly all of Mizzou’s policies receive green light ratings, including those related to our advertised commitments to free expression.
This prestigious rating shows our dedication to academic freedom, including its privileges, limits and obligations, and to building a campus environment where all are able to speak, learn and discover. It’s our shared responsibility to treat everyone with civility and respect, while also holding accountable those who violate our policies. Working together, we are committed to creating a welcoming environment where each member of our community can learn, grow and thrive.
I also want to recognize the strong leadership from our Board of Curators, including Chair Todd Graves and Curator Jeanne Cairns Sinquefield. Their unwavering dedication to free expression has set a standard of excellence for all Tigers.
Mizzou’s green light rating reflects what alumni already know: Our campus is a special place where you can engage with others, share your voice and make an impact on Missouri and the world.
— Mun
Caring for campus, building for excellence
Aug. 6, 2026
The start of the fall semester is just a few weeks away, and crews are hard at work ensuring Mizzou remains a beautiful, safe and welcoming place for all Tigers.
Throughout the summer, around 750 full- and part-time Campus Facilities staff, including student workers, helped prepare Mizzou for the thousands of students, faculty, staff and guests we host each year. Their important work included:
• Converting 60% of exterior lighting to LED, improving visibility
• Installing additional security cameras for enhanced safety
• Completing essential repairs and maintenance, including for roads, landscaping, student housing, classrooms and laboratories
Thanks to their dedication, Mizzou continues to be recognized as one of the most beautiful universities in the country.
As we care for Mizzou’s historic campus, we’re also building innovative new facilities that support student success, advance critical research and strengthen engagement with the communities we serve. In the coming weeks, we’ll celebrate a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Energy Innovation Center and a ribbon cutting for the Memorial Stadium Centennial Project, among other transformative investments. Together, these projects build on our 187-year legacy of excellence and expand our impact in Missouri and across the nation.
I want to recognize all Campus Facilities team members, as well as our construction partners, for their work throughout the summer and their year-round contributions to our land-grant mission.
— Mun
Mizzou leads the way at the State Fair
Aug. 3, 2026
Next week, the Missouri State Fair begins in Sedalia, celebrating our state’s strong communities and connections to agriculture.
As Missouri’s flagship, land-grant university, we’re proud to continue our tradition of kicking off the fair with our annual Mizzou Day on August 13. Celebrations include an opening ceremony featuring state leaders, including Governor Mike Kehoe and former Governor Mike Parson, along with special appearances from Truman and Mizzou students, faculty and staff. We’ll also celebrate a historic ribbon cutting for the newly renovated 4-H Building, revitalizing the more than 120-year-old facility to serve our 4-H members for decades to come.
Missouri 4-H is a program of MU Extension, and we’re planning a special announcement at the fair that will create even more opportunities for 4-H members while building a new pathway for students from rural Missouri to become Tigers. We’re thrilled to share more details soon.
The Missouri State Fair connects communities across the state and creates opportunities for young people to share their hard work and dedication to Missouri agriculture. A great example of the connections between the Missouri State Fair and Mizzou is Macy Reed, a senior agribusiness management major who has maintained deep ties to the fair throughout her life.
Macy is from Green Ridge in Pettis County, just outside Sedalia. Growing up, she showed Hereford cattle at the fair through both 4-H and FFA. She received a scholarship from the Missouri State Fair Foundation’s Youth in Agriculture Committee and went on to intern with the fair’s Competitive Entry Department and the Sale of Champions. She transferred to Mizzou from State Fair Community College and currently serves as a junior member of the Missouri State Fair Foundation.
At this year’s fair, she’s volunteering at the MooZOU Gallery for Kids and at the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association’s Missouri Beef House as part of her participation with Mizzou Collegiate Cattlewomen. Macy said it is important for her to stay involved in the fair because she wants to show her support for the agricultural community, maintain close relationships across Missouri and keep learning new things about our great state.
Mizzou is proud to share our impact at the fair and to support the next generation of Missouri’s ag leaders, including talented students like Macy and 4-H members across the state. If you’re at the fair, stop by Mizzou Central and let us demonstrate the many ways we serve Missouri communities and help prepare agricultural leaders for the future.
— Mun