Missouri State football returned to the EA Sports College Football franchise when the game was released on Monday, July 7, to those who had pre-ordered the deluxe edition or MVP bundle.
The standard edition of the game will be available to play on Thursday.
We pre-ordered the game to give Missouri State fans a first look at the Bears‘ representation in the game. The Bears haven’t been featured in the game since 2005, but will be a popular team in this year’s edition because they’re a new FBS program with a low rating.
Here’s what we took away from our first hour playing the game.
EA Sports College Football 26 nailed Plaster Stadium
The attention to detail at Plaster Stadium is stunning. It might not be the greatest venue in the world, and it needs numerous upgrades, but it’s the one fans hold in their hearts because it’s theirs.
Missouri State ensured EA Sports had the renderings of the new playing surface, and the new field is now in the game, showcasing the new “Mo State” font in the end zone and the Missouri outline around the midfield Bear logo.
Both sides of the stadium are spot on, featuring the Bear head logos on the east side and the Pride Band taking up the middle. That was expected, especially after playing last year’s game, but it was fun to see EA Sports nail it.
The part that wasn’t as expected was the level of detail on the outside of the stadium. The parking lot across Grand Avenue from the stadium is precisely what you’d see in real life. On the north side of the stadium, there are renderings of McDonald Arena and Carrington Hall, along with the Bearhead tiled sidewalk in the middle of campus. The details here might be the best part of the entire stadium build.
Here is a tour around Plaster Stadium in EA Sports College Football 26. pic.twitter.com/pf2BhgieoQ
— Wyatt Wheeler (@WyattWheeler_NL) July 7, 2025
How does College Football 26 rate Missouri State in Dynasty Mode?
As expected, Missouri State is one of the lowest-rated teams in the game. The Bears, with a 69 overall ranking, a 66 rating on offense, and a 64 rating on defense out of 100, are ranked as the worst team in Conference USA, tied with Akron and UMass, and ahead of only Ball State and Kent State of the MAC.
As far as the grades go in Dynasty Mode, the Bears are littered with “F” grades when trying to attract recruits. That includes Academic Prestige, Athletic Facilities, Brand Exposure, Program Tradition and Stadium Atmosphere, which the game tries to replicate real life. Those grades are on the same scale as those of teams like Georgia and Alabama, which receive higher grades.
How did College Football 26 do on Missouri State’s roster?
The roster currently includes those who were on Missouri State’s campus during the spring season. There are some missing, including some freshmen, but they could be added in future roster updates.
There aren’t many complaints with how the Bears are initially rated. The depth chart is well-represented, which may have included input from coaches and utilized depth charts from last season. Florida International transfer running back Shomari Lawrence and Washington State transfer running back Josh Joyner are a lot of fun to play with.
The biggest criticism of how EA Sports built the roster will likely stem from the apparent ethnicity of star quarterback Jacob Clark in the game. At the launch of the game, he’s portrayed as a Black man, but he’s white in real life. It wouldn’t be surprising to see EA Sports update that soon.
What other Missouri State football-centric features are there?
When you first launch the game, you’ll be asked to pick your favorite team. If you choose the Bears, your backgrounds are full of MSU logos and colors. On the main menu, it shows the Bears running out of the tunnel onto the field in video game form. There’s a photo of Clark, and the team’s hashtags “#OUTHITOUTHUSTLE” and “#PROVEIT,” which you can typically find on Missouri State coach Ryan Beard’s social media accounts.
When playing a game, you see Missouri State’s run out the field, accurate to what you’d see moments before kickoff at Plaster Stadium. Several former members of the Pride Band posted on social media about how accurately the placement of the band members reflected their real-life formations.
The Missouri State fight song also plays when the Bears run on the field or score a touchdown.
Overall, Missouri State is well-represented in EA Sports College Football 26
The Bears’ inclusion in College Football 26 is a nice perk of joining Conference USA and the FBS ranks. It appears that over 60 Missouri State players opted into the game, doling out approximately $90,000 in Name, Image, and Likeness compensation to athletes on the Bears’ roster alone.
Missouri State should be one of the more popular teams in the game, given the difficulty of building the Bears into a College Football Playoff contender, which may be one of the most enjoyable features in the game.
Those who love Missouri State football will want to get their hands on this game.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State in College Football 26: Breaking down Bears in game