FRISCO, Texas — Missouri State University has accepted an invitation to participate in the inaugural Xbox Bowl which will be played at the 12,000-seat Ford Center, located at The Star in Frisco, Texas on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. (Central).
The Bears (7-5) will represent Conference USA in their first-ever FBS bowl appearance and will square off with Sun Belt representative Arkansas State (6-6) in the nationally-televised contest on ESPN2.
Both new and current Missouri State season ticket holders and Bears Fund members will receive priority ticket access before the Missouri State allotment is made available to the general public. When available, all fans are encouraged to purchase bowl tickets through the Missouri State Athletics Box Office to guarantee seats in the Bear’s fan section and directly support Missouri State Athletics.
Additional information related to game tickets, hotel information and bowl-related activities will be announced in the coming days on MissouriStateBears.com and related social media channels (@MoStateFootball and @MissouriStBears).
The Xbox Bowl, which replaces the now-defunct Bahamas Bowl, joins the portfolio of 17 postseason college football games owned and operated by ESPN Events, many of which have become launchpads for future NFL talent and unforgettable fan experiences. For information on the 2025 Xbox Bowl, please go to www.XboxBowl.com.
About ESPN Events
ESPN Events, a division of ESPN, owns and operates a portfolio of collegiate sporting events nationwide. In the 2025-26 academic year, the 35-event schedule includes three early-season college football kickoff games, 17 college bowl games, 10 college basketball events, two college volleyball events, the premier regular season college softball and gymnastics events, as well as the Band of the Year National Championship. Collectively, these events account for over 400 hours of live programming on ESPN platforms, reaching 60 million viewers and attracting more than 650,000 annual attendees. Each year, the portfolio of events features more than 20 Division I conferences and hosts over 4,000 participating student-athletes. With satellite offices in more than 10 cities across the country, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans. Follow ESPN Events on Facebook, Twitter/X and YouTube pages.
About The Star
The Star is the 91-acre campus of the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters and training facility in Frisco, Texas. Developed as a first-of-its-kind partnership between the City of Frisco, Frisco ISD and the Dallas Cowboys, The Star features Ford Center, a 12,000-seat stadium that hosts Frisco ISD football games, concerts and other events; Cowboys Fit, a 60,000 square-foot gym developed in partnership with leading fitness developer, Mark Mastrov; Cowboys Club, a members-only club where the country club meets the NFL; the Omni Frisco Hotel, a 16-floor, 300-room luxury hotel; Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research at The Star, a 300,000 square-foot center of excellence for sports medicine; Twelve Cowboys Way, a 17-story, luxury residential tower in partnership between Pro Football Hall-of-Fame Quarterback #12 Roger Staubach, and Dallas-based developer and former Dallas Cowboys center, Robert Shaw; Formation, a dynamic coworking experience offering a collaborative work environment of open workspace, dedicated desks and private offices; as well as a variety of shopping, dining and nightlife options throughout. For more information on The Star, visit www.TheStarInFrisco.com. Follow the game with Xbox at, TikTok, Threads, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Media Contacts
Frisco Bowl Media Coordinator: Ray Mallouk, 214-403-8334, RMallouk@Breakaway-Sports.com
ESPN Media Contact: Danny Chi, 213-405-4400, Danny.C.Chi@ESPN.com
Xbox Contact: Betsy Sund and Dustin Blackwell, xboxpress@assemblyinc.com
Missouri State: Rick Kindhart, rkindhart@missouristate.edu
