COLUMBIA, Mo. — Mizzou athletics simultaneously is thriving in its own bubble — be it with ticket sales, revenue, recruiting and NIL — while trailing other schools in its elite league in regards to on-field greatness and off-field financial boons. As the current Mizzou athletic department continues to make its march toward Southeastern Conference relevancy, one must know Mizzou has a brilliant and unwavering leader who is changing the game (and the game experience).
“We’re not going to accept mediocrity …†said Desiree Reed-Francois, Mizzou’s director of athletics, to the Post-Dispatch before Saturday’s football game against Middle Tennessee State. “We work really hard because we owe that to our state and we owe that to our student-athletes. That’s the given in this equation. And we’re determined. Make no mistake about it, we belong in the Southeastern Conference. And we’re going to stay true to our core values, and we hire people with high-character, low-ego, high-outcome and energy. But yeah, make no mistake about it — we’re not here for a participation trophy.â€
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Under Reed-Francois’ reign, which began in August 2021, Mizzou has reached its first revenue surplus in more than a half-decade, while energizing a fan base to sell out numerous men’s basketball games, as well next weekend’s football game against Kansas State — which entered this Saturday as the No. 15 team in the nation. It’s the first sellout of a Mizzou home game against a nonconference opponent since 2012. And football season ticket sales are up 10.4%, Reed-Francois said.
And the state’s aggressive and innovative name, imagine and likeness bill, passed this summer by politicians in Jefferson City, likely will persuade more in-state athletes to come to Columbia. Of course, this is a vital season for coach Eli Drinkwitz and the football team, which needs to win at least seven games to, terrible pun intended, advance the ball. The team is too talented to not make a big step in the coach’s fourth year.
Before Saturday’s game, Reed-Francois pointed out numerous changes made to the gameday experience. She cited surveys she and her staff meticulously analyze. And the result has been changes in everything from the reduced price of concessions to the upgraded Tiger Walk before the game.
“We’ve made a real concerted effort to include our students in the gameday atmosphere,†Reed-Francois said. “We hired a director of student engagement, which was a new position. We go to the fraternities and sororities and student activities. When you have a vibrant student section, they bring energy. And energy attracts energy. They’re critically important to what we do. …
“We very intentionally wanted to make the football atmosphere fun again, whether it was in-game atmosphere and looking at, ‘Hey, should we bring in skydivers? Let’s look at that. Let’s have an opening that is just next level. Let’s make sure our games aren’t overly commercialized.’ We want every single person in this stadium to walk away and say, ‘I had a great experience. This is a memory I’m going to remember forever because I shared it with (family or friends).’ â€
She is, if you will, a modern P.T. Barnum. And she’s taking her tent to ºüÀêÊÓƵ. The athletic department took a calculated risk by paying Memphis to keep Mizzou from playing a game there; instead, Mizzou moved the contest to ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Saturday, September 23. It’ll be at the Dome at America’s Center. It’s a perfect opportunity for ºüÀêÊÓƵans to make an impact on the athletic program’s growth — to acknowledge the process and the progress.
“It’s our largest alumni base — I think one in five living alums live in ºüÀêÊÓƵ,†she said. “We have 21 student-athletes on the football team that are from ºüÀêÊÓƵ. … We have so many recruits, so many student-athletes that are from there. And so, let’s go to it. When I was on the caravans, and I would hear about people’s memories, they would talk about the Illinois games (in ºüÀêÊÓƵ). So it was — how they how do we do that? Let’s to work with the Sports Commission.â€
Speaking to Reed-Francois — and those who know Reed-Francois — it’s clear that she has what it takes to take Mizzou to the next level. Her coaches must be in harmony, sure. But she is leading the athletic program into successful territory in so many regards. She’s a boss — she gets things done and maximizes talents of others who work for her.
“When I first got here, I said we were going to be about comprehensive excellence,†she said. “And that’s our responsibility. And it’s our privilege to do that. And so, I come to work every day with a grateful heart because I get to work with young people.
“When I went on my first caravan we were in Memphis, Missouri, and Chillicothe and, I think, we went on 26 stops. And it really resonated with me how much the University of Missouri matters to people here in our state, but also in our region. So we have a responsibility to our 550 student athletes, but also to our state.â€
She knows how much Missouri matters to Missouri. Her goal is to make Missouri matter in the SEC. It’s not a snap-of-the-finger thing. But Mizzou’s chase of relevancy, which over the years has often felt redundant, is accelerating with Reed-Francois.