College basketball fans from all over the country will tell you that you can’t get much more exciting games then you do when you watch the Missouri State Bears. This team has a long running history of intense games on the court that led to multiple appearances in the NCAA Tournament at the Division I and II levels. The team has fielded some of the most legendary players in college basketball and has earned their way to several regular season championships and high placements in everything from the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and more.
When the Bears hit the court, basketball fans get up and cheer and you can be part of the crowd. But everyone knows the Bears play hardest when defending their home stadium. So you can’t miss out on any of the all out wars taking place at Great Southern Bank Arena. And this website makes it easy to keep up to date on upcoming matches. We even make it easy to order your tickets so you can enjoy the best seats in the house.
About Springfield Arena
The Missouri State Bears play their home games out of Great Southern Bank Arena (formerly known as JQH Arena). Great Southern Bank Arena is an indoor arena located in Springfield, Missouri. It originally opened to the public in 2008 and is located on the campus of Missouri State University (MSU) and serves as the home for the Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears basketball teams. Many students refer to the arena as “the Q”.
This nickname likely came from both the original arena name as well as John Q. Hammons, a Springfield-based hotel developer and Missouri State alumnus who donated $30 million for the arena’s construction. It was later renamed to the Great Southern Bank Arena when the bank purchased naming rights for $5.5 million in April 2022.
Today’s arena has a reported maximum capacity of 11,000 seats, which include over 9,600 chairback seats, over 120 seats for permanently disabled guests, over 110 loge seats, and 22 private suites. The facility is designed for visitor comfort with over 166 public restrooms, six concession stands with 42 points of sale, plus several portable locations and 2 elevators. This gives plenty of space for guests for music concert events as well.\
The very first event held at the original arena was an Eagles concert held on November 13, 2008. The band played to a sold-out crowd of 10,550 visitors. The following year, in the fall of 2009, PBR made their first Built Ford Tough Series appearance at the original arena. They then appeared again at the arena in the spring of 2010, and summer of 2019.
Basketball Achievements
The Missouri State Bears basketball team was first founded in 1908. Since then, the team has gradually grown in strength on the court and have gradually played better and better games until they’ve become a popular force in the sport.
The Missouri State Bears currently play in the NCAA Division I level. They compete in the Missouri Valley Conference and are currently coached by Dana Ford, who was hired on March 21, 2018. The team plays their home games out of the 11,000-seat arena located on campus. But they weren’t always a Division I team.
In fact, the team first entered Division I during the 1982-83 season. Prior to joining Division I play, the team was a member of the NAIA, where they won national championships in 1952 and 1953 and the NCAA Division II, where they were national runner-up four times and champions of the 2010 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
