The 2026 MIAA football season opens Thursday night with Pittsburg State at the center of it. The Gorillas, ranked No. 5 in the preseason Division II Top 25, host No. 1 Ferris State at 7:05 p.m. at Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg.
That matchup gives Pitt State Football an immediate measuring stick against the defending national power, and it comes with the highest ranking of any MIAA team in the preseason poll. The Gorillas and Bulldogs headline a seven-game slate involving MIAA teams, but this one is the clear focal point because it pairs the conference’s top-ranked team with the top-ranked team in Division II on opening night.
The preseason Top 25 puts three MIAA teams in the mix, with Northwest Missouri State at No. 6 and Northeastern State at No. 23. That gives the league a quick read on where it stands before the first weekend is over, and Thursday’s schedule stretches well beyond Pittsburg.
Fort Hays State opens on the road against Angelo State at 7 p.m. in San Angelo, Texas. Emporia State goes to Minot State for a 6 p.m. kickoff in Minot, North Dakota, while Missouri Western hosts No. 13 Augustana at 7 p.m. in St. Joseph, Missouri. Central Missouri travels to face No. 10 CSU Pueblo at 7 p.m. in Pueblo, Colorado, Nebraska Kearney hosts Wayne State at 6 p.m., and Central Oklahoma plays Texas Wesleyan at 6 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas.
For Pittsburg State, the opening game is more than a season starter. It is a direct test against the team that sits at the top of Division II, and it arrives before anyone in the MIAA has settled into a rhythm. If the Gorillas want to shape the league race early, Thursday is where that begins.
