This week on The Starting Lineup, hosts Scott Puryear, Ned Reynolds, and Art Hains sat down with Kelsey Tolbert, Missouri State’s Associate AD for External Relations and Marketing, the powerhouse behind the growing buzz around Bears athletics.

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With Homecoming weekend in full swing, Kelsey shared her mission: get more butts in seats and make every fan’s game-day experience unforgettable. The Bears take on UTEP this Saturday at Plaster Stadium, with kickoff at 2:00 PM and a full day of festivities leading up to it, including the Homecoming parade at 9:00 AM, Bearfest Village tailgating starting at 11:00 AM, and the Bear Walk at 11:45 AM. The energy? Off the charts.

But the real story goes deeper than football. Kelsey compared the Bears’ rise to her time at App State, a program that built national recognition from the ground up. Her vision? Get Missouri State to that same level within a decade, if not sooner. She’s already making moves with creative ideas like a student cooler coat check (so no one skips the second half), relocated tailgates that blend student and alumni zones, and a renewed push to make sporting events a true part of the MSU experience.

Beyond football, Tolbert teased exciting things for Lady Bears basketball, who face powerhouses like Arkansas and Gonzaga this season, and hinted at a revamp of the men’s basketball game-day show to inject even more fan engagement. Plus, with players calling season ticket holders and visiting local schools, she’s ensuring that Bears pride reaches every corner of Springfield.

Whether it’s a roaring crowd at Plaster Stadium or maroon-dyed “Beard Backers” next season (yes, that’s a thing Art Hains pitched), one thing’s clear: Kelsey Tolbert is helping build a new era of Bears spirit, one fan at a time.