Memphis football vs Mississippi State 2028 game canceled, 2029 game moved to 2034

The Memphis football team's planned 2028 matchup against Mississippi State was canceled, with the 2029 game in Starkville now rescheduled for 2034, as confirmed by a Mississippi State athletic department representative. The teams had entered into a home-and-home agreement in 2020 for the 2028 and 2029 games. According to the contract, the team that cancels the game - unless it's a mutual decision - must pay $1 million per game to the opposing side.

Additionally, a clause permits a team to cancel the game if it must play more than the initially agreed number of games due to conference changes. The reason for the cancellation and rescheduling remains unclear. The SEC expanded from eight to nine conference games starting in 2026, and Memphis has faced challenges in scheduling games against power conference opponents since this change.

Memphis's next nonconference games include matchups against Arkansas (road), Toledo (road), and Arkansas State (home). However, a scheduled game against Arkansas in 2026 was moved to 2030, with only the Arkansas road games in 2028 and 2030 remaining as power conference matchups in Memphis's future schedule. The Tigers began their 2026 season on the road at UNLV on August 29 (9 p.m. CT, FOX).