Missouri football (7-4) appears ready to act decisively to secure the long-term future of head coach Eli Drinkwitz in Columbia. USC, Florida, LSU and Penn State have dominated national coaching narratives for weeks, but in the midst of the carousel, the Tigers are quietly positioning themselves to prevent uncertainty from lingering inside their own walls.
Missouri’s governing board is scheduled to meet Wednesday with the intention of reviewing parameters tied to a new agreement for its current head coach, a procedural milestone that signals a meaningful financial step to keep Drinkwitz at the helm beyond his existing deal.
The conversation surrounding a raise began gaining attention after insiders revealed that Missouri was actively discussing formal retention plans.
“Source confirms meeting set for tomorrow to talk proposed contract, as Ross Dellenger first reported. Eli Drinkwitz has been a popular name this coaching cycle, mentioned in searches at Penn State, Auburn and LSU.” On3's Pete Nakos posted on X, formerly Twitter.
This built on initial reporting from Ross Dellenger, whose updates have clarified that Wednesday’s scheduled session is part of an authorization process and not a signing ceremony.
Dellenger, a national columnist for Yahoo Sports, emphasized that the meeting allows Missouri the ability to formally continue negotiations, but that the final stages still lie ahead and should not be interpreted as a completed extension yet.
“The Missouri Board of Curators meeting on Wednesday is to authorize the university to move forward with a proposed – not finalized – new contract for coach Eli Drinkwitz, sources tell YahooSports. There are several more steps in this process. No announcement is imminent.” Ross posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Missouri already approved an extension for Drinkwitz this past July, pushing his contract through the 2029 season while increasing investment in staffing infrastructure.
That summer agreement also expanded the salary pool for assistant coaches and support personnel, a move designed to reinforce competitive stability around Drinkwitz and his staff following periods of external speculation.
With procedural steps now formally being presented to the Board of Curators, Missouri is demonstrating it wants its future defined by continuity — not conjecture.
On field, Missouri’s next opportunity to strengthen its resume and his momentum arrives Saturday when the Tigers face Arkansas (2-9) in their regular-season finale on the road.
