Football | 7/8/2026 11:48:00 AM

July 8, 2026-The MIAA Football Game of the Week on the Spot, Kansas City 38 is returning for the 2026 season and Emporia State will be featured three times. With the Association's continued partnership with Scripps News and its independent television station, KMCI, football fans within the Kansas City metro viewing area will have the opportunity to watch some of the best matchups in the 2026 NCAA Division II football season.
 
The Hornets first televised game will be on October 3 against Missouri Western at Welch Stadium. It will be Emporia State's only home game on The Spot.  The Hornets will be the road team in two of the last three regular season games.  Emporia State will take on Northwest Missouri on Halloween in Maryville, Mo. and the TV package will end with the Hornets travelling to Fort Hays State on November 14 in the final regular season game of the year.

"We're very excited to enter our third year featuring a MIAA Football TV Game of the Week on the Spot, Kansas City 38," said MIAA Commissioner Mike Racy. " Kansas City continues to be a great platform for sports television, which helps the MIAA office reach new audiences to showcase some of the best collegiate football programs in the Midwest. We also know that this exposure could help drive new patrons to The MIAA Network."
 
Serving the Kansas City metropolitan area, the Spot, Kansas City 38 will broadcast a total of 13 MIAA football games to local television audiences in the greater Kansas City area. The schedule was designed to provide one of the conference's top matchups each week in the 2026 season. All 10 MIAA teams will be featured throughout the 13-week schedule, with at least one live television broadcast from nine different MIAA football campuses. This is the first year that the MIAA Football Game of the Week schedule will feature 13 games.
 
All MIAA football contests will continue to be streamed live on The MIAA Network, the official digital streaming platform of the MIAA.
 
First broadcasting in 1988, KMCI/the Spot, Kansas City 38 only independent station under the Scripps News Group. Scripps News is a dynamic team of journalists, all working together to bring you on-the-ground reporting that puts facts and people first.

Between 1997 and last season the Hornets have been on live television 28 times.

The Hornets have averaged over seven wins a year over the past four seasons. They are set to return 13 starters from last season including All-American linebacker Landon Boss, First-Team All-MIAA receiver Malik O'Atis, Second-Team All-MIAA defensive back Tyler Schultze and Third-Team All-MIAA offensive lineman Trevion Mitchell. Reserved season tickets are on sale now at esuhornets.com while season passes for The MIAA Network will go on sale in August.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE:
WEEK 0: August 27 at 7 PM — Ferris State @ Pittsburg State (Thursday Night)
WEEK 1: September 3 at 7 PM — Missouri Western @ Central Missouri (Thursday Night)
WEEK 1: September 5 at 12 PM — Colorado School of Mines @ Washburn
WEEK 2: September 12 at 1:30 PM — Washburn @ Northwest Missouri
WEEK 3: September 19 at 12 PM — Central Oklahoma @ Washburn
WEEK 4: September 26 at 7 PM — Northwest Missouri @ Central Oklahoma
WEEK 5: October 3 at 1 PM — Missouri Western @ Emporia State
WEEK 6: October 10 at 6 PM — Nebraska Kearney @ Missouri Western
WEEK 7: October 17 at 1 PM — Washburn @ Central Missouri
WEEK 8: October 24 at 2 PM — Central Oklahoma @ Pittsburg State
WEEK 9: October 31 at 2 PM — Emporia State @ Northwest Missouri
WEEK 10: November 7 at 1 PM — Central Oklahoma @ Missouri Southern
WEEK 11: November 14 at 1 PM — Emporia State @ Fort Hays State
 
BROADCAST STATION GUIDE:

Cable/Satellite Provider for KMCI-TV	Standard Tier Channel	Digital Tier Channel
Spectrum (Kansas City Metro)	Channel No. 8	Channel No. 1230
Comcast (Independence, MO)	Channel No. 5	Channel No. 807
Comcast (Olathe, KS)	Channel No. 5	Channel No. 807
Dish Network (Kansas City DMA)	Channel No. 38	N/A
Direct TV (Kansas City DMA)	Channel No. 38	N/A
AT&T U-Verse (Kansas City DMA)	Channel No. 38	N/A
Midco (Lawrence, KS)	Channel No. 15	Channel No. 615
Optimum (St. Joseph, MO)	Channel No. 17	N/A
Optimum (Maryville, MO)	Channel No. 19	N/A
Optimum (Warrensburg, MO)	Channel No. 13	N/A
Over-The-Air	Channel No. 38.1	N/A