Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is a public, accredited university located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, near the banks of the Mississippi River. Established in 1873, their school colors are red and black. Southeast Missouri State has been a member of NCAA Division I (Division I FCS for football) since moving up from Division II in 1991. As a result of the promotion in classifications, Southeast Missouri State left the Division II athletic conference Mid–America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), of which they were a charter member in 1912, and joined the Division I Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).