All 10 FBS conferences released their 2026 football schedules prior to the end of March. However, one of those conference schedules required a significant revision.
Conference USA and Sun Belt both included Louisiana Tech on their initial schedules which were released within 24 hours of each other in mid-March. But only one conference can claim the Bulldogs for the 2026 season, and that honor belongs to the Sun Belt. On Monday, Apr. 27, the CUSA and Louisiana Tech reached a settlement, allowing the Bulldogs to officially depart the conference in July in favor of the Sun Belt.
Two days after the settlement was made official, the CUSA released the 2.0 version of its 2026 schedule, this time bereft of Louisiana Tech. In 2026, the CUSA will feature 10 member institutions. The league loses former members UTEP (to the Mountain West) and Louisiana Tech (to the Sun Belt), and for the first time since 2022, it will not add any programs.
The 2026 CUSA football schedule is as follows:
| Week | Saturday Date | Delaware | FIU | Jacksonville State | Kennesaw State | Liberty | Middle Tennessee | Missouri State | New Mexico State | Sam Houston | WKU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Aug. 29 | BYE | BYE | at North Dakota State* | BYE | BYE | BYE | BYE | at Florida State* | BYE | BYE |
| 1 | Sept. 5 | Merrimack (FCS)* [Thu] | at South Florida* | vs. Eastern Kentucky (FCS)* | vs. West Georgia (FCS)* | at James Madison* | vs. Murray State (FCS)* | at Texas A&M* | vs. Mercyhurst (FCS)* | at Troy* | at Nevada* |
| 2 | Sept. 12 | at Vanderbilt* | vs. Buffalo* | at Ohio* | vs. Georgia State* | vs. Gardner-Webb (FCS)* | at Marshall* | vs. Lindenwood (FCS)* | at Hawaii* | vs. Tulsa* | at Georgia* |
| 3 | Sept. 19 | vs. Coastal Carolina* | at Florida Atlantic* | vs. Georgia Southern* | at Tennessee* | vs. Ball State* | vs. Nevada* | vs. Marshall* | BYE | vs. Nicholls (FCS)* | at Indiana* |
| 4 | Sept. 26 | at Virginia* | vs. Long Island (FCS)* | vs. Middle Tennessee | at Arkansas State* | at Coastal Carolina [Thu]* | at Jax State | at SMU* | vs. New Mexico* | at Texas Tech* | vs. Mercyhurst (FCS)* |
| 5 | Oct. 3 | vs. Liberty [Fri] | BYE | BYE | BYE | at Delaware [Fri] | at Kansas* | BYE | vs. WKU [Thu] | BYE | at New Mexico State [Thu] |
| 6 | Oct. 10 | BYE | vs. New Mexico State [Wed] | at Kennesaw State [Wed] | vs. Jax State [Wed] | vs. Sam Houston [Thu] | BYE | at WKU [Thu] | at FIU [Wed] | at Liberty [Thu] | vs. Missouri State [Thu] |
| 7 | Oct. 17 | at Middle Tennessee [Tue] | at Jax State [Tue] | vs. FIU [Tue] | at Missouri State [Wed] | BYE | vs. Delaware [Tue] | vs. Kennesaw State [Wed] | BYE | vs. WKU [Wed] | at Sam Houston [Wed] |
| 8 | Oct. 24 | vs. Missouri State [Tue] | vs. Middle Tennessee [Tue] | BYE | vs. Liberty [Wed] | at Kennesaw State [Wed] | at FIU [Tue] | at Delaware [Tue] | at Sam Houston [Wed] | vs. New Mexico State [Wed] | BYE |
| 9 | Oct. 31 | at WKU [Tue] | at Liberty | at New Mexico State [Wed] | at Middle Tennessee [Wed] | vs. FIU | vs. Kennesaw State [Wed] | vs. Sam Houston [Tue] | vs. Jax State [Wed] | at Missouri State [Tue] | at Delaware [Tue] |
| 10 | Nov. 7 | at Kennesaw State | vs. Missouri State | vs. Sam Houston | vs. Delaware | at New Mexico State | vs. WKU | at FIU | vs. Liberty | at Jax State | at Middle Tennessee |
| 11 | Nov. 14 | vs. FIU | at Delaware | at WKU | at Sam Houston | vs. Middle Tennessee | at Liberty | vs. New Mexico State | at Missouri State | vs. Kennesaw State | vs. Jax State |
| 12 | Nov. 21 | at New Mexico State | at Kennesaw State | vs. Missouri State | vs. FIU | vs. WKU | at Sam Houston | at Jax State | vs. Delaware | vs. Middle Tennessee | at Liberty |
| 13 | Nov. 28 | vs. Jax State | vs. Sam Houston | at Delaware | at WKU | at Missouri State | vs. New Mexico State | vs. Liberty | at Middle Tennessee | at FIU | vs. Kennesaw State |
| 14 | Dec. 5 | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] | CUSA Championship [Fri] |
* denotes non-conference game
Weekday CUSA, chapter IV
For the fourth-straight year, Conference USA football will grace our television screens on Tuesday nights and Wednesday nights. The Mid-American Conference originally popularized midweek football in November at the turn of the century, but in 2022, the CUSA began saturating the Tuesday and Wednesday vacancies in October.
Officially dubbed “Weekday CUSA” — a tagline now painted on the field during the midweek contests — the league has received increased national television exposure over the past three years. The Weekday CUSA contests are typically televised on ESPN2, ESPNU, and CBS Sports Network, and the conference’s weeknight deal with these networks extends through the 2027 season.
In 2026, the slate of 18 weeknight games commences Thursday, Oct. 1 and stretches through Wednesday, Oct. 28 in a 5-week affair. Below is the full Weekday CUSA schedule for the upcoming season:
Week 5
- Thursday, Oct. 1: WKU at New Mexico State
- Friday, Oct. 2: Liberty at Delaware
Week 6
- Wednesday, Oct. 7: New Mexico State at FIU
- Wednesday, Oct. 7: Jacksonville State at Kennesaw State
- Thursday, Oct. 8: Sam Houston at Liberty
- Thursday, Oct. 8: Missouri State at WKU
Week 7
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: Delaware at Middle Tennessee
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: FIU at Jacksonville State
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: Kennesaw State at Missouri State
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: WKU at Sam Houston
Week 8
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Missouri State at Delaware
- Tuesday, Oct. 20: Middle Tennessee at FIU
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Liberty at Kennesaw State
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: New Mexico State at Sam Houston
Week 9
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: Delaware at WKU
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: Sam Houston at Missouri State
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Jacksonville State at New Mexico State
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: Kennesaw State at Middle Tennessee
FIU, Jacksonville State, Liberty, and Middle Tennessee each play three Weekday CUSA games. Delaware, Kennesaw State, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, and WKU play four apiece. All 10 teams receive a bye week during October.
All-inclusive title game
It wasn’t the case in 2023. It also wasn’t the case in 2024. Nor 2025.
But 2026 is the first time in four years where every CUSA team is eligible to win a conference championship. There are no programs transitioning from the FCS level, so there are no temporary 1-year bans from the conference title game. Delaware and Missouri State — which both produced 7-6 records and qualified for bowl games in their debutante FBS seasons — are able to qualify for the Dec. 4 CUSA Championship Game.
For the seventh-consecutive year, the CUSA Championship Game will transpire on a Friday night on CBS Sports Network. It is one of five conference championships currently slated for Friday, Dec. 4 — sharing the night with the Big 12, Mountain West, Pac-12, and Sun Belt.
The CUSA Championship Game is hosted by the team with the best conference record, and the next highest team in the conference standings will play the role as visitor. Jacksonville State hosted each of the last two seasons, aiming to become the first time to host three-straight CUSA title matchups.
Only four of the 10 current members have won a CUSA championship — WKU in 2015 and 2016, Liberty in 2023, Jacksonville State in 2024, and Kennesaw State in 2025.
Reliving a championship thriller
Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State produced one of the most thrilling CUSA Championship endings of all-time last year. The Owls converted a do-or-die 4th and 14 in dramatic fashion, and one play later, they delivered the game-winning touchdown pass with 51 seconds remaining to capture their first CUSA title.
The rematch of the epic championship will kick off in Kennesaw, GA on Wednesday, Oct. 7 — meaning it will draw a weeknight national television audience. Both head coaches — Jax State’s Charles Kelly and Kennesaw State’s Jerry Mack — return for the 2026 season, and this matchup remains laden with star talent including Jax State quarterback Caden Creel and Kennesaw State inside linebacker Baron Hopson. It’s the conference opener for the Gamecocks and Owls, but championship stakes could very well be on the line the first Wednesday night of October.
Zeroing in on an early start
Conference USA is no stranger to utilizing Week 0. In 2023, five CUSA teams headlined the late-August stage, and last year, the league showcased a conference matchup between WKU and Sam Houston. This season, two CUSA teams will be spotlighted the first day of the season on Saturday, Aug. 29:
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State
Jacksonville State travels to Fargo, ND to test its mettle against FBS newcomer and former FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. The matchup at the Fargodome is a rematch of the 2015 FCS National Championship, a contest dominated 37-10 by Carson Wentz and the Bison. Jacksonville State won its first game as an FBS member three years ago, and now the Gamecocks hope to deny NDSU from experiencing a similar debut.
New Mexico State at Florida State
New Mexico State also receives a head start to its 2026 campaign. Head coach Tony Sanchez and his Aggies look to rebound from a 4-8 campaign and pull off a signature upset in Tallahassee. New Mexico State faces Florida State for the first time since 1964, hoping to become the first CUSA team to knock off the Seminoles since 2002 Louisville.
Matchups we won’t see
The CUSA has 10 teams. Each team plays eight conference games. Crunch the numbers, and the league falls just short of a round-robin schedule. Every team misses out on exactly one opponent, and here are the CUSA matchups we won’t see in 2026:
- Delaware will not play Sam Houston
- FIU will not play WKU
- Jacksonville State will not play Liberty
- Kennesaw State will not play New Mexico State
- Liberty will not play Jacksonville State
- Middle Tennessee will not play Missouri State
- Missouri State will not play Middle Tennessee
- New Mexico State will not play Kennesaw State
- Sam Houston will not play Delaware
- WKU will not play FIU