Conference USA has re-released its 2026 football schedule after Louisiana Tech's departure to the Sun Belt. The updated schedule now features 10 member institutions, following the settlement reached on April 27.
Key points
Conference USA re-released its 2026 football schedule
Louisiana Tech is leaving for the Sun Belt
The updated schedule features 10 member institutions
UTEP has also departed for the Mountain West
No new programs will be added for the 2026 season
Louisiana TechUTEPConference USASun Belt
JACKSONVILLE, ALABAMA - DECEMBER 5: Caden Creel #12 of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks tries to run past Milon Jones #29 of the Kennesaw State Owls during the first half at AmFirst Stadium on December 5, 2025 in Jacksonville, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images) | Getty Images
JACKSONVILLE, ALABAMA - DECEMBER 5: Caden Creel #12 of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks tries to run past Milon Jones #29 of the Kennesaw State Owls during the first half at AmFirst Stadium on December 5, 2025 in Jacksonville, Alabama. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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.
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
Q&A
Why did Louisiana Tech leave Conference USA for the Sun Belt?
Louisiana Tech left Conference USA due to a settlement that allowed them to officially join the Sun Belt for the 2026 season.
What changes were made to the Conference USA 2026 football schedule?
The revised 2026 schedule no longer includes Louisiana Tech, reflecting the conference's updated membership of 10 institutions.
Which teams are in Conference USA for the 2026 season?
For the 2026 season, Conference USA will feature 10 member institutions, excluding Louisiana Tech and UTEP, which has moved to the Mountain West.
When was the new Conference USA schedule released?
The new version of the Conference USA 2026 football schedule was released two days after the settlement regarding Louisiana Tech on April 27.
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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:
