About the Conference USA
Conference USA navigated significant change heading into 2026, losing UTEP to the Mountain West while retaining a core of competitive programs. The 11-team league includes Liberty, Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State, UAB, FAU, FIU, Delaware, Missouri State, and Kennesaw State — a mix of former FCS programs making their FBS mark and established mid-major programs.
CUSA's FCS-to-FBS pipeline has been the most active in recent years, with Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, Kennesaw State, Delaware, and Missouri State all transitioning from the FCS ranks. These programs bring winning cultures and established fanbases to FBS competition.
Select any team below to view their live countdown, full 2026 schedule, and cross-linked opponent pages. Every game on every schedule links to that opponent's own CFBCountdown page.
Conference History & Legacy
Conference USA has undergone more transformation than perhaps any league in college athletics. Originally formed in 1995 from Metro Conference and Great Midwest Conference members, C-USA has survived repeated waves of realignment that saw programs like Louisville, Cincinnati, Houston, Memphis, UCF, and East Carolina depart for other leagues. The current iteration features a mix of programs rebuilding toward FBS competitiveness and institutions establishing their football identities.
The conference's current membership includes programs with strong regional followings. Western Kentucky has built a consistent winner in Bowling Green, Kentucky, while Liberty's rapid rise from FCS independence to FBS conference membership represents one of the most ambitious program-building stories in recent college football history. Middle Tennessee, located in Murfreesboro near Nashville, benefits from one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the Southeast. Jacksonville State and Sam Houston are recent FBS additions still finding their footing at the highest level.
C-USA schools compete in venues ranging from the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio (UTSA's home) to the more intimate settings at Louisiana Tech's Joe Aillet Stadium and FIU's Pitbull Stadium. While the conference may lack the national profile of Power Four leagues, C-USA provides essential opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the FBS level and for universities to build athletic programs that enhance campus life and community engagement.
Conference USA Teams 2026
The Conference USA Championship Game, typically held at the home stadium of the highest-ranked division winner, provides the conference with its signature end-of-season event and a pathway to bowl eligibility for its participants. Conference USA maintains bowl partnerships that give member programs postseason opportunities, reinforcing the value of conference membership for programs building toward sustained FBS competitiveness.