2023 Conference USA football season | |
---|---|
![]() | |
League | NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision |
Sport | Football |
Duration | August 26 – December 2, 2023 |
Number of teams | 9 |
2024 NFL Draft | |
Top draft pick | Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky |
Picked by | New York Jets (round 3, pick 65) |
Regular season | |
Season champions | Liberty |
CUSA Championship Game | |
Champions | Liberty |
Runners-up | New Mexico State |
Finals MVP | Kaidon Salter, QB, Liberty |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 25 Liberty y$ | 8 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New Mexico State y | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jacksonville State* | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Kentucky | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Middle Tennessee | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
UTEP | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sam Houston* | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Louisiana Tech | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FIU | 1 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Championship: Liberty 49, New Mexico State 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The 2023 Conference USA football season was the 28th season of college football play for Conference USA (CUSA). The season began on August 26, 2023 and ended with the Conference Championship Game on December 2, 2023. [1] The conference consisted of nine members and was part of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
During the 2022 season, the UTSA Roadrunners posted the best record in the regular season. UTSA and North Texas advanced to the championship game, where UTSA won by a score of 48–27.
Prior to the 2023 season, Conference USA saw substantial realignment, with six schools leaving the conference to join the American Athletic Conference: UTSA, North Texas, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice, and UAB. [2] Conference USA then invited four schools to join: Liberty and New Mexico State, who were both previously FBS independents; Jacksonville State, who were previously in the ASUN Conference at the Division I FCS level; and Sam Houston, who were previously in the Western Athletic Conference also at the Division I FCS level. [3] The realignment left CUSA with nine football members for the 2023 season. CUSA further announced that Kennesaw State, another member of the ASUN Conference, would move up beginning in 2024. [4]
On the same day the membership changes took effect (July 1, 2023), the conference unveiled a "brand refresh". The former abbreviation of "C-USA" was retired in favor of "CUSA", and the logo was slightly updated. [5]
Both Jacksonville State and Sam Houston were initially ineligible for both the conference championship and for bowl games due to their transition from the FCS level to FBS level. However, Jacksonville State received a berth in the New Orleans Bowl after only 79 non-transitional teams were eligible to fill the 82 bowl slots this season.
The preseason poll was released on July 21, 2023. [6]
Media poll | ||
Predicted finish | Team | 1st place votes |
---|---|---|
1 | Western Kentucky | 18 |
2 | Liberty | 4 |
3 | Middle Tennessee | |
4 | Louisiana Tech | |
5 | New Mexico State | |
6 | UTEP | |
7 | Jacksonville State | |
8t | FIU | |
8t | Sam Houston |
Preseason player awards were announced on July 24. [7]
Note: All stats shown are before the start of the 2023 season.
Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | CUSA Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FIU | Mike MacIntyre | 2 | 50–73 | 4–8 | 2–6 |
Jacksonville State | Rich Rodriguez | 2 | 172–121–2 | 9–2 | 0–0 |
Liberty | Jamey Chadwell | 1 | 99–57 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
Louisiana Tech | Sonny Cumbie | 2 | 5–12 | 3–9 | 2–6 |
Middle Tennessee | Rick Stockstill | 18 | 109–103 | 109–103 | 79–53 |
New Mexico State | Jerry Kill | 2 | 165–110 | 7–6 | 0–0 |
Sam Houston | K. C. Keeler | 10 | 259–100–1 | 85–27 | 0–0 |
UTEP | Dana Dimel | 6 | 47–79 | 17–40 | 8–28 |
Western Kentucky | Tyson Helton | 5 | 32–21 | 32–21 | 23–8 |
Pre | Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Final | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FIU | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
Jacksonville State | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
Liberty | AP | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 18 | |||||||
C | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 22 | 22 | 20 | |||||||
CFP | Not released | 25 | 24 | 23 | |||||||||||||
Louisiana Tech | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
Middle Tennessee | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
New Mexico State | AP | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||
C | RV | RV | |||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
Sam Houston | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
UTEP | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released | ||||||||||||||||
Western Kentucky | AP | ||||||||||||||||
C | |||||||||||||||||
CFP | Not released |
Improvement in ranking | ||
Drop in ranking | ||
Not ranked previous week | ||
No change in ranking from previous week | ||
RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll | |
т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol | |
Index to colors and formatting |
---|
CUSA member won |
CUSA member lost |
CUSA teams in bold |
The 2023 schedule was released on January 10, 2023. [1]
All times Eastern time.
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 26 | 5:30 p.m. | UTEP | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | CBSSN | JVST 17–14 | 17,982 | |
August 26 | 7:00 p.m. | UMass | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN | L 30–41 | 15,356 | |
August 26 | 9:00 p.m. | FIU | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | CBSSN | LT 22–17 | 16,299 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX | ESPNU | L 14–38 | 21,490 | |
September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Bowling Green | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | W 34–24 | 18,811 | |
September 2 | 2:00 p.m. | East Tennessee State | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | W 49–3 | 21,276 | |
September 2 | 3:30 p.m. | South Florida | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | CBSSN | W 41–24 | 15,438 | |
September 2 | 6:30 p.m. | Maine | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | ESPN+ | W 14–12 | 16,878 | |
September 2 | 7:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | No. 4 Alabama | Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | SECN | L 7–56 | 100,077 | |
September 2 | 9:00 p.m. | Western Illinois | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN+ | W 58–21 | 17,943 | |
September 2 | 9:00 p.m. | No. 7 (FCS) Incarnate Word | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | ESPN+ | W 28–14 | 30,738 | |
September 2 | 10:15 p.m. | Sam Houston | BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | FS1 | L 0–14 | 59,006 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | UTEP | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | L 7–38 | 14,851 | |
September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | LIB 33–17 | 20,123 | |
September 9 | 6:30 p.m. | North Texas | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | ESPN+ | W 46–39 | 15,754 | |
September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN+ | L 16–30 | 16,006 | |
September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Northwestern State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPN+ | W 51–21 | 19,152 | |
September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Missouri | Faurot Field • Columbia, MO | SECN+/ESPN+ | L 19–23 | 57,645 | |
September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | Houston Christian | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPN+ | W 52–22 | 20,712 | |
September 9 | 8:00 p.m. | Air Force | Sam Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX | CBSSN | L 3–13 | 25,121 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Liberty | Buffalo | UB Stadium • Amherst, NY | CBSSN | W 55–27 | 13,020 | |
September 16 | 3:30 p.m. | FIU | UConn | Pratt & Whitney Stadium • East Hartford, CT | CBSSN | W 24–17 | 20,405 | |
September 16 | 4:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | No. 6 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | FOX | L 10–63 | 100,217 | |
September 16 | 7:00 p.m. | North Texas | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPN+ | L 37–40 | 17,434 | |
September 16 | 7:00 p.m. | Murray State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | W 35–14 | 16,605 | |
September 16 | 8:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | New Mexico | University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM (Rio Grande Rivalry) | W 27–17 | 27,414 | ||
September 16 | 11:00 p.m. | UTEP | Arizona | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | P12N | L 10–31 | 44,182 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 23 | 12:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPNU | L 24–27 | 26,124 | |
September 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | BTN | L 14–28 | 87,115 | |
September 23 | 5:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | W 21–0 | 20,966 | |
September 23 | 6:30 p.m. | Liberty | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | ESPN+ | LIB 38–6 | 17,437 | |
September 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX | B12N/ESPN+ | L 7–38 | 35,044 | |
September 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Colorado State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | L 23–31 | 19,806 | |
September 23 | 9:00 p.m. | UNLV | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | ESPN+ | L 28–45 | 28,042 | |
September 23 | 11:59 p.m. | New Mexico State | Hawaii | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI | L 17–20 | 10,254 | ||
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate) | CBSSN | WKU 31–10 | 14,712 | |
September 28 | 8:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPNU | JVST 35–28 OT | 14,566 | |
September 29 | 9:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | CBSSN | LT 24–10 | 9,101 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 4 | 8:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPNU | JVST 45–30 | 13,066 | |
October 4 | 9:00 p.m. | FIU | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | CBSSN | NMSU 34–17 | 11,540 | |
October 5 | 7:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | LIB 21–16 | 17,100 | |
October 5 | 8:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPNU | WKU 35–28 | 13,014 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 10 | 7:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | CBSSN | MTSU 31–23 | 9,602 | |
October 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Liberty | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPNU | LIB 31–13 | 21,745 | |
October 11 | 7:30 p.m. | UTEP | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | ESPN2 | UTEP 27–14 | 14,872 | |
October 11 | 9:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | CBSSN | NMSU 27–13 | 12,812 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 17 | 7:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | LIB 42–35 | 16,354 | |
October 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPNU | JVST 20–17 | 17,977 | |
October 18 | 7:00 p.m. | FIU | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | CBSSN | FIU 33–27 2OT | 7,543 | |
October 18 | 9:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX (Battle of I-10) | ESPN2 | NMSU 28–7 | 19,727 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 24 | 7:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | CBSSN | NMSU 27–24 | 13,798 | |
October 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Liberty | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPNU | LIB 42–29 | 16,036 | |
October 25 | 7:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | CBSSN | JVST 41–16 | 14,074 | |
October 25 | 8:00 p.m. | UTEP | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN2 | UTEP 37–34 | 6,889 | |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 4 | 12:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | South Carolina | Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC | ESPNU | L 28–38 | 75,348 | |
November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Kennesaw State | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN+ | W 24–21 | 7,143 | |
November 4 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | LIB 56–30 | 21,647 | |
November 4 | 6:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN+ | NMSU 13–7 | - | |
November 4 | 9:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | ESPN+ | WKU 21–13 | 11,111 | |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | Old Dominion | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | W 38–10 | 21,481 | |
November 11 | 3:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPN+ | SHSU 42–27 | 15,080 | |
November 11 | 3:30 p.m. | FIU | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | MTSU 40–6 | 11,111 | |
November 11 | 3:30 p.m. | New Mexico State | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPN+ | NMSU 38–29 | 16,319 | |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | UMass | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | W 49–25 | 16,860 | |
November 18 | 2:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | JVST 56–17 | 20,252 | |
November 18 | 2:00 p.m. | UTEP | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | MTSU 34–30 | 9,122 | |
November 18 | 3:30 p.m. | Sam Houston | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPN+ | WKU 28–23 | 11,041 | |
November 18 | 4:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | Auburn | Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL | SECN | W 31–10 | 88,043 | |
November 18 | 7:30 p.m. | FIU | Arkansas | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | ESPNU | L 20–44 | 61,442 | |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN+ | SHSU 23–20 | 5,349 | |
November 25 | 3:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | ESPN+ | WKU 41–28 | 12,724 | |
November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 25 Liberty | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | CBSSN | LIB 42–28 | 10,240 | |
November 25 | 4:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN+ | NMSU 20–17 | 15,702 | |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
December 1 | 7:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | No. 24 Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA (Conference USA Championship Game) | CBSSN | LIB 49–35 | 20,077 | |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time. |
Legend | |
---|---|
CUSA win | |
CUSA loss |
Bowl game | Date | Site | Television | Time (EST) | CUSA team | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
New Orleans Bowl | December 16 | Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, LA | ESPN | 2:15 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Louisiana | W 34–31OT | 14,485 |
New Mexico Bowl | December 16 | University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM | ESPN | 5:45 p.m. | New Mexico State | Fresno State | L 10–37 | 30,822 |
Famous Toastery Bowl | December 18 | Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC | ESPN | 2:30 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Old Dominion | W 38–35OT | 5,632 |
New Year's Six Bowl | ||||||||
Fiesta Bowl | January 1, 2024 | State Farm Stadium • Glendale, AZ | ESPN | 1:00 p.m. | No. 23 Liberty | No. 8 Oregon | L 6–45 | 47,769 |
Rankings are from Final CFP rankings. All times Eastern Time Zone.
2023–2024 records against non-conference foes:
| Postseason
|
This is a list of games CUSA teams scheduled against power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.
Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | SEC | Middle Tennessee | No. 4 Alabama | Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | L 7–56 |
September 2 | Big 12 | Sam Houston | BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | L 0–14 |
September 9 | SEC | Middle Tennessee | Missouri | Faurot Field • Columbia, MO | L 19–23 |
September 9 | Big Ten | UTEP | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | L 7–38 |
September 16 | Pac-12 | UTEP | Arizona | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | L 10–31 |
September 16 | Big Ten | Western Kentucky | No. 6 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | L 10–63 |
September 23 | Big Ten | Louisiana Tech | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | L 14–28 |
September 23 | Big 12 | Sam Houston | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX | L 7–38 |
November 4 | SEC | Jacksonville State | South Carolina | Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC | L 28–38 |
November 18 | SEC | FIU | Arkansas | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | L 20–44 |
November 18 | SEC | New Mexico State | Auburn | Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL | W 31–10 |
The following games include CUSA teams competing against teams from the American, MAC, Mountain West, or Sun Belt.
Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | American | Louisiana Tech | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX | L 14–38 |
September 2 | MAC | Bowling Green | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 34–24 |
September 2 | American | South Florida | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | W 41–24 |
September 9 | American | North Texas | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | W 46–39 |
September 9 | Sun Belt | Jacksonville State | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | L 16–30 |
September 9 | Mountain West | Air Force | Sam Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX | L 3–13 |
September 16 | American | North Texas | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | L 37–40 |
September 16 | MAC | Liberty | Buffalo | UB Stadium • Amherst, NY | W 55–27 |
September 16 | Mountain West | New Mexico State | New Mexico | University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM | W 27–17 |
September 23 | MAC | Eastern Michigan | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | W 21–0 |
September 23 | Mountain West | Colorado State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | L 23–31 |
September 23 | Mountain West | New Mexico State | Hawaii | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI | L 17–20 |
September 23 | Mountain West | UNLV | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | L 28–45 |
September 23 | Sun Belt | Western Kentucky | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | L 24–27 |
November 11 | Sun Belt | Old Dominion | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 38–10 |
The following games include CUSA teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, UConn, or UMass.
Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
August 26 | UMass | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | L 30–41 |
September 16 | FIU | UConn | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT | W 24–17 |
November 18 | UMass | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 49–25 |
Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | Maine | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | W 14–12 |
September 2 | East Tennessee State | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | W 49–3 |
September 2 | Western Illinois | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | W 58–21 |
September 2 | Incarnate Word | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | W 28–14 |
September 9 | Northwestern State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | W 51–21 |
September 9 | Houston Christian | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | W 52–22 |
September 16 | Murray State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | W 35–14 |
November 4 | Kennesaw State | Sam Houston | Bower Stadium • Huntsville, TX | W 24–21 |
Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Team | Position | Player | Team | Position | Player | Team | Position | |||||
Week 0 [14] | Smoke Harris | Louisiana Tech | WR | Jeremiah Harris | Jacksonville State | S | Jack Dawson | Jacksonville State | P | ||||
Week 1 [15] | Kris Mitchell | FIU | WR | JaQues Evans | Western Kentucky | LB | Lucas Carneiro | Western Kentucky | K | ||||
Week 2 [16] | Kejon Owens | FIU | RB | Tyrice Knight | UTEP | LB | Jacob Barnes | Louisiana Tech | K | ||||
Week 3 [17] | Kaidon Salter | Liberty | QB | Sam Brumfield | Middle Tennessee | LB | Ethan Albertson | New Mexico State | K | ||||
Week 4 [18] | Kaidon Salter (2) | Liberty | QB | Chris Hardie | Jacksonville State | DL | Jack Dawson (2) | Jacksonville State | P | ||||
Week 5 [19] | Logan Smothers | Jacksonville State | QB | Bryson Washington | Western Kentucky | LB | Smoke Harris | Louisiana Tech | PR | ||||
Week 6 [20] | Malachi Corley | Western Kentucky | WR | Chris Hardie (2) | Jacksonville State | DL | Max Morgan | Liberty | P | ||||
Week 7 [21] | Diego Pavia | New Mexico State | QB | Maurice Westmoreland | UTEP | DL | Joshua Sloan | UTEP | P | ||||
Week 8 [22] | Zion Webb | Jacksonville State | QB | Reggie Peterson | FIU | LB | Alen Karajic | Jacksonville State | K | ||||
Week 9 [23] | Kaidon Salter (3) | Liberty | QB | Jaylen "J-Rock" Swain | Jacksonville State | DL | Buzz Flabiano | UTEP | K | ||||
Week 10 [24] | Quinton Cooley | Liberty | RB | Da'Marcus Crosby | Sam Houston | DB | Colby Sessums | Sam Houston | K | ||||
Week 11 [25] | Kaidon Salter (4) | Liberty | QB | Kavian Gaither | Sam Houston | LB | Ethan Albertson (2) | New Mexico State | K | ||||
Week 12 [26] | Diego Pavia (2) | New Mexico State | QB | Gabe Peterson | New Mexico State | LB | Kekoura Tarnue | Jacksonville State | DB | ||||
Week 13 [27] | Austin Reed | Western Kentucky | QB | Trevor Williams | Sam Houston | LB | Ethan Albertson (3) | New Mexico State | K | ||||
The following individuals received postseason honors as chosen by the league's head coaches. [28] [29]
Award | Player | School |
---|---|---|
Most Valuable Player | Kaidon Salter, QB | Liberty |
Offensive Player of the Year | Diego Pavia, QB | New Mexico State |
Defensive Player of the Year | Tyren Dupree, LB | Liberty |
Special Teams Player of the Year | Ethan Albertson, PK | New Mexico State |
Freshman of the Year | Michael Richard, DB | Louisiana Tech |
Newcomer of the Year | Quinton Cooley, RB | Liberty |
Coach of the Year | Jamey Chadwell Jerry Kill | Liberty New Mexico State |
The following list contains players selected as members of the 2023 All-Conference Teams. [30]
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Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. College Football All-American consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.
Position | Player | School | Selector | Unanimous | Consensus |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Second Team All-Americans | |||||
OL | Clay Webb | Jacksonville State | AP, PFF, USAT, WCFF | ||
S | Brylan Green | Liberty | FWAA | ||
The NFL draft will be held at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. The following list includes all C-USA players in the draft.
Player | Position | School | Draft Round | Round Pick | Overall Pick | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malachi Corley | WR | Western Kentucky | 3 | 1 | 65 | New York Jets |
Tyrice Knight | LB | UTEP | 4 | 18 | 118 | Seattle Seahawks |
Elijah Klein | OG | UTEP | 6 | 44 | 220 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Conference USA (CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States and Western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas.
The Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the season champion of Conference USA (CUSA) since 2005.
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS.
The Liberty Flames football program represents Liberty University, a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia, in college football. The Flames compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of Conference USA. The program, which previously competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), announced it would start a transition to the top level of NCAA football in July 2017. The Flames became a provisional FBS member in 2018, and became a full FBS member with bowl eligibility in 2019. In 2020, Liberty entered the rankings in the AP Poll at 25 for the first time in program history.
The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team represents Coastal Carolina University in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Chanticleers are members of the Sun Belt Conference, fielding its teams at the FBS level since 2017. The Chanticleers play their home games at James C. Benton Field at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
The 2014 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team represented the Western Kentucky University (WKU) in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Jeff Brohm and played their home games at the Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium. This was the team's first year as a Conference USA member and playing in the East Division. They finished the season 8–5, 4–4 in C-USA play to finish in a three-way tie for third place in the East Division. They were invited to the Bahamas Bowl where they defeated Central Michigan.
The 2015 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the third year for head coach Sean Kugler both with UTEP and overall. They were members of the West Division of Conference USA. The Miners played their home games in El Paso, Texas at the Sun Bowl Stadium. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in C-USA play to finish in a three way tie for third place in the West Division. UTEP averaged 23,212 fans per game.
The 2016 Conference USA football season was the 21st season of Conference USA football and part of the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season began on September 1 with Charlotte facing Louisville. This season was the second season for the C-USA under realignment that took place in 2014, which added the 14th member Charlotte from the Atlantic 10 Conference. The C-USA is a "Group of Five" conference under the College Football Playoff format along with the American Athletic Conference, the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, and the Sun Belt Conference.
The 2017 UTEP Miners football team represented University of Texas at El Paso in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by fifth-year head coach Sean Kugler until his resignation on October 2 and then by interim head coach Mike Price, who had previously served at UTEP's head coach from 2004 to 2012. The Miners finished the season with a record 0–12, 0–8 in conference play to finish in last place in the Conference USA and winless for the first time since the 1973 season. UTEP averaged 19,548 fans per game.
The 2019 UTEP Miners football team represented University of Texas at El Paso in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners were led by second–year head coach Dana Dimel and played their home games at Sun Bowl. They were members of the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). UTEP averaged 17,093 fans per game. That was 2,938 more fans per game than 2018; the 23rd best increase in FBS.
The 2020 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners were led by third–year head coach Dana Dimel and played their home games at the Sun Bowl. They competed as members of the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA).
The 2020 UTSA Roadrunners football team represented the University of Texas at San Antonio during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Roadrunners played their home games at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by first-year head coach Jeff Traylor.
The 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 152nd season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision. The regular season began on August 28, 2021, and ended on December 11, 2021. The postseason began on December 17, with the main games ending on January 10, 2022, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the all-star portion of the post-season concluding with the inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 19, 2022. It was the eighth season of the College Football Playoff (CFP) system. It was the first time since 2016 that no major team finished the season undefeated as the Cincinnati Bearcats, the season's last undefeated team, were defeated in the 2021 Cotton Bowl Classic.
The 2021 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners were led by fourth–year head coach Dana Dimel and played their home games at the Sun Bowl. They competed as members of the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). For the first time since 2014, the Miners became bowl eligible.
The 2021 Conference USA football season was the 26th season of college football play for Conference USA (C-USA). The season started on August 28, 2021 and ended on December 23, 2021. The conference consisted of 14 members in two divisions. It was part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
The 2022 UTSA Roadrunners football team represented the University of Texas at San Antonio as a member of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by head coach Jeff Traylor, who was coaching his third season with the team. The Roadrunners played their home games at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
The 2022 Conference USA football season was the 27th season of college football play for Conference USA (C-USA). The season started on August 27, 2022, and is ended on January 31, 2023. The conference consisted of 11 members and was part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
The 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 154th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 26 and ended on December 9. The postseason began on December 15, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, ended on January 8, 2024, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The 2024 Conference USA football season will be the 29th season of college football play for Conference USA. The season is scheduled to begin on August 31, 2024, and conclude with the Conference Championship Game on December 6, 2024. The conference will consist of 10 members and will be part of the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season.