2024 Conference USA football season
Sports season
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The 2024 Conference USA football season was the 29th season of college football play for Conference USA (CUSA). The season began on August 31, 2024, and concluded with the conference championship game on December 6, 2024.[1] CUSA consisted of 10 members, and conference play was part of the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
| 2024 Conference USA football season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision |
| Sport | Football |
| Duration | August 31 – December 6, 2024 |
| Games | 8 conference games per team |
| Teams | 10 |
| 2025 NFL draft | |
| Top draft pick | Upton Stout, CB, Western Kentucky |
| Picked by | San Francisco 49ers, 100th overall |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Jacksonville State |
| Season MVP | Tyler Huff, QB, Jacksonville State |
| CUSA Championship Game | |
| Date | December 6, 2024 |
| Venue | AmFirst Stadium, Jacksonville, Alabama |
| Champions | Jacksonville State |
| Runners-up | Western Kentucky |
| Finals MVP | Tyler Huff, QB, Jacksonville State |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville State y$ | 7 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Kentucky y | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam Houston | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberty | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UTEP | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIU | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kennesaw State* | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Jacksonville State 52, Western Kentucky 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Conference realignment
For the 2024 season, Kennesaw State joined CUSA, moving up from NCAA Division I FCS to Division I FBS.[2] Due to NCAA rules regarding transitioning from FCS to FBS, the school was ineligible for post-season play for the 2024 season.
The conference was set to expand further in 2025, with Delaware and Missouri State confirming that they would join CUSA for the 2025–26 academic year.[3][4] The 2025 football season would be the second year of transition from FCS to FBS for both teams.
Preseason
Preseason poll
The Conference USA preseason media poll was released on July 19. Liberty was named the favorite to win the conference.[5]
| Media poll | ||
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty | 197 (18) |
| 2 | Western Kentucky | 173 (2) |
| 3 | Jacksonville State | 166 |
| 4 | Middle Tennessee | 98 |
| t5 | New Mexico State | 97 |
| t5 | Sam Houston | 97 |
| 7 | Louisiana Tech | 88 |
| 8 | FIU | 81 |
| 9 | UTEP | 76 |
| 10 | Kennesaw State | 27 |
Preseason player awards
Preseason player awards were announced on July 22.[6]
- Offensive Player of the Year: Kaidon Salter (Junior, Liberty quarterback)
- Defensive Player of the Year: CJ Bazile Jr. (Junior, Liberty defensive end)
- Special Teams Player of the Year: Lucas Carneiro (Sophomore, Western Kentucky kicker)
Head coaches
- On November 26, 2023, UTEP announced that it had fired head coach Dana Dimel after 6 seasons with the school.[7] Dimel had posted a 20–49 record in his tenure. On December 4, 2023, UTEP announced Scotty Walden as the new head coach for the 2024 season.[8] Walden had previously been head coach at Austin Peay.
- On November 27, 2023, Middle Tennessee announced that it had fired head coach Rick Stockstill after 18 seasons with the school.[9] Stockstill had a 113–111 record during his tenure at the school. On December 6, 2023, Middle Tennessee announced Derek Mason as the new head coach for the 2024 season.[10] Mason had previously been head coach at Vanderbilt.
- On December 23, 2023, New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill announced that he was stepping down from the position. The school announced that wide receivers coach Tony Sanchez would be promoted to the head coach position for 2024.[11]
Note: All stats shown are before the start of the 2024 season.
| Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | CUSA record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIU | Mike MacIntyre | 3 | 54–81 | 8–16 | 3–13 |
| Jacksonville State | Rich Rodriguez | 3 | 181–125–2 | 18–6 | 6–2 |
| Kennesaw State | Brian Bohannon | 10 | 71–30 | 71–30 | 0–0 |
| Liberty | Jamey Chadwell | 2 | 112–58 | 13–1 | 8–0 |
| Louisiana Tech | Sonny Cumbie | 3 | 8–21 | 6–18 | 4–12 |
| Middle Tennessee | Derek Mason | 1 | 27–55 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| New Mexico State | Tony Sanchez | 1 | 20–40 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Sam Houston | K. C. Keeler | 11 | 262–109–1 | 88–36 | 2–6 |
| UTEP | Scotty Walden | 1 | 34–20 | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Western Kentucky | Tyson Helton | 6 | 40–26 | 40–26 | 28–11 |
Mid-season changes
- On November 10, Kennesaw State head coach Brian Bohannon announced that he was stepping down from the position, effective immediately. Kennesaw State named Co-offesnive coordinator Chandler Burks the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[12] On December 1, Kennesaw State announced Jerry Mack as the new head coach. Mack had previously been the running backs coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL.[13]
- On December 1, K. C. Keeler was announced as the new head coach of Temple in the American Athletic Conference. Offensive coordinator Brad Cornelsen was named Sam Houston's interim head coach for Sam Houston's bowl game.[14]
- On December 12, Rich Rodriguez was named as the new head coach of West Virginia in the Big 12 Conference.[15] Jacksonville State's offensive coordinator Rod Smith was named the interim head coach for the team's bowl game.
Post-season changes
- On December 1, FIU announced they had fired head coach Mike MacIntyre.[16] On December 7, FIU named Willie Simmons as their new head coach for the 2025 season. Simmons had previously been the running backs coach at Duke.[17]
Rankings
| 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 | Wk 15 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIU | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville State | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | RV | |||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Kennesaw State | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Liberty | AP | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||||
| C | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | |||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Sam Houston | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | RV | |||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |
Schedule
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| CUSA member won |
| CUSA member lost |
| CUSA teams in bold |
The 2024 schedule was released on February 1, 2024.[1]
All times Eastern time.
Week 1
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 29 | 8:00 p.m. | Coastal Carolina | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | CBSSN | L 27–55 | 18,977 | |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | Kennesaw State | UTSA | Alamodome • San Antonio, TX | ESPN+ | L 16–28 | 25,911 | |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | UTEP | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | FOX | L 7–40 | 86,072 | |
| August 31 | 3:30 p.m. | FIU | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | BTN | L 7–31 | 44,150 | |
| August 31 | 6:00 p.m. | Campbell | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | W 41–24 | 21,573 | |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | No. 5 Alabama | Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | ESPN | L 0–63 | 100,077 | |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | W 32–25 | 16,000 | |
| August 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Rice | Rice Stadium • Houston, TX | ESPN+ | W 34–14 | 17,298 | |
| August 31 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 23 (FCS) Nicholls | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPN+ | W 25–17 | 16,570 | |
| August 31 | 9:00 p.m. | Southeast Missouri State | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN+ | W 23–16 | 10,738 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 2
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Jacksonville State | No. 22 Louisville | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium • Louisville, KY | ACCNX | L 14–49 | 48,575 | |
| September 7 | 4:15 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | No. 6 Ole Miss | Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • University, MS | SECN | L 3–52 | 66,427 | |
| September 7 | 6:00 p.m. | Central Michigan | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | ESPN+ | W 52–16 | 17,852 | |
| September 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Sam Houston | UCF | FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, FL | ESPN+ | L 14–45 | 43,807 | |
| September 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Louisiana | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | ESPN+ | L 10–34 | 11,040 | |
| September 7 | 7:00 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY (Battle of the Bluegrass) | ESPN+ | W 31–0 | 16,712 | |
| September 7 | 9:00 p.m. | Southern Utah | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | ESPN+ | L 24–27 OT | 41,609 | |
| September 7 | 10:15 p.m. | Liberty | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN2 | LIB 30–24 | 16,562 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 3
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | NC State | Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC | ACCN | L 20–30 | 56,919 | |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | FIU | Florida Atlantic | FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL (Shula Bowl) | ESPN+ | L 20–38 | 24,283 | |
| September 14 | 6:00 p.m. | UTEP | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | LIB 28–10 | 21,805 | |
| September 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Eastern Michigan | Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI | ESPN+ | L 34–37 2OT | 17,501 | |
| September 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN (100 Miles of Hate) | ESPN+ | WKU 49–21 | 12,227 | |
| September 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Hawaii | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN+ | W 31–13 | 15,134 | |
| September 14 | 7:00 p.m. | Kennesaw State | San Jose State | CEFCU Stadium • San Jose, CA | TruTV | L 10–31 | 11,090 | |
| September 14 | 10:30 p.m. | New Mexico State | Fresno State | Valley Children's Stadium • Fresno, CA | TruTV | L 0–48 | 39,079 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 4
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 21 | 3:00 p.m. | Southern Miss | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | W 44–7 | 21,788 | |
| September 21 | 4:00 p.m. | Duke | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPNU | L 17–45 | 15,209 | |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | Monmouth | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | ESPN+ | L 42–45 | 17,922 | |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | UTEP | Colorado State | Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO | TruTV | L 17–27 | 29,151 | |
| September 21 | 6:00 p.m. | East Carolina | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | W 35–24 | 24,076 | |
| September 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Tulsa | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPN+ | L 20–23 OT | 18,152 | |
| September 21 | 7:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN+ | SHSU 31–11 | ||
| September 21 | 7:00 p.m. | Toledo | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPN+ | W 26–21 | 19,127 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 5
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | ACCN | L 20–21 | 41,403 | |
| September 28 | 3:00 p.m. | Texas State | Sam Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX | ESPN+ | W 40–39 | 27,225 | |
| September 28 | 3:30 p.m. | Liberty | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN+ | Canceled | ||
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | UT Martin | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | ESPN+ | L 13–24 | 10,847 | |
| September 28 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | ESPN+ | FIU 17–10 | 12,425 | |
| September 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Memphis | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium • Memphis, TN | ESPNU | L 7–24 | 25,266 | |
| September 28 | 8:00 p.m. | New Mexico | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM (Rio Grande Rivalry) | ESPN+ | L 40–50 | 21,062 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 6
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | 9:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | CBSSN | SHSU 41–21 | 14,454 | |
| October 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | CBSSN | JVST 63–24 | 10,029 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 7
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 8 | 7:00 p.m. | FIU | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | LIB 31–24 OT | 16,343 | |
| October 9 | 7:30 p.m. | New Mexico State | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN2 | JVST 54–13 | 16,555 | |
| October 10 | 8:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | CBSSN | LT 48–21 | 15,072 | |
| October 10 | 8:00 p.m. | UTEP | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPNU | WKU 44–17 | 12,723 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 8
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 15 | 8:00 p.m. | Kennesaw State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | CBSSN | MTSU 14–5 | 10,200 | |
| October 15 | 9:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPNU | NMSU 33–30 2OT | 9,671 | |
| October 16 | 8:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPN2 | WKU 31–14 | 8,914 | |
| October 16 | 9:00 p.m. | FIU | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | CBSSN | UTEP 30–21 | 11,373 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 9
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Sam Houston | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | ESPNU | SHSU 10–7 | 10,625 | |
| October 22 | 8:00 p.m. | UTEP | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | CBSSN | LT 14–10 | 15,168 | |
| October 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Liberty | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | CBSSN | KENN 27–24 | 8,209 | |
| October 23 | 7:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN2 | JVST 42–20 | 17,988 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 10
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 29 | 7:00 p.m. | New Mexico State | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | CBSSN | FIU 34–13 | 9,103 | |
| October 29 | 8:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPNU | SHSU 9–3 | 9,128 | |
| October 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | JVST 31–21 | 18,069 | |
| October 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Kennesaw Sate | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPN2 | WKU 31–14 | 14,547 | |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | CBSSN | MTSU 20–13 | 14,775 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 11
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 9 | 1:00 p.m. | Liberty | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | CBSSN | LIB 37–17 | 13,500 | |
| November 9 | 4:00 p.m. | Kennesaw State | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | ESPN+ | UTEP 43–35 2OT | 14,728 | |
| November 9 | 4:30 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | CBSSN | JVST 44–37 OT | 16,345 | |
| November 9 | 6:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN+ | WKU 41–28 | 12,710 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 12
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | CBSSN | LT 12–7 | 13,312 | |
| November 16 | 12:00 p.m. | Liberty | UMass | McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA | ESPN+ | W 35–34 OT | 9,115 | |
| November 16 | 2:00 p.m. | FIU | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | JVST 34–31 | 17,688 | |
| November 16 | 3:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | ESPN+ | SHSU 23–17 OT | 7,736 | |
| November 16 | 7:45 p.m. | New Mexico State | No. 15 Texas A&M | Kyle Field • College Station, TX | SECN | L 3–38 | 105,815 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 13
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | CBSSN | JVST 21–11 | 16,312 | |
| November 23 | 1:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN+ | LIB 38–21 | 17,930 | |
| November 23 | 1:00 p.m. | UTEP | No. 11 Tennessee | Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN | ESPN+/SECN+ | L 0–56 | 101,915 | |
| November 23 | 2:30 p.m. | New Mexico State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | NMSU 36–21 | 10,123 | |
| November 23 | 3:00 p.m. | FIU | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | ESPN+ | KENN 27–26 | 6,210 | |
| November 23 | 4:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | Arkansas | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | ESPN+/SECN+ | L 14–35 | 66,041 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Week 14
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 29 | 3:30 p.m. | Liberty | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | CBSSN | SHSU 20–18 | ||
| November 30 | 2:00 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | ESPN+ | FIU 35–24 | ||
| November 30 | 4:00 p.m. | Kennesaw State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | ESPN+ | LT 33–0 | ||
| November 30 | 4:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | ESPNU | WKU 19–17 | ||
| November 30 | 4:00 p.m. | UTEP | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM (Battle of I-10) | ESPN+ | UTEP 42–35 | ||
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Conference USA Championship Game
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6 | 8:00 p.m. | Western Kentucky | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | CBSSN | JVST 52–12 | ||
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time. | ||||||||
Postseason
Bowl Games
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| CUSA win | |
| CUSA loss | |
| Bowl game | Date | Site | Television | Time (EST) | CUSA team | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boca Raton Bowl | December 18 | FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL | ESPN | 5:30 p.m. | Western Kentucky | James Madison | L 17–27 | 15,808 |
| New Orleans Bowl | December 19 | Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, LA | ESPN2 | 7:00 p.m. | Sam Houston | Georgia Southern | W 31–26 | 13,151 |
| Cure Bowl | December 20 | Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL | ESPN | 12:00 p.m. | Jacksonville State | Ohio | L 27–30 | 10,518 |
| Independence Bowl | December 28 | Independence Stadium • Shreveport, LA | ESPN | 9:15 p.m. | Louisiana Tech1 | No. 22 Army | L 6–27 | 34,283 |
| Bahamas Bowl | January 4, 2025 | Thomas Robinson Stadium • Nassau, The Bahamas | ESPN2 | 11:00 a.m. | Liberty | Buffalo | L 7–26 | 4,610 |
Conference USA records vs other conferences
2024–2025 records against non-conference foes:
| Power conferences 5 | Record |
|---|---|
| ACC | 0–4 |
| Big Ten | 0–2 |
| Big 12 | 0–1 |
| Notre Dame | 0–0 |
| Pac-12 | 0–0 |
| SEC | 0–5 |
| Power 5 Total | 0–10 |
| Other FBS conferences | Record |
| American | 2–4 |
| Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) | 1–0 |
| MAC | 2–1 |
| Mountain West | 1–4 |
| Sun Belt | 2–2 |
| Other FBS total | 8–11 |
| FCS opponents | Record |
| Football Championship Subdivision | 5–3 |
| Total non-conference record | 11–24 |
Conference USA vs power 5 matchups
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | Big Ten | FIU | Indiana | Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, IN | L 7–31 |
| August 31 | Big Ten | UTEP | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | L 7–40 |
| August 31 | SEC | Western Kentucky | No. 5 Alabama | Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | L 0–63 |
| September 7 | ACC | Jacksonville State | No. 22 Louisville | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium • Louisville, KY | L 14–49 |
| September 7 | SEC | Middle Tennessee | No. 6 Ole Miss | Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS | L 3–52 |
| September 7 | Big 12 | Sam Houston | UCF | FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, FL | L 14–45 |
| September 14 | ACC | Louisiana Tech | NC State | Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC | L 20–30 |
| September 21 | ACC | Duke | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | L 17–45 |
| September 28 | ACC | Western Kentucky | Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | L 20–21 |
| November 16 | SEC | New Mexico State | Texas A&M | Kyle Field • College Station, TX | L 3–38 |
| November 23 | SEC | Louisiana Tech | Arkansas | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | L 14–35 |
| November 23 | SEC | UTEP | Tennessee | Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN | L 0–56 |
Conference USA vs group of five matchups
The following games include CUSA teams competing against teams from the American, MAC, Mountain West, or Sun Belt.
| Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | Sun Belt | Coastal Carolina | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | L 27–55 |
| August 31 | American | Kennesaw State | UTSA | Alamodome • San Antonio, TX | L 16–28 |
| August 31 | American | Sam Houston | Rice | Rice Stadium • Houston, TX | W 34–14 |
| September 7 | MAC | Central Michigan | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | W 52–16 |
| September 7 | Sun Belt | Louisiana | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | L 10–34 |
| September 14 | American | FIU | Florida Atlantic | FAU Stadium • Boca Raton, FL | L 20–38 |
| September 14 | MAC | Jacksonville State | Eastern Michigan | Rynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MI | L 34–37 OT |
| September 14 | Mountain West | Kennesaw State | San Jose State | CEFCU Stadium • San Jose, CA | L 10–31 |
| September 14 | Mountain West | New Mexico State | Fresno State | Valley Children's Stadium • Fresno, CA | L 0–48 |
| September 14 | Mountain West | Hawaii | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | W 31–14 |
| September 21 | Sun Belt | Southern Miss | Jacksonville State | AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | W 44–7 |
| September 21 | American | East Carolina | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 35–24 |
| September 21 | American | Tulsa | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | L 20–23 OT |
| September 21 | Mountain West | UTEP | Colorado State | Canvas Stadium • Fort Collins, CO | L 17–27 |
| September 21 | MAC | Toledo | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | W 26–21 |
| September 28 | Sun Belt | Liberty | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | Canceled |
| September 28 | Mountain West | New Mexico | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | L 40–50 |
| September 28 | American | Middle Tennessee | Memphis | Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium • Memphis, TN | L 7–24 |
| September 28 | Sun Belt | Texas State | Sam Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX | W 40–39 |
Conference USA vs FBS independents matchups
The following games include CUSA teams competing against FBS independents, which includes UConn or UMass.
| Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 16 | Liberty | UMass | McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA | W 35–34 OT |
Conference USA vs FCS matchups
| Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 31 | Campbell | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 41–24 |
| August 31 | No. 23 (FCS) Nicholls | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | W 25–17 |
| August 31 | Tennessee Tech | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | W 32–25 |
| August 31 | Southeast Missouri State | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | W 23–16 |
| September 7 | Southern Utah | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | L 24–27 |
| September 7 | Eastern Kentucky | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | W 31–0 |
| September 21 | Monmouth | FIU | Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL | L 42–45 |
| September 28 | UT Martin | Kennesaw State | Fifth Third Stadium • Kennesaw, GA | L 13–24 |
Awards and honors
CUSA individual awards
On December 16, 2024, CUSA released their individual award winners and all-conference honors for the 2024 season.[19]
| Award | Honoree | School |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Tyler Huff | Jacksonville State |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Caden Veltkamp | Western Kentucky |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Travion Barnes | FIU |
| Special Teams Player of the Year | Lucas Carneiro | Western Kentucky |
| Freshman of the Year | DJ McKinney | Sam Houston |
| Newcomer of the Year | Tyler Huff | Jacksonville State |
| Coach of the Year | Rich Rodriguez | Jacksonville State |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Tyler Huff | Jacksonville State |
| RB | Tre Stewart | Western Kentucky |
| RB | Quinton Cooley | Liberty |
| WR | Eric Rivers | FIU |
| WR | Omari Kelly | Middle Tennessee |
| WR | Tru Edwards | Louisiana Tech |
| TE | Holden Willis | Middle Tennessee |
| OL | Jordan White | Liberty |
| OL | Clay Webb | Jacksonville State |
| OL | Xavior Gray | Liberty |
| OL | Aaron Fenimore | Liberty |
| OL | Will O'Steen | Jacksonville State |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| DE | Maurice Westmoreland | UTEP |
| DT | David Blay | Louisiana Tech |
| DT | Hosea Wheeler | Western Kentucky |
| DE | Chris Murray | Sam Houston |
| LB | Travion Barnes | FIU |
| LB | Reginald Hughes | Jacksonville State |
| LB | Kavian Gaither | Sam Houston |
| DB | Fred Perry | Jacksonville State |
| DB | Caleb Weaver | Sam Houston |
| DB | Upton Stout | Western Kentucky |
| DB | JoJo Evans | FIU |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| K | Lucas Carneiro | Western Kentucky |
| P | Jacob Ulrich | Kennesaw State |
| KR | Qua Ashley | Kennesaw State |
| PR | Kam Thomas | UTEP |
| LS | Brody Butler | Middle Tennessee |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Caden Veltkamp | Western Kentucky |
| RB | Seth McGowan | New Mexico State |
| RB | Mike Washington | New Mexico State |
| WR | Kisean Johnson | Western Kentucky |
| WR | Kenny Odom | UTEP |
| WR | Dean Patterson | FIU |
| TE | Carson Kent | Kennesaw State |
| OL | Ethan Hagler | Sam Houston |
| OL | AJ Vaipulu | New Mexico State |
| OL | Quantavious Leslie | Western Kentucky |
| OL | James Dawn II | Sam Houston |
| OL | Marshall Jackson | Western Kentucky |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| DE | J-Rock Swain | Jacksonville State |
| DT | Kyran Duhon | UTEP |
| DT | Jeramy Passmore | FIU |
| DE | TJ Bush | Liberty |
| LB | Joseph Carter | Liberty |
| LB | Kolbe Fields | Louisiana Tech |
| LB | Tyler Martinez | New Mexico State |
| DB | Devonte' Mathews | Western Kentucky |
| DB | Geimere Latimer | Jacksonville State |
| DB | JeRico Washington Jr. | Kennesaw State |
| DB | Brylan Green | Liberty |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| K | Abraham Montaño | New Mexico State |
| P | George Eberle | New Mexico State |
| KR | C'Quan Jnopierre | FIU |
| PR | Omari Kelly | Middle Tennessee |
| LS | Rex Robich | Western Kentucky |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Evan Bullock | Louisiana Tech |
| RB | DJ McKinney | Sam Houston |
| RB | Jekail Middlebrook | Middle Tennessee |
| WR | TJ Pride | New Mexico State |
| WR | Cam Vaughn | Jacksonville State |
| WR | Cameron Flowers | Western Kentucky |
| TE | Martavious Collins | UTEP |
| OL | Jacob Norcross | Kennesaw State |
| OL | Jaheim Buchanon | FIU |
| OL | Amare Grayson | Jacksonville State |
| OL | Kolt Deiterich | Sam Houston |
| OL | BJ Tolo | New Mexico State |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| DE | Anthony Bynum | Middle Tennessee |
| DT | Shakai Woods | Middle Tennessee |
| DT | Malaki Ta'ase | New Mexico State |
| DE | Kyran Duhon | UTEP |
| LB | Stratton Shufelt | UTEP |
| LB | Jaylin Jones | UTEP |
| LB | Lofton Howard | Western Kentucky |
| DB | Zechariah Poyser | Jacksonville State |
| DB | JeRico Washington Jr. | Kennesaw State |
| DB | Tayden Barnes | New Mexico State |
| DB | Isaac Paul | Kennesaw State |
| Pos. | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| K | Garrison Rippa | Jacksonville State |
| P | Jacob Ulrich | Kennesaw State |
Player of the week honors
| Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Position | Player | Team | Position | Player | Team | Position | |||||
| Week 1[20] | Hunter Watson | Sam Houston | QB | Tayden Barnes | New Mexico State | CB | Christian Pavon | Sam Houston | K | ||||
| Week 2[21] | Keyone Jenkins | FIU | QB | CJ Bazile Jr. | Liberty | DE | Colin Karhu | Liberty | K | ||||
| Week 3[22] | Caden Veltkamp | Western Kentucky | QB | Caleb Weaver | Sam Houston | S | Buck Buchanan | Louisiana Tech | K | ||||
| Week 4[23] | Reese Smith | Liberty | WR | Devonte’ Mathews | Western Kentucky | DB | Cole Maynard | Western Kentucky | P | ||||
| Week 5[24] | Hunter Watson (2) | Sam Houston | QB | Travion Barnes | FIU | LB | Christian Pavon (2) | Sam Houston | K | ||||
| Week 6[25] | Tyler Huff | Jacksonville State | QB | Zechariah Poyser | Jacksonville State | S | Jadon Cardell | Sam Houston | P | ||||
| Week 7[26] | Evan Bullock | Louisiana Tech | QB | Travion Barnes (2) | FIU | LB | Lucas Carneiro | Western Kentucky | K | ||||
| Week 8[27] | Caden Veltkamp (2) | Western Kentucky | QB | Kale Edwards | New Mexico State | DE | Omari Kelly | Middle Tennessee | WR | ||||
| Week 9[28] | Davis Bryson | Kennesaw State | QB | Tyler Hallum | Kennesaw State | DB | Austin Welch | Kennesaw State | K | ||||
| Week 10[29] | Eric Rivers Tre Stewart |
FIU Jacksonville State |
WR RB |
Geimere Latimer | Jacksonville State | CB | Abraham Montano | New Mexico State | K | ||||
| Week 11[30] | Skyler Locklear | UTEP | QB | Kory Chapman | UTEP | S | Lucas Carneiro (2) | Western Kentucky | K | ||||
| Week 12[31] | Quinton Cooley | Liberty | RB | Joseph Carter | Liberty | LB | Buck Buchanan (2) | Louisiana Tech | K | ||||
| Week 13[32] | Tyler Huff (2) | Jacksonville State | QB | Dylan Early | New Mexico State | S | Austin Welch (2) | Kennesaw State | K | ||||
| Week 14[33] | Keyone Jenkins (2) | FIU | QB | Bryton Thompson | UTEP | DE | Lucas Carneiro (3) | Western Kentucky | K | ||||
NFL draft
The NFL draft will be held at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The following list includes all C-USA players in the draft.
List of selections
| Player | Position | School | Draft round |
Round pick |
Overall pick |
Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upton Stout | CB | Western Kentucky | 3 | 36 | 100 | San Francisco 49ers |