Conference USA College Football Scheduling: Ranking The Biggest CUSA Games In 2026

Conference USA is going to look a bit different this year.

UTEP is going to the Mountain West. Louisiana Tech is officially going to the Sun Belt after reaching a resolution with CUSA.

And that leaves 10 teams in the league. But the top three in last year’s CUSA standings are among them, including Kennesaw State. The Owls won the CUSA title in just their second year in the FBS.

Now they’re looking to defend that title, but there should be plenty of high-stake games throughout 2026. Here’s my ranking for the biggest games in CUSA this season:

5. FIU at Jacksonville State

It was tempting to put some non-conference games higher on this list. In-state showdowns between New Mexico and New Mexico State as well as James Madison vs. Liberty stand out to me. But for the top five, we’ll keep it to conference matchups.

And FIU at Jacksonville State could be fun. 

This will be a legitimate test for the Panthers. They went 7-6 overall and 5-3 in conference last season, earning bowl-eligibility in Willie Simmons’ first year as head coach. 

They could be in the mix for a CUSA Championship berth in 2026. But if they’re going to take that next step, they have to prove themselves against the best teams in CUSA. And a road trip to Jax State in October during a Weekday CUSA game would be a good time for the Panthers to prove they could be a league contender.

4. Liberty at Kennesaw State

It’s obvious the 2025 season was a disappointment for Liberty. In fact, after making the Fiesta Bowl in 2023, the last two years have fallen short of the expectations of some Flames fans.

After Liberty went 4-8 overall last season, it will surely want to bounce back in 2026. The Flames could very well be 6-1 overall going into their bye week in Week 7 – but they won’t be if they played like they did last year.

However, if they do show some improvement, they would be back in CUSA Championship discussion if they beat Kennesaw State coming off that bye in Week 8.

3. Jacksonville State at Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky was my pick to win CUSA last year. And, once again, the Hilltoppers were close but couldn’t quite get there.

They started the year strong with a 41-24 win over Sam Houston in Week 0. And they had some solid wins over Missouri State, Delaware, and Louisiana Tech in close battles. They also nearly beat LSU, losing 13-10.

But losses to Jacksonville State – which occurred in the regular-season finale – and FIU kept the Hilltoppers out of the CUSA Championship. They’ll want to get revenge for that loss against Jax State this year, and they get to play the Gamecocks at home this time.

2. Kennesaw State at Western Kentucky

This game is No. 2 on this list not just because it’s a battle between two of the best teams in CUSA. But this one also takes place during the last week of the regular season. So this game could have CUSA Championship implications for not just Kennesaw State and WKU, but for others in the league as well.

These two teams didn’t play each other in 2025, but they’ll get a chance to face off for the first time since Kennesaw State made the jump to the FBS on Nov. 28. 

If WKU is going to win its first CUSA title since 2016 – after being so close in years since – then the Hilltoppers may need to win this game, especially considering it’s at home.

1. Jacksonville State at Kennesaw State

What could be a bigger CUSA matchup than a rematch of the conference championship?

Jax State, after winning the CUSA title in 2024, got the best of Kennesaw State when these two teams faced off last November, 35-26. But three weeks later, the Owls came back and won at Jax State 19-15 for the Conference USA crown.

The two rosters will look different. But with the 2025 G5 head coach of the year Jerry Mack leading Kennesaw State and Charles Kelly as the head coach at Jax State, this should prove to be a hard-fought battle. And I expect it will have a massive impact on the CUSA standings once again.

Most Important CUSA Football Games, Ranked