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Jax State's 2026 conference schedule is set after Louisiana Tech settlement clears the way
The defending CUSA champions open league play at home against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 26
Tim Stephens
The defending Conference USA champions finally know when and where they'll play this fall.
Conference USA released an updated 2026 league football schedule following a settlement agreement between the conference and Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs' departure for the Sun Belt had left the league's scheduling in limbo for weeks as the two conferences worked through a contractual dispute — Louisiana Tech had been double-booked, committed to both CUSA and Sun Belt schedules while the exit terms were sorted out.
With that resolved, Jacksonville State and the rest of CUSA can plan accordingly.
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Sign Up FreeThe Gamecocks' non-conference slate remains unchanged: North Dakota State, Eastern Kentucky, Ohio and Georgia Southern. Conference play opens Sept. 26 when Jax State hosts Middle Tennessee at Burgess-Snow Field.
The marquee date arrives Oct. 7, when the Gamecocks travel to Kennesaw State for a Weekday CUSA matchup — a rematch of the 2025 Air National Guard Conference USA Championship Game. Jax State won that title in just its third season as an FBS program, capping a rapid rise from FCS powerhouse to conference champion.
The full conference schedule
Oct. 13 — FIU at AmFirst Stadium (moved from Oct. 1)
Oct. 28 — at New Mexico State (moved back one week)
Nov. 7 — Sam Houston at home
Nov. 14 — at Western Kentucky
Nov. 21 — Missouri State at home (final home game)
Nov. 28 — at Delaware
CUSA's membership looks different heading into 2026. Louisiana Tech's exit to the Sun Belt and UTEP's move to the Mountain West leave the conference at 10 football programs. The league added Missouri State and Delaware last year as it continues to navigate the relentless churn of conference realignment — the same forces reshaping the sport at every level.
For Jax State, the schedule shuffling is background noise. The Gamecocks are the team everyone else in CUSA is chasing. Head coach Rich Rodriguez's program has built something real in Jacksonville, and a title defense that was stuck in neutral while the conference sorted out its membership can now shift into gear.
Start times will be announced after the league's television partners make their selections. Season tickets are on sale at JaxStateSports.com/tickets.
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Tim Stephens
Founder & CEO
Tim Stephens has spent nearly 40 years at the intersection of sports and technology — from small-town newspapers to leading day-to-day newsroom strategy for CBSSports.com. He founded Diehard Sports Network to cover the programs the industry forgot.
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