2025 College Football Preview: Conference USA

Photo by Brandon Phillips from Jacksonville State Athletics

The conference of misfit toys has added new members once again!

Welcome to FBS football, Delaware and Missouri State!

Where will they stand this season?

The answer may surprise you!

Actually, it won’t. It’s very obvious where they’ll be because of NCAA rules.

Tier 1: Title Contenders

Liberty Flames

There is only one possible team who could be the title favorite in Conference USA.

Even if last year was a let down from what was expected, this is still the most well funded C-USA program, the best coached program, and the best roster.

Any year where Liberty does not even make the C-USA title game is an abject failure.

Tier 2: Dark Horses

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

The only reason the Hilltoppers are not in the title contenders tier is because they, once again, have an almost entirely brand new offense built through the portal.

However, that’s what Tyson Helton has always done at WKU, and it’s continuously worked.

Who am I to judge?

Tier 3: Bowl Game Bound?

Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Rich Rodriguez is gone, and they were absolutely raided by the portal.

But, taking over for Rich Rod is Charles Kelly, the former co-defensive coordinator from Auburn.

It won’t be perfect, and they likely won’t repeat as conference champions, but they can win 6 conference games.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders

MTSU’s first year under Derek Mason was very bad.

However, MTSU returns a lot of starters, and year two may have the returning players buying into what Mason wants his team to be.

That could translate to a few more wins.

UTEP Miners

You can honestly just copy and paste what I said about MTSU here with UTEP.

Lots of returning production. Year 2 for Scotty Walden. Malachi Nelson, the former USC quarterback, might be the starter in El Paso and can turn around the offense.

It could happen!

Tier 4: Better Luck Next Year

New Mexico State Aggies

Unfortunately, NMSU doesn’t fit in the same mold as UTEP and MTSU.

Reason being, New Mexico State is an historically bad FBS program apart from two years when Jerry Kill was there.

But Kill left, and they went right back to 3-9.

Until I see otherwise, New Mexico State isn’t headed to a bowl game.

Kennesaw State Owls

Kennesaw State returns a ton of talent.

But the talent the return wasn’t very good last year, has a first year head coach after randomly firing Brian Bohannon, who built the program up from the start of their existence.

Maybe Jerry Mack will be a great coach. I hope he is.

But I wonder heavily about Kennesaw State’s chances in FBS football if the athletic department is very impatient.

Florida International Panthers

FIU is in the same boat as New Mexico State.

This is a hard, hard job, with barely any signs of success to show for it.

The odds of them going bowling, especially in their first year with new coach Willie Simmons, just feels impossible.

Sam Houston State Bearkats

K.C. Keeler did an awesome job at a tough program with heavy athletic department restrictions.

But now, Keeler is headed to Temple, and the new coach is former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

Phil Longo wants his offense to go fast.

So what happens when an offense runs a high tempo offense? It leads to more possessions for the defense to get stops.

And Sam Houston’s offense is bad, and their defense is bad.

They should be shortening the game, not elongating it.

But alas, that’s what they’re going to try and do.

We’ll see.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

We are now in year four of the Sonny Cumbie era at LA Tech, and the results are not good whatsoever.

The offensive numbers have been putrid, and the defense last year was solid, but too solid, as defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson was poached away, so now they have to replace him and possibly take a step backwards.

It just doesn’t look good for this season, or Cumbie’s future as Tech prepares to head for the Sun Belt next season.

Delaware Blue Hens

Delaware might legitimately be the third best team in Conference USA.

But wonderful NCAA rules prevent first year teams from taking part in postseason play.

So no matter how good Delaware is, they will not be competing for the conference title or making a bowl game.

Still, if they perform well, they can use that to springboard their way to becoming a consistent power in Conference USA.

Missouri State Bears

Unlike Delaware, Missouri State might not be as good in year one.

But that’s ok, because the offense should be electric (by C-USA standards).

So even though the defense might lose them some games this year, the games should at least be fun to watch.