The Conference USA Football Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the season champion of Conference USA (CUSA) since 2005.
History The championship game from 2005 to 2021 showcased the CUSA East Division regular season champion against the West Division regular season champion. From the 2022 season, the game pits the number one (1) team in the season standings versus the number two (2) team. The game is typically played on the first Saturday of December. The 2018 edition of the game, sponsored by Globe Life, was played on December 1, 2018, and televised by CBSSN. Ryan LLC currently holds sponsorship rights to the game.
Due partly to major conference realignment in the early 2010s and early 2020s, only five of the nine current CUSA members have played in the Conference USA Football Championship Game, with the most recent 2023 edition featuring two schools in their first season in the conference. The only current CUSA members to have won the championship game are Liberty and Western Kentucky. During the era of divisional play, the overall series between both divisions was led 10–8 by the East Division.
The CUSA Football Championship Game had been aired on ESPN or its affiliates since 2005, but since the 2018 edition has aired on CBSSN.CBS SPORTS NETWORK ANNOUNCES 2018 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FEATURING SERVICE ACADEMIES AND TOP SCHOOLS FROM NINE CONFERENCES
Results Conference USA champions (1996–2004) Before 2005, each member of the conference played in a round-robin scheduling to determine the champion of the conference. In this time period, Southern Miss won the most titles with four. During this time frame, the winner of the CUSA Championship customarily received a berth to play in the Liberty Bowl against a member of the SEC. If two teams tied for the best conference record, co-champions were declared.
SeasonChampion(s) Conference record Overall record Bowl result1996 Houston 4–1 7–5 lost Liberty BowlSouthern Miss 4–1 8–3 1997 19 Southern Miss 6–0 9–3 won Liberty Bowl 1998 7 Tulane 6–0 12–0 won Liberty Bowl 1999 14 Southern Miss 6–0 9–3 won Liberty Bowl 2000 Louisville 6–1 9–3 lost Liberty Bowl 2001 17 Louisville 6–1 11–2 won Liberty Bowl2002 23 TCU 6–2 11–2 won Liberty Bowl Cincinnati 6–2 7–7 lost New Orleans Bowl 2003 Southern Miss 8–0 9–4 lost Liberty Bowl 2004 6 Louisville 8–0 11–1 won Liberty Bowl Final rankings from AP Poll shown.
Conference USA Championship Game (2005–present) Below are the results from all Conference USA Football Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of its primary team color. Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.
2005Tulsa44UCF27Citrus Bowl • (Orlando, Florida)51,978TE Garrett Mills, TulsaESPN2006Houston34Southern Miss20Robertson Stadium • (Houston, Texas)31,818WR Vincent Marshall, HoustonESPN22007Tulsa25UCF44Bright House Networks Stadium • (Orlando, Florida)44,128RB Kevin Smith, UCFESPN2008Tulsa24East Carolina27Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • (Tulsa, Oklahoma)22,740CB Travis Simmons, East CarolinaESPN22009 Houston 32East Carolina38Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • (Greenville, North Carolina)33,048WR Dwayne Harris, East Carolina2010SMU 7UCF17Bright House Networks Stadium • (Orlando, Florida)41,045RB Latavius Murray, UCF2011 Houston28 Southern Miss49Robertson Stadium • (Houston, Texas)32,413RB/WR Tracy Lampley, Southern MissABC2012Tulsa33UCF 27Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium • (Tulsa, Oklahoma)17,635RB/PR/KR Trey Watts, TulsaESPN22013Rice41Marshall24Rice Stadium • (Houston, Texas)20,247RB Luke Turner, Rice2014Louisiana Tech23Marshall26Joan C. Edwards Stadium • (Huntington, West Virginia)23,711K Justin Haig, Marshall2015Southern Miss28Western Kentucky45 Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • (Bowling Green, Kentucky)16,823QB Brandon Doughty, Western Kentucky2016Louisiana Tech44Western Kentucky5813,213RB Anthony Wales, Western KentuckyESPN2017North Texas17Florida Atlantic41FAU Stadium • (Boca Raton, Florida)14,258WR Kalib Woods, Florida AtlanticESPN22018 UAB27Middle Tennessee25Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)15,806RB Spencer Brown, UABCBSSN2019UAB6Florida Atlantic49FAU Stadium • (Boca Raton, Florida)14,387WR Deangelo Antoine, Florida Atlantic2020UAB22Marshall13Joan C. Edwards Stadium • (Huntington, West Virginia)8,324RB Spencer Brown, UAB2021UTSA49Western Kentucky41Alamodome • (San Antonio, Texas)41,148RB Sincere McCormick, UTSA2022 UTSA48North Texas27Alamodome • (San Antonio, Texas)41,412QB Frank Harris, UTSACBSSN2023 Liberty49New Mexico State35Williams Stadium • (Lynchburg, Virginia)20,077QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty2024Jacksonville State52Western Kentucky12Burgess–Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium • (Jacksonville, Alabama)15,628QB Tyler Huff, Jacksonville State2025Jacksonville State15Kennesaw State1918,142QB Amari Odom, Kennesaw State
Results by team
Current members AppearancesSchoolWLPctTitlesRunners-up 4Western Kentucky22.5002015, 20162021, 2024 2Jacksonville State 1 1.500 2024 2025 1Kennesaw State 1 0 1.000 2025 1 Liberty 1 0 1.000 2023 1 Middle Tennessee 0 1 .000 2018 1 New Mexico State 0 1.000 2023 0 Delaware 0 0 0 FIU 0 0 0 Missouri State 0 0 0 Sam Houston 0 0
Delaware, FIU, Missouri State, and Sam Houston have yet to make an appearance in a Conference USA Championship Game.
Former members AppearancesSchoolWLPctTitlesRunners-up4 Tulsa22.5002005, 20122007, 20084 UCF22.5002007, 20102005, 20123 UAB 2 1 .666 2018, 2020 20193 Houston12.33320062009, 20113 Marshall12.33320142013, 20203 Southern Miss12.33320112006, 20152 East Carolina201.0002008, 2009 2Florida Atlantic201.0002017, 2019 2UTSA201.0002021, 2022 2Louisiana Tech02.000 2014, 2016 2North Texas02.000 2017, 2022 1Rice01.0002013 1SMU01.000 2010
Rematches The Conference USA Football Championship game has featured a rematch of a regular-season game in eleven of the twenty-one times it's been played (2006, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). The team which won the regular-season game is 6-5 in the rematches, winning in 2007, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2022, and 2023 but losing in 2006, 2016, 2018, 2024, 2025.
No results by team School Charlotte Memphis Old Dominion Tulane UTEP
Charlotte, Memphis, Old Dominion, Tulane, and UTEP did not make an appearance in a Conference USA Championship Game while members of the conference.
Game location The team with the best overall conference win percentage will be the team that hosts the championship game. Six venues have hosted two title games—Houston's Robertson Stadium (since demolished, with TDECU Stadium standing at its former site), UCF's Acrisure Bounce House (both under its former name of Bright House Networks Stadium), Tulsa's Chapman Stadium, Western Kentucky's Houchens Stadium, Florida Atlantic's Flagler Credit Union Stadium (historically FAU Stadium), and UTSA's Alamodome. Of these schools, the only one still a CUSA member is Western Kentucky.
In most recent years, Marshall and Rice both finished with 7–1 records in conference play in 2013, and did not play one another in the regular season; the site was chosen based on the BCS rankings at that time on December 1. Although only 25 teams were explicitly ranked, the ranking formula could be used to determine the relative rankings of any two teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Since 2014, when the BCS was replaced with the College Football Playoff rankings (CFP), national rankings have been removed from the tiebreaker process.
Following the 2024 contest, the home team is 15–5 overall in CUSA football championship games.
Game records Team Record, Team vs. Opponent YearMost points scored (one team)58, Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech2016Most points scored (losing team)44, Louisiana Tech vs. Western Kentucky2016Fewest points scored (winning team)17, UCF vs. SMU2010Fewest points scored6, UAB vs. FAU2019Most points scored (both teams)102, Western Kentucky (58) vs. Louisiana Tech (44)2016Fewest points scored (both teams)24, UCF (17) vs. SMU (7)2010Most points scored in a half38, Western Kentucky (1st half) vs. Louisiana Tech2016Most points scored in a half (both teams)65, Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech (1st half)2016Largest margin of victory43, Florida Atlantic (49) vs. UAB (6)2019Smallest margin of victory2, UAB (27) vs. Middle Tennessee (25)2018Total yards656, Western Kentucky (421 passing, 235 rushing) vs. Louisiana Tech2016Rushing yards386, Jacksonville State vs. Western Kentucky2024Passing yards577, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA2021First downs 33, Houston vs. East Carolina2009Fewest yards allowed223, Florida Atlantic vs. UAB (84 passing, 139 rushing)2019Fewest rushing yards allowed−9, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA2021Fewest passing yards allowed72, Marshall vs. Louisiana Tech2014 Individual Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent YearTotal offense 582, Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA 2021Touchdowns responsible for 5, Case Keenum, Houston vs. East Carolina 2009Rushing yards 284, Kevin Smith, UCF vs. East Carolina 2007Rushing touchdowns 4, shared by:Kevin Smith, UCF vs. East CarolinaAnthony Wales, Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech 20072016Passing yards 577, Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA 2021Passing touchdowns 5, Case Keenum, Houston vs. East Carolina 2009Receiving yards 241, James Cleveland, Houston vs. East Carolina 2009Receiving touchdowns 3, Zakhari Franklin, UTSA vs. North Texas 2022Tackles 15, shared by:Gerald McRath, Southern Miss vs. HoustonC.J. Cavness, Houston vs. East Carolina 20062009Sacks 2, Bruce Miller, UCF vs. SMU 2010Interceptions 2, shared by 4 players, most recent:Jaylen Young, Florida Atlantic vs. North Texas 2017 Long Plays Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent YearTouchdown run 74, Kevin Smith, UCF vs. Tulsa 2007Touchdown pass 75, Deangelo Antoine from Chris Robison, Florida Atlantic vs. UAB 2019Kickoff return 69, Dwayne Harris, East Carolina vs. Houston 2009Punt return 83, Joe Burnett, UCF vs. Tulsa 2007Interception return 72, Travis Simmons, East Carolina vs. Tulsa 2008Fumble return 40, Travis Simmons, East Carolina vs. Tulsa 2008Punt 73, Matt Dodge, East Carolina vs. Tulsa 2008Field goal 54, Lucas Carneiro, Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State 2024MiscellaneousRecord, Team vs. Team YearGame attendance 51,978, UCF vs. Tulsa 2005Source: Conference USA
Selection criteria Division standings are based on each team's overall conference record. Often, two or more teams tie for the best record in their division and each team is recognized as a divisional co-champion. However, tiebreakers are used to determine who will represent the division in the championship game.
See also List of NCAA Division I FBS conference championship games
References