| Conference USA Football Championship Game | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sport | College football |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| Current stadium | Hosted at school site by team with best conference winning percentage |
| Played | 2005–present |
| Last contest | 2025 |
| Current champion | Kennesaw State |
| Most championships | East Carolina,Florida Atlantic,Tulsa,UAB,UCF,UTSA,Western Kentucky (2) |
| TV partner | CBSSN |
| Official website | ConferenceUSA.com |
| Sponsors | |
| Xbox 360 (2005) Aéropostale (2006) HotelPlanner.com (2010) Dynacraft BSC (2016–2017) Globe Life (2018) Ryan LLC (2019–2022) | |
TheConference USA Football Championship Game is an annualAmerican football game that has determined the season champion ofConference USA (CUSA) since 2005.
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 byGlobe Life, was played on December 1, 2018, and televised byCBSSN.Ryan LLC currently holds sponsorship rights to the game.[1]
Due partly to major conference realignment in theearly 2010s andearly 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 areLiberty andWestern 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 onESPN or its affiliates since 2005, but since the2018 edition has aired on CBSSN.[2]
Before 2005, each member of the conference played in around-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 theLiberty Bowl against a member of theSEC. If two teams tied for the best conference record, co-champions were declared.
| Season | Champion(s) | Conference record | Overall record | Bowl result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Houston | 4–1 | 7–5 | lostLiberty Bowl |
| Southern Miss | 4–1 | 8–3 | ||
| 1997 | 19Southern Miss | 6–0 | 9–3 | wonLiberty Bowl |
| 1998 | 7Tulane | 6–0 | 12–0 | wonLiberty Bowl |
| 1999 | 14Southern Miss | 6–0 | 9–3 | wonLiberty Bowl |
| 2000 | Louisville | 6–1 | 9–3 | lostLiberty Bowl |
| 2001 | 17Louisville | 6–1 | 11–2 | wonLiberty Bowl |
| 2002 | 23TCU | 6–2 | 11–2 | wonLiberty Bowl |
| Cincinnati | 6–2 | 7–7 | lostNew Orleans Bowl | |
| 2003 | Southern Miss | 8–0 | 9–4 | lostLiberty Bowl |
| 2004 | 6Louisville | 8–0 | 11–1 | wonLiberty Bowl |
Final rankings fromAP Poll shown.
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 theAP Poll released prior to the game.
‡ 2020 game attendance limited due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
| Appearances | School | W | L | Pct | Titles | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Western Kentucky Hilltoppers | 2 | 2 | .666 | 2015, 2016 | 2021, 2024 |
| 2 | Louisiana Tech Bulldogs | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2014, 2016 | |
| 2 | Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2024 | 2025 |
| 1 | Kennesaw State Owls | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2025 | |
| 1 | Liberty Flames | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2023 | |
| 1 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2018 | |
| 1 | New Mexico State Aggies | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2023 | |
| 0 | Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens | 0 | 0 | |||
| 0 | FIU Panthers | 0 | 0 | |||
| 0 | Missouri State Bears | 0 | 0 | |||
| 0 | Sam Houston Bearkats | 0 | 0 |
| Appearances | School | W | L | Pct | Titles | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Tulsa Golden Hurricane | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2005, 2012 | 2007, 2008 |
| 4 | UCF Knights | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2007, 2010 | 2005, 2012 |
| 3 | UAB Blazers | 2 | 1 | .666 | 2018, 2020 | 2019 |
| 3 | Houston Cougars | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2006 | 2009, 2011 |
| 3 | Marshall Thundering Herd | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2014 | 2013, 2020 |
| 3 | Southern Miss Golden Eagles | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2011 | 2006, 2015 |
| 2 | East Carolina Pirates | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2008, 2009 | |
| 2 | Florida Atlantic Owls | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2017, 2019 | |
| 2 | UTSA Roadrunners | 2 | 0 | 1.000 | 2021, 2022 | |
| 2 | North Texas Mean Green | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2017, 2022 | |
| 1 | Rice Owls | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2013 | |
| 1 | SMU Mustangs | 0 | 1 | .000 | 2010 |
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.
| School |
|---|
| Charlotte 49ers |
| Memphis Tigers |
| Old Dominion Monarchs |
| Tulane Green Wave |
| UTEP Miners |
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'sRobertson Stadium (since demolished, withTDECU Stadium standing at its former site), UCF'sAcrisure Bounce House (both under its former name of Bright House Networks Stadium), Tulsa'sChapman Stadium, Western Kentucky'sHouchens Stadium, Florida Atlantic'sFlagler Credit Union Stadium (historically FAU Stadium), and UTSA'sAlamodome. 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 theBCS 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 theFootball Bowl Subdivision. Since 2014, when the BCS was replaced with theCollege 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.
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 58, Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech | 2016 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 44, Louisiana Tech vs. Western Kentucky | 2016 |
| Fewest points scored (winning team) | 17, UCF vs. SMU | 2010 |
| Fewest points scored | 6, UAB vs. FAU | 2019 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 102, Western Kentucky (58) vs. Louisiana Tech (44) | 2016 |
| Fewest points scored (both teams) | 24, UCF (17) vs. SMU (7) | 2010 |
| Most points scored in a half | 38, Western Kentucky (1st half) vs. Louisiana Tech | 2016 |
| Most points scored in a half (both teams) | 65, Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech (1st half) | 2016 |
| Largest margin of victory | 43, Florida Atlantic (49) vs. UAB (6) | 2019 |
| Smallest margin of victory | 2, UAB (27) vs. Middle Tennessee (25) | 2018 |
| Total yards | 656, Western Kentucky (421 passing, 235 rushing) vs. Louisiana Tech | 2016 |
| Rushing yards | 386, Jacksonville State vs. Western Kentucky | 2024 |
| Passing yards | 577, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA | 2021 |
| First downs | 33, Houston vs. East Carolina | 2009 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 223, Florida Atlantic vs. UAB (84 passing, 139 rushing) | 2019 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | −9, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA | 2021 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 72, Marshall vs. Louisiana Tech | 2014 |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Total offense | 582,Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA | 2021 |
| Touchdowns responsible for | 5,Case Keenum, Houston vs. East Carolina | 2009 |
| Rushing yards | 284,Kevin Smith, UCF vs. East Carolina | 2007 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 4, shared by: Kevin Smith, UCF vs. East Carolina Anthony Wales, Western Kentucky vs. Louisiana Tech | 2007 2016 |
| Passing yards | 577,Bailey Zappe, Western Kentucky vs. UTSA | 2021 |
| Passing touchdowns | 5,Case Keenum, Houston vs. East Carolina | 2009 |
| Receiving yards | 241,James Cleveland, Houston vs. East Carolina | 2009 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 3,Zakhari Franklin, UTSA vs. North Texas | 2022 |
| Tackles | 15, shared by: Gerald McRath, Southern Miss vs. Houston C.J. Cavness, Houston vs. East Carolina | 2006 2009 |
| Sacks | 2,Bruce Miller, UCF vs. SMU | 2010 |
| Interceptions | 2, shared by 4 players, most recent: Jaylen Young, Florida Atlantic vs. North Texas | 2017 |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 74,Kevin Smith, UCF vs. Tulsa | 2007 |
| Touchdown pass | 75, Deangelo Antoine from Chris Robison, Florida Atlantic vs. UAB | 2019 |
| Kickoff return | 69,Dwayne Harris, East Carolina vs. Houston | 2009 |
| Punt return | 83,Joe Burnett, UCF vs. Tulsa | 2007 |
| Interception return | 72, Travis Simmons, East Carolina vs. Tulsa | 2008 |
| Fumble return | 40, Travis Simmons, East Carolina vs. Tulsa | 2008 |
| Punt | 73,Matt Dodge, East Carolina vs. Tulsa | 2008 |
| Field goal | 54,Lucas Carneiro, Western Kentucky vs. Jacksonville State | 2024 |
| Miscellaneous | Record, Team vs. Team | Year |
| Game attendance | 51,978, UCF vs. Tulsa | 2005 |
| Source: Conference USA[3] | ||
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.
