Conference USA media days are slated to begin Monday, July 20, and when the 10 league members descend upon the Texas Live! Arena and the Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center in Arlington, Texas, “Talking Season” for the league officially kicks off. As we await the CUSA media day, we release our predicted order of finish from ASOR.

CUSA PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH

1. Jacksonville State

It’s hard not to pick the Gamecocks at this point. They’ve won 9 games in each of their first three seasons at the FBS level and in Conference USA. Jax State has also made it to back-to-back CUSA Championship games, even doing so in Charles Kelly’s first year as head coach last year, proving that their early FBS and CUSA success wasn’t a fluke under previous head coach Rich Rodriguez. The Gamecocks do have to play at Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky (as well as Delaware) in a tough road slate in league play.

2. Western Kentucky

The Hilltoppers have been knocking at the door of a CUSA title much of Tyson Helton’s 8 years as head coach. Will this be the year they finally break through? After opening the season with three straight road games at Nevada, Georgia, and Indiana, WKU may be licking their wounds at the start of CUSA play. If they can survive that gauntlet, Western’s CUSA fate will likely be decided in the final three weeks of the season when they face Jacksonville State, Liberty, and Kennesaw State in consecutive weeks.

3. Liberty

The Flames have the resources to dominate Conference USA. It looked like that would be an annual thing after 2023 when Liberty and first year head coach Jamey Chadwell cruised to an unbeaten season and Fiesta Bowl appearance. The last two years have seen Liberty slide from its mountain top, finishing a game out of the CUSA title game in 2024 and falling to a measly 4-8 last year. Will the real Flames please stand up?

4. Kennesaw State

The defending champs have their aim locked in on repeating, but it is a different road when you are the hunted rather than the hunter. Will the Owls be able to stay on top despite the target being on their back in Year 2 under Jerry Mack? Expect them to be in contention for the conference title chase.

5. Delaware

The Blue Hens have all the right pieces to be a true contender this season – an experienced head coach, an experienced quarterback, and a favorable schedule. Delaware gets Liberty and Jax State on their home turf where they have been very tough to beat under Ryan Carty. Still, it’s a tough path to get into the conference championship game in just year two at the FBS level.

6. FIU

Willie Simmons guided FIU to its first bowl game since 2019, and he became the first Panther head coach to have a winning season in their first year, joining Butch Davis as the only ones to do so. Expect the resurgence to continue, but FIU does have a very difficult path in conference play, drawing Jax State, Liberty, Kennesaw State, and Delaware all on the road. If the schedule was different they would probably be higher on this list, but they should still be in contention for a bowl game, at the least.

7. Missouri State

Ryan Beard guided the Bears through their jump from the FCS to the FBS with the aid of QB Jacob Clark. They got to 7 wins and a bowl game in the program’s first year at the new level and in CUSA. Beard left for Coastal Carolina and the new head coach is former SMU offensive coordinator Casey Woods. They have just five returning starters and will be facing a tough hill to climb to be in the upper half of the league.

8. Sam Houston

A 10-win season for the Bearkats in 2024 is sandwiched between a pair of losing seasons, including last year’s 2-10 mark under first year head coach Phil Longo. Sam Houston does get the benefit of returning to their home field after playing their home games an hour away from campus last year as their stadium underwent renovations.

9. New Mexico State

Tony Sanchez has won just 7 games in his first two years as head coach at New Mexico State, failing to deliver from the momentum the program had under head coach Jerry Kill and QB Diego Pavia. Now, without UTEP, the Aggies are on an island by themselves geographically in Conference USA and will be having to make the cross country trip to play conference foes multiple times each season.

10. Middle Tennessee

Derek Mason will be looking to improve off a pair of 3-9 seasons in his first two years at the helm in Murfreesboro. QB Roman Gagliano returns after starting the final three games, helping the Blue Raiders to a pair of wins to close out the season. Will MTSU be able to ride that to more success this season?