Conference USA

10 current members, 23 former. Our membership records under this name start in 1996. 2025 champion: Kennesaw State.

2017 standings

TeamConf.OverallAPEloLast 5
Florida Atlantic8–⁠011–⁠31632WWWWW
North Texas7–⁠19–⁠51455WWWLL
Southern Miss6–⁠28–⁠51468LWWWL
UAB6–⁠28–⁠51460WWLWL
Florida International5–⁠38–⁠51464LLWWL
Marshall4–⁠48–⁠51512LWLLW
Middle Tennessee4–⁠47–⁠61488WWLWW
Louisiana Tech4–⁠47–⁠61547LLWWW
Western Kentucky4–⁠46–⁠71462LLWLL
UTSA3–⁠56–⁠51467WLLWL
Old Dominion3–⁠55–⁠71407LWWWL
Rice1–⁠71–⁠111255LLLLL
Charlotte1–⁠71–⁠111223WLLLL
UTEP0–⁠80–⁠121203LLLLL

Ordered by conference winning percentage, then conference wins. Division splits and tiebreakers aren’t applied. AP: the AP poll, final (else the final AP rank). Elo is our own rating, a measure of strength, not a prediction.

Against other conferences, 2017

Conference USA teams are 28–⁠36 outside the conference.

The bar is the share of those games won. Games against teams from lower divisions count together.

Champions

Most titles

Southern Miss5last 2011
Louisville3last 2004
UTSA2last 2022
UAB2last 2020
Florida Atlantic2last 2019
Western Kentucky2last 2016
Tulsa2last 2012
UCF2last 2010
East Carolina2last 2009
Houston2last 2006

By year

2025Kennesaw State
2024Jacksonville State
2023Liberty
2022UTSA
2021UTSA
2020UAB
2019Florida Atlantic
2018UAB
2017Florida Atlantic
2016Western Kentucky
2015Western Kentucky
2014Marshall
18 earlier seasons, back to 1996
2013Rice
2012Tulsa
2011Southern Miss
2010UCF
2009East Carolina
2008East Carolina
2007UCF
2006Houston
2005Tulsa
2004Louisville
2003Southern Miss
2002Cincinnati, TCU (shared)
2001Louisville
2000Louisville
1999Southern Miss
1998Tulane
1997Southern Miss
1996Houston, Southern Miss (shared)

Conference titles as each program’s Wikipedia infobox lists them (CC BY-SA), shared titles counted for every co-champion; the conference’s earlier names count as the same conference.

Members

  1. Cincinnati1996–⁠2004
  2. Houston1996–⁠2012
  3. Louisville1996–⁠2004
  4. Memphis1996–⁠2012
  5. Southern Miss1996–⁠2021
  6. Tulane1996–⁠2013
  7. East Carolina1997–⁠2013
  8. Army1998–⁠2004
  9. UAB1999–⁠20142017–⁠2022
  10. TCU2001–⁠2004
  11. South Florida2003–⁠2004
  12. Marshall2005–⁠2021
  13. Rice2005–⁠2022
  14. SMU2005–⁠2012
  15. Tulsa2005–⁠2013
  16. UCF2005–⁠2012
  17. UTEP2005–⁠2025
  18. Florida Atlantic2013–⁠2022
  19. Florida International2013 on
  20. Louisiana Tech2013–⁠2025
  21. Middle Tennessee2013 on
  22. North Texas2013–⁠2022
  23. UTSA2013–⁠2022
  24. Old Dominion2014–⁠20192021
  25. Western Kentucky2014 on
  26. Charlotte2015–⁠2022
  27. Jacksonville State2023 on
  28. Liberty2023 on
  29. New Mexico State2023 on
  30. Sam Houston2023 on
  31. Kennesaw State2024 on
  32. Delaware2025 on
  33. Missouri State2025 on
Every school and its years (33)

Former members

Football membership as CollegeFootballData.com records it under this conference’s name, from 1996; a school’s separate stays are listed apart.

Who came and went

SeasonSchoolMoveAnnounced
2026Louisiana TechLeft for Sun Belt ConferenceApril 21, 2026
2026UTEPLeft for Mountain West ConferenceOctober 1, 2024
2025DelawareJoined from CAA (football only)November 28, 2023
2025Missouri StateJoined from MVFC (football only)May 10, 2024
2024Kennesaw StateJoined (independent before) (football only)October 14, 2022
2023CharlotteLeft for American Athletic ConferenceJune 16, 2022
2023Florida AtlanticLeft for American Athletic ConferenceJune 16, 2022
2023Jacksonville StateJoined from Atlantic Sun ConferenceNovember 5, 2021
2023LibertyJoined (independent before) (football only)November 5, 2021
2023New Mexico StateJoined (independent before) (football only)November 5, 2021
2023North TexasLeft for American Athletic ConferenceJune 16, 2022
2023RiceLeft for American Athletic ConferenceJune 16, 2022
2023Sam HoustonJoined from Western Athletic ConferenceNovember 5, 2021
2023UABLeft for American Athletic ConferenceJune 16, 2022
2023UTSALeft for American Athletic ConferenceJune 16, 2022
41 earlier moves
2022MarshallLeft for Sun Belt ConferenceMarch 29, 2022
2022Old DominionLeft for Sun Belt ConferenceMarch 29, 2022
2022Southern MissLeft for Sun Belt ConferenceMarch 29, 2022
2017UABJoined from No team (football only)July 21, 2015
2015CharlotteJoined (independent before) (football only)May 4, 2012
2015UABLeft for Dropped football (football only)Source
2014East CarolinaLeft for American Athletic ConferenceMarch 27, 2013
2014TulaneLeft for American Athletic ConferenceNovember 27, 2012
2014TulsaLeft for American Athletic ConferenceApril 2, 2013
2014Western KentuckyJoined from Sun Belt ConferenceSource
2013Florida AtlanticJoined from Sun Belt ConferenceNovember 29, 2012
2013Florida InternationalJoined from Sun Belt ConferenceMay 4, 2012
2013HoustonLeft for American Athletic ConferenceSource
2013Louisiana TechJoined from WACMay 4, 2012
2013MemphisLeft for American Athletic ConferenceFebruary 8, 2012
2013Middle TennesseeJoined from Sun Belt ConferenceNovember 29, 2012
2013North TexasJoined from Sun Belt ConferenceMay 4, 2012
2013SMULeft for American Athletic ConferenceSource
2013UCFLeft for American Athletic ConferenceSource
2013UTSAJoined from WACApril 28, 2012
2005ArmyLeft to play as an independent (football only)Source
2005CincinnatiLeft for Big EastSource
2005LouisvilleLeft for Big EastSource
2005MarshallJoined from Mid-American ConferenceSource
2005RiceJoined from WACSource
2005SMUJoined from WACSource
2005South FloridaLeft for Big EastSource
2005TCULeft for Mountain West ConferenceSource
2005TulsaJoined from WACSource
2005UCFJoined from Mid-American ConferenceSource
2005UTEPJoined from WACSource
2003South FloridaJoined (independent before) (football only)Source
2001TCUJoined from WACSource
1999UABJoined (independent before) (football only)Source
1998ArmyJoined (independent before) (football only)Source
1996HoustonJoined from Southwest ConferenceSource
1995 †CincinnatiJoined (independent before)Source
1995 †LouisvilleJoined (independent before)Source
1995 †MemphisJoined (independent before)Source
1995 †Southern MissJoined (independent before)Source
1995 †TulaneJoined (independent before)Source

Football moves from Wikipedia’s lists of NCAA Division I conference changes; the season is the first one played in the new conference, and the date the one the lists or their sources give for the announcement. † Our membership records (CollegeFootballData.com) date the move to another season, or don’t show it. SportsDataverse’s football memberships agree with ours in 351 of 352 team-seasons from 1996. the member tables in the conference’s Wikipedia article agree with ours in all 7 team-seasons from 1998. Conference realignment: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); memberships: SportsDataverse.

Honors while members

Consensus All-Americans 7

Cincinnati1
East Carolina1
Florida Atlantic1
TCU1
Tulane1

NFL first-round picks 11

Houston2
Memphis2
Tulane2
UAB2
East Carolina1

Counted only in seasons a school was a member on file (from 1996); a draft pick counts for the season before the draft. Heisman and All-America lists from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), draft picks from CollegeFootballData.com.

The money

Conference USA is a nonprofit. Its IRS Form 990 for the year to June 2025 reports $51.8 million in revenue, $19.7 million of it from college football playoff revenue, and $52.8 million in expenses; it ended the year with $22.1 million in assets. Its best-paid, commissioner Judy Macleod, was paid $1.4 million.

By year

YearRevenueExpensesAssetsTop pay
2024-25$51.8M$52.8M$22.1M$1.4M
2023-24$49.9M$46.3M$23.6M$1.3M
2022-23$50.1M$53.9M$21.1M$960K
2021-22$50.4M$43.7M$22.2M$1.1M
2020-21$37.4M$37.3M$10.6M$920K
2019-20$40.9M$41.3M$10.6M$833K
2018-19$44.3M$44.1M$10.5M
2017-18$38.7M$40.4M$10.1M$814K
2016-17$39.0M$42.9M$17.4M
2015-16$50.3M$58.8M$16.1M
2014-15$56.8M$63.6M$25.0M
2013-14$45.4M$50.8M$34.3M
2012-13$62.6M$45.8M$40.7M
2011-12$58.6M$48.2M$32.3M
2010-11$46.6M$47.1M$12.2M

Best paid, 2024-25

Judy Macleod, commissioner$1.4 million
Dr Kenneth Jessell, board member$1.2 million
Dr Dondi Costin, board member$1.1 million
Dr Heather Wilson, board member$673,000
Dr Alisa White, board member$623,000

Paid by bowls

2017-18Orange Bowl$25,000

Grants it lists, 2024-25

Libertyannual distribution$5.7 million
Jacksonville Stateannual distribution$4.8 million
Sam Houstonannual distribution$4.8 million
Middle Tennesseeannual distribution$4.6 million
Western Kentuckyannual distribution$4.5 million
Kennesaw Stateannual distribution$4.5 million
New Mexico Stateannual distribution$4.4 million
Florida Internationalannual distribution$4.4 million
1 more
Louisiana Techannual distribution$4.1 million

From the organization’s IRS Form 990, via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer and the IRS’s e-file data. Fiscal years end in June; top pay is the best-paid person’s total compensation on the return, listed for e-filed years (2018 on). Grants are the ones the conference lists on Schedule I; bowl payments are the ones bowls list on theirs. See every filing at ProPublica (EIN 36-4021594).