Conference USA Football: 3 Toughest Schedules in 2025

Who will have the toughest schedules in Conference USA this season

Wide receiver Ross Fournet breaks a tackle / FIU Athletics

Conference USA football schedules for 2025 were released a couple weeks ago and some stand out over others for their inclusion of several difficult opponents.

Upon further inspection, these three squads may have the toughest schedules for the 2025 campaign as they search for success in CUSA.

Delaware Blue Hens

Delaware head coach Ryan Carty argues a call in the fourth quarter of the Blue Hens' 28-14 win against Albany at Delaware Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. / William Bretzger/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Blue Hens will have a rough go in their first season at the FBS level. The notable non-conference opponents include Colorado, UConn and Wake Forest.

Last season, Deion Sanders and the Buffs went 9-4, taking a trip to Alamo Bowl, but falling to BYU in that game. This will mark the first season that both Heisman winner Travis Hunter and likely first-round pick Shedeur Sanders will not be on the roster since Sanders took over the program.

The UConn Huskies, led by head coach Jim Mora, posted a 9-4 record in 2024, but went undefeated against G5 programs. In their trip to the Fenway Bowl, they defeated North Carolina, marking their only win against a power conference program in 2024.

Wake Forest struggled last season with a 4-8 record and lost to the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns, the only group of five team that the Demon Deacons faced in 2024.

Delaware will face the following teams in CUSA play in their first year in the league: FIU, Western Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee State, Liberty, LA Tech, Sam Houston and UTEP.

Sam Houston Bearkats

Sep 7, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats quarterback Hunter Watson (10) passes the ball during the first quarter against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images / Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Bearkats conference schedule has its tough matchups, but it's the non-conference slate that will provide the most challenges.

Sam Houston is one of two teams in Conference USA that will play a Week Zero game. The other team? Conference USA runner-up Western Kentucky. Although WKU did lose some major pieces, the Hilltoppers brought in FCS quarterback Maverick McIvor, who should fit fairly seamlessly into Tyson Helton's offense.

The non-conference slate under new head coach Phil Longo will include UNLV, Hawaii, Texas and Oregon State

The Oregon State game will take place in Week 11 in Corvallis. Late season road trips can be an issue for G5 team looking to improve their postseason prospects. Oregon State has had a winning record at home each of the last four seasons.

UNLV is a team that found themselves in the Mountain West championship game again in 2024 with a College Football Playoff spot on the line. They look to be competitive once again under the direction of new head coach Dan Mullen.

After welcoming the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to Huntsville in 2024, the Bearkats will have to make the long trip to Honolulu and play in the very late-night game against Timmy Chang's squad.

FIU Panthers

In their second game of the season, the Panthers will face their toughest power conference opponent: the Penn State Nittany Lions. Last season, Penn State posted a 13-3 record, reaching the College Football Playoff, where they fell to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.

The Lions will return quarterback Drew Allar, along with the running back duo of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. Both Allen and Singleton ran for over 1,000 yards in 2024.

FIU will also head to Storrs, Connecticut to take on the UConn Huskies, who are coming off of one their best seasons as an FBS program, as noted.

The Shula Bowl between FIU and Florida Atlantic will be played at Pitbull Stadium this season. In the first year for both head coaches Willie Simmons and Zach Kittley, a win in this rivalry will allow them to really set the tone for what they want to accomplish with their respective programs.

FIU's CUSA schedule won't include a trip to El Paso or Las Cruces, but they will go to Bowling Green, the site of the worst loss in program history, losing 73-0 to the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Another tough road game will be in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, home of the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, where FIU hasn't won since 2011.

The final stretch of the season will be against Liberty and Jacksonville State at home and for the first time since 2021, FIU will finish the season on the road against Sam Houston.

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