2023 Conference USA football season

Sports season

2023 Conference USA football season

League| NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Sport| Football
Duration| August 26 – December 2, 2023
Number of teams| 9
2024 NFL Draft
Top draft pick| Malachi Corley, WR, Western Kentucky
Picked by| New York Jets (round 3, pick 65)
Regular season
Season champions| Liberty
CUSA Championship Game
Date| December 2, 2023
Venue| Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, Virginia
Champions| Liberty
Runners-up| New Mexico State
Finals MVP| Kaidon Salter, QB, Liberty
Seasons

← 2022

2024 →

2023 Conference USA football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team |   | W |   | L |   |  |  |   | W |   | L |
No. 25 Liberty y$  |   | 8  | – | 0  |   |  |  |   | 13  | – | 1  |
New Mexico State y  |   | 7  | – | 1  |   |  |  |   | 10  | – | 5  |
Jacksonville State*  |   | 6  | – | 2  |   |  |  |   | 9  | – | 4  |
Western Kentucky |   | 5  | – | 3  |   |  |  |   | 8  | – | 5  |
Middle Tennessee |   | 3  | – | 5  |   |  |  |   | 4  | – | 8  |
UTEP |   | 2  | – | 6  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 9  |
Sam Houston*  |   | 2  | – | 6  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 9  |
Louisiana Tech |   | 2  | – | 6  |   |  |  |   | 3  | – | 9  |
FIU |   | 1  | – | 7  |   |  |  |   | 4  | – | 8  |
Championship: Liberty 49, New Mexico State 35

* $ – Conference champion
* y – Championship game participant
* * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules

Rankings from AP Poll

The 2023 Conference USA football season was the 28th season of college football play for Conference USA (CUSA). The season began on August 26, 2023 and ended with the Conference Championship Game on December 2, 2023.[1] The conference consisted of nine members and was part of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

## Previous season

[edit]

Main article: 2022 Conference USA football season

During the 2022 season, the UTSA Roadrunners posted the best record in the regular season. UTSA and North Texas advanced to the championship game, where UTSA won by a score of 48–27.

## Conference realignment

[edit]

Prior to the 2023 season, Conference USA saw substantial realignment, with six schools leaving the conference to join the American Athletic Conference: UTSA, North Texas, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Rice, and UAB.[2] Conference USA then invited four schools to join: Liberty and New Mexico State, who were both previously FBS independents; Jacksonville State, who were previously in the ASUN Conference at the Division I FCS level; and Sam Houston, who were previously in the Western Athletic Conference also at the Division I FCS level.[3] The realignment left CUSA with nine football members for the 2023 season. CUSA further announced that Kennesaw State, another member of the ASUN Conference, would move up beginning in 2024.[4]

On the same day the membership changes took effect (July 1, 2023), the conference unveiled a "brand refresh". The former abbreviation of "C-USA" was retired in favor of "CUSA", and the logo was slightly updated.[5]

Both Jacksonville State and Sam Houston were initially ineligible for both the conference championship and for bowl games due to their transition from the FCS level to FBS level. However, Jacksonville State received a berth in the New Orleans Bowl after only 79 non-transitional teams were eligible to fill the 82 bowl slots this season.

## Preseason

[edit]

### Preseason poll

[edit]

The preseason poll was released on July 21, 2023.[6]

Media poll

Predicted finish  | Team  | 1st place votes
1 | Western Kentucky | 18
2 | Liberty | 4
3 | Middle Tennessee |
4 | Louisiana Tech |
5 | New Mexico State |
6 | UTEP |
7 | Jacksonville State |
8t | FIU |
8t | Sam Houston |

### Preseason player awards

[edit]

Preseason player awards were announced on July 24.[7]

* Offensive Player of the Year: Austin Reed (Redshirt Senior, Western Kentucky quarterback)
* Defensive Player of the Year: JaQues Evans (Junior, Western Kentucky linebacker)
* Special Teams Player of the Year: Smoke Harris (Redshirt Senior, Louisiana Tech kick returner/punt returner)

## Head Coaches

[edit]

* On December 4, 2022, Jamey Chadwell was announced as the new head coach of Liberty after previous head coach Hugh Freeze left to take the head coaching position at Auburn. Chadwell had previously been head coach of Coastal Carolina in the Sun Belt Conference.[8]

Note: All stats shown are before the start of the 2023 season.

Team  | Head coach  | Years at school  | Overall record  | Record at school  | CUSA Record

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FIU  | Mike MacIntyre | 2  | 50–73  | 4–8  | 2–6
Jacksonville State  | Rich Rodriguez | 2  | 172–121–2  | 9–2  | 0–0
Liberty  | Jamey Chadwell | 1  | 99–57  | 0–0  | 0–0
Louisiana Tech  | Sonny Cumbie | 2  | 5–12  | 3–9  | 2–6
Middle Tennessee  | Rick Stockstill | 18  | 109–103  | 109–103  | 79–53
New Mexico State  | Jerry Kill | 2  | 165–110  | 7–6  | 0–0
Sam Houston  | K. C. Keeler | 10  | 259–100–1  | 85–27  | 0–0
UTEP  | Dana Dimel | 6  | 47–79  | 17–40  | 8–28
Western Kentucky  | Tyson Helton | 5  | 32–21  | 32–21  | 23–8

### Post-season changes

[edit]

* On November 26, UTEP announced that it had fired head coach Dana Dimel after 6 season with the school.[9] Dimel had posted a 20–49 record in his tenure. On December 4, UTEP announced Scotty Walden as the new head coach for the 2024 season.[10] Walden had previously been head coach at Austin Peay.
* On November 27, Middle Tennessee announced that it had fired head coach Rick Stockstill after 18 seasons with the school.[11] Stockstill had a 113–111 record during his tenure at the school. On December 6, Middle Tennessee announced Derek Mason as the new head coach for the 2024 season.[12] Mason had previously been head coach at Vanderbilt.
* On December 23, New Mexico State head coach Jerry Kill announced that he was stepping down from the position. The school announced that wide receivers coach Tony Sanchez would be promoted to the head coach position for 2024.[13]

## Rankings

[edit]

Main article: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

| Pre | Wk
1 | Wk
2 | Wk
3 | Wk
4 | Wk
5 | Wk
6 | Wk
7 | Wk
8 | Wk
9 | Wk
10 | Wk
11 | Wk
12 | Wk
13 | Wk
14 | Final

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FIU  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Jacksonville State  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Liberty  | AP  | RV  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 25  | 25  | 22  | 20  | 18  |
C  |  |  |  |  | RV  |  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | RV  | 22  | 22  | 20  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  | 25  | 24  | 23  |
Louisiana Tech  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Middle Tennessee  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
New Mexico State  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | RV  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | RV  | RV  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sam Houston  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
UTEP  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Western Kentucky  | AP  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
C  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
CFP  | Not released  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Legend   |   | Improvement in ranking

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| Drop in ranking
| Not ranked previous week
| No change in ranking from previous week
RV  | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
т  | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

## Schedule

[edit]

Index to colors and formatting

CUSA member won
CUSA member lost
CUSA teams in bold

The 2023 schedule was released on January 10, 2023.[1]

All times Eastern time.

### Week 0

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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August 26  | 5:30 p.m.  | UTEP | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | CBSSN |  JVST 17–14   | 17,982 |
August 26  | 7:00 p.m.  | UMass | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | ESPN | L 30–41   | 15,356 |
August 26  | 9:00 p.m.  | FIU | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | CBSSN |  LT 22–17   | 16,299 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 1

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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September 2  | 12:00 p.m.  | Louisiana Tech | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX | ESPNU | L 14–38   | 21,490 |
September 2  | 12:00 p.m.  | Bowling Green | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | CBSSN | W 34–24   | 18,811 |
September 2  | 2:00 p.m.  | East Tennessee State | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL  | ESPN+ | W 49–3   | 21,276 |
September 2  | 3:30 p.m.  | South Florida | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | CBSSN | W 41–24   | 15,438 |
September 2  | 6:30 p.m.  | Maine | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | ESPN+ | W 14–12   | 16,878 |
September 2  | 7:30 p.m.  | Middle Tennessee | No. 4 Alabama | Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | SECN | L 7–56   | 100,077 |
September 2  | 9:00 p.m.  | Western Illinois | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM  | ESPN+ | W 58–21   | 17,943 |
September 2  | 9:00 p.m.  | No. 7 (FCS) Incarnate Word | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | ESPN+ | W 28–14   | 30,738 |
September 2  | 10:15 p.m.  | Sam Houston | BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | FS1 | L 0–14   | 59,006 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 2

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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September 9  | 3:30 p.m.  | UTEP | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | BTN | L 7–38   | 14,851 |
September 9  | 6:00 p.m.  | New Mexico State | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA  | ESPN+ |  LIB 33–17   | 20,123 |
September 9  | 6:30 p.m.  | North Texas | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL  | ESPN+ | W 46–39   | 15,754 |
September 9  | 7:00 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN+ | L 16–30   | 16,006 |
September 9  | 7:00 p.m.  | Northwestern State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA  | ESPN+ | W 51–21   | 19,152 |
September 9  | 7:00 p.m.  | Middle Tennessee | Missouri | Faurot Field • Columbia, MO | SECN+/ESPN+ | L 19–23   | 57,645 |
September 9  | 7:00 p.m.  | Houston Christian | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY  | ESPN+ | W 52–22   | 20,712 |
September 9  | 8:00 p.m.  | Air Force | Sam Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX | CBSSN | L 3–13   | 25,121 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 3

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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September 16  | 12:00 p.m.  | Liberty | Buffalo | UB Stadium • Amherst, NY | CBSSN | W 55–27   | 13,020 |
September 16  | 3:30 p.m.  | FIU | UConn | Pratt & Whitney Stadium • East Hartford, CT | CBSSN | W 24–17   | 20,405 |
September 16  | 4:00 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | No. 6 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | FOX | L 10–63   | 100,217 |
September 16  | 7:00 p.m.  | North Texas  | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA  | ESPN+ | L 37–40   | 17,434 |
September 16  | 7:00 p.m.  | Murray State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPN+ | W 35–14   | 16,605 |
September 16  | 8:00 p.m.  | New Mexico State | New Mexico | University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM (Rio Grande Rivalry)  |  | W 27–17   | 27,414 |
September 16  | 11:00 p.m.  | UTEP | Arizona | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | P12N | L 10–31   | 44,182 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 4

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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September 23  | 12:00 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPNU  | L 24–27   | 26,124 |
September 23  | 3:30 p.m.  | Louisiana Tech | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | BTN  | L 14–28   | 87,115 |
September 23  | 5:00 p.m.  | Eastern Michigan | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL  | ESPN+  | W 21–0   | 20,966 |
September 23  | 6:30 p.m.  | Liberty | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL  | ESPN+  |  LIB 38–6   | 17,437 |
September 23  | 7:00 p.m.  | Sam Houston | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX | B12N/ESPN+  | L 7–38   | 35,044 |
September 23  | 7:00 p.m.  | Colorado State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN  | ESPN+  | L 23–31   | 19,806 |
September 23  | 9:00 p.m.  | UNLV | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX  | ESPN+  | L 28–45   | 28,042 |
September 23  | 11:59 p.m.  | New Mexico State | Hawaii | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI |  | L 17–20   | 10,254 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 5

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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September 28  | 7:30 p.m.  | Middle Tennessee | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY (100 Miles of Hate)  | CBSSN  |  WKU 31–10   | 14,712 |
September 28  | 8:00 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX | ESPNU  |  JVST 35–28 OT  | 14,566 |
September 29  | 9:00 p.m.  | Louisiana Tech | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX  | CBSSN  |  LT 24–10   | 9,101 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 6

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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October 4  | 8:00 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN  | ESPNU |  JVST 45–30   | 13,066 |
October 4  | 9:00 p.m.  | FIU | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM  | CBSSN |  NMSU 34–17   | 11,540 |
October 5  | 7:00 p.m.  | Sam Houston | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA  | CBSSN  |  LIB 21–16   | 17,100 |
October 5  | 8:00 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA  | ESPNU  |  WKU 35–28   | 13,014 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 7

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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October 10  | 7:00 p.m.  | Louisiana Tech | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN  | CBSSN |  MTSU 31–23   | 9,602 |
October 10  | 7:30 p.m.  | Liberty | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL  | ESPNU |  LIB 31–13   | 21,745 |
October 11  | 7:30 p.m.  | UTEP | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL  | ESPN2 |  UTEP 27–14   | 14,872 |
October 11  | 9:00 p.m.  | Sam Houston | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM  | CBSSN  |  NMSU 27–13   | 12,812 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 8

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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October 17  | 7:00 p.m.  | Middle Tennessee | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA  | CBSSN  |  LIB 42–35   | 16,354 |
October 17  | 7:30 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL  | ESPNU  |  JVST 20–17   | 17,977 |
October 18  | 7:00 p.m.  | FIU | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX  | CBSSN  |  FIU 33–27 2OT  | 7,543 |
October 18  | 9:00 p.m.  | New Mexico State | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX (Battle of I-10)  | ESPN2  |  NMSU 28–7   | 19,727 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 9

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Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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October 24  | 7:00 p.m.  | New Mexico State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA  | CBSSN  |  NMSU 27–24   | 13,798 |
October 24  | 7:30 p.m.  | Liberty | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY  | ESPNU  |  LIB 42–29   | 16,036 |
October 25  | 7:00 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL  | CBSSN  |  JVST 41–16   | 14,074 |
October 25  | 8:00 p.m.  | UTEP | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX  | ESPN2  |  UTEP 37–34   | 6,889 |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 10

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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November 4  | 12:00 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | South Carolina | Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC | ESPNU  | L 28–38   | 75,348 |
November 4  | 1:00 p.m.  | Kennesaw State | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX  | ESPN+  | W 24–21   | 7,143 |
November 4  | 6:00 p.m.  | Louisiana Tech | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA  | CBSSN  |  LIB 56–30   | 21,647 |
November 4  | 6:00 p.m.  | Middle Tennessee | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM  | ESPN+  |  NMSU 13–7   | - |
November 4  | 9:00 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX  | ESPN+  |  WKU 21–13   | 11,111 |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 11

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Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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November 11  | 1:00 p.m.  | Old Dominion | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA  | ESPN+  | W 38–10   | 21,481 |
November 11  | 3:00 p.m.  | Sam Houston | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA  | ESPN+  |  SHSU 42–27   | 15,080 |
November 11  | 3:30 p.m.  | FIU | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN  | ESPN+  |  MTSU 40–6   | 11,111 |
November 11  | 3:30 p.m.  | New Mexico State | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY  | ESPN+  |  NMSU 38–29   | 16,319 |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 12

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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November 18  | 1:00 p.m.  | UMass  | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA  | ESPN+  | W 49–25   | 16,860 |
November 18  | 2:00 p.m.  | Louisiana Tech | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL  | ESPN+  |  JVST 56–17   | 20,252 |
November 18  | 2:00 p.m.  | UTEP | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN  | ESPN+  |  MTSU 34–30   | 9,122 |
November 18  | 3:30 p.m.  | Sam Houston | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY  | ESPN+  |  WKU 28–23   | 11,041 |
November 18  | 4:00 p.m.  | New Mexico State | Auburn | Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL | SECN  | W 31–10   | 88,043 |
November 18  | 7:30 p.m.  | FIU | Arkansas | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | ESPNU  | L 20–44   | 61,442 |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Week 13

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Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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November 25  | 12:00 p.m.  | Middle Tennessee | Sam Houston | Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX  | ESPN+  |  SHSU 23–20   | 5,349 |
November 25  | 3:00 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL  | ESPN+  |  WKU 41–28   | 12,724 |
November 25  | 3:30 p.m.  | No. 25 Liberty | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX  | CBSSN  |  LIB 42–28   | 10,240 |
November 25  | 4:00 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM  | ESPN+  |  NMSU 20–17   | 15,702 |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time.

### Conference USA Championship Game

[edit]

Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref.

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December 1  | 7:00 p.m.  | New Mexico State | No. 24 Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA (Conference USA Championship Game)  | CBSSN  |  LIB 49–35   | 20,077 |
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time.

## Postseason

[edit]

### Bowl Games

[edit]

See also: 2023–24 NCAA football bowl games

Legend

| CUSA win
| CUSA loss
Bowl game  | Date  | Site  | Television  | Time (EST)  | CUSA team  | Opponent  | Score  | Attendance

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New Orleans Bowl | December 16  | Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, LA | ESPN | 2:15 p.m.  | Jacksonville State | Louisiana | W 34–31OT | 14,485
New Mexico Bowl | December 16  | University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM | ESPN | 5:45 p.m.  | New Mexico State | Fresno State | L 10–37  | 30,822
Famous Toastery Bowl | December 18  | Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC | ESPN | 2:30 p.m.  | Western Kentucky | Old Dominion | W 38–35OT | 5,632
New Year's Six Bowl
Fiesta Bowl | January 1, 2024  | State Farm Stadium • Glendale, AZ | ESPN | 1:00 p.m.  | No. 23 Liberty | No. 8 Oregon | L 6–45  | 47,769

Rankings are from Final CFP rankings. All times Eastern Time Zone.

### Selection of teams

[edit]

* Bowl eligible (4): Liberty, Jacksonville State[a], New Mexico State, Western Kentucky
* Bowl ineligible (5): FIU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Sam Houston, UTEP

## Conference USA records vs other conferences

[edit]

2023–2024 records against non-conference foes:

| Power Conferences 5  | Record

|

ACC | 0–0
Big Ten | 0–3
Big 12 | 0–2
Pac-12 | 0–1
Notre Dame | 0–0
SEC | 1–4
Power 5 Total  | 1–10
Other FBS Conferences  | Record
American | 2–2
Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) | 2–1
MAC | 3–0
Mountain West | 1–4
Sun Belt | 1–2
Other FBS Total  | 9–9
FCS Opponents  | Record
Football Championship Subdivision | 8–0
Total Non-Conference Record  | 18–19

Postseason

| Power Five Conferences  | Record

|

ACC | 0–0
Big 12 | 0–0
Big Ten | 0–0
Notre Dame | 0–0
Pac-12 | 0–1
SEC | 0–0
Power 5 Total  | 0–1
Other FBS Conferences  | Record
American | 0–0
Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) | 0–0
MAC | 0–0
Mountain West | 0–1
Sun Belt | 2–0
Other FBS Total  | 2–1
Total Bowl Record  | 2–2

### Conference USA vs Power 5 matchups

[edit]

This is a list of games CUSA teams scheduled against power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.

Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score

|
|
|
|
|

September 2 | SEC | Middle Tennessee | No. 4 Alabama | Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL | L 7–56
September 2 | Big 12 | Sam Houston | BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | L 0–14
September 9 | SEC | Middle Tennessee | Missouri | Faurot Field • Columbia, MO | L 19–23
September 9 | Big Ten | UTEP | Northwestern | Ryan Field • Evanston, IL | L 7–38
September 16 | Pac-12 | UTEP | Arizona | Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ | L 10–31
September 16 | Big Ten | Western Kentucky | No. 6 Ohio State | Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH | L 10–63
September 23 | Big Ten | Louisiana Tech | Nebraska | Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE | L 14–28
September 23 | Big 12 | Sam Houston | Houston | TDECU Stadium • Houston, TX | L 7–38
November 4 | SEC | Jacksonville State | South Carolina | Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC | L 28–38
November 18 | SEC | FIU | Arkansas | Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR | L 20–44
November 18 | SEC | New Mexico State | Auburn | Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL | W 31–10

### Conference USA vs Group of Five matchups

[edit]

The following games include CUSA teams competing against teams from the American, MAC, Mountain West, or Sun Belt.

Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score

|
|
|
|
|

September 2 | American | Louisiana Tech | SMU | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX | L 14–38
September 2 | MAC | Bowling Green | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 34–24
September 2 | American | South Florida | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | W 41–24
September 9 | American | North Texas | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | W 46–39
September 9 | Sun Belt | Jacksonville State | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | L 16–30
September 9 | Mountain West | Air Force | Sam Houston | NRG Stadium • Houston, TX | L 3–13
September 16 | American | North Texas | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | L 37–40
September 16 | MAC | Liberty | Buffalo | UB Stadium • Amherst, NY | W 55–27
September 16 | Mountain West | New Mexico State | New Mexico | University Stadium • Albuquerque, NM | W 27–17
September 23 | MAC | Eastern Michigan | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | W 21–0
September 23 | Mountain West | Colorado State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | L 23–31
September 23 | Mountain West | New Mexico State | Hawaii | Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI | L 17–20
September 23 | Mountain West | UNLV | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | L 28–45
September 23 | Sun Belt | Western Kentucky | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | L 24–27
November 11 | Sun Belt | Old Dominion | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 38–10

### Conference USA vs FBS independents matchups

[edit]

The following games include CUSA teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, UConn, or UMass.

Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score

|
|
|
|

August 26 | UMass | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | L 30–41
September 16 | FIU | UConn | Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT | W 24–17
November 18 | UMass | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | W 49–25

### Conference USA vs FCS matchups

[edit]

Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score

|
|
|
|

September 2 | Maine | FIU | Riccardo Silva Stadium • Westchester, FL | W 14–12
September 2 | East Tennessee State | Jacksonville State | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, AL | W 49–3
September 2 | Western Illinois | New Mexico State | Aggie Memorial Stadium • Las Cruces, NM | W 58–21
September 2 | Incarnate Word | UTEP | Sun Bowl • El Paso, TX | W 28–14
September 9 | Northwestern State | Louisiana Tech | Joe Aillet Stadium • Ruston, LA | W 51–21
September 9 | Houston Christian | Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY | W 52–22
September 16 | Murray State | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | W 35–14
November 4 | Kennesaw State | Sam Houston | Bower Stadium • Huntsville, TX | W 24–21

## Awards and honors

[edit]

### Player of the week honors

[edit]

Week  |  | Offensive  |  | Defensive  |  | Special Teams  |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Player  | Team  | Position  | Player  | Team  | Position  | Player  | Team  | Position
Week 0[14] | Smoke Harris  | Louisiana Tech  | WR  | Jeremiah Harris  | Jacksonville State  | S  | Jack Dawson  | Jacksonville State  | P
Week 1[15] | Kris Mitchell | FIU  | WR  | JaQues Evans  | Western Kentucky  | LB  | Lucas Carneiro  | Western Kentucky  | K
Week 2[16] | Kejon Owens  | FIU  | RB  | Tyrice Knight | UTEP  | LB  | Jacob Barnes  | Louisiana Tech  | K
Week 3[17] | Kaidon Salter | Liberty  | QB  | Sam Brumfield  | Middle Tennessee  | LB  | Ethan Albertson  | New Mexico State  | K
Week 4[18] | Kaidon Salter (2)  | Liberty  | QB  | Chris Hardie  | Jacksonville State  | DL  | Jack Dawson (2)  | Jacksonville State  | P
Week 5[19] | Logan Smothers | Jacksonville State  | QB  | Bryson Washington  | Western Kentucky  | LB  | Smoke Harris  | Louisiana Tech  | PR
Week 6[20] | Malachi Corley | Western Kentucky  | WR  | Chris Hardie (2)  | Jacksonville State  | DL  | Max Morgan  | Liberty  | P
Week 7[21] | Diego Pavia | New Mexico State  | QB  | Maurice Westmoreland  | UTEP  | DL  | Joshua Sloan  | UTEP  | P
Week 8[22] | Zion Webb | Jacksonville State  | QB  | Reggie Peterson  | FIU  | LB  | Alen Karajic  | Jacksonville State  | K
Week 9[23] | Kaidon Salter (3)  | Liberty  | QB  | Jaylen "J-Rock" Swain  | Jacksonville State  | DL  | Buzz Flabiano  | UTEP  | K
Week 10[24] | Quinton Cooley | Liberty  | RB  | Da'Marcus Crosby  | Sam Houston  | DB  | Colby Sessums  | Sam Houston  | K
Week 11[25] | Kaidon Salter (4)  | Liberty  | QB  | Kavian Gaither  | Sam Houston  | LB  | Ethan Albertson (2)  | New Mexico State  | K
Week 12[26] | Diego Pavia (2)  | New Mexico State  | QB  | Gabe Peterson  | New Mexico State  | LB  | Kekoura Tarnue  | Jacksonville State  | DB
Week 13[27] | Austin Reed | Western Kentucky  | QB  | Trevor Williams  | Sam Houston  | LB  | Ethan Albertson (3)  | New Mexico State  | K

### Conference USA Individual Awards

[edit]

The following individuals received postseason honors as chosen by the league's head coaches.[28][29]

Award  | Player  | School

|
|

Most Valuable Player  | Kaidon Salter, QB  | Liberty
Offensive Player of the Year  | Diego Pavia, QB  | New Mexico State
Defensive Player of the Year  | Tyren Dupree, LB  | Liberty
Special Teams Player of the Year  | Ethan Albertson, PK  | New Mexico State
Freshman of the Year  | Michael Richard, DB  | Louisiana Tech
Newcomer of the Year  | Quinton Cooley, RB  | Liberty
Coach of the Year  | Jamey Chadwell
Jerry Kill | Liberty
New Mexico State

### All-Conference Teams

[edit]

The following list contains players selected as members of the 2023 All-Conference Teams.[30]

| Position  | Player  | Team

|
|

First Team Offense
WR  | Smoke Harris  | Louisiana Tech
WR  | Kelly Akharaiyi  | UTEP
WR  | Malachi Corley | Western Kentucky
OL  | X’Zauvea Gadlin  | Liberty
OL  | Andrew Meyer  | UTEP
OL  | Keylan Rutledge  | Middle Tennessee
OL  | Shiyazh Pete  | New Mexico State
OL  | Elijah Klein | UTEP
TE  | Holden Willis  | Middle Tennessee
QB  | Kaidon Salter | Liberty
RB  | Quinton Cooley | Liberty
RB  | Malik Jackson  | Jacksonville State
First Team Defense
DE  | Maurice Westmoreland  | UTEP
DE  | Chris Hardie  | Jacksonville State
DT  | Sterling Webb  | New Mexico State
DT  | Jordan Guerad  | FIU
LB  | Tyrice Knight | UTEP
LB  | Tyren Dupree  | Liberty
LB  | Trevor Williams  | Sam Houston
DB  | Willie Roberts  | Louisiana Tech
DB  | Kobe Singleton  | Liberty
DB  | Brylan Green  | Liberty
DB  | Da’Marcus Crosby  | Sam Houston
First Team Special Teams
K  | Ethan Albertson  | New Mexico State
P  | Blake Ochsendorf  | Louisiana Tech
LS  | Brody Butler  | Middle Tennessee
KR  | Aaron Bedgood  | Liberty
PR  | Smoke Harris  | Louisiana Tech
| Position  | Player  | Team

|
|

Second Team Offense
WR  | Kris Mitchell | FIU
WR  | CJ Daniels  | Liberty
WR  | Elijah Metcalf  | Middle Tennessee
OL  | Jonathan Graham  | Liberty
OL  | Jordan White  | Liberty
OL  | Treylen Brown  | Jacksonville State
OL  | Clay Webb  | Jacksonville State
OL  | Canaan Yarro  | New Mexico State
TE  | Sean Brown  | Jacksonville State
QB  | Diego Pavia | New Mexico State
RB  | Deion Hankins  | UTEP
RB  | Star Thomas  | New Mexico State
Second Team Defense
DE  | Praise Amaewhule  | UTEP
DE  | Quindarius Dunnigan  | Middle Tennessee
DT  | Hosea Wheeler  | Western Kentucky
DT  | Jay Hardy  | Liberty
LB  | Donovan Manuel  | FIU
LB  | Sam Brumfield  | Middle Tennessee
LB  | Keyshaun Elliott  | New Mexico State
DB  | Kendrick Simpkins  | Western Kentucky
DB  | Teldrick Ross  | Middle Tennessee
DB  | Jeremiah Harris  | Jacksonville State
DB  | Derek Carter  | Jacksonville State
Second Team Special Teams
K  | Jacob Barnes  | Louisiana Tech
P  | Joshua Sloan  | UTEP
LS  | Charlie Eberle  | New Mexico State
KR  | Demarcus Griffin-Taylor  | Louisiana Tech
PR  | Dean Patterson  | FIU

### All-Americans

[edit]

For the complete All-America selections, see 2023 College Football All-America Team.

Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. College Football All-American consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.

Position  | Player  | School  | Selector  | Unanimous  | Consensus

|
|
|
|
|

Second Team All-Americans
OL  | Clay Webb  | Jacksonville State  | AP, PFF, USAT, WCFF |  |
S  | Brylan Green  | Liberty  | FWAA |  |

## NFL draft

[edit]

See also: 2024 NFL draft

The NFL draft will be held at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. The following list includes all C-USA players in the draft.

### List of selections

[edit]

Player  | Position  | School  | Draft
Round  | Round
Pick  | Overall
Pick  | Team

|
|
|
|
|
|

Malachi Corley | WR | Western Kentucky | 3  | 1  | 65  | New York Jets
Tyrice Knight | LB | UTEP | 4  | 18  | 118  | Seattle Seahawks
Elijah Klein | OG | UTEP | 6  | 44  | 220  | Tampa Bay Buccaneers

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Due to a lack of bowl eligible teams, Jacksonville State was deemed bowl eligible despite their two-year postseason ban during their transition from FCS to FBS.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "FB: C-USA Announces 2023 Schedule". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. January 10, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
2. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (July 15, 2022). "AAC to add six new member schools from Conference USA ahead of 2023 college football season". cbssports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
3. ^ Vannini, Chris (November 5, 2021). "Conference USA adds Liberty, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, Jacksonville State". The Athletic. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
4. ^ "C-USA Adds Kennesaw State, Owls to Join in 2024" (Press release). Conference USA. October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
5. ^ "Conference USA Officially Welcomes Four New Members" (Press release). Conference USA. July 1, 2023. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
6. ^ "FB: CUSA Announces Media's Predicted Order of Finish". conferenceUSA.com. Conference USA. July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
7. ^ "C-USA Announces 2023 Preseason Awards". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
8. ^ Thamel, Pete (December 4, 2022). "Liberty hires Jamey Chadwell; sides agree to 7-year deal, sources say". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
9. ^ Deaver, Colin (November 26, 2023). "UTEP parts ways with Dana Dimel after six seasons". KTSM-TV. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
10. ^ "UTEP hires Scotty Walden away from Austin Peay to be coach". espn.com. ESPN. December 4, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
11. ^ "Massaro announces change in leadership for Blue Raider football" (Press release). Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
12. ^ Cobb, David (December 6, 2023). "Middle Tennessee hires Derek Mason: Ex-Vanderbilt coach returns to college football after one-year sabbatical". cbssports.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
13. ^ Thamel, Pete (December 23, 2023). "Jerry Kill steps down, Tony Sanchez named new NMSU head coach". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
14. ^ "Aug. 28 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. August 28, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
15. ^ "Sept. 4 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
16. ^ "Sept. 11 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
17. ^ "Sept. 18 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
18. ^ "Sept. 25 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
19. ^ "Oct. 2 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
20. ^ "Oct. 9 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
21. ^ "Oct. 16 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
22. ^ "Oct. 23 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
23. ^ "October 30 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
24. ^ "November 6 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
25. ^ "November 13 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
26. ^ "November 20 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
27. ^ "November 27 CUSA Players of the Week". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
28. ^ "CUSA Announces 2023 Players of the Year". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
29. ^ "Liberty's Chadwell, New Mexico State's Kill Named CUSA Co-Coaches of the Year". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
30. ^ "CUSA Announces 2023 All-Conference Teams". conferenceusa.com. Conference USA. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Conference USA football

Current teams|

* Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
* FIU Panthers
* Jacksonville State Gamecocks
* Kennesaw State Owls
* Liberty Flames
* Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
* Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
* Missouri State Bears
* New Mexico State Aggies
* Sam Houston Bearkats
* UTEP Miners (leaving in 2026)
* Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Championships & awards|

* Conference USA Football Championship Game
* All-time standings
* Conference USA football individual awards

Seasons|

* 1996
* 1997
* 1998
* 1999
* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
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* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
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* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
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* 2022
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* v
* t
* e

2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season

Conference seasons|

* American
* ACC
* Big 12
* Big Ten
* CUSA
* MAC
* Mountain West
* Pac-12
* SEC
* Sun Belt

Inter-conference|

* Bowl games
* Rankings

All-Americans|

* 2023 College Football All-America Team

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[Ref.]: Reference(s)