MIAMI — FIU football's annual VICE Night matchup commences on Wednesday, Oct. 7 as the Panthers take on the Aggies of New Mexico State at 7:30 p.m. inside Pitbull Stadium. 

Game Themes | Fan Fit | Giveaways
VICE Night | Wear VICE/Pink! | VICE T-Shirts for First 1,000 Students

Game Sponsor
Presented By Pitbull

Series History
Series Record: Series Tied 2-2
Willie Simmons vs. NMSU: First Meeting

How To Follow
Fans can follow along with the game on variety of platforms. The matchup will air live on ESPN2 and also be available via radio on 990 AM La Poderosa. Live stats will also be available on fiusports.com/FBStats.

Official Kick-Off
7:35 p.m.

Broadcast — ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Cooper Boardman
Analyst: Dave Clawson

Radio — 990 AM La Poderosa
Play-by-Play: Tony Calatayud 
Analyst: Anthony Calatayud
Analyst: Jose 'Chambi' Campos

FIU

• The Panthers and Aggies battle for the fifth time in program history and their second meeting in Miami on Wednesday evening for FIU's Conference USA (CUSA) lid-lifter.
• The Panthers will be wearing the fourth edition of their VICE Uniforms on Wednesday, a campaign which has received viral attention once again in 2026 following its release on Friday.
• FIU, who has enjoyed 10 days off from competition, defeated LIU in its final non-conference tilt its last time out, maintaining its unblemished record at home in 2026. NMSU started off CUSA play with a convincing victory at home over WKU, winning 34-13 on Thursday, Oct. 1.
• NMSU's top running back, James Jones, leads CUSA in rushing yards per game, averaging 102.0 ypg while FIU ranks first in rushing defense in the conference, allowing just 81.5 ypg.
• FIU enters this matchup as the second-ranked passing offense in CUSA, and NMSU sits eighth in pass defense.
• FIU has the top total offense in CUSA, averaging 418.0 yards per game.
• DeeJay Holmes Jr. has a sack in four-straight games, matching the longest streak in program history (Antwan Barnes, 2005 | Michael Wakefield, 2014). A five-game streak would set a new program record. Nationally, he is one of just four players with a sack streak of four games or more.
• FIU's defensive line was recognized by Pro Football Network as the 12th-best graded DL nationally through four weeks and the second-best in all of the Group of Six.
• The Panthers' offensive line has allowed just three sacks on the season, the least in all of CUSA.
• Maguire Anderson ranks first in CUSA in receiving yards per game, averaging 95.5 ypg. Additionally, Anderson sits tied-second in receptions per game with 6.0.
• Despite only playing the first half against LIU, JJ Kohl is still second in CUSA with 266.3 passing yards per game. 
• David Yost, the offensive coordinator at NMSU for the past two seasons, returns to FIU after spending three seasons as offensive coordinator with the Panthers from 2022-24.
• This is the last game in a series of five-straight games for FIU to open the season inside the State of Florida.

Matchup Notes

• FIU meets NMSU for the fifth time, but just the second time at home in program history.
• Three of the four matchups have occurred with both teams as CUSA members while the inaugural tilt between these two sides came back in 2004. Both were members of the FCS at that time.
• The last matchup between these two sides was during the inaugural season of Pitbull Stadium and featured a historic performance from Eric Rivers. Rivers set a new program record with 295 receiving yards in the game and had three touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a dominant victory. Keyone Jenkins passed for four TDs in the win.
• All four of the previous tilts have resulted in wins of 14 points or more.

NMSU

• After Trey Hedden started the first four games of the season, the Aggies started senior Adam Damante against WKU. He completed 15 passes for 146 yards and recorded a passing and rushing touchdown. Between both, NMSU ranks fourth in passing offense in Conference USA (252.0 passing yards per game).
• Fifth year safety Nick Session leads the team with 38.0 total tackles (25 solo/13 assisted) with 1.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions.
• New Mexico State is coming off a 34-13 win in their Conference USA opener against Western Kentucky.
• The distance between Aggie Memorial Stadium in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Florida, is approximately 1,982 miles—the longest trip any team will make to visit the home of the Panthers. That's the equivalent of roughly a 28-hour drive.

Everything You Need for Gameday
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of everything students, alumni, donors and Panther supporters of any capacity need to know about the home gameday experience surrounding FIU football in 2026. 

FIU Athletics App
Fans are encouraged to download the Official FIU Athletics App for all FIU Athletics News and Digital Content, of which can be found searching 'FIU Athletics' in the App Store on both Android and iOS-based devices. Inside the app, fans will find the Panther Rewards program, of which rewards fans for attending FIU Athletics event with points that can be used for prizes.

Weekly Media Availabilities

Best of Social Media

The Willie Simmons Coach's Show
The Panthers have partnered with Twin Peaks Doral, one of the highest-grossing restaurants in the entire franchise, for a weekly show with first-year Head Coach Willie Simmons and other special guests. Host Corey Brooks will sit down with Coach Simmons to discuss all facets of Panther football, with an emphasis on recapping the previous week's match-ups and previewing the upcoming game. For more information, click here.

25th Season Celebration, Presented by Miccosukee Casino and Resort
The 2026 season for the Panthers officially marks FIU's 25th season of football competition, dating back to the Panthers' first-ever season in 2002. Over that time period, FIU has qualified for six bowl games, secured six Shula Bowl victories and produced countless NFL players, including Pro Bowlers T.Y Hilton and Jonnu Smith. The program has also seen many legendary coaches and outstanding players pass through the Panther facilities throughout its history, creating a litany of incredible moments experienced by Panther Nation. 

Fans can be expected to be taken on a journey back to the inception of the program all the way up to the present day, recognizing the standard set by the first teams and acknowledging how many past Panthers have helped to build on that legacy. All of this will lead up and continue through the 25th official season in 2026, the second under head coach Willie Simmons, following one of the most historic seasons on record in his first year on the sidelines. 

As the campaign begins with a variety of content in the coming weeks, visit our one-stop shop for the 25th Season Celebration. In conjunction with this, fans are encouraged to follow along with the many highly-engaging pieces of content recognizing the past that will be released on FIU Football's social media channels, listed below. 

Social Media
Get all the latest information on the team by following @FIU.Football on Instagram and @FIUFootball on Twitter and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.