MIAMI — FIU's football program announced its final Conference USA (CUSA) schedule for the 2026 campaign on Wednesday morning.
Following their first bowl game appearance since 2019 and a four-game win streak to close out the regular season, the Panthers are gearing up for their 2026 slate and Year Two under head coach Willie Simmons.
The Panthers have several changes to the original CUSA schedule for the 2026 season. FIU will now host New Mexico State for its CUSA opener on Oct. 7 on South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium. This will be the Panthers' second time hosting the Aggies in three seasons. In the two sides' last meeting, FIU defeated New Mexico State handedly with a 34-13 win on Oct. 29, 2024.
The Panthers will then take to the road for their first CUSA game of 2026 away from home, traveling to Jax State on Oct. 13. In 2025, FIU secured its first win over Jax State in four tired with a 27-21 win at home on Nov. 22, 2025.
FIU's home matchup with Middle Tennessee on Oct. 20 is up next and has gone unchanged from the original release of the schedule. The Panthers have won their last two meetings with the Blue Raiders, defeating MTSU 56-30 last season in Murfreesboro and garnering a 35-24 win in Miami to close the 2024 campaign on Nov. 30. All three contests against New Mexico State, Jax State and Middle Tennessee will be part of CUSA's annual Weekday CUSA slate, of which will be nationally televised.
Returning to weekend play, a crucial Halloween tilt in Lynchburg, Va. on Oct. 31 at Liberty also matches the original schedule release. FIU notched a critical 34-27 win over the Flames in overtime at home in 2025, sparking a 4-0 run to close the regular season.
The Panthers then return to 'the 305' to face off with Missouri State on Nov. 7, of which will be the two sides' first-ever meeting in Miami. FIU will look to avenge a tightly-contested 28-21 defeat in Springfield, Mo. from 2025 in just the second meeting between FIU and Mo State overall.
FIU continues its theme of program-firsts the following week with its first-ever trip to Newark, Del. on Nov. 14. The Panthers and Blue Hens meet for the second time overall following a 38-16 defeat at the hands of Delaware last season on Sept. 20.
For its final road game of the CUSA slate, FIU travels to defending CUSA Champion-Kennesaw State, who was previously not on the Panthers' original schedule release, for a battle on Nov. 21. When these two teams last met in the Atlanta-area, FIU dropped a close battle, 27-26, on Nov. 23, 2024.
The Panthers will have their season finale against Sam Houston for the second-straight season, taking on the Bearkats at home on Nov. 28. FIU dominated SHSU with a 56-16 win in Houston last season to cap its four-game winning streak.
FIU's four non-conference matchups are unchanged from what was released on March 13. The Panthers will take on the following during the non-conference slate: at USF (Sept. 5), vs. Buffalo (Sept. 12), at Fla. Atlantic (Sept. 19), vs. LIU (Sept. 26).
All kickoff times and TV information will be released at a later date.
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