Homeless at The Rock on Saturday, September 19, 2026?

With the recent impending “Conference Transfer Portal” move with Louisiana Tech joining the Sun Belt Conference as the fourteenth member, more dominoes now fall. The next decision by the Sun Belt Conference and Louisiana Tech is to finalize the entry date with July 2026 as the earliest possible option. While the conference realignment decision has just become official, Louisiana Tech must work with Conference USA on its membership departure and financial penalty of allegedly $5 million if not more. Once the fire and smoke clears from that decision and settlement, Louisiana Tech will finalize things with the Sun Belt, with possible coming on board in 2026 and in time for the football season. Departing Sun Belt Conference member Texas State will officially move to the Pac-12 Conference on July 1, 2026, to be effective for the 2026-27 school year. The Bobcats will play their final Sun Belt season during the 2025-26 academic year, including the November 15th game in Hattiesburg.

While certainly much regional and national debate has recently focused on the “new team” coming on board, with it now being official, there are lots of unintended consequences for lots of parties including Southern Miss Football. For the upcoming 2025 football season, the Golden Eagles are set with seven overall home games, including starting a home and home series at Louisiana Tech in Ruston on September 20, 2025. This game was scheduled to be returned per FBS Schedules and Future Football Schedules (https://fbschedules.com/) on September 19, 2026, to Hattiesburg. This is where things get sticky and really muddy for Southern Miss. If Louisiana Tech breaks away from Conference USA quickly, as they will want to do, and comes to the Sun Belt Conference, as both Louisiana Tech and the conference will want to do, then Southern Miss loses a valuable non-conference home game versus like opponent. With recent Southern Miss Football scheduling with eight Conference USA and now Sun Belt Conference games, they have had to schedule four non-conference games annually. This has traditionally included one road guarantee (buy game versus ACC, SEC, etc.) team to help manage the overall athletics budget. Also, it has included one home guarantee (buying the game) versus an FCS team (lower NCAA Division I game). Additionally, has includes two “like” games versus FBS teams. Obviously, have tried to counter these two games to counter the road buy (FBS) and home buy (FCS) to have two home and two road games before the conference slate of eight games (four home and four road) to provide six overall home and road games each for balance for best opportunity to win, and also season football ticket packages.

Per current scheduling layout for next year (see Table #1), below, Louisiana Tech was the “like” game at home. With inclusion in Sun Belt next year by the Bulldogs that fatally jeopardizes that home game. Certainly, the Sun Belt Conference could plan to send Louisiana Tech to Southern Miss as the return game to even the series. However, with Texas State and Louisiana Tech exchanging positions, on paper, in the Sun Belt Conference West Division, with the conference rotation, Southern Miss would travel to Louisiana Tech for a road game (flip flop of Texas State here this year).

2026 Non-Conference Schedule: 9/5 Alcorn State, 9/12@ Auburn, 9/19 Louisiana Tech, 9/26 @Tulane

Regardless if Louisiana Tech comes on board next summer officially, Southern Miss needs a “like” opponent to replace them on 9/19/26 at The Rock. As football administrators and coaches work years in advance, this will certainly be a tremendous challenge. Current NCAA rules only allow one FCS game to be played for postseason bowl eligibility. A second FCS game can be played, but not ideal and not beneficial, as it would not count toward bowl requirements. With the Power 4 Conference schools only looking at “buy” games for Southern Miss, which leaves the remaining FBS conferences of American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference USA (CUSA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), and Mountain West Conference (MWC). Upon FBS Schedules, and cross-examining options, there are only eight possible options for Southern Miss Football for a home game on September 19, 2026.

Air Force

Current Mountain West Conference (MWC) and service academy. Air Force had a losing season last year but had three consecutive winning seasons of 9-plus wins before that. Since 2000, it has had fifteen winning seasons. Southern Miss has never played in the past. A return trip to Colorado Springs, possibly 9/25/27, would give Southern Miss Football a rare Mountain Time Zone game and enable Golden Eagle fans to see the Rockies.

Army

Current member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC), which just rebranded as American Conference (AC) per conference affiliation. Also, as above, a service academy in addition to being a former Conference USA (CUSA) member from 1998-2005. Southern Miss first met in 1998 and last played in 2002 while winning all three contests (two there, and one home). Army only has eight winning seasons since 2000 but has not had a losing record since 2019. Last year, they were 12-2, including winning the then American Athletic Championship game over Tulane and culminating their season with a bowl win in Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl over Louisiana Tech. A return trip to West Point, New York, possibly 9/25/27, would give Southern Miss Football an East Coast swing trip to New York state, including seeing the big city, and seeing the arrival of a true fall or autumn season.

Navy

Another American Conference (AC) team and a third service academy that is option. It has had sixteen winning seasons since 2000, including a 10-3 record last year, including late season win over rival Army, and defeating Oklahoma in Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Southern Miss Football won the only meeting in a 2011 big road win. A return game to Annapolis, Maryland, possibly 9/25/27, would give Southern Miss Football another East Coast swing to DC and the Baltimore area, including a chance to catch a Baltimore Ravens game with former Southern Miss Head Football Coach Todd Monken.

New Mexico State

A viable option would be recent CUSA member in UTEP’s backyard of El Paso in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Aggies program has been far from a football power with only three winning seasons since 2000, but did encounter recent success, including ten wins two years ago under Coach Jerry Kill. Southern Miss and New Mexico State have never met on the football field, and the first opportunity to return to the field would be the 2028 season, giving Golden Eagles’ fans a chance to return to the desert from UTEP days. Possible dates include 9/2/28, 9/9/28, or 9/30/28.

San Diego State

Exciting practical option and West Coast flair. Current Mountain West Conference (MWC) member that are joining the revamped PAC-12 Conference next year. The Aztecs had a streak of twelve straight winning seasons from 2010 to 2022, until only winning a combined seven games the last two years. Southern Miss Football has only played three times total, with the first meeting in 1968 and the last in 1971, with a single win. Their current Director of Athletics is John David Wicker, who spent two years as Director of Event and Facility Operations at Southern Miss from 1999-2001. Wicker also oversaw the design and initial construction of the Duff Athletic Center, a $11 million facility. While the Aztecs currently have three games, including Portland State (9/5/26), and away games at UCLA (9/12/26) and Toledo (9/26/26), and need a home game for their non-conference schedule, maybe some juggling is possible. Southern Miss could return game to San Diego on 9/25/27. It would be an exciting and well-received trip for Golden Eagles fans to go to Cali and the West Coast for sun, beach, and golf time.

South Florida

Recent opponent option would be South Florida, whom we played last year at home, losing 49-24. Also, a member of the American Conference (AC). While South Florida has only had a football team since 2000, they have had fifteen winning seasons in 25 years. The Bulls were 7-6 overall last year and defeated San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl. Another former CUSA opponent (from 2000-2004) like Army above, Southern Miss has played six times in total and sport a 3-3 overall record. It would require the Bulls to move their current FCS game with Bethune Cookman from 9/19/26 next year but could push to the following week of 9/26/26. Southern Miss Football is already scheduled to return the game to Tampa for the 2028 season on 9/23/28 with last year’s game being here. If a home game was added in 2026, then the return game would have to be pushed back to 2029 as South Florida’s 2027 schedule is set and Southern Miss already going there in 2028 with 9/29/29 as the next available option.

Tulsa

The Golden Hurricane and current American Conference (AC) member is option. Former CUSA member and opponent from 2005 to 2013. Tulsa has had eleven winning seasons since 2000 but a losing record six out of the last eight years. Southern Miss has played eight times total with first game in 1991 and last game in 2010 with 3 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie. This option is challenging as it would require Tulsa to move their FCS home game with East TX A&M game and for road game. Currently they have two home games including Oklahoma State and two road games. If they proceeded, they would lose their FCS home game, and then have one home game, and three road games so it is not ideal, but gets them another quality home game with us and we could return on 9/25/27

UNLV

Another possible new home and home option is current Mountain West Conference (MWC) member UNLV. While not a strong football program history with only four winning seasons in the last 25 years, their best two years have been the last two years with twenty wins combined with their Head Coach Barry Odom springboarding to Purdue and the Big Ten Conference. The Runnin’ Rebels advanced to the Mountain West Conference Championship game before falling Boise State and ended the season with bowl win over California in the Art of Spa LA Bowl. While this is a wildcard option as they currently have three non-conference road games at North Texas (9/12/26), Akron (9/26/26), and California (10/3/26). Certainly, need a home game and who would want to play four non-conference games. But the Sin City has been known to be willing “to roll the dice” and throw in incoming new Head Coach Dan Mullen with his Mississippi State background success and The Sip may be on option. Southern Miss and UNLV have never met on the gridiron. Certainly, Golden Eagle fans would be excited to invade The Strip the following year with game options for both 9/2/28 or 9/30/28. See the football fellas, win some money, see a show, and if lucky the Las Vegas Raiders on the following day before returning home.

While there is a tight window in play with the ball in Louisiana Tech’s hands right now, Southern Miss for their sake needs to move quickly on the best option for next year. However, that is not possible yet until Louisiana Tech “scores” and leaves CUSA and joins the Sun Belt Conference for sure for 2026 season. If Southern Miss moves forward with options and Louisiana Tech, CUSA or Sun Belt Conference “fumbles” the exit next year, then Southern Miss has a homemade Mississippi mud pie with two non-conference games scheduled on one date and now having to “eat a contract buyout.” Just like south Mississippi weather, a sticky situation has settled in for a bit.

By Dr. Chris Croft

Associate Professor of Sport ManagementUniversity of Southern Mississippi