Officially Official: Delaware and Missouri State Have Joined Conference USA

"Today marks an exciting new chapter for us as we look forward to the energy and competitive spirit that Delaware and Missouri State will add to the league,” CUSA CommissionerJudy MacLeod said in the conference's press release. “Both institutions bring a strong tradition of academic and athletic excellence, and their commitment to innovation and growth aligns perfectly with our vision for the future.”

The Delaware Blue Hens are coming off a strong 9-2 record in their final season as an FCS program. Leading the charge for Delaware on the field is head coach Ryan Carty, a Delaware alum and coach who led the program to their first back-to-back nine win seasons since 2003-04.

“Joining Conference USA gives us the opportunity to broaden our exposure, create visibility and let everyone know how special UD is as a flagship institution in the state,” Delaware Interim Director of Athletics, Community and Campus Recreation Jordan Skolnick said. “Now is the right moment for a lot of reasons. This step up in competition for us is so exciting to our coaches and our student-athletes.”

As for the Bears, they had a great ending to their FCS tenure, going 8-4. Along with returning their starting quarterback Jacob Clark who threw for 3,604 yards and 26 touchdowns, their head coach Ryan Beard will be going into his third year as the head coach, but had been with the program since 2020.

“It’s a big day for the university and our athletics department,” Missouri State Director of Athletics Patrick Ransdell said. “This is an opportunity that our fanbase has been clamoring for for some time. There’s been so much build up for today. Everyone around campus is excited. I hope this is a good platform for the overall university to grow. More than anything, I hope this allows the institution to achieve its full potential as a nationally relevant university. This is the first step in that.”

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