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ARLINGTON, Texas – Tuesday morning, the conference office released information surrounding to the 2026 Conference USA Football Kickoff and Media Days. For the upcoming season, the event will take place at Texas Live! Arena and the Loews Arlington Hotel & Convention Center in Arlington, Texas, and is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday, July 20-21.
There, CUSA Commissioner Judy MacLeod, along with head coaches and players from each of the league’s 10 programs, will be on hand to discuss and preview the upcoming 2026 football season. The current alignment includes Delaware, FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, NM State, Sam Houston and WKU.
In addition to traditional press conferences and media availability on Tuesday, July 21, all participants will take part in a live ESPN+ show hosted by ESPN’s Mike Corey on Monday, July 20, inside Texas Live! Arena.
NM State will be represented by head coach Tony Sanchez, wide receiver TK King and defensive lineman Henry Davis. King averaged 107.6 all-purpose yards across eight starts during the 2025 season. Davis returns for his third year with the program and looks to serve as a key member of the defense front after appearing in 11 games and tallying one sack last season.
A full schedule of events for the 2026 CUSA Football Kickoff and Media Days will be released at a later date.
Team
Head Coach
Offensive Player
Defensive Player
Delaware
Ryan Carty
QB Nick Minicucci
DE Noah Matthews
FIU
Willie Simmons
QB JJ Kohl
S Shamir Sterlin
Jax State
Charles Kelly
QB Caden Creel
S Caleb Nix
Kennesaw State
Jerry Mack
OL Nikola Milovac
LB Baron Hopson
Liberty
Jamey Chadwell
TE Caleb Ryan
LB Derrell Farrar
Missouri State
Casey Woods
TE Jeron Askren
LB Jared Lloyd
MTSU
Derek Mason
QB Roman Gagliano
P Ashton Logan
NM State
Tony Sanchez
WR TK King
DL Henry Davis
Sam Houston
Phil Longo
QB Landyn Locke
LB Dean Ford
WKU
Tyson Helton
OL Karsten Upchurch
S Jaylen Lewis
ABOUT CONFERENCE USA
Conference USA is an NCAA Division I conference championing success in college athletics through dedicated leadership, dynamic partnership, and diverse membership. Founded in 1995 and based in Dallas, CUSA is home to 10 schools: Delaware, FIU, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, Liberty, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston and WKU.
ABOUT TEXAS LIVE!
Texas Live! is a premier $250 million entertainment, dining, and hospitality destination located in the heart of Arlington, Texas. Developed in partnership between the Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies, the 200,000-square-foot complex serves as a central hub for sports fans and visitors, situated directly between AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field.
ABOUT LOEWS ARLINGTON HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER
Loews Arlington Hotel and Convention Center is a state-of-the-art, full-service meetings and resort destination that caters to groups of all sizes, as well as families who are looking for a world-class experience in the epicenter of the premier sports and entertainment district in the country. Centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth between iconic sports stadiums, Globe Life Field, home of the 2023 World Champion Texas Rangers and AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, the 888-room resort features five restaurants and lounges, two pools with a man-made sandy beach, cabanas and a water slide as well as a fitness center, full-service spa and salon and 266,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Loews Arlington Hotel is the second Loews Hotel in Arlington, Texas, joining the iconic sports resort, Live! By Loews – Arlington. For more information and to make reservations, please online or call (682) 318-2810.
For complete coverage of the NM State football program, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Football), Twitter (@NMStateFootball) and Instagram (@NMStateFB).
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