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70-491: On October 21, 2021, UAB was one of six Conference USA members announced as incoming members of The American on July 1, 2023. Tommy Burns, a native of Birmingham and a UAB history student, recalls being invited to the Student Government Association president's office to discuss basketball. The news that UAB would be starting a men's basketball team in the spring of 1978 had everyone in school and in

140-461: A "brand refresh" on July 1, 2023, the same day that Jacksonville State, Liberty, New Mexico State, and Sam Houston joined. The former abbreviation of "C-USA" was retired in favor of "CUSA", and the logo was slightly updated. On November 27, 2023, Pete Thamel reported on X that Conference USA was expected to add Delaware as a new member for the 2025–26 season. On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, both CUSA and Delaware announced on their websites and social

210-501: A dominating win (37–13) over Northern Illinois in the 2018 Boca Raton Bowl. This marked UAB's first bowl game win in school history. The Blazers moved into the new Protective Stadium on the grounds of the Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex in 2021. UAB began a men's soccer program back in 1979. Throughout its history, UAB has enjoyed great success in the men's soccer program. The men's team has been in

280-725: A good time to change as UAB joined the Great Midwest Conference and a pink unnamed furry dragon in 1978. UAB athletic events can be heard on the following stations: Conference USA Conference USA ( CUSA ) is an intercollegiate athletic conference of member institutions in the Southern and Western United States . The conference participates in the NCAA 's Division I in all sports. CUSA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas .   Member departing for

350-625: A monumental victory by beating LSU in Baton Rouge . In 2004, UAB reached its first ever bowl game, falling 59–40 in the Hawaii Bowl to Hawaii . In 2011, an effort to build an on-campus stadium failed to gain approval by the University of Alabama board of trustees ; this served as a harbinger of the program's eventual termination following the 2014 season. UAB announced on June 1, 2015, that their football program will be re-instated. UAB

420-521: A national team championship while a member of the conference is Jacksonville State , which won the 2024 bowling championship in its first season of both varsity bowling and CUSA membership. The only other school to have won such a championship while a CUSA member is Marshall , which moved to the Sun Belt Conference in 2022. Marshall won the 2020–21 men's soccer championship in May 2021 (with

490-718: A ninth member, Army , which was C-USA football-only, opted to become an independent in that sport again. With the loss of these members, CUSA lured six schools from other conferences: UCF and Marshall from the MAC , as well as Rice , SMU , Tulsa , and later UTEP from the WAC . UCF played in the MAC for football only; for all other sports, it was a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). With CUSA's membership now consisting of 12 schools, all of which sponsor football,

560-518: A record of 558–539–1. The UAB synchronized swimming team was formed in the 1998–99 season and quickly established themselves as dominant in the sport having finished numerous times among the Top 5 teams in the nation. The team has since been dropped as a varsity sport from UAB Conference Championships (11) UAB's main rivals are conference opponent Memphis current conference American Athletic Conference . When both teams were members of Conference-USA,

630-535: Is expected until that time." The UAB Blazers, in effect, started their entire athletics program with the creation of a men's basketball team in 1978. Setting the standards high from the start, UAB hired former UCLA , University of Illinois and Memphis head coach Gene Bartow . Known to many as the "Father of UAB athletics", Bartow led the Blazers to almost instant success. In 2004, the school once again gained national attention when it upset No. 1-seeded Kentucky in

700-561: Is led by coach Mike Wilson. The UAB Softball program played its first season in 2000. The program played its home games at George Ward Park from inception through the 2009 season. In 2010, the Blazer Softball team began playing home games at an on campus stadium. The stadium was built after parents of softball players filed a Title IX complaint against the university. In 2016, the stadium was named Mary Bowers Field in recognition of gifts given by Mary and Keith A. Bowers. Marla Townsend

770-627: The American Athletic Conference , which had been rocked by the impending departure of three of its most prominent schools ( Cincinnati , Houston , UCF ) for the Big 12 Conference , was preparing to receive applications from six CUSA members: Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA. ESPN reported the next day that The American had received all six schools' applications, and The American announced all six as future members on October 21, though it did not announce

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840-654: The Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex . Since then, UAB has played its home basketball games in Bartow Arena where the Blazers have won more than 80 percent of its games. Though largely overshadowed by the men's basketball program at UAB, the Blazers women have a strong history in their own right. Since UAB began a women's basketball program, UAB has won 4 conference championships, made 2 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 5 WNIT appearances as recently as 2013. No team in Conference USA has advanced further than

910-939: The Mountain West Conference in 2026. On November 5, 2024, the conference announced that former full member South Florida would join as an affiliate member in beach volleyball in 2025. In 2019, Conference USA inducted its first Hall of Fame class, comprising 20 student-athletes, three coaches, and two administrators. The inductees included former University of Cincinnati basketball player Kenyon Martin , baseball player Kevin Youkilis , and men's basketball head coach Bob Huggins . Conference USA sponsors championship competition in eight men's and 11 women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Twelve schools are affiliate members—one in baseball, four in beach volleyball, six in bowling, and one in both beach volleyball and bowling. The most recent changes in sports sponsorship were

980-400: The Mountain West Conference in 2026. In this table, all dates reflect the calendar year of entry into Conference USA, which for spring sports is the year before the start of competition. In this table, all dates reflect each school's actual entry into and departure from Conference USA. For spring sports, the joining date is the calendar year before the start of competition. For fall sports,

1050-524: The SMU Mustangs by a score of 2–1. The men's team plays their home games at UAB's West Campus Field. Since 1993, the men's team has won nearly 80% of its games played at West Campus Field . UAB has frequently been among the national leaders in soccer attendance, finishing as high as 16th nationally in average attendance. The highest attended home soccer game in UAB history came in 2011 when 3,141 fans saw

1120-453: The WAC , New Mexico State and Sam Houston . Liberty and New Mexico State previously played football as FBS independents , while Jacksonville State and Sam Houston played at the FCS level in their respective conferences. On October 7, 2022, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that current football-sponsoring ASUN member Kennesaw State was in talks to become the tenth member of Conference USA for

1190-720: The 2,500-seat BBVA Compass Field since 2015. Though only beginning a women's soccer program only in 1996, the UAB women's soccer team has already been in the NCAA Tournament and has also been ranked several times in its history. The UAB women's soccer team has won the Conference USA Championship 3 times in ten years, including the most recent in 2006. Erica Demers has been the UAB women’s soccer head coach since May 2017. The women's team has played at PNC Field (formerly BBVA Field) since 2015. Derek Tarr , former-professional South African tennis player, took

1260-689: The 2016 season, presumably keeping the school in CUSA for the immediate future. The return of football was later pushed back to 2017 with their first game in September. The Blazers won the 2018 conference championship their second year back and won the CUSA title again in 2020. Commissioner Britton Banowsky stepped down on September 15, 2015, to become the head of the College Football Playoff Foundation. Executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer Judy MacLeod

1330-625: The 2024 season, and that Florida Atlantic and UAB would remain in CUSA beach volleyball after otherwise departing for The American. On May 10, 2023, CUSA announced that it would add bowling , a women-only sport in the NCAA, effective in 2023–24. The Southland Bowling League , a single-sport conference established by the Southland Conference , was merged into CUSA. The bowling league added Wichita State when it elevated its club team to varsity status in 2024–25. The conference unveiled

1400-501: The 2024 season. One week later, CUSA officially announced Kennesaw State's 2024 entry. This was followed by the Sun Belt Conference adding beach volleyball for the 2023 season (2022–23 school year), taking with it the three full SBC members that had previously housed that sport in CUSA: Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, and Louisiana–Monroe. Southern Miss also left CUSA beach volleyball as part of its full-time move to

1470-573: The A-10 and accelerated its recently established football program, which was set to begin play in 2013 as an FCS school, to FBS in 2015 with full conference rights in 2016. On November 27, 2012, it was announced that Tulane would leave the conference to join the Big East in all sports, and East Carolina would join the Big East for football only (ECU's membership was upgraded to all-sports in March 2013 after

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1540-536: The Big East's non-football members, except ACC-bound Notre Dame , announced they were leaving to form a new conference which took the Big East name, leaving the football-playing members to become the American Athletic Conference ). Conference USA responded by adding Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic , both from the Sun Belt. On April 1, 2013, Conference USA announced it was adding Western Kentucky, also from

1610-580: The Big East, including three football-playing schools ( Cincinnati , Louisville , and South Florida ) and two non-football schools ( DePaul and Marquette ; both joined the New Big East in 2013). Another two schools ( Charlotte and Saint Louis ) left for the Atlantic 10 ; TCU joined the Mountain West (and is now in the Big 12 with several other former Southwest Conference members); and

1680-504: The Blazers defeat Clemson 2–1. Although many traditions, cheers, and chants take place at each home game, there is one that "stands above the rest," according to current head coach Mike Getman. Led by alumni super-fan Andrew Robillard, who has not missed a UAB men's home soccer match in 22 seasons, the whole student section sings "God Bless America" in unity. The Hillsborough Times has reported this tradition as one of its "12 College Sports Traditions you Don't Want to Miss." UAB has played at

1750-719: The Blazers" as the moniker for its intercollegiate teams in January 1978. NCAA A member of the American Athletic Conference , UAB sponsors teams in six men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports. Bowling competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and rifle in the Southern Conference . Beach volleyball competed in the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association before C-USA started sponsoring

1820-733: The Blazers' Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA tournament of the 1999–2000 season. The Blazers have also advanced to the Elite Eight of the WNIT . UAB won the WBI championship in 2011. UAB began its football program in the early 1990s. Jim Hilyer was the first head coach of the Blazers, coaching from 1991 to 1994. Beginning with the first NCAA sanctioned Division III football team in 1991, UAB joined Division I-AA in 1993 and moved to Division I-A in 1996, joining Conference USA in 1999. Coach Watson Brown took over as head coach in 1995 and held

1890-449: The Elite Eight (2023). In men's play, the Elite Eight exists intact for less than 24 hours between the second Friday evening and the following Saturday afternoon of the tournament. The Elite Eight also represents the halfway mark of the men's tournament since each qualifying team must win three rounds (games) to reach the national quarterfinals, with three rounds remaining to reach and win the national championship game. Like "March Madness,"

1960-475: The Elite Eight: 1990 (10 seed Texas and 11 seed LMU ); 2002 (12 seed Missouri and 10 seed Kent State ); 2021, where both were from the same conference (12 seed Oregon State and 11 seed UCLA ); and 2022 (10 seed Miami and 15 seed Saint Peter's ). On average, three of the four No. 1 seeds make it to the Elite Eight each year. There has only been one occurrence in history in which no No. 1 seeds made

2030-528: The NCAA Men's Golf Championship tournament including 6 times in the last 10 years. The UAB golf team has won 2 conference titles including the 2008 Conference USA Championship. Several UAB golfers have gone on to have success as professional golfers including 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Garrett Osborn. McDowell won the Haskins Award during his senior season in 2002. UAB's golf team

2100-441: The NCAA Tournament a total of 7 times including 2 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance in 1999. The men's team has been ranked nationally numerous times throughout its history, including top 25 rankings in 16 of the last 18 seasons. One of UAB's biggest wins in the men's team history came when UAB upset the #1-ranked UCLA Bruins in 1997 by a score of 2–0. UAB would upset another #1-ranked team in 2006 when they beat

2170-496: The NCAA men's basketball tournament; and at least one former conference would lose exit fees from any schools that departed for the new league. As a result, both CUSA and the MW backed away from a full merger. As of April 2012 , the likeliest scenario was an all-sports alliance in which both conferences retained separate identities. However, after the MW added more members, the alliance was apparently abandoned. For men's soccer, there

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2240-578: The SBC. CUSA would add three new beach volleyball members for that season; Jacksonville State joined CUSA for beach volleyball in advance of full membership that July, Tulane became an associate member, and full member UTEP added a new beach volleyball program. Tarleton announced on April 24, 2023, that it would join CUSA as an associate member for the school's first season of varsity beach volleyball in 2024; CUSA confirmed this on May 11, adding that Missouri State and TCU would also join in beach volleyball for

2310-595: The SGA office to brainstorm some names. “We went around the room,” Burns says. “I came out with ‘Trailblazers,’ because the Portland Trailblazers were about to win the NBA championship. And somebody said no, because that would be too much like them, and it’s too long—it won’t fit on a marquee.” Barons were among the other names that were proposed, debated, and discussed. (The original Birmingham Barons baseball team

2380-482: The Sun Belt Conference on October 27, followed later in the week by Marshall. On March 29, 2022, CUSA agreed to allow Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss to move to the Sun Belt beginning July 1, 2022, a year earlier than initially announced. In response to these losses, on November 5, Conference USA announced the addition of four new members to start the 2023 athletic season. These included two ASUN schools, Liberty and Jacksonville State , along with two from

2450-665: The Sun Belt Conference. Old Dominion , which already housed five of its sports in CUSA, moved the rest of its athletic program from the CAA (except for field hockey , women's lacrosse and wrestling , with the three sports joining the new Big East , the Atlantic Sun , and the MAC respectively because CUSA does not sponsor those sports) and upgraded its football program from the Football Championship Subdivision . Charter member Charlotte returned from

2520-652: The Sun Belt, to offset Tulsa's departure to The American in all sports which was confirmed the next day. The board of trustees in the University of Alabama system (of which UAB is a member) voted to shut down that football program on December 2, 2014, in a highly controversial move that many have attributed to a pro-Tuscaloosa bias (including trustees such as Paul Bryant Jr. , son and namesake of Alabama football coaching legend Bear Bryant ). According to Conference USA bylaws, member schools must sponsor football. In January 2015, UAB announced an independent re-evaluation of

2590-764: The Super Regionals in 2013 by winning the Louisville Regional. UAB lost to #2 overall seed Florida Gators in the Super Regionals 4–3 and 1–0 to barely miss advancing to the College Softball World Series. The Blazers finished the 2013 Season nationally ranked, #16 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and #17 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. UAB has one Conference regular season Championship in program history (2013). Overall, UAB has

2660-559: The UAB–Memphis football rivalry was called the Battle for the Bones (sometimes known as "The BBQ Bowl") and included both professional and amateur barbecue contests as part of the pregame festivities. The winner of the game received a traveling 100-pound bronze rack of ribs trophy, known as The Bones' trophy. In men's basketball, UAB also has an in-state rivalry with Auburn where Auburn holds

2730-493: The best all-time winning percentages in college basketball. The UAB men's basketball team has been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll many times in school history and as recently as 2010. UAB has been ranked as high as #9 in the nation. UAB's most recent conference championship occurred in the 2021-2022 season when they won the CUSA conference tournament championship. Until 1988, UAB played its home games at

2800-475: The conference adopted a two-division alignment. In 2013, CUSA entered its next phase with the departure of four schools (Houston, Memphis, SMU, and UCF) for the American Athletic Conference , the football-sponsoring portion of the former Big East Conference. This was again the result of Big East schools leaving for the ACC, this time being Syracuse and Pittsburgh , as well as Notre Dame for non-football sports. It

2870-472: The current season, see 2023–24 Conference USA men's basketball season . This list goes through the 2022–23 season. This list goes through the 2022–23 season. Champions from the previous school year are indicated with the calendar year of their title. "RS" is regular season, "T" is tournament. Women's swimming & diving was dropped after the 2021–22 season. Fall 2023 Winter 2023–24 Spring 2024 The only current CUSA member to have won

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2940-510: The current series advantage with 11 wins and 10 losses after winning 6 straight. The rivalry was on hold for a number of years until it was again resumed in the 2015 season. The current UAB mascot is a green dragon named Blaze. Former mascots included a strange cartoonish Nordic warrior named Blaze the Viking in 1993 and a rooster named Beauregard T. Rooster, which remained the school's mascot until 1992 when Coach Gene Bartow thought it would be

3010-510: The departure date is the calendar year after the last season of competition. Full members (all-sports) Full members (non-football) Affiliate members (football-only) Affiliate member (other sport) Other Conference Other Conference CUSA (abbreviated "C-USA" before 2023) was founded in 1995 by the merger of the Metro Conference and Great Midwest Conference , two Division I conferences that did not sponsor football. However,

3080-506: The dropping of men's soccer and women's swimming and diving after the 2021–22 season, plus the addition of bowling in 2023–24. Incoming members are highlighted in gray. Conference USA used a divisional format for football from 2005 to 2021. CUSA champions Bowl games Through the 2023 season, the highest-ranked champion from the so-called "Group of Five" conferences ( The American , CUSA, MAC , Mountain West , and Sun Belt )

3150-649: The effective date. The entry date would eventually be confirmed as July 1, 2023. The day after The American announced its expansion, The Action Network reported that Southern Miss had accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference in 2023, a move which was formally announced by the university on October 26. The report added that the Sun Belt was preparing to add two other CUSA members in Marshall and Old Dominion, as well as FCS program James Madison . Old Dominion officially announced its move to

3220-602: The helm of the men's tennis team in 1989. Since then, Tarr has led the men's tennis team to numerous top finishes in the Conference USA, including a handful of trips to the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament . Since 1989, the men's team has accumulated a winning percentage just shy of seventy percent. The UAB men's tennis team has produced numerous player who have gone on to the ATP World Tour . In the 2015–2016 season,

3290-498: The merger did not include either Great Midwest member Dayton or Metro members VCU and Virginia Tech . Since this left an uneven number of schools in the conference, Houston of the dissolving Southwest Conference was extended an invitation and agreed to join following the SWC's disbanding at the end of the 1995–96 academic year. The conference immediately started competition in all sports, except football which started in 1996. Being

3360-793: The modern 64-team tournament era is No. 15 seed Saint Peter's University in 2022 . Two No. 12 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight: Missouri in 2002 , and the Oregon State Beavers in 2021 . Ten No. 11 seeds have advanced to the Elite Eight: LSU ( 1986 ), Loyola Marymount ( 1990 ), Temple ( 2001 ), George Mason ( 2006 ), Virginia Commonwealth ( 2011 ), Dayton ( 2014 ), Xavier ( 2017 ), Loyola Chicago ( 2018 ), UCLA ( 2021 ), and North Carolina State (2024). There have only been four seasons where two double-digit-seeded teams have made it to

3430-426: The official move to make Delaware the eleventh all-sports member of the conference. Six months later, on May 10, 2024, both CUSA and Missouri State University jointly announced on their respective websites that Missouri State would also join the league for the 2025–26 season, bringing league membership up to 12. The 12-member lineup will last only one year, as UTEP, the longest-tenured current member, will leave for

3500-647: The phrase "Elite Eight" originally referred to the Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship , the single-elimination high school basketball tournament run by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). When the IHSA finals were reduced from sixteen to eight teams in 1956, a replacement nickname for Sweet Sixteen was needed, and Elite Eight won popular favor. The IHSA trademarked

3570-472: The position through the end of the 2006 season, when he left for Tennessee Tech . Neil Callaway was named head coach after a deal with Jimbo Fisher collapsed. After five seasons, Callaway was dismissed, and Garrick McGee was hired from the University of Arkansas after Callaway was released. He held the post for two years before leaving to accept the offensive coordinator job at the University of Louisville , replaced by Bill Clark . In 2000, UAB achieved

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3640-444: The program and the finances involved, leaving open a possible resumption of the program as early as the 2016 season. On January 29, 2015, the conference announced that there was no time pressure in making a decision regarding UAB's future membership. The conference also stated that it would wait for the new study results before any further discussions on the subject. On June 1, UAB announced that it would reinstate football effective with

3710-493: The result of a merger, CUSA was originally a sprawling, large league that stretched from Florida to Missouri, Wisconsin to Texas. Many of its original schools were located in major urban centers and had strong basketball traditions, which helped establish the league on a national basis. The conference saw radical changes for the 2005–06 academic year. The Big East Conference had lost several members, and looked to Conference USA to attract replacements. Five CUSA members departed for

3780-774: The second round of the tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen . Since their inaugural season, the Blazers have made 15 appearances in the NCAA men's basketball tournament including 3 Sweet Sixteen appearances and 1 Elite Eight appearance. UAB has also appeared in the NIT a total of 11 times, including 2 appearances in the NIT Final Four. After only 34 years of basketball, UAB has had 31 winning seasons including memorable wins over Virginia , Kentucky , Louisville , Alabama , Florida , Villanova , Indiana , and Memphis , among others. The Blazers have amassed one of

3850-451: The sport in 2021–22, with the program remaining a C-USA affiliate member after joining The American. UAB's president announced on December 2, 2014, that the school's football, bowling, and rifle teams would be terminated for economic reasons. However, the school announced on June 1, 2015, that pledges of additional revenue had been made, allowing the terminated programs to be reinstated. Bowling and rifle were reinstated immediately. The intent

3920-456: The sport was then dropped. On June 4, Conference USA announced it would not take any action against UAB now that it has reinstated football, and the school would remain in the conference. The conference stated, "At its fall meeting, the Board expects UAB to submit for review a comprehensive plan addressing the key elements of UAB's football program going forward. No additional action from the Board

3990-631: The team was ranked as high as #74 by the ITA. The team currently practices at UAB's four-court facility located on campus and plays home matches at the Lakeshore Foundation Tennis Center located in Homewood, Alabama. Frequently ranked among the nation's better collegiate programs including as high as #8 in 2011, the men's golf program has gained considerable recognition. Over the program's history, UAB has made 7 appearances in

4060-603: The term in 1995; the trademark rights are now held by the March Madness Athletic Association, a joint venture between the NCAA and IHSA formed after a 1996 court case allowed both organizations to use "March Madness" for their own tournaments. The Elite Eight can also refer to the eight NCAA Division I baseball teams that reach the College World Series . In addition, the term is often colloquially used to denote quarterfinalists in

4130-414: The tournament having moved from its normal schedule in fall 2020 to spring 2021 due to COVID-19 ). Elite Eight In the NCAA men's Division I basketball championship or the NCAA women's Division I basketball championship , the " Elite Eight " comprises the final eight teams, representing the regional finals, or national quarterfinals. In Division I and Division III , the Elite Eight consists of

4200-407: The town excited. The team needed a name, though. According to former UAB dean Tennant McWilliams' book, a group of faculties, staff members, and administrators had been using "Name Our Team" forms to ask for suggestions from the general public, staff members, and students. Burns, an early participant in UAB's Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter who actively promoted student life, met with a few other students in

4270-492: The two SEC members already in CUSA for the sport (Kentucky, South Carolina), and the Sun Belt's FIU. However, the only MW member school that ultimately moved to CUSA men's soccer was New Mexico. For the 2013–14 season CUSA invited five new members to join their conference, with all accepting. UTSA and Louisiana Tech joined from the WAC and North Texas and FIU , (an affiliate member of CUSA joining for men's soccer in 2005), from

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4340-689: The two teams in each of the four regional championship games. The winners advance to the Final Four . Since 1997, when the NCAA trademarked the phrase, in Division II , the Elite Eight consists of the eight winners of the eight Division II regions. Like the Division I Final Four, the Division II Elite Eight games are all held in one predetermined location. In the men's Division I, the lowest-seeded team ever to reach this round in

4410-424: Was a chance that the MW, SEC, and CUSA along with the one Sun Belt member (FIU), that sponsor the sport, would play under the CUSA's men's soccer program. The MW, which does not sponsor men's soccer, would take three of the four members that offer the sport (UNLV, Air Force, New Mexico—San Diego State is a Pac-12 associate member in that sport), join CUSA's three full members that offer the sport (UAB, Marshall, Tulsa),

4480-433: Was announced in early 2012 that Conference USA was in talks with the Mountain West Conference about forming either a football alliance or conference merger in the future. However, when the conferences discussed their plans with the NCAA, they were told that if they merged, the new league would receive only one automatic bid to NCAA championships; at least one of the former conferences would lose expected future revenues from

4550-421: Was for the football program to return for the 2016–2017 school year, although due to massive transfers from the program and the NCAA's recruiting rules, the program would be rebuilt largely with junior college transfers and would return in 2017. With the termination of the football program, UAB had announced the addition men's cross country in order to remain in the NCAA's Division I, but with the return of football,

4620-418: Was granted permission by the NCAA to rejoin NCAA Division I FBS level football and would be bowl-eligible when they officially returned to the field in fall 2017. The Blazers responded with the program's best regular-season record ever at 8–4. They would lose the Bahamas Bowl to Ohio . In 2018 the Blazers overachieved, completing their best season to date by finishing the year with a school record of 11–3 and

4690-502: Was guaranteed a berth in one of the non-semifinal bowls of the College Football Playoff if the group's top team was not in the playoff. Starting in 2024, at least one Group of Five conference champion will receive a berth in the expanded 12-team CFP. For the 2014–19 seasons, Conference USA was guaranteed at least five of the following bowl games. Stadiums and names reflect those in use during that period. Rivalries Current or former CUSA in-conference rivalries: [REDACTED] For

4760-478: Was named the first head coach in 1998 and the team began play in 2000. She was head coach for 18 years until the 2016–17 season. She had a record of 532–507 at UAB. Amanda Ellis served as interim head coach for the 2017–18 season and compiled a 26–32–1 record. On June 16, 2018, Jimmy Kolaitis was named the programs 3rd head coach, 2nd permanent, in program history. The Blazers have made the NCAA Tournament 5 times (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014). The Blazers advanced to

4830-469: Was no longer in existence at that time.) “This went on for a while,” Burns says. Then he went back from his original idea and offered a shortened version of his initial recommendation: “Blazers.” Burn says, “My thought was that this was the first team; they were blazing the trail.” According to Burns, at the conclusion of the brainstorming session, participants selected four names—Blazers, Barons, Titans, and Warriors. The campus "overwhelmingly voted in favor of

4900-475: Was subsequently named interim commissioner. On October 26 MacLeod was named the conference's third official commissioner, also becoming the first woman to head an FBS conference. Marshall University 's men's soccer program captured the league's first team national championship with its 1–0 overtime win over Indiana in the 2020 College Cup , held in May 2021 due to COVID-19 issues, in Cary, North Carolina . On October 18, 2021, Yahoo Sports reported that

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