Move Over MACtion, Weekday Football Now Belongs to CUSA

Weekday college football is known for being a chaotic mess that the viewer can’t turn away from. With big plays spawning out of nothing, mistakes that catch you by surprise, high scoring games, and rock fights ending with a 3-0 score these games give the viewer a break from the mundane and showcase the entertainment value mid-majors have. When people think of these games, they often associate it with MACtion as they have had a strangle hold on Tuesday and Wednesday football since 2000, but it looks like that has finally changed. Conference USA made the decision in 2023 to play the weekday slate and after last night’s set of games it looks like there may be a new King of weekday football.

Over two weeks CUSA has shown why it deserves this new title as the games on the field have provided everything a football fan could want. The first week of weekday football started out with a bang as the top team in the conference, Liberty, needed an overtime thriller to defeat an upstart Florida International University. This game included a massive fourth quarter comeback to tie the game up by FIU and defensive stop in overtime by Liberty to secure the win. Following this, fans were treated to a game that featured a 26-point second quarter, yes you read that right, 26-point second quarter as Jacksonville State raced by New Mexico State. These games highlighted that any team could win on any given night and big plays are just waiting to happen.

This week started out with a bang (then a slow painful crash) as Kennesaw State took the oh so common 2-0 lead against Middle Tennessee State University. While this game might not have been for the casual fan it highlighted the beauty in midweek football and showed who the true football junkies are. If you’re willing to watch dropped passes and penalties, then you will be treated to a beautiful punt return that finally put some additional points on the board. Showing the versatility of CUSA games, Louisiana Tech faced off against a scrappy New Mexico State in a game that started off slow and ended with a bang. NMSU was able to prevail in OT as they showed why their 2-5 record can be deceiving. Both games featured highs and lows in football but more importantly both games were entertaining in their own unique way.

Tonight, we are treated to a great opening game with two teams vying to dethrone Liberty. Western Kentucky and Sam Houston are both sitting at 2-0 in conference play making this showdown the game of the night. Kicking off two hours later FIU is facing off against UTEP in a game where pride is on the line. Regardless of who is playing and what the records are, one thing is certain, no one knows what will happen but it will be worth the watch.