University of Delaware Athletics
NEWARK, Del. – After a nearly 18-month wait, the new era is finally here and the University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens are officially full members of Conference USA as of July 1, 2025. Fourteen of UD's 22 varsity programs will be housed in CUSA, with seven others joining as affiliate members in the Atlantic Sun (women's lacrosse, men's and women's swimming & diving), Atlantic 10 (men's lacrosse), Mid-American Conference (rowing), The Summit League (men's soccer), and Atlantic Hockey America (ice hockey). Field hockey will play an independent schedule this fall as the department continues to work diligently to finalize a new conference for the reigning CAA champions.
An athletic department built on history and tradition, Delaware brings an abundance of success to CUSA having won 10 national championships, 172 team conference titles, 282 individual conference crowns, 342 major conference awards, 2,655 all-league selections, and 543 all-americans.
UD student-athletes complement their athletic success with strong academic performances. During the 2024-25 academic year, the Blue Hens compiled a cumulative 3.41 grade-point average—the highest in department history, excluding academic terms impacted by COVID-19. This marked the 11th-consecutive year and the 23rd-straight semester in which UD student-athletes have posted a 3.00 GPA or better.
The move will push the Delaware brand across the nation, spanning from the northeast down into Florida, and west as far as New Mexico. However, the reach won't stop there. At least five football games will hit the national scene on CBS Sports Network/ESPN family of networks, including a non-conference tilt on FOX against Colorado. Men's and women's basketball will also have the chance to play nationally televised games as part of CUSA's media rights agreement with CBS Sports Network and ESPN.
Speaking of reach, Delaware's initial announcements about joining Conference USA reached over two billion people according to social media analytics. Put that into perspective - just over one million people live in the state of Delaware. That means these announcements reached over 2,000 Delawares.
Football has already benefitted, nearly filling its schedule through the 2029 season! These opponents include Power 4 games at Colorado and Wake Forest in its inaugural FBS season and hosting UConn in the first FBS game at Delaware Stadium. Other Power 4 road games include Vanderbilt, Virginia, Penn State, Maryland, Pitt, and Indiana. FBS home-and-home series are set with Coastal Carolina, James Madison, Temple, and Buffalo.
On the ice, the Hens have become the first-ever women's ice hockey program to have a partnership with a NHL franchise, as the Philadelphia Flyers have signed on to assist. In the newly rebranded Atlantic Hockey America (previously College Hockey America), UD has its inaugural roster and schedule set for the 2025-26 season.
Don't miss your chance to be a part of history!
(most) Game times and TV are set! Can't come soon enough ??
— Delaware Football (@Delaware_FB) May 29, 2025
??: https://t.co/pIzSEQqf6P pic.twitter.com/VpR00cr6YP
We have our first schedule! ???
— Delaware Ice Hockey (@Delaware_IH) June 5, 2025
??: https://t.co/ekfTODir10 pic.twitter.com/K2rf1cnX8o
FAQs
What sports are competing in Conference USA?
- Football
- Men's Basketball
- Women's Basketball
- Baseball
- Cross Country
- Men's Golf
- Women's Golf
- Women's Soccer
- Softball
- Men's Tennis
- Women's Tennis
- Track & Field
- Volleyball
Who is in Conference USA?
Full league members include:
- Florida International (FIU)
- Jacksonville State (Jax State)
- Kennesaw State
- Liberty
- Louisiana Tech (LA Tech)
- Middle Tennessee State
- Missouri State
- New Mexico State
- Sam Houston
- Texas El-Paso (UTEP)
- Western Kentucky
What conferences will the other eight sports be competing in?
- Atlantic Sun (ASUN)
- Women's Lacrosse
- Men's Swimming & Diving
- Women's Swimming & Diving
- Atlantic 10 (A-10)
- Men's Lacrosse
- Men's Lacrosse
- Atlantic Hockey America (AHA)
- Ice Hockey
- Ice Hockey
- Mid-American Conference (MAC)
- Rowing
- Rowing
- The Summit League
- Men's Soccer
- Men's Soccer
The department is still working toward finding a conference for field hockey.
How can I watch the Blue Hens next year?
All sports in Conference USA, Atlantic Sun, Atlantic 10 will all be streamed on ESPN+, with select competitions on CBS Sports Network and the ESPN family of networks.
Atlantic Hockey America has a media rights contract with FloSports with all hockey games streaming on FloHockey.
The Summit League streams in-house on The Summit League Network through the conference office.
