A two-day media day event held in Texas this week for Conference USA saw fresh faces and officially kicked off the 2026-27 CFB season.
For the first day of the event, July 20, Head Missouri State University Football Coach Casey Woods and players Jeron Askren and Jerod Lloyd spoke on stage about their preparation going into the season and what it takes to have another successful season.
The following day, July 21, Judy MacLeod, CUSA commissioner and each head coach in the conference took part in press conferences.
Maceod mentioned Missouri State athletics, pointing to the football team’s success as well as women's basketball.
"Our newbies, especially our two newest, played in bowl games," she said. "One of them won the women's basketball championship."
Woods was asked about Rhett Lashlee and Eli Drinkowitz, and he spoke about how they have impacted him and the game.
"Both Drink and Rhett are lion voices that we need in college football right now. Our game needs them. They need their poise, they need their wisdom, they need how they see this game," he said. "Certainly, that's something that we can contribute to the greater good of this game because it's going to take us all. We've got the best product that we've ever had in the history of the game. We have to make sure that we don't screw it up with greed."
The Missouri State University Football season kicks off September 5 at Texas A&M. The Bears' first home game will be against Lindenwood on September 12.
