A Thursday season opener against a Power Four opponent is one of four weekday games on 2025 Jacksonville State’s football schedule.

Jax State and Conference USA announced the full 2025 slate on Thursday, marking the first schedule for head football coach Charles Kelly’s tenure in Jacksonville.

The Gamecocks will open the season at Central Florida on Thursday, Aug. 28. This will mark Kelly’s first games at Jax State and Scott Frost’s second tenure at UCF.

The Gamecocks’ home opener and Kelly’s first home game will be on Sept. 6 against Conference USA foe Liberty, which will also mark the CUSA opener and the lone league game for Jax State until October.

It will be the only Conference USA game being played in Week 2.

After a road game against Sun Belt Conference foe Georgia Southern, Jax State will return home to face FCS Murray State and head coach Jody Wright.

Wright is a Pickens County native and former Jax State running back who was a staffer at in-state programs Jax State, Alabama and UAB.

The Gamecocks will close out non-conference play with a road game at Southern Miss.

October will feature three weeknight games for Jax State as part of Conference USA’s multimedia rights deal, which features weeknight CUSA games on national television.

CUSA’s broadcast partners will share the October weeknight football games on CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU.

The Gamecocks will open October at Sam Houston on Oct. 9 before playing its lone home weeknight game on Oct. 15 against Delaware; after a bye, Jax State will travel to MTSU on Oct. 29.

The Gamecocks will close out the season with games at UTEP, at home against Kennesaw State, at FIU before the regular-season finale at home against Western Kentucky.

Conference USA will add Delaware and Missouri State as members in 2025, so Jax State will not play Louisiana Tech, Missouri State or New Mexico State during the regular season.

The Conference USA championship game is set for Friday, Dec. 5 at the site of the regular-season champion and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.

Jax State beat Western Kentucky 52-12 at home in last season’s Conference USA championship game.

Kickoff times will be released at a later date; home games are capitalized.

JACKSONVILLE STATE 2025 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Thursday, Aug. 28: at UCF

Saturday, Sept. 6: LIBERTY*

Saturday, Sept. 13: at Georgia Southern

Saturday, Sept. 20: MURRAY STATE

Saturday, Sept. 27: at Southern Miss

Thursday, Oct. 9: at Sam Houston*

Wednesday, Oct. 15: DELAWARE*

Wednesday, Oct. 29: at Middle Tennessee State*

Saturday, Nov. 8: at UTEP*

Saturday, Nov. 15: KENNESAW STATE*

Saturday, Nov. 22: at Florida International*

Saturday, Nov. 29: WESTERN KENTUCKY*

*— Conference USA game