They call the Southland the Gas Tank League for a reason: every member sits within driving distance across Texas and Louisiana, and that geography breeds rivalries that never cool off. Founded in 1963, the conference owns six FCS national championships, 70 all-time playoff wins, and five Walter Payton Award winners since 2010, and it hosts the FCS title game in its own backyard at Toyota Stadium in Frisco. The 2026 opener throws a conference matchup on the board immediately and sends half the league on doubleheader weeks. Every game is live on RallyFuel. Tap your pick, earn +20 RallyFuel points per vote, and gas up for the season.
Conference Football on Day One: SE Louisiana vs Houston Christian
Southeastern Louisiana hosts Houston Christian in a Week 1 league matchup with standings implications from the opening kickoff. Both teams pull double duty this week, with the Lions also visiting South Alabama and the Huskies crossing Houston to face Rice. Nobody eases into a Southland season.
Doubleheaders Everywhere
The Gas Tank League lives up to its name in Week 1, with programs stacking two games apiece:
Lamar vs Abilene Christian brings a Texas battle to Beaumont before the Cardinals head to Lafayette to face Louisiana.
Nicholls vs Mississippi Valley State opens in Thibodaux before the Colonels take on Kansas State in a Big 12 road test.
Northwestern State vs Louisiana Christian starts the week in Natchitoches before the Demons visit Louisiana Tech for an all-Louisiana clash.
UTRGV vs UT Permian Basin gives the Vaqueros, the league’s newest football program, a home opener in the Valley before they travel to UTSA for an all-Texas showdown in San Antonio.
On the Road
East Texas A&M visits Mercer in a matchup with the SoCon, giving the Lions an early measuring stick away from Commerce.
The Champs Are Waiting
Stephen F. Austin ran the table in league play last season, going a perfect 8-0 on the way to the 2025 Southland championship and a run to the FCS quarterfinals. The Lumberjacks, along with McNeese and Incarnate Word, round out a league where the title race is always a street fight between neighbors. Keep an eye on Nacogdoches, Lake Charles, and San Antonio all season long.
First in Fan Power
The Southland was the first Division I conference to launch custom NIL marketplaces for every member school, and its bus-league geography means fans travel, pack stadiums, and know the players by name. That’s the perfect environment for fan-powered NIL. Explore the Southland conference hub to browse verified athletes across all 12 schools, follow your favorites, and back them directly. Ninety percent of every contribution goes straight to the athlete, refunded if conditions aren’t met. And before you lock in your picks, settle the debates with the School Rivalry tool, where you can compare any two schools side by side on NIL, fan engagement, rankings, and championships. Lions vs Huskies? Demons vs Colonels? See how they stack up before you vote.
Make Your Picks
From Thibodaux to the Rio Grande Valley, the Southland’s Week 1 slate is live right now. Tap into any matchup above, cast your vote for +20 RallyFuel points, drop a comment for your squad, and turn your fandom into direct support for the athletes in the league where every rivalry is a road trip away.
The Gas Tank League is full. Get your predictions in before kickoff.
