Where fans fuel champions.
Simple. Secure. Direct.
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Where fans fuel champions.
Simple. Secure. Direct.
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Where fans fuel champions.
Simple. Secure. Direct.
Where fans fuel champions.
Simple. Secure. Direct.
21 Schools•Division I•Est. 1976
The Sun Belt Conference, originally founded in 1976 as a non-football league, has evolved significantly over the decades. It began sponsoring football in 2001 and now features 14 full members in its current format: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana (Louisiana Lafayette), Louisiana Monroe, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, and Troy. The conference also includes seven affiliate members, primarily in beach volleyball. Members compete in 19 sports (nine men's and 10 women's). Texas State is departing to join the Pac-12 for the 2026-27 academic year. Louisiana Tech, leaving Conference USA, will join the Sun Belt no later than July 1, 2027 (with potential for 2026 pending resolution of exit fees and notices), replacing Texas State in the West Division and preserving the divisional format. The league has experienced substantial turnover, with 19 schools leaving for other conferences historically. The Sun Belt hosts the Vic Bubas Cup (named after its first commissioner), an annual all-sports competition. South Alabama leads with a record 16 wins (though recent standings show ongoing competition, e.g., Texas State won in 2024-25). After merging with the American South Conference post-1990-91 basketball season, the Sun Belt explored football sponsorship, launching it for seven schools in 2001. Since 2018, it has featured a football championship game. In recent years, the conference resumed men's soccer and women's swimming & diving. Old Dominion is the only current member to win an NCAA team title as a Sun Belt affiliate—in women's basketball in 1985. Six other current members earned titles before joining, while Coastal Carolina won its lone national championship (baseball) the day before departing the Big South to enter the Sun Belt. Sun Belt athletes benefit from the NCAA's revenue-sharing model (introduced via the House v. NCAA settlement and effective since July 2025), which allows schools to directly distribute up to approximately $20.5 million annually to athletes across sports, supplemented by third-party NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals. In the Sun Belt—primarily Group of Five with strong football programs but no Power conferences—schools allocate funds competitively across sports, often emphasizing football and basketball, providing solid earning opportunities amid the evolving landscape. Rivalries thrive in the Sun Belt's regional footprint. Classics include the Battle of I-10 (Louisiana vs. Louisiana Monroe), App State vs. Georgia Southern (Appalachian-Georgia clash), James Madison vs. Old Dominion (newer but heated Virginia battles), and Troy vs. South Alabama (Gulf Coast intensity). Marshall vs. Appalachian State adds Appalachian flavor, while Coastal Carolina vs. Georgia Southern brings South Carolina-Georgia fire. Emerging ones like James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina grow post-realignment, and football holdovers (e.g., Arkansas State vs. Louisiana) keep traditions alive.
Official Website
The Sun Belt Conference, originally founded in 1976 as a non-football league, has evolved significantly over the decades. It began sponsoring football in 2001 and now features 14 full members in its current format: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana (Louisiana Lafayette), Louisiana Monroe, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Texas State, and Troy. The conference also includes seven affiliate members, primarily in beach volleyball. Members compete in 19 sports (nine men's and 10 women's). Texas State is departing to join the Pac-12 for the 2026-27 academic year. Louisiana Tech, leaving Conference USA, will join the Sun Belt no later than July 1, 2027 (with potential for 2026 pending resolution of exit fees and notices), replacing Texas State in the West Division and preserving the divisional format. The league has experienced substantial turnover, with 19 schools leaving for other conferences historically. The Sun Belt hosts the Vic Bubas Cup (named after its first commissioner), an annual all-sports competition. South Alabama leads with a record 16 wins (though recent standings show ongoing competition, e.g., Texas State won in 2024-25). After merging with the American South Conference post-1990-91 basketball season, the Sun Belt explored football sponsorship, launching it for seven schools in 2001. Since 2018, it has featured a football championship game. In recent years, the conference resumed men's soccer and women's swimming & diving. Old Dominion is the only current member to win an NCAA team title as a Sun Belt affiliate—in women's basketball in 1985. Six other current members earned titles before joining, while Coastal Carolina won its lone national championship (baseball) the day before departing the Big South to enter the Sun Belt. Sun Belt athletes benefit from the NCAA's revenue-sharing model (introduced via the House v. NCAA settlement and effective since July 2025), which allows schools to directly distribute up to approximately $20.5 million annually to athletes across sports, supplemented by third-party NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals. In the Sun Belt—primarily Group of Five with strong football programs but no Power conferences—schools allocate funds competitively across sports, often emphasizing football and basketball, providing solid earning opportunities amid the evolving landscape. Rivalries thrive in the Sun Belt's regional footprint. Classics include the Battle of I-10 (Louisiana vs. Louisiana Monroe), App State vs. Georgia Southern (Appalachian-Georgia clash), James Madison vs. Old Dominion (newer but heated Virginia battles), and Troy vs. South Alabama (Gulf Coast intensity). Marshall vs. Appalachian State adds Appalachian flavor, while Coastal Carolina vs. Georgia Southern brings South Carolina-Georgia fire. Emerging ones like James Madison vs. Coastal Carolina grow post-realignment, and football holdovers (e.g., Arkansas State vs. Louisiana) keep traditions alive.
Official Website