Sun Belt Conference

Sun Belt Conference
Name	Sun Belt Conference
Established	1976
Association	NCAA
Division	Division I (NCAA)
Subdivision	Football Bowl Subdivision
Members	14 (full), 2 (affiliate)
Headquarters	New Orleans, Louisiana
Commissioner	Keith Gill

Sun Belt Conference. The Sun Belt Conference is a collegiate athletic conference operating in the NCAA's Division I, with its football programs competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Founded in 1976, it has evolved from a regional basketball-centric league into a prominent multi-sport conference with a strong identity in the southeastern and south-central United States. The conference is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is currently led by Commissioner Keith Gill.

History

The conference was founded in 1976 with a primary focus on college basketball, with charter members including the University of New Orleans, University of South Alabama, and Georgia State University. Early leadership came from founding commissioner V. M. "Babe" Kwasniak. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, it experienced significant membership changes, with schools like Old Dominion University and Western Kentucky University joining and later departing. A pivotal shift occurred in 2001 when it began sponsoring FBS football, adding programs such as the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of North Texas. The landscape of NCAA Division I conference realignment in the 2010s and early 2020s dramatically reshaped the league, with the 2022 additions of James Madison University, Old Dominion University, Marshall University, and Southern Miss solidifying its status as a competitive FBS conference.

Member institutions

The conference comprises 14 full member institutions, with an additional two affiliate members. The full membership is divided into an East Division and a West Division for football. The East Division includes Appalachian State University, Coastal Carolina University, Georgia State University, James Madison University, Marshall University, Old Dominion University, and the University of South Alabama. The West Division consists of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas State University, and Troy University. Southern Miss participates as a full member but is currently unaffiliated with a division. Affiliate members include the University of Central Arkansas for beach volleyball and the University of West Florida for men's soccer.

Sports sponsored

The conference sponsors championship competition in 18 sports, nine for men and nine for women. Men's sponsored sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Women's sponsored sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. Notably, the conference does not sponsor wrestling, ice hockey, or women's rowing. Several members maintain independent or affiliate membership in other conferences for sports not offered by the conference, such as swimming and diving.

Conference champions

The conference crowns annual champions in each sponsored sport, with tournament formats used for sports like basketball, baseball, and softball. In football, division winners meet in the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game, first held in 2018. Historically dominant programs include the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns in baseball, the Little Rock Trojans in women's basketball, and Appalachian State Mountaineers in football. Recent football champions have frequently earned bids to prominent bowl games such as the New Orleans Bowl, Cure Bowl, and LendingTree Bowl. The conference's NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament automatic bid has been secured by various members, including the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Georgia State Panthers.

Facilities

Member institutions feature a variety of modern athletic venues. Prominent football stadiums include Kidd Brewer Stadium at Appalachian State University, Hancock Whitney Stadium at the University of South Alabama, and Veterans Memorial Stadium at Troy University. Notable basketball arenas are the Holmes Convocation Center, the Mitchell Center, and the George M. Holmes Convocation Center. Baseball is prominently played at venues like M. L. Tigue Moore Field at Russo Park in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Springs Brooks Stadium at Coastal Carolina University, which hosted the 2016 College World Series.

Media coverage

The conference's media rights are held by ESPN through a multi-year agreement, with most football and basketball games broadcast on ESPN+, ESPNU, or linear ESPN networks. Select regular-season football games and the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game air on ABC or ESPN2. Basketball coverage includes a package of games on ESPN2 and ESPNU, with the majority streaming on ESPN+. The conference also maintains partnerships with CBS Sports Network for some secondary football broadcasts and has a long-standing relationship with the New Orleans Bowl.

Category:NCAA Division I conferences Category:College athletic conferences in the United States Category:Sun Belt Conference Category:Sports in the Southern United States