The Sun Belt Conference is aiming for six bowl-eligible football teams this season, and two have already reached the mark with a month left in the regular season.
Louisiana-Monroe (6-2, 4-0 Sun Belt) and Western Kentucky (6-2, 3-1 Sun Belt) both secured bowl eligibility with wins last weekend. Neither program has played in a Football Bowl Subdivision bowl game.
Last season, a conference-record four Sun Belt teams became bowl eligible.
Teams Within Reach
Arkansas State is 5-3 and one win from eligibility. The Red Wolves host North Texas this week, then face league leader Louisiana-Monroe at home on a Thursday night before a trip to Troy and a regular-season finale at home against Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee is also 5-3. The Blue Raiders opened the season with a loss to McNeese State, and their other two losses came against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Middle Tennessee plays Western Kentucky on Thursday night, then travels to Mobile to face South Alabama before hosting Troy and closing at Arkansas State.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-3 after back-to-back losses and has dealt with injuries in recent weeks. The Ragin’ Cajuns visit ranked Florida this week, then host Western Kentucky and South Alabama before ending the season at Florida Atlantic.
Troy is 4-4 after a loss at Florida Atlantic. The Trojans play at Tennessee this weekend, return home to face Navy and Arkansas State, and finish at Middle Tennessee. Troy would need to go at least 2-2 over that stretch to become eligible.
Longer Odds
North Texas is 3-5, and its win over Wagner, a Football Championship Subdivision opponent, cannot be counted toward bowl eligibility. The Mean Green must win their remaining games or rely on a shortage of eligible teams to fill bowl slots. North Texas plays at Navy and at Western Kentucky before hosting South Alabama.
Florida Atlantic is 2-6 and would have to win out to become eligible. FIU has been eliminated from bowl eligibility.
South Alabama’s Situation
South Alabama, playing its first season of Sun Belt Conference football under head coach Joey Jones, would need at least four wins and a shortage of eligible teams to fill bowl obligations to have a chance at a postseason berth.
The Jaguars still have three conference games against teams in the eligibility race: Middle Tennessee at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, at Louisiana-Lafayette and at North Texas.
