The Sun Belt Conference, home to South Alabama, officially added four new members Tuesday as Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Idaho and New Mexico State joined the league and Western Kentucky departed for Conference USA.
Georgia Southern and Appalachian State join as full members, while Idaho and New Mexico State join for football only. The changes bring the number of Sun Belt schools playing football to 11.
The Newcomers
Georgia Southern and Appalachian State arrive from the Southern Conference of the Football Championship Subdivision and are completing the second year of a two-year transition to Football Bowl Subdivision membership.
Idaho and New Mexico State were most recently members of the Western Athletic Conference. Both schools were previously members of the Sun Belt.
Western Kentucky joins several other former Sun Belt schools in Conference USA.
The Membership
The Sun Belt’s 11 football-playing members are:
- South Alabama
- Troy
- Arkansas State
- Louisiana-Lafayette
- Louisiana-Monroe
- Texas State
- Georgia State
- Georgia Southern
- Appalachian State
- Idaho (football only)
- New Mexico State (football only)
Arkansas-Little Rock and Texas-Arlington are also conference members but do not sponsor football. All 11 football programs will be eligible for the Sun Belt football championship this season.
Goal of 12
Sun Belt commissioner Karl Benson has said repeatedly that the conference’s goal is to reach 12 football-playing members, which would allow it to split into divisions and stage a football championship game.
South Alabama’s Standing
Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State shared last season’s regular-season title with 5-2 conference records. South Alabama, in its first season as a full FBS member and its first season eligible for the league title, finished second at 4-3 after beating Louisiana-Lafayette 30-8 in the season finale. The Jaguars finished 6-6 and were bowl eligible but did not receive a bowl invitation.
Season Ahead
Sun Belt play begins Aug. 27, when Georgia State hosts Abilene Christian. South Alabama opens its season Sept. 6 at Kent State.
