2023 Sun Belt Conference football season

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2023 Sun Belt Conference football season
LeagueNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
SportFootball
DurationAugust 31, 2023 – December 2, 2023
Number of teams14
2024 NFL draft
Regular season
East championsJames Madison[a]
  East runners-upAppalachian State
West championsTroy
SBC Championship Game
ChampionsTroy
  Runners-upAppalachian State
Finals MVPRB Kimani Vidal, Troy
Seasons
2023 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
James Madison* x   7 – 1     11 – 2  
Appalachian State y   6 – 2     9 – 5  
Coastal Carolina   5 – 3     8 – 5  
Old Dominion   5 – 3     6 – 7  
Georgia State   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Marshall   3 – 5     6 – 7  
Georgia Southern   3 – 5     6 – 7  
West Division
Troy xy$   7 – 1     11 – 3  
Texas State   4 – 4     8 – 5  
Arkansas State   4 – 4     6 – 7  
South Alabama   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Louisiana   3 – 5     6 – 7  
Southern Miss   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Louisiana–Monroe   0 – 8     2 – 10  
Championship: Troy 49, Appalachian State 23
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules

The 2023 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 23rd season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The season began on August 31, 2023 and ended with its conference championship game on December 2, 2023. It was part of the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The conference consists of 14 member schools split into two divisions. The conference released its full season schedule on February 24, 2023.[1]

Previous season[edit]

Main article: 2022 Sun Belt Conference football season

During the 2022 Sun Belt Conference football season, Coastal Carolina won the east division, while Troy won the west division. In the conference championship game, Troy defeated Coastal Carolina by a score of 45–26. Troy advanced to the Cure Bowl where they defeated UTSA. Coastal Carolina advanced to the Birmingham Bowl, where they lost to East Carolina.

Preseason[edit]

Preseason Media Poll[edit]

The SBC released its preseason poll on July 24. James Madison was named the favorite to win the East Division, while Troy was named the favorite to win the West Division.[2]

East
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 James Madison 78 (4)
2 Appalachian State 75 (4)
3 Coastal Carolina 71 (3)
4 Marshall 68 (2)
5 Georgia Southern 52 (1)
6 Georgia State 31
7 Old Dominion 17
West
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Troy 92 (10)
2 South Alabama 85 (4)
3 Louisiana 64
4 Southern Miss 62
5 Texas State 36
6 Arkansas State 33
7 Louisiana–Monroe 20

Preseason All-Conference teams[edit]

  • Offensive Player of the Year: Grayson McCall (Redshirt Senior, Coastal Carolina quarterback)
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Jason Henderson, (Junior, Old Dominion linebacker)

Head Coaches[edit]

  • On November 27, 2022, Texas State announced that it had fired head coach Jake Spavital. Spavital had posted a record of 13–35 over four years at the school.[3] On December 7, 2022, Texas State announced Incarnate Word's head coach G. J. Kinne would take over as the new head coach for the 2023 season.[4]
  • On December 4, 2022, Jamey Chadwell announced that he was leaving Coastal Carolina to take over the head coaching position at Liberty. Later on December 4, Coastal announced NC State offensive coordinator Tim Beck as the new head coach beginning in 2023.[5]
Team Head coach Previous Job Years at school Overall record Sun Belt record Sun Belt titles
Appalachian State Shawn Clark Appalachian State (Off. Line Coach) 4 26–13 (.667) 16–8 (.667) 0
Arkansas State Butch Jones Alabama (assistant coach) 3 89–73 (.549) 2–14 (.125) 0
Coastal Carolina Tim Beck NC State (Off. Coordinator) 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0
Georgia Southern Clay Helton USC 2 52–31 (.627) 3–5 (.375) 0
Georgia State Shawn Elliott South Carolina (Off. Line Coach) 7 35–43 (.449) 23–25 (.479) 0
James Madison Curt Cignetti Elon 5 108–34 (.761) 6–2 (.750) 0
Louisiana Michael Desormeaux Louisiana (Co-Off. Coordinator) 2 7–7 (.500) 4–4 (.500) 0
Louisiana–Monroe Terry Bowden Clemson (Grad. Assistant) 3 183–130–2 (.584) 5–11 (.313) 0
Marshall Charles Huff Alabama (Associate Head Coach) 3 16–10 (.615) 5–3 (.625) 0
Old Dominion Ricky Rahne Penn State (Off. Coordinator) 4 9–16 (.360) 2–6 (.250) 0
South Alabama Kane Wommack Indiana (Def. Coordinator) 3 15–10 (.600) 9–7 (.563) 0
Southern Miss Will Hall Tulane (Off. Coordinator) 2 66–35 (.653) 4–4 (.500) 0
Texas State G. J. Kinne Incarnate Word 1 12–2 (.857) 0–0 (–) 0
Troy Jon Sumrall Kentucky (Co-Def. Coordinator) 2 12–2 (.857) 7–1 (.875) 1

Postseason changes[edit]

  • On November 26, Louisiana–Monroe announced that it had fired head coach Terry Bowden after 3 seasons with the team.[6] On December 5, the school announced that former UAB head coach Bryant Vincent would take over as the new head coach for 2024.[7]
  • On November 30, James Madison head coach Curt Cignetti announced that he would leave the school to take the head coach position at Indiana for the 2024 season.[8] Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Damian Wroblewski was named the acting head coach for James Madison's bowl game. On December 7, the school announced that Bob Chesney would become the new head coach for 2024.[9] Chesney had previously been head coach at Holy Cross.
  • On December 8, Troy head coach Jon Sumrall was announced as the new head coach of Tulane in the American Athletic Conference for the 2024 season.[10] The school's defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato was named the interim head coach. On December 18, Troy announced Gerad Parker as the new head coach for 2024.[11] Parker was previously the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

Rankings[edit]

Main article: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
  Pre Wk
1		 Wk
2		 Wk
3		 Wk
4		 Wk
5		 Wk
6		 Wk
7		 Wk
8		 Wk
9		 Wk
10		 Wk
11		 Wk
12		 Wk
13		 Wk
14		 Final
Appalachian State AP
C
CFP Not released
Arkansas State AP
C
CFP Not released
Coastal Carolina AP RV
C
CFP Not released
Georgia Southern AP
C
CFP Not released
Georgia State AP
C RV
CFP Not released
James Madison AP RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 23 21 18 24 24 24 RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 25 24 21 21 RV 25 25 RV
CFP Not released
Louisiana AP
C
CFP Not released
Louisiana–Monroe AP
C
CFP Not released
Marshall AP
C RV RV
CFP Not released
Old Dominion AP
C
CFP Not released
South Alabama AP RV
C RV
CFP Not released
Southern Miss AP
C
CFP Not released
Texas State AP RV
C
CFP Not released
Troy AP RV RV RV RV RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV
CFP Not released

Schedule[edit]

The 2023 schedule was released on February 24, 2023.[1]

Index to colors and formatting
Sun Belt member won
Sun Belt member lost
Sun Belt teams in bold

Week 1[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
August 31 6:00 p.m. No. 21 (FCS) Rhode Island Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+ W 42–35   15,546
September 2 11:00 a.m. Arkansas State No. 20 Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK ESPN L 0–73   83,221
September 2 2:30 p.m. No. 25 (FCS) Gardner-Webb Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+ W 45–24   36,075
September 2 5:00 p.m. The Citadel Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+ W 34–0   17,803
September 2 5:00 p.m. Bucknell James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+ W 38–3   23,756
September 2 5:00 p.m. Albany Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN+ W 21–17   25,101
September 2 6:00 p.m. Army Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA NFLN W 17–13   18,914
September 2 6:00 p.m. Alcorn State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+ W 40–14   30,335
September 2 6:00 p.m. Texas State Baylor McLane Stadium • Waco, TX ESPN+ W 42–31   44,945
September 2 6:00 p.m. Stephen F. Austin Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+ W 48–30   28,179
September 2 6:30 p.m. Northwestern State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN+ W 38–13   18,186
September 2 7:00 p.m. Old Dominion Virginia Tech Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA ACCN L 17–36   65,632
September 2 7:00 p.m. South Alabama No. 24 Tulane Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA ESPNU L 17–37   26,973
September 2 9:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina UCLA Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA ESPN L 13–27   43,705
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 2[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 9 11:00 a.m. James Madison Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA ESPNU W 36–35   56,508
September 9 11:00 a.m. Troy No. 15 Kansas State Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, KS FS1 L 13–42   51,940
September 9 2:30 p.m. Texas State UTSA Alamodome • San Antonio, TX (I-35 Rivalry) ESPN+ L 13–20   49,342
September 9 3:00 p.m. Marshall East Carolina Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC (rivalry) ESPNU W 31–13   38,211
September 9 4:00 p.m. No. 16 (FCS) Southeastern Louisiana South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+ W 35–17   15,237
September 9 4:15 p.m. Appalachian State No. 17 North Carolina Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ACCN L 34–40 2OT  50,500
September 9 5:00 p.m. UAB Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+ W 49–35   20,103
September 9 5:00 p.m. Louisiana Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+  ODU 38–31   18,154
September 9 6:00 p.m. Jacksonville State Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 30–16   16,006
September 9 6:00 p.m. UConn Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+ W 35–14   15,186
September 9 6:00 p.m. Memphis Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR (Paint Bucket Bowl) ESPN+ L 3–37   18,724
September 9 7:00 p.m. Lamar Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+ W 24–14   13,154
September 9 7:30 p.m. Southern Miss No. 4 Florida State Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahasse, FL ACCN L 13–66   74,467
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 3[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 16 11:00 a.m. Georgia Southern Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI BTN L 14–35   75,610
September 16 11:00 a.m. Wake Forest Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN2 L 24–27   18,276
September 16 2:30 p.m. East Carolina Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+ W 43–28   40,168
September 16 3:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Texas A&M Kyle Field • College Station, TX SECN L 3–47   93,090
September 16 3:00 p.m. Tulane Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS (Battle for the Bell) ESPNU L 3–21   25,038
September 16 5:00 p.m. Georgia State Charlotte Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC ESPN+ W 41–25   14,410
September 16 6:00 p.m. Duquesne Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 66–7   18,116
September 16 6:00 p.m. Stony Brook Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+ W 31–7   14,327
September 16 6:00 p.m. Louisiana UAB Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL ESPN+ W 41–21   21,673
September 16 6:00 p.m. South Alabama Oklahoma State Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK ESPN+ W 33–7   53,855
September 16 6:00 p.m. James Madison Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL NFLN  JMU 16–14   26,634
September 16 7:30 p.m. Jackson State Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+ W 77–34   24,118
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 4[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 21 6:30 p.m. Georgia State Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN  GSU 30–17   15,248
September 23 11:00 a.m. Western Kentucky Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPNU W 27–24   26,124
September 23 11:00 a.m. Virginia Tech Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN2 W 24–17   31,475
September 23 1:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN ESPN+ W 40–3   10,118
September 23 2:30 p.m. Texas A&M-Commerce Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+ W 10–9   16,938
September 23 4:00 p.m. Central Michigan South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+ L 30–34   18,369
September 23 6:00 p.m. Appalachian State Wyoming War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, WY CBSSN L 19–22   21,169
September 23 6:00 p.m. Southern Miss Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  ARKST 44–37   16,601
September 23 6:00 p.m. Nevada Texas State Bobcats Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+ W 35–24   19,257
September 23 6:30 p.m. Buffalo Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN+ W 45–38   17,674
September 23 7:00 p.m. James Madison Utah State Maverik Stadium • Logan, UT W 45–38   19,994
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 5[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 30 11:00 a.m. Louisiana Minnesota Huntington Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN BTN L 24–35   46,843
September 30 11:00 a.m. South Alabama James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPNU  JMU 31–23   26,064
September 30 2:30 p.m. Arkansas State UMass Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA ESPN+ W 52–28   9,494
September 30 2:30 p.m. Old Dominion Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN+  MU 41–35   22,652
September 30 6:00 p.m. Coastal Carolina Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA NFLN  GASO 38–28   26,483
September 30 6:00 p.m. Troy Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  TROY 28–7   16,536
September 30 6:00 p.m. Texas State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+  TXST 50–36   21,304
September 30 7:00 p.m. Appalachian State Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  APPST 41–40   19,919
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 6[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 7 1:00 p.m. Marshall NC State Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC CW L 41–48   56,919
October 7 2:30 p.m. Texas State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPNU  ULL 34–30   15,053
October 7 3:00 p.m. Arkansas State Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+  TROY 37–3   26,957
October 7 6:00 p.m. South Alabama Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  SOAL 55–7   12,099
October 7 6:00 p.m. Old Dominion Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+  ODU 17–13   22,652
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 7[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 10 6:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN2  CCU 27–24   34,252
October 14 11:00 a.m. Georgia Southern James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN2  JMU 41–13   25,097
October 14 2:30 p.m. Troy Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY CBSSN W 19–0   27,829
October 14 6:00 p.m. Marshall Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN2  GSU 41–24   16,718
October 14 6:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TXST 21–20   27,537
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 8[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 17 6:30 p.m. Southern Miss South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN2  SOAL 55–3   23,478
October 19 6:00 p.m. James Madison Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN  JMU 20–9   22,109
October 21 1:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  GASO 38–28   21,068
October 21 6:00 p.m. Appalachian State Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA (Oyster Bowl) NFLN  ODU 28–21   20,017
October 21 6:00 p.m. Coastal Carolina Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  CCU 27–17   18,228
October 21 7:00 p.m. Georgia State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPNU  GSU 20–17   20,044
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 9[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 26 6:30 p.m. Georgia State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA (Modern Day Hate) ESPN2  GASO 44–27   23,389
October 28 2:30 p.m. Southern Miss Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+  APPST 48–38   32,601
October 28 4:00 p.m. Arkansas State Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  ARKST 34–24   14,006
October 28 4:00 p.m. Louisiana South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  ULL 33–20   16,709
October 28 5:00 p.m. Marshall Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC NFLN  CCU 34–6   21,324
October 28 6:00 p.m. Troy Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TROY 31–13   22,369
October 28 7:00 p.m. Old Dominion No. 25 James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA (Royal Rivalry) ESPNU  JMU 30–27   26,239
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 10[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 2 6:30 p.m. South Alabama Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL (Battle for the Belt) ESPN2  TROY 28–10   28,212
November 4 2:00 p.m. Louisiana Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  ARKST 37–17   15,881
November 4 2:30 p.m. James Madison Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN2  JMU 42–14   15,320
November 4 2:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+  CCU 28–24   17,982
November 4 3:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+  USM 24–7   20,193
November 4 4:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TXST 45–24   18.204
November 4 5:00 p.m. Marshall Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC (The Old Mountain Feud) NFLN  APPST 31–9   34,057
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Central Time.

Week 11[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 9 6:30 p.m. Southern Miss Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPNU  USM 34–31 OT  15,137
November 11 12:00 p.m. Old Dominion Liberty Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA ESPN+ L 10–38   21,481
November 11 1:00 p.m. UConn James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+ W 44–6   25,240
November 11 1:00 p.m. Appalachian State Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  APPST 42–14   14,260
November 11 1:00 p.m. Troy Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  TROY 45–14   7,683
November 11 2:30 p.m. Texas State Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+  CCU 31–23   15,832
November 11 4:00 p.m. Arkansas State South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  SOAL 21–14   15,242
November 11 6:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV NFLN  MU 38–33   19,175
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Central Time.

Week 12[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 18 11:00 a.m. Louisiana–Monroe No. 13 Ole Miss Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • University, MS SECN L 3–35   60,752
November 18 11:00 a.m. Coastal Carolina Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY CBSSN L 21–28   26,867
November 18 11:00 a.m. Southern Miss Mississippi State Davis Wade Stadium • Mississippi State, MS SECN+/ESPN+ L 20–41   53,855
November 18 1:00 p.m. Appalachian State James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+  APPST 26–23 OT  25,838
November 18 2:00 p.m. Texas State Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  ARKST 77–31   16,721
November 18 2:30 p.m. Louisiana Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL NFLN  TROY 31–24   26,621
November 18 4:00 p.m. Marshall South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  SOAL 28–0   14,105
November 18 5:00 p.m. Old Dominion Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  ODU 20–17   20,032
November 18 7:00 p.m. Georgia State No. 15 LSU Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA EPSN2 L 14–56   100,212
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Central Time.

Week 13[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 25 11:00 a.m. Troy Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPNU  TROY 35–17   19,766
November 25 1:00 p.m. Georgia State Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+  ODU 25–24   15,717
November 25 1:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA (Battle on the Bayou) ESPN+  ULL 52–21   13,892
November 25 2:30 p.m. Georgia Southern Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC (rivalry) ESPNU  APPST 55–27   31,248
November 25 2:30 p.m. James Madison Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN2  JMU 56–14   16,196
November 25 2:30 p.m. Arkansas State Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN+  MU 35–21   18,673
November 25 6:00 p.m. South Alabama Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX NFLN  TXST 52–44   15,617
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Central Time.

Championship Game[edit]

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
December 2 3:00 pm Appalachian State Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL (Sun Belt Conference Championship Game) ESPN  TROY 49–23   20,183
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Central Time.

Postseason[edit]

Bowl Games[edit]

See also: 2023–24 NCAA football bowl games
Legend
  Sun Belt win
  Sun Belt loss
Bowl game Date Site Television Time (CST) Sun Belt team Opponent Score Attendance
Myrtle Beach Bowl December 16 Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN 10:00 a.m. Georgia Southern Ohio L 21–41 8,059
New Orleans Bowl December 16 Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, LA ESPN 1:15 p.m. Louisiana Jacksonville State L 31–34OT 14,485
Cure Bowl December 16 FBC Mortgage Stadium • Orlando, FL ABC 2:30 p.m. Appalachian State Miami (OH) W 13–9 11,121
Famous Toastery Bowl December 18 Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC ESPN 1:30 p.m. Old Dominion Western Kentucky L 35–38OT 5,632
Frisco Bowl December 19 Toyota Stadium • Frisco, TX ESPN 8:00 p.m. Marshall UTSA L 17–35 11,215
Birmingham Bowl December 23 Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL ABC 11:00 a.m. Troy Duke L 10–17 20,023
Camellia Bowl December 23 Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL ESPN 11:00 a.m. Arkansas State Northern Illinois L 19–21 11,310
Armed Forces Bowl December 23 Amon G. Carter Stadium • Fort Worth, TX ABC 2:30 p.m. James Madison Air Force L 21–31 30,828
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl December 23 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID ESPN 2:30 p.m. Georgia State Utah State W 45–22 12,168
68 Ventures Bowl December 23 Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN 6:00 p.m. South Alabama Eastern Michigan W 59–10 20,926
Hawaii Bowl December 23 Clarence T. C. Ching Athletics Complex • Honolulu, HI ESPN 9:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina San Jose State W 24–14 7,089
First Responder Bowl December 26 Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX ESPN 4:30 p.m. Texas State Rice W 45–21 26,542

Rankings are from Final CFP rankings. All times Central Time Zone.

Selection of teams[edit]

  • Bowl eligible (12): Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison[b], Louisiana, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy
  • Bowl ineligible (2): Louisiana–Monroe, Southern Miss

Sun Belt records vs other conferences[edit]

2023–2024 records against non-conference foes:

Sun Belt vs Power 5 matchups[edit]

This is a list of games the Sun Belt has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.


Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 Pac-12 Coastal Carolina UCLA Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA L 13–27
September 2 ACC Old Dominion Virginia Tech Lane Stadium • Blacksburg, VA L 17–36
September 2 Big 12 Arkansas State No. 20 Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK L 0–73
September 2 Big 12 Texas State Baylor McLane Stadium • Waco, TX W 42–31
September 9 ACC Appalachian State No. 17 North Carolina Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC L 34–40 2OT
September 9 ACC James Madison Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA W 36–35
September 9 ACC Southern Miss No. 4 Florida State Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahasse, FL L 13–66
September 9 Big 12 Troy No. 15 Kansas State Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium • Manhattan, KS L 13–42
September 16 Big Ten Georgia Southern Wisconsin Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI L 14–35
September 16 ACC Wake Forest Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA L 24–27
September 16 SEC Louisiana–Monroe Texas A&M Kyle Field • College Station, TX L 3–47
September 16 Big 12 South Alabama Oklahoma State Boone Pickens Stadium • Stillwater, OK W 33–7
September 23 ACC Virginia Tech Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV W 24–17
September 30 Big Ten Louisiana Minnesota Huntington Bank Stadium • Minneapolis, MN L 24–35
October 7 ACC Marshall NC State Carter–Finley Stadium • Raleigh, NC L 41–48
November 18 SEC Georgia State No. 15 LSU Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA L 14–56
November 18 SEC Louisiana–Monroe No. 13 Ole Miss Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS L 3–35
November 18 SEC Southern Miss Mississippi State Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS L 20–41

Sun Belt vs Group of Five matchups[edit]

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, MAC, or Mountain West.

Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 American South Alabama No. 24 Tulane Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA L 17–37
September 9 C-USA Jacksonville State Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 30–16
September 9 American UAB Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W 49–35
September 9 American Marshall East Carolina Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC W 31–13
September 9 American Memphis Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR L 3–37
September 9 American Texas State UTSA Alamodome • San Antonio, TX L 13–20
September 16 American East Carolina Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W 43–28
September 16 American Georgia State Charlotte Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC W 41–25
September 16 American Louisiana UAB Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL W 41–21
September 16 American Tulane Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS L 3–21
September 23 Mountain West Appalachian State Wyoming War Memorial Stadium • Laramie, WY L 19–22
September 23 MAC Georgia Southern Ball State Scheumann Stadium • Muncie, IN W 40–3
September 23 Mountain West James Madison Utah State Maverik Stadium • Logan, UT W 45–38
September 23 MAC Buffalo Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA W 45–38
September 23 MAC Central Michigan South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL L 30–34
September 23 Mountain West Nevada Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX W 35–24
September 23 C-USA Western Kentucky Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL W 27–24
November 11 C-USA Old Dominion Liberty Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA L 10–38

Sun Belt vs FBS independents matchups[edit]

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, UConn, or UMass.

Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 Army Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA W 17–13
September 9 UConn Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA W 35–14
September 30 Arkansas State UMass Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MA W 52–28
October 14 Troy Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY W 19–0
November 11 UConn James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA W 44–6
November 18 Coastal Carolina Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY L 21–28

Sun Belt vs FCS matchups[edit]

Date Visitor Home Site Score
August 31 Rhode Island Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA W 42–35
September 2 Gardner-Webb Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W 45–24
September 2 The Citadel Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W 34–0
September 2 Bucknell James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA W 38–3
September 2 Albany Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV W 21–17
September 2 Northwestern State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA W 38–13
September 2 Alcorn State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS W 40–14
September 2 Stephen F. Austin Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL W 48–30
September 9 Lamar Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA W 24–14
September 9 Southeastern Louisiana South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL W 35–17
September 16 Duquesne Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 66–7
September 16 Stony Brook Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR W 31–7
September 16 Jackson State Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX W 77–34
September 23 Texas A&M-Commerce Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA W 10–9

Home game attendance[edit]

Team Stadium Capacity Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Total Average % of Capacity
Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium 30,000 36,075 40,168 34,252 110,495 36,832 122.7%
Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium 30,406 18,724 14,327 16,601 18,228 67,880 16,970 55.8%
Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium 21,000 16,006 18,116 15,248 49,370 16,457 78.3%
Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium 25,000 17,803 20,103 26,483 21,068 85,457 21,364 85.4%
Georgia State Center Parc Stadium 24,333 15,546 15,186 16,536 16,718 63,986 15,997 65.7%
James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium 24,877 23,756 26,064 25,097 74,917 24,972 100.3%
Louisiana Cajun Field 41,426 18,186 17,674 15,053 20,044 70,957 17,739 42.8%
Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium 27,617 18,914 13,154 19,919 12,099 64,086 16,022 58.0%
Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium 38,227 25,101 31,475 22,652 22,109 100,337 25,084 65.26
Old Dominion S. B. Ballard Stadium 21,944 18,154 18,276 16,938 20,017 73,385 18,346 83.6%
South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium 25,450 15,237 18,369 23,478 57,084 19,028 74.7%
Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium 36,000 30,335 25,038 21,304 22,652 99,329 24,832 68.9%
Texas State Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium 30,008 24,118 19,257 27,537 70,912 23,637 78.7%
Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium 30,470 28,179 26,634 26,124 26,957 107,894 26,974 88.5%

Bold – At or Exceeded capacity
†Season High

Awards and honors[edit]

Player of the week honors[edit]

Week Offensive Defensive Special Teams
Player Team Position Player Team Position Player Team Position
Week 1[12] T. J. Finley Texas State QB Clayton Isbell Coastal Carolina S Andrew Stein Southern Miss K
Week 2[13] Davis Brin Georgia Southern QB Jason Henderson Old Dominion LB Aiden Fisher James Madison LB
Week 3[14] Darren Grainger Georgia State QB LaMareon James Old Dominion CB Camden Wise James Madison K
Week 4[15] Rasheen Ali Marshall RB Brian Holloway Texas State LB Dominic Zvada Arkansas State K
Week 5[16] Jaylen Raynor Arkansas State QB Marques Watson-Trent Georgia Southern LB Michael Hughes Appalachian State K
Week 6[17] Kimani Vidal Troy RB Jason Henderson (2) Old Dominion LB Dalen Cambre Louisiana WR
Week 7[18] Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB Richard Jibunor Troy LB Scott Taylor Renfroe Troy K
Week 8[19] Jalen White Georgia Southern RB Jalen Green James Madison DL Ryan Hanson James Madison P
Week 9[20] Gunnar Watson Troy QB Cameron Whitfield Louisiana LB Michael Lantz Georgia Southern K
Week 10[21] Jordan McCloud James Madison QB Jason Henderson (3) Old Dominion LB Dominic Zvada (2) Arkansas State K
Week 11[22] Jordan McCloud (2) James Madison QB Javon Solomon Troy LB Jayden Harrison Marshall WR
Week 12[23] Ja'Quez Cross Arkansas State RB Ethan Johnson Appalachian State CB Ja’Quez Cross Arkansas State RB
Week 13[24] Jordan McCloud (3) James Madison QB Tyrek Funderburk Appalachian State CB Kole Wilson Texas State WR

Sun Belt individual awards[edit]

The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the Sun Belt Conference football coaches at the end of the season.[25]

Award Player School
Player of the Year Jordan McCloud James Madison
Offensive Player of the Year Kimani Vidal Troy
Defensive Player of the Year Jalen Green James Madison
Freshman Player of the Year Jaylen Raynor Arkansas State
Newcomer of the Year Joey Aguilar Appalachian State
Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti James Madison

All-Conference teams[edit]

The following players were selected as part of the Sun Belt's All-Conference Teams.[25]

All-Americans[edit]

For the complete All-America selections, see 2023 College Football All-America Team.

Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. College Football All-American consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.

Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
First Team All-Americans
DL Jalen Green James Madison AP, SI, The Athletic, USAT, WCFF
LB Jason Henderson Old Dominion TSN, WCFF
KR Jayden Harrison Marshall CBS, FOX, FWAA, WCFF
AP Ismail Mahdi Texas State CBS
Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
Second Team All-Americans
DL Jalen Green James Madison AFCA, CBS, FOX, FWAA, TSN
LB Jason Henderson Old Dominion AP, FWAA, USAT
AP Ismail Mahdi Texas State FWAA
Position Player School Selector Unanimous Consensus
Third Team All-Americans
RB Kimani Vidal Troy AP

NFL draft[edit]

See also: 2024 NFL draft

The NFL draft will be held at Campus Martius Park in Detroit. The following list includes all Sun Belt players in the draft.

List of selections[edit]

Player Position School Draft
Round 		Round
Pick 		Overall
Pick 		Team
Rasheen Ali RB Marshall 5 30 165 Baltimore Ravens
Javon Solomon DE Troy 5 33 168 Buffalo Bills
Kimani Vidal RB Troy 6 5 181 Los Angeles Chargers
Micah Abraham CB Marshall 6 25 201 Indianapolis Colts
Travis Glover OT Georgia State 6 26 202 Green Bay Packers
Nathan Thomas OT Louisiana 7 13 233 Dallas Cowboys

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ James Madison was ineligible to participate in the conference championship game due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules.[26]
  2. ^ Due to a lack of bowl eligible teams, James Madison was deemed bowl eligible despite its two-year postseason ban during its transition from FCS to FBS.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Sun Belt Announces 2023 Football Schedule". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. February 24, 2023. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  2. ^ "Sun Belt Announces Football Preseason Awards & Poll". Sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. July 24, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  3. ^ Rittenburg, Adam (November 27, 2022). "Texas State fires football coach Jake Spavital after 4 years". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  4. ^ "Welcome G.J. Kinne". txst.com. Texas State University. December 7, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  5. ^ Thamel, Pete (December 4, 2022). "Coastal Carolina hires NC State OC Tim Beck as coach". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "ULM to Seek New Leadership for Football Program". ulmwarhawks.com. University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  7. ^ "Bryant Vincent Named ULM Head Football Coach". ulmwarhawks.com. University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "Cignetti Named 30th Head Football Coach at Indiana University" (Press release). Indiana Hoosiers. November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "Bob Chesney Selected to Lead JMU Football as New Head Coach". jmusports.com. James Madison University Athletics. December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
  10. ^ "Tulane hires Troy's Jon Sumrall on 6-year deal, sources say". espn.com. ESPN. December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
  11. ^ "Troy Hires Notre Dame OC Gerad Parker as head coach". espn.com. ESPN. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  12. ^ "Texas State's Finley, Coastal Carolina's Isbell & Southern Miss' Stein Earn Sun Belt Football Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  13. ^ "Georgia Southern's Brin, Old Dominion's Henderson & James Madison's Fisher Claim Sun Belt Football Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  14. ^ "Georgia State's Grainger, Old Dominion's James & James Madison's Wise Earn Sun Belt Football Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  15. ^ "Marshall's Ali, Texas State's Holloway & Arkansas State's Zvada Claim Sun Belt Football Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  16. ^ "Arkansas State's Raynor, Georgia Southern's Watson-Trent & App State's Hughes Earn Sun Belt Football Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  17. ^ "Troy's Vidal, Old Dominion's Henderson & Louisiana's Cambre Secure Sun Belt Football Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  18. ^ "Coastal Carolina's McCall, Troy's Jibunor & Troy's Renfroe Earn Sun Belt Football Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 16, 2023.
  19. ^ "Georgia Southern's White, James Madison's Green & James Madison's Hanson Claim Sun Belt Football Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  20. ^ "Troy's Watson, Louisiana's Whitfield & Georgia Southern's Lantz Earn Sun Belt Football Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 30, 2023. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  21. ^ "James Madison's McCloud, Old Dominion's Henderson & Arkansas State's Zvada Claim Sun Belt Football Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  22. ^ "James Madison's McCloud, Troy's Solomon & Marshall's Harrison Claim Sun Belt Football Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  23. ^ "Arkansas State's Cross & App State's Johnson Earn Sun Belt Football Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  24. ^ "James Madison's McCloud, App State's Funderburk & Texas State's Wilson Secure Final Sun Belt Football Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Sun Belt Announces 2023 Football Postseason Awards & All-Conference Teams". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  26. ^ Frankenberry, Jami (October 19, 2023). "Unbeaten JMU leads Sun Belt, but despite pleas NCAA rules keep Dukes from a bowl, conference title game". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
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