Sun Belt officially expands to 14-member conference

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NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference begins a new chapter in its history on Friday, July 1, as it officially welcomes James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss to its 14-member conference.

“We are excited to officially welcome James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion and Southern Miss as members of the Sun Belt Conference,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “This expansion to 14 members—and the regional rivalries it produces—makes the 2022-23 academic year one of the most anticipated in Sun Belt history and signals the bright future that lies ahead for the conference.”

The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976, began sponsoring football in 2001 and currently sponsors 18 NCAA sports. The 14-member conference includes App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State and Troy.

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James Madison University, founded in 1908 and located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, supports a student population of over 22,000. Athletically, the program claims four NCAA national championships—two in FCS football in 2004 and 2016, one in field hockey in 1994 and one in women’s lacrosse in 2018. The football program has appeared in the FCS playoffs on 18 occasions, including each of the past eight seasons.

The Dukes sponsor 18 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer and tennis. Women’s sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, indoor track & field, lacrosse, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis and volleyball.

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Marshall University, founded in 1837 and located in Huntington, West Virginia, supports a student population of nearly 13,000. Athletically, the program claims three NCAA national championships—two in FCS football in 1992 and 1996 and one in men’s soccer in 2020. The football program has appeared in 18 bowl games, including a 12-5 postseason record since moving to the FBS in 1997.

The Thundering Herd sponsors 16 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf and soccer. Women’s sports include basketball, cross country, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis and volleyball.

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Old Dominion University, founded in 1930 and located in Norfolk, Va., supports a student population of over 24,000. Athletically, the program claims 28 team national championships—15 in sailing, nine in field hockey, three in women’s basketball and one in men’s basketball—and four individual crowns—three in wrestling and one in tennis. The football program has appeared in two bowl games—winning the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, 24-20, over Eastern Michigan and falling to Tulsa, 30-17, in the 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl.

The Monarchs sponsor 18 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, sailing, swimming and tennis. Women’s sports include basketball, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, sailing, swimming, tennis and volleyball.

ODU was a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 1982-1991 and enjoyed success in a wide range of sports. The men’s basketball team won Sun Belt regular-season titles in 1983 and 1986 and went to the NCAA Tournament three times and the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) three times while the Monarchs were members of the Sun Belt Conference. The ODU women’s basketball squad won five Sun Belt titles and appeared in eight NCAA Tournaments. The 1984-85 team, coached by Marianne Stanley, won the NCAA Tournament, the last of ODU’s three national titles. The ODU’s men’s soccer team won the 1985, 1987 and 1989 Sun Belt championships. The ODU baseball team went to the NCAA Tournament twice in the Sun Belt Conference and coach Mark Newman’s 1985 team finished 50-11 and won the Sun Belt title.

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The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910 and located in Hattiesburg, Miss., is a Tier-1 Research University that supports a student population of over 14,000. The school has won five NCAA national championships—two in NCAA Division II football in 1958 and 1962 and three individual crowns in track & field. The football program has appeared in 26 bowl games all-time. The men’s basketball program won the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in 1987, the softball program appeared in two College World Series in 1999 and 2000 and the baseball team advanced to the College World Series in 2009.

The Golden Eagles sponsor 17 varsity sports. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field and tennis. Women’s sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball.