The 2014 Sun Belt Conference Football opponents have been set and released to the member schools, according to a document obtained by FBSchedules.com.
Next season will see a shuffling of the teams in the Sun Belt as Western Kentucky departs and four schools enter: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Idaho, and New Mexico State. Had Western Kentucky not accepted an invitation to join Conference USA, the Sun Belt would have split into East and West divisions next season.
The East would have been Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, South Alabama, Troy, and Western Kentucky. The West Division, which could still look the same in the future, was set to be Arkansas State, Idaho, New Mexico State, Texas State, UL Lafayette, and ULM.
The Sun Belt is still seeking a 12th member that will let them split into divisions and stage a championship game.
In the meantime, the 2014 Sun Belt rotation will have each team playing four home and four road conference games. Unless a 12th team is added, the 2015 schedule is expected to be the same as 2014 but with the home and away sites flipped.
2014 Sun Belt Football Opponents
Appalachian State Mountaineers
Home: Georgia State, Idaho, South Alabama, ULM
Road: Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Troy, UL Lafayette
Miss: New Mexico State, Texas State
Home: Appalachian State, New Mexico State, South Alabama, ULM
Road: Idaho, Georgia State, Texas State, UL Lafayette
Miss: Georgia Southern, Troy
Home: Appalachian State, Idaho, Troy, ULM
Road: Georgia State, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State
Miss: Arkansas State, UL Lafayette
Home: Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, New Mexico State, Texas State
Road: Appalachian State, South Alabama, Troy, UL Lafayette
Miss: Idaho, ULM
Home: Arkansas State, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Troy
Road: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Texas State, ULM
Miss: Georgia State, UL Lafayette
Home: Georgia Southern, Texas State, UL Lafayette, ULM
Road: Arkansas State, Georgia State, Idaho, Troy
Miss: Appalachian State, South Alabama
Home: Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Texas State, Troy
Road: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Idaho, UL Lafayette
Miss: New Mexico State, ULM
Home: Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Idaho, UL Lafayette
Road: Georgia State, New Mexico State, South Alabama, ULM
Miss: Appalachian State, Troy
Home: Appalachian State, Georgia State, New Mexico State, UL Lafayette
Road: Georgia Southern, Idaho, South Alabama, ULM
Miss: Arkansas State, Texas State
Home: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia State, South Alabama
Road: New Mexico State, Texas State, Troy, ULM
Miss: Georgia Southern, Idaho
Home: Idaho, Texas State, Troy, UL Lafayette
Road: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, New Mexico State
Miss: Georgia State, South Alabama
Who are the options for the 12th team?
I remember hearing James Madison and Liberty is the past as being possible options. There always seems to be talk of Jacksonville State moving up so they may be one too
They want James Madison. Liberty asked to join last round.
I’ve heard Lamar, as well. They just restarted football and are in talent-rich southern Texas.
I hope they will be seeking a 13th team because the Sun Belt is now a joke among fbs schools. Arkansas State needs to bolt to the American conference or seek Big 12…which will require a 12th and 13th team…to get a total of 12. If ASU stays in sun belt it proves the school is being run by idiots.
when does the sun belt announce the 2014 schedule?
If it were up to me id choose Jacksonville state, Florida a&m, or even army even though they are in NY
Edit: No earlier than March 1 according to the Sun Belt.
why don’t the Sun Belt go for Central Arkansas
The options to expand really do not matter. Georgia Southern will rule the Sunbelt for a long time regardless of who they have to play. All other teams can’t compete with the Eagles. Coach Erk Russell started a tradition and it continues. Their motto is GATA (get after their ass) and Coach Russell coined that phrase. And believe me they will GATA…ask the Florida Gators.
All the conferences should be based on what region of the USA you belong to. 1)Easier for players and fans to travel to the game 2)rivalries should be maintained. This conference realignment crap is too much to tolerate. It makes the game lame!
@Bob Monk Good for georgia southern that they dominate the sun belt conference and that they beat florida once, but you guys dont seem to get far in the FCS playoff series, so perhaps focus on that.
y doesn’t the sun belt go after Youngstown state. or Idaho state, maybe even sam Houston state or eastern Kentucky hey u never know unless u try
Idaho State is a shitty team, and terrible market. The others are options. Sam Houston State would be the best option. Helps western footprint
Youngstown State would be a great addition, it would be a good replacement for Western Kentucky. Sam Houston State, North Dakota State or James Madison would fit too.
I would take anyone over Idaho…. is a school from Germany or Japan avaliable? Drop the Vandals and now and never consider the ISU Bengals.
These are tge teams I would love to see the Sun Belt Conference add…. James MadMadIson, Eastern Kentucky, Lamar, Missouri State or UT-Chattnooga
I root for Idaho State and I still say no, for the same reason I hope Idaho will move football to Big Sky also. As for a 12th team (or 11th if Idaho does the smart thing and go back to Big Sky), my pick would be Eastern Washington. While I dislike the Sunbelt and especially dispise them bringing up FCS teams, Eastern Washington has been doing good and this year and last, they have been one of the top teams of FCS. Im also a fan of theirs and would like to see them in FBS because they have a better chance of winning that Idaho, Idaho State, or Portland State. Also, dispite my dislike of the Sunbelt, I dont see any of the 5 top conferences adding Eastern Washington straight out of the FCS and AAC seems to prefer to steal from C-USA, who seems to prefer to steal from Sunbelt and MAC seems to be closed to expansion for a while, and I doubt the Mountain West will take teams directly from FCS, though their recruiting grounds (WAC) are gone, but theyll probably start stealing from Big East and conference USA and maybe Sunbelt, so Sunbelt seems to be the best bet for Eastern Washington and then from there they can just move up conference ranks until their in the Mountain West.
James Madison suppose to receive their FBS study in early October. Liberty is still an option, Eastern Kentucky and Missouri State may be an.option.
Hey the sun belt needs 2 maybe think about adding richmond
Robins Stadium At UR is too small for FBS
Missouri State will be the 12th team and in the West.
How you know that?
just a hunch.
Doesn’t make sense to just flip home and away from one year to the next.
Would mean there are two SBC teams that you do not play for two straight years.
That’s just the easier way to schedule. That way you play home-and-home in 2 seasons.
Lamar and Missouri State? Two really bad teams. Good thinking …….. Chattanooga wouldn’t surprise me.
Jacksonville State would be a perfect fit.
How ’bout GA Tech and Vandy leave for the Sun Belt and GA Southern can occupy one of the spots in the SEC or ACC:)
How about you get a clue and get adjusted to many years of losing and failure, moron!
I bet within the first season, Georgia Southern will win more games than Georgia State has won in the past 3 years. Get adjusted to many years of ass whippings, moron!
Y r u high acc will not let georgia tech acc didn’t even want the big 10 2 take them & vandy is doing pretty good
I bet Atlanta_Mafia has a hard time talking with a foot in his mouth
Folks be nice now, it’s all just talk now. Missouri state would be perfect addition! Ga Redwolf.
i like McNeese State or Old Dominion
I’m all for the teams remaining in the sunbelt worth a shit (ArSt, TxSt, UL, Troy, and maybe S. Alabama) leaving for Mountain West or american athletic and leaving the remaining teams for self destruction.
I dont know about any of those for the Mountain West. Geographically, Id say only two of the Sunbelt teams would be good for the Mountain West, As for strength of football, neither of those two are MWC worthy.
UL-Monroe is a good team as well
@CTP: That’s what the WAC was, a Sunbelt/Mountain West feeder conference that got gobbled up. Leave the Sunbelt alone. I am an LSU fan, but ULL and ULM plat some fun Sunbelt ball. The conference winner gets Tulane in New Orleans bowl, totally harmless. Let them take up the FBS wannabees.
If they add weak FCS schools, would you think teams like ULL, Ark St, ULM, and Troy (Founding Sun Belt Members) blow out weak teams like Idaho St, Lamar, and other weak FCS teams. I think the top Sun Belt schools need to head to Conference USA like WKU and other teams. Can somone tell me what should happen?
CUSA should go to 20 teams, they should add ULL, ULM, Tex St, Geo St,Geo So, and Ark St. They can play nine division conference games and the winner of the other division. in a conference title game. That would leave room for three non-conference games. The remaining five teams can go to the MAC and that would give them 18 teams.
The Sunbelt needs a Florida team so maybe Florida a&m if not a Florida team how about army
I bet my left but that any1 of them B.S. Bitch Ass sunbelt team wants no parts of Ga.Southern on their schedule…Go ask the Fla. Gayturds
Get off your high horse…I know you backdoored in on Florida, but you will see that the SunBelt is the real deal week in & week out. ASU, Troy, ULL, ULM will give you all you want on a consistent basis. We are flattered to have Georgia Southern in the mix…good luck next year…buckle up!!!
With Florida’s population continuing to grow, one would expect to see a football program begun at Florida Gulf Coast University, UNF, or UWF. That would be a good Sunbelt target, if any of those other large state schools start football. Below that, only if one of the larger established former Community Colleges, such as Seminole in Sanford, or Gulf in Panama City establish full four-year athletics…. but any of those are 10 years down the road. If the PAC-16 avalanche ever happens though, the shredding of the XII by the PAC, B1G, and SEC is the only thing that would mess up the Sunbelt again. There’s always the chance a school like UAB might decide to step down out of C-USA though…. In the end, I expect James Madison and Liberty to stay FCS. The better target might actually be Coastal Carolina.
With the Sun Belt teams beating the CUSA and MAC teams, consitantly, you may soon see some changes. With the two new good teams in Ga Southern and App. State, coming on board I see a bright future for the Sun Belt.
I agree…..Georgia So.and App State are “proven winners” and are very strong teams. I predict these two teams will dominate football in the SB.
App State and Georgia So. are two VERY strong teams. App State has the largest attendance of any of the SB teams. I predict Georgia Southern and App State will dominate the conference in football for years.
Missouri State is the only good fit
Some really good comments on here and some even better suggestions. First of all, the SunBelt isn’t weak. Seven out of eleven schools qualified for bowl games in 2013 (ULL and ARK ST. only attendees), Next year, App St. (which I am currently attending) and GA. Southern are joining, with possibility of a 12th school on the horizon. Although App St didn’t have the greatest record this year, the team is going to be more powerful with a huge amount of underclassmen (only losing a handful of seniors). GA Southern is also a strong power coming out of the SoCon. The SunBelt made an awesome choice taking these two teams because over the past 5-6 years, AppSt and GA Southern have created a rivalry which will add to the power the Sun Belt already has.
As for schools to become the 12th, I’ll start with schools I don’t see coming in: anyone from C-USA, JMU, ODU (already going to C-USA I believe), Coastal Carolina, Richmond, Army, Lamar, any teams in FL (though they could be a further expansion).
Schools that could fit the bill (with definition): Central Arkansas. I did list them under no’s but there is always a possibility they could make the move to the SBC. Charlotte hasn’t had a football program at all and they are moving straight into the C-USA. They will get knocked around a bit for a few years, but if CAU is willing to do the same, I dont see why the SBC would have any issue inviting them in.
Eastern Washington: The Eagles have been moving up the power scale in FCS and they are knocking on the doorstep of FBS. There only downside: location. The school is in the land of PAC12 and MWC. There isn’t a chance the school would get an invite to join either of those conferences. However, with the addition of Idaho and New Mexico St., an invite to EWU would fit because it would create a west division within the conference. There is a lot of talk about adding a team from NC to travel well with App St. I think adding a team from the west would help Idaho and NMST travel better and perhaps create a rivalry out west.
Montana: Same reasoning for EWU (just replace EWU with Montana).
North Dakota St.: They are now the second team in FCS history with three consectutive championships (first to do so was App St.). The Bison have also been moving up the power scale along with EWU, but they have been doing so at a quicker pace. Strong fit.
Possibly a weaker MAC team: This is one of the long stretches I’m throwing out there, but if the MAC has no problem reaching toward the Northeast and plucking UMass after one good FCS season, they could fill a vacated spot with someone like UNH. New Hampshire has had a few great seasons in the 2000’s and are always contending, so it could be a possible fit to get something going between UMass, UNH and Buffalo within the MAC. A team like Bowling Green or Ball St. would be a better fit via location, but again, this is a complete long-shot.
OK, now that I have gotten my points across, I’d love to hear yours. Please, keep the comments civil, ie. no name calling, bad mouthing, etc… I hope my thoughts can generate some strong conversations about where the conference goes from here and what other schools I’ve over looked as possible future SBC members.
I did have Central Arkansas as a ‘no’. I must have erased it. Shows you should proofread everything
A. Ritchie – You are mostly wrong. First, the 2013 SunBelt only had 8 teams, not 11 as you wrote. Looking at the 2013 Massey Composite Ratings – not a single SunBelt team was rated in the top half. ULL was the top rated at #70. This year Western Kentucky, one of the top SB teams last season, leaves for Conference USA. Of the four incoming teams, 2 are FCS teams that had mediocre FCS results (#33 & #61 FCS teams) and 2 are bottom 10 FBS teams. The 2014 SunBelt is weak. In fact, if all the teams on average are as good/bad as last season, then the 2014SB will rate to only be the 3rd best FCS conference and by far the worst FBS conference. Also, it is obvious that you do not know much about football West of the Mississippi River.
when is sun belt went to add army to their conference?? in 2015 then divisions are western and eastern division? western teams are Army, Appalachian state, Georgia southern, Georgia state, south Alabama , and troy. eastern teams are Arkansas state, Idaho, New Mexico state,Texas state, Louisianian Lafayette, and Louisianian Monroe.
The Sun Belt should add Jacksonville State down in Alabama!