Sun Belt Conference

File:Sun Belt Conference very old logo.png

The Sun Belt Conference was founded on August 4, 1976, with the University of New Orleans, the University of South Alabama, Georgia State University, Jacksonville University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of South Florida. Over the next ten years the conference would add Western Kentucky University, Old Dominion University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Virginia Commonwealth University. New Orleans was forced out of the league in 1980 due to its small on-campus gymnasium that the conference did not deem suitable for conference competition (the conference rejected UNO's offer to play all conference home games at the Louisiana Superdome). New Orleans competed as an independent before joining the newly formed American South Conference in 1987.

After the 1990–91 basketball season, all members of the Sun Belt, except Western Kentucky, South Alabama, and Jacksonville, departed for other conferences. The Sun Belt, including incoming member the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, then merged with the American South Conference, made up of Arkansas State University, Louisiana Tech University, the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette), the University of Texas–Pan American (now merged into the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), New Orleans (re-joined), Lamar University, and the University of Central Florida. Although the American South was the larger conference, the merged league retained the Sun Belt name. In 1991, the league first began to explore the idea of sponsoring football.{{Cite web|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1991-07-03-9107030173-story.html|title=UCF HOPES TO FIND FAME IN EXPANDED SUN BELT|last=Staff|first=Russ White of The Sentinel|website=OrlandoSentinel.com|date=3 July 1991 |language=en-US|access-date=March 1, 2020}}

Central Florida left the league following the 1991–92 academic year due to a dispute over television rights, among other reasons.{{cite web|url=https://stars.library.ucf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2136&context=centralfloridafuture|title=UCF ends marriage with Sun Belt Conference|last=Meadows|first=Dave|date=May 20, 1992}}{{cite web|url=http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/231205544/|title=The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida on May 20, 1992 · Page 70|website=Newspapers.com|date=20 May 1992 |language=en|access-date=March 1, 2020}} Lamar, Texas–Pan American, and Jacksonville departed at the end of the 1997–98 academic year. Florida International University joined the Sun Belt in 1998, and the University of Denver was added in 1999. Louisiana Tech departed after the 2000–01 academic year.

File:Poydras Street, New Orleans CBD, 24 August 2021 - 10.jpg.]]

The conference did not sponsor football until 2001, when the league added former Big West Conference members New Mexico State University and the University of North Texas and former Ohio Valley Conference member (an FBS Independent on football) Middle Tennessee State University as full members (all three of them joined a year earlier for all sports in the 2000-01 school year) and added FBS Independent University of Louisiana at Monroe and Big West member University of Idaho as football-only members. These new members gave the Sun Belt seven football playing members in their first season, as Arkansas State and Louisiana were already full members which sponsored football. Another Big West school, Utah State University, was added as a football-only member in 2003, then departed in 2005 with Idaho and New Mexico State for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

In 2004, Troy University became a football-only member before joining for all sports in the 2005–06 academic year. In 2005, Florida Atlantic became a football-only member before joining for all sports in the 2006-07 academic year. In 2006, Louisiana–Monroe joined the conference as an all-sports full member when the Warhawks left their former home, the Southland Conference.

Longtime Sun Belt member Western Kentucky joined the Sun Belt's football conference in 2009 after its board of regents voted to upgrade the school's football program to Division I FBS.{{cite press release|url=http://wku.edu/news/releases06/november/football.html|publisher=Western Kentucky University|title=WKU Regents Approve Move To Division I-A Football|date=November 2, 2006|access-date=November 3, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080115123929/http://wku.edu/news/releases06/november/football.html|archive-date=January 15, 2008}}

On November 11, 2009, New Orleans announced it was investigating a move from Division I to the NCAA's Division III. In order to maintain athletic scholarships, UNO instead opted for entry into Division II. On April 20, 2011, UNO officially received transition approval from the NCAA Division II Membership Committee.{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/uno/index.ssf/2011/04/university_of_new_orleans_gets_1.html|work=The Times-Picayune |title=University of New Orleans gets approval from NCAA to move to Division II|date=April 20, 2011|access-date=September 6, 2011}} (UNO later decided to remain in Division I, and joined the Southland Conference, which has four other members in Louisiana, in 2013.)

{{Main|2010–2013 Sun Belt Conference realignment}}

{{See also|2010–2013 Conference USA realignment|2010–2013 Western Athletic Conference realignment}}

File:Sun Belt Conference 2001 logo.svg

On April 9, 2012, Georgia State, one of the founding members of the Sun Belt Conference, announced that it would be returning to the conference as a full member in 2013. As part of the move, the football program began a transition from FCS to FBS in the 2012 season; it played a full Sun Belt schedule as a "transitional" FBS member in 2013, and became a full FBS member, with bowl eligibility, in 2014.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/brett-mcmurphy/18373785/georgia-state-to-sun-belt-announcement-monday|title=Sun Belt adding Georgia State|first=Brett|last=McMurphy|work=College Football Insider|publisher=CBS Sports|date=April 7, 2012|access-date=April 9, 2012}} On May 2, 2012, Texas State University announced it would leave the WAC after just one year and join the Sun Belt in July 2013 to begin play for the 2013–14 academic year. At the press conference to announce Texas State's addition, Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson also hinted that more changes could be on the way for the conference.{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/05/02/sun-belt-texas-state.ap/index.html?sct=cf_t2_a3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605151141/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/05/02/sun-belt-texas-state.ap/index.html?sct=cf_t2_a3|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 5, 2012|title=Texas State will leave WAC, join Sun Belt in 2013–14|date=May 2, 2012|access-date=May 2, 2012|magazine=Sports Illustrated}} On May 25, 2012, the conference announced that the University of Texas at Arlington (a non-football member) had accepted an invitation to join the conference and would become a full member by 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/dallas/story/_/id/7969941|title=University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks to join Sun Belt Conference in 2013|date=25 May 2012|publisher=ESPN|access-date=May 29, 2015}}

On May 4, 2012, FIU and North Texas announced that they would be leaving the Sun Belt for Conference USA on July 1, 2013 as part of a Conference USA expansion effort involving four other schools.{{cite web|url=http://www.conferenceusa.com/genrel/050412aab.html|title=Conference USA Adds Five New Members|work=Conferenceusa.com|access-date=May 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510200529/http://www.conferenceusa.com/genrel/050412aab.html|archive-date=May 10, 2012|url-status=dead}} On November 29, 2012, Florida Atlantic and Middle Tennessee State announced that they would also leave the Sun Belt for Conference USA.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/8686775/florida-atlantic-owls-middle-tennessee-state-blue-raiders-join-conference-usa|title=C-USA adds FAU, Middle Tennessee State|publisher=ESPN|date=November 29, 2012|first=Brett|last=McMurphy|access-date=May 29, 2015}} The move for Florida Atlantic and MTSU was originally scheduled to take place in 2014; however, the two schools announced on January 28, 2013 that they would leave for Conference USA a year early, departing on July 1, 2013 with FIU and North Texas. Western Kentucky also accepted an invitation to join Conference USA on April 1, 2013, and departed from the Sun Belt on July 1, 2014.[http://www.wkusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5400&ATCLID=207019336] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130406145221/http://www.wkusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5400&ATCLID=207019336|date=April 6, 2013}}

File:Sun Belt Conference logo.svg

These moves depleted the Sun Belt and made the need to expand their membership more urgent than ever, as the Sun Belt was left with ten full members and only eight members that sponsor football (the minimum number required for a conference to sponsor football at the FBS level) for the 2013 season. Appalachian State University accepted an invitation on March 27, 2013 to join the Sun Belt effective July 1, 2014.[http://www.sunbeltsports.org/General/Article/tabid/1069/Article/19992/Appalachian-State-to-Join-Sun-Belt-Conference-in-2014.aspx] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003628/http://www.sunbeltsports.org/General/Article/tabid/1069/Article/19992/Appalachian-State-to-Join-Sun-Belt-Conference-in-2014.aspx|date=December 3, 2013}} Georgia Southern University accepted a similar Sun Belt invitation at the same time as Appalachian State.[http://www.sunbeltsports.org/General/Article/tabid/1069//Article/19989/Title/georgia-southern-to-join-sun-belt-conference-in-2014.aspx] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003153/http://www.sunbeltsports.org/General/Article/tabid/1069//Article/19989/Title/georgia-southern-to-join-sun-belt-conference-in-2014.aspx|date=December 3, 2013}} Appalachian State and Georgia Southern both joined for all sports from the Southern Conference on July 1, 2014. Both schools had been very successful within the Football Championship Subdivision, combining to win nine national championships since 1985. They upgraded to the Football Bowl Subdivision, and were eligible for Sun Belt conference championships in 2014, but were not postseason-eligible in football until 2015.

The Sun Belt also granted football-only invites to Idaho and New Mexico State on March 28, 2013.[http://www.sunbeltsports.org/General/Article/tabid/1069//Article/19996/Title/idaho-and-new-mexico-state-to-join-sun-belt-conference-as-football-members-in-2.aspx] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130703201423/http://www.sunbeltsports.org/General/Article/tabid/1069//Article/19996/Title/idaho-and-new-mexico-state-to-join-sun-belt-conference-as-football-members-in-2.aspx|date=July 3, 2013}} Idaho and New Mexico State were both former Sun Belt members (Idaho for football only, New Mexico State for all sports) from 2001 to 2005. The large number of defections from the WAC forced that conference to drop football after the 2012 season. Idaho and New Mexico State were the only remaining WAC members that sponsored football, and competed as FBS independents for the 2013 season before competing in the Sun Belt in 2014. Idaho is located by far the farthest away from the other Sun Belt conference members, but it was rejected by the Mountain West Conference,{{cite web|url=http://collegefootball.ap.org/romenews-tribune/content/board-approves-idaho-football-going-independent|title=Board approves Idaho football going independent|work=College Football}} leaving it with no other choice.{{cite web|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/mar/27/idaho-football-returning-sun-belt-2014/|title=Idaho football returning to Sun Belt in 2014 – Spokesman.com – March 27, 2013|work=Spokesman.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/06/29/3258682/rekindling-rivalries-will-help.html|title=Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Caldwell news by Idaho Statesman|work=Idaho Statesman}}

On September 1, 2015, Coastal Carolina University accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference. The university joined in all sports except for football starting July 1, 2016, with football joining in 2017.{{cite press release|url=http://www.bigsouthsports.com/entries/statement-from-big-south-commissioner-kyle-b-kallander-on-coastal-carolina|title=Statement from Big South Commissioner Kyle B. Kallander on Coastal Carolina|publisher=Big South Conference|date=September 1, 2015|access-date=September 1, 2015|archive-date=September 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903235638/http://www.bigsouthsports.com/entries/statement-from-big-south-commissioner-kyle-b-kallander-on-coastal-carolina|url-status=dead}}

The conference announced on March 1, 2016, that the affiliation agreement with Idaho and New Mexico State would not be extended past the 2017 season.{{cite press release|title=Sun Belt Football to Be 10 Teams in 2018|url=http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2016/3/1/FB_0301161055.aspx|publisher=Sun Belt Conference|date=March 1, 2016|access-date=March 1, 2016}}

The conference announced that beginning in 2018, the conference (10 teams) would be divided into two divisions for football: East: Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, and Troy; West: Arkansas State, Louisiana, Louisiana–Monroe, South Alabama, and Texas State. The winner of each division will meet in the Sun Belt Championship game.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sun-belt-announces-football-divisions-starting-in-2018-collaborative-replay-system/|title=Sun Belt announces football divisions for 2018, new collaborative replay system|work=CBS Sports|access-date=May 23, 2017|language=en}}

{{Main|2021–2026 NCAA conference realignment}}

{{Location map+

| USA

| width=600

| caption=Sun Belt Member locations
10px – Full member, 10px – current associate member

| places=

{{Location map~ | USA | label=UNCW | position=top | mark=Yellow pog.svg | link=University of North Carolina Wilmington | lat=34.225833 | long=-77.873333 }}

}}

Following the July 30, 2021 announcement of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma both moving from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference,{{Cite web|date=July 30, 2021|title=Texas, Oklahoma regents accept SEC invitation|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/31920686/texas-longhorns-oklahoma-sooners-unanimously-accept-invitation-sec|access-date=October 21, 2021|website=ESPN.com|language=en}} the world of college athletics faced the prospect of realignment once again. The Big 12 responded on September 10 by adding three schools from the American Athletic Conference (The American) and BYU, an FBS independent and otherwise a member of the non-football West Coast Conference, effective in 2023.{{cite press release|url=https://big12sports.com/news/2021/9/10/big-12-conference-adds-four-new-members.aspx |title=Big 12 Conference Adds Four New Members |publisher=Big 12 Conference |date=September 10, 2021 |access-date=September 10, 2021}} The American in turn responded on October 21 by adding six schools from Conference USA (C-USA), with 2023 as the most likely entry date.{{Cite web|date=October 19, 2021|title=6 schools officially apply to join AAC, source says|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32432496/six-schools-officially-apply-join-american-athletic-conference|access-date=October 21, 2021|website=ESPN.com|language=en}}{{cite press release|url=https://theamerican.org/news/2021/10/21/general-american-athletic-conference-announces-the-addition-of-six-universities.aspx |title=American Athletic Conference Announces the Addition of Six Universities |publisher=American Athletic Conference |date=October 21, 2021 |access-date=October 21, 2021}} Following this move, rumors began to circulate that the Sun Belt was planning to take on another three members (the University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss or USM), Marshall University, and former Sun Belt member Old Dominion University) from C-USA, likely in response to that conference's remaining teams worried of the conference folding.{{Cite web|title=Sun Belt, Conference USA considering adding teams amid AAC expansion|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sun-belt-conference-usa-considering-adding-teams-amid-aac-expansion/|access-date=October 21, 2021|website=CBSSports.com|date=20 October 2021 |language=en}} These moves would help to establish the market areas for the Sun Belt and The American, which cover similar geographic footprints. The American would now have most of its members in metropolitan areas, while the Sun Belt would instead have its members in smaller college towns.

On October 22, The Action Network reported that Southern Miss had been accepted as a new Sun Belt member, with 2023 as the likely entry date. The report also stated that the Sun Belt would add three more members—the aforementioned Marshall and Old Dominion, plus James Madison University, a member of the FCS Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).{{cite news|url=https://www.actionnetwork.com/ncaaf/southern-miss-joins-sun-belt-other-conference-usa-schools-expected-to-join-soon |title=Sources: Southern Miss Joins Sun Belt; Marshall, Old Dominion, JMU Will Join in Coming Days |first=Brett |last=McMurphy |website=The Action Network |date=October 22, 2021 |access-date=October 22, 2021}} Southern Miss{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2021/10/26/football-southern-miss-joins-sun-belt-conference.aspx |title=Southern Miss Joins Sun Belt Conference |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=October 26, 2021 |access-date=October 26, 2021}} and Old Dominion{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2021/10/27/general-old-dominion-joins-sun-belt-conference.aspx |title=Old Dominion Joins Sun Belt Conference |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=October 27, 2021 |access-date=October 27, 2021}} were respectively announced as incoming members on October 26 and 27. At the time, both were to join no later than 2023. On October 29, the day after Marshall named its next president,{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/32480819/southern-miss-officially-joins-sun-belt-enter-league-no-later-july-2023 |title=Southern Miss officially joins Sun Belt, will enter league no later than July 2023 |first=Adam |last=Rittenberg |website=ESPN.com |date=October 26, 2021 |access-date=October 26, 2021}} both the Sun Belt and Marshall issued tweets announcing that school's entry; a formal announcement followed the next day{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2021/10/30/general-marshall-joins-sun-belt-conference.aspx |title=Marshall Joins Sun Belt Conference |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=October 30, 2021 |access-date=November 1, 2021}} and an introductory press conference was held on November 1.{{cite news|url=https://www.herald-dispatch.com/sports/sun-belt-confirms-mens-soccer-being-reinstated/article_e08dea8c-b0bd-51cd-9810-0a1365bdc1e5.html |title=Sun Belt confirms men's soccer being reinstated |first=Grant |last=Traylor |newspaper=The Herald-Dispatch |location=Huntington, WV |date=November 1, 2021 |access-date=November 2, 2021}} As for James Madison, its board met on October 29 to discuss a potential Sun Belt invitation, but its timeline was also affected by a Virginia state law that requires legislative approval for a four-year public school to move upward in athletic classification, including FCS to FBS. The legislative committee that must review the move did not meet until November 5, after the state's gubernatorial election.{{cite news|url=https://www.dnronline.com/sports/college/va-s-gubernatorial-election-impacts-jmu-sun-belt-timeline/article_cea1d319-f46b-5a6d-881a-5b9f88c6b39e.html |title=Va.'s Gubernatorial Election Impacts JMU-Sun Belt Timeline |first=Greg |last=Madia |newspaper=Daily News-Record |location=Harrisonburg, VA |date=October 28, 2021 |access-date=October 28, 2021}} The committee unanimously approved JMU's move from FCS to FBS, and the Sun Belt move was officially announced on November 6.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2021/11/04/james-madison-sun-belt-caa/|title=James Madison's move to Sun Belt would trigger messy divorce from CAA|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=November 5, 2021|date=November 4, 2021}}{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2021/11/5/general-james-madison-joins-sun-belt-conference.aspx |title=James Madison Joins Sun Belt Conference |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=November 6, 2021 |access-date=November 6, 2021}} The original Action Network report also stated that the two full non-football SBC members, Little Rock and UT Arlington, would no longer be members of the conference after the 2022–23 school year.

Initial plans were for James Madison to compete as a de facto Sun Belt affiliate in sports other than football and men's soccer during the 2022–23 season.{{cite news |last=Mettler |first=Shane |title=Dukes Get Approval For Move To FBS, Join Sun Belt |url=https://www.dnronline.com/sports/college/dukes-get-approval-for-move-to-fbs-join-sun-belt/article_79109591-eb2f-5b26-8817-a158b82b02ce.html |access-date=November 20, 2021 |work=Daily News-Record |date=November 5, 2021 |quote=Sources said JMU's other sports would begin competition in the Sun Belt during the 2022-23 school year and it is expected the Dukes will be eligible for conference championships in their debut seasons.}} However, those plans would eventually change, with JMU and the SBC jointly announcing on February 2, 2022 that JMU would become a full SBC member, including football, in 2022–23.{{cite press release|url=https://jmusports.com/news/2022/2/2/administration-james-madison-to-compete-in-sun-belt-conference-in-2022-2023.aspx |title=James Madison to Compete in Sun Belt Conference in 2022-2023 |publisher=James Madison Dukes |date=February 2, 2022 |accessdate=February 3, 2022}}

By the end of January 2022, both non-football members would announce their departures for other conferences, effective that July. On December 8, 2021, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees voted to accept an invitation for Little Rock to join the Ohio Valley Conference,{{cite press release|title=Little Rock Receives Board Approval To Join Ohio Valley Conference|url=https://lrtrojans.com/news/2021/12/8/little-rock-announces-thursday-press-conference-regarding-future-of-trojan-athletics.aspx|access-date=2021-12-08|publisher=Little Rock Trojans|language=en}} and UT Arlington, which had been a Western Athletic Conference member in the 2012–13 school year, announced its return to that conference on January 21, 2022.{{cite press release|url=https://wacsports.com/general/2021-22/releases/20220120nrv7nj |title=University of Texas at Arlington Accepts Invitation to Join WAC |publisher=Western Athletic Conference |date=January 21, 2022 |accessdate=January 22, 2022}}

Shortly thereafter, Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss announced that they planned to leave C-USA for the Sun Belt in July 2022. They claimed to have notified C-USA of their plans in December 2021, apparently seeking to negotiate a 2022 exit. C-USA had indicated in late January 2022 that it expected the three schools to remain in that league through the 2022–23 school year.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/33269116/sun-belt-bound-marshall-old-dominion-southern-miss-announce-plans-depart-conference-usa-june |title=Sun Belt-bound Marshall, Old Dominion, Southern Miss announce plans to depart Conference USA in June |first=Adam |last=Rittenberg |website=ESPN.com |date=February 11, 2022 |accessdate=February 11, 2022}} Marshall escalated the situation by filing suit against C-USA in its local court in an attempt to force a 2022 move.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/33354627/marshall-sues-conference-usa-push-departure-sun-belt |title=Marshall sues Conference USA to push up departure for Sun Belt |first=Heather |last=Dinich |website=ESPN.com |date=February 23, 2022 |accessdate=February 23, 2022}} On March 29, Conference USA agreed to let Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss move to the Sun Belt starting July 1, 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/33626016/move-marshall-old-dominion-southern-miss-conference-usa-sun-belt-now-complete |title=Move of Marshall, Old Dominion, Southern Miss from Conference USA to Sun Belt now complete |first=Pete |last=Thamel |author-link=Pete Thamel |website=ESPN.com |date=March 29, 2022 |accessdate=March 29, 2022}}

On April 6, with the entrance of three new men's soccer-sponsoring schools in James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion, the Sun Belt announced that men's soccer would be reinstated as a sponsored sport. The three aforementioned programs joined current Sun Belt members Coastal Carolina (previously affiliates with Conference USA) as well as Georgia State and Georgia Southern (previously affiliates with the Mid-American Conference). Additionally, it was announced that Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia would join as men's soccer affiliate members beginning in fall 2022, giving the conference an inaugural soccer membership of 9.{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2022/4/6/sun-belt-conference-announces-return-of-mens-soccer-this-fall.aspx |title=Sun Belt Conference Announces Return of Men's Soccer This Fall |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=April 6, 2022 |accessdate=April 6, 2022}} Kentucky and South Carolina were previously also affiliated with C-USA, while West Virginia was affiliated with the MAC. The SBC later announced it would add UCF as a men's soccer affiliate when that school joined the Big 12 Conference in 2023.{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2022/6/21/ucf-mens-soccer-to-join-sun-belt-conference-in-fall-2023.aspx |title=UCF Men's Soccer to Join Sun Belt Conference in Fall 2023 |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=June 21, 2022 |access-date=June 22, 2022}} In men's soccer, the conference is not a "mid-major" conference, but a "power" conference due to the quasi-alliance of the Big 12 and SEC schools, plus the presence of Marshall, which has played in two national championship games in the 2020s, winning one.

On June 6, the SBC presidents & chancellors approved adding two new women's sports, beach volleyball and swimming & diving, no later than the 2023–24 school year. They also announced that the conference would explore adding another women's sport, field hockey, at an undetermined future date.{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2022/6/9/general-sun-belt-presidents-chancellors-conclude-spring-meeting.aspx|title=Sun Belt Presidents/Chancellors add two sports, look into adding third |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=June 9, 2022 |accessdate=June 9, 2022}}

On January 18, 2023, the SBC officially announced that its beach volleyball league would launch that spring, with the four full members sponsoring the sport joined by Charleston, Mercer, UNC Wilmington, and Stephen F. Austin as affiliate members.{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2023/1/17/general-sun-belt-conference-adds-beach-volleyball-for-2023.aspx|title=Sun Belt Conference Adds Beach Volleyball For 2023 |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=January 18, 2023 |accessdate=January 19, 2023}}

On August 17, 2023, the SBC officially announced the return of women's swimming and diving as a sponsored sport.{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2023/8/17/sun-belt-conference-announces-return-of-womens-swimming-and-diving-for-2023-24.aspx|title=Sun Belt Conference Announces Return of Women's Swimming and Diving For 2023-24 |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=August 17, 2023 |accessdate=August 17, 2023}} However, the SBC would only sponsor the sport for two seasons before dropping it after the 2024–25 season.{{cite news|url=https://swimswam.com/liberty-james-madison-and-marshall-womens-swim-dive-will-join-the-aac-in-2025-2026/|title=Liberty, James Madison, and Marshall Women's Swim & Dive Will Join the AAC in 2025-2026|last=Keith|first=Braden|publisher=swimswam.com|date=December 13, 2024|access-date=December 18, 2024}}

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DateFormat = yyyy

ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:20

Period = from:1976 till:2030

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

PlotArea = right:5 left:5 bottom:50 top:5

Colors =

id:line value:black

id:Full value:rgb(0.742,0.727,0.852) # all sports

id:FullxF value:rgb(0.551,0.824,0.777) # all sports except for football

id:AssocF value:rgb(0.98,0.5,0.445) # football only

id:AssocOS value:rgb(0.5,0.691,0.824) # some sports, but not all

id:OtherC1 value:rgb(0.996,0.996,0.699) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference

id:OtherC2 value:rgb(0.988,0.703,0.383) # Use this color to denote a team that has moved to another conference where OtherC1 has already been used, to distinguish the two

PlotData =

width:15 textcolor:darkblue shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s

bar:1 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1981 text:Georgia State (1976–1981)

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:1981 till:1983

bar:1 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:2005 text:TAAC

bar:1 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:CAA

bar:1 color:Full from:2013 till:end text: (2013–present)

bar:2 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1998 text:Jacksonville (1976–1998)

bar:2 color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:end text:TAAC

bar:3 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1980 text:New Orleans (1976–1980)

bar:3 shift:(65) color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1987 text:Independent

bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:3 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2010 text: (1991–2010)

bar:3 shift:(-25) color:OtherC1 from:2010 till:2012 text:Independent

bar:3 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:end text:Southland

bar:4 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1991 text:North Carolina–Charlotte (1976–1991)

bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1995 text:Metro

bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2005 text:C-USA

bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:A-10

bar:4 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2023 text:C-USA

bar:4 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:American

bar:5 color:FullxF from:1976 till:2012 text:South Alabama (1976–present)

bar:5 color:Full from:2012 till:end

bar:6 color:FullxF from:1976 till:1991 text:South Florida (1976–1991)

bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1995 text:Metro

bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2005 text:C-USA

bar:6 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:Big East

bar:6 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:American

bar:7 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1991 text:Alabama–Birmingham (1979–1991)

bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1995 text:GMC

bar:7 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2023 text:C-USA

bar:7 color:OtherC1 from:2023 till:end text:American

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1979 text:Indep.

bar:8 color:FullxF from:1979 till:1991 text:VCU (1979–1991)

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1995 text:Metro

bar:8 color:OtherC2 from:1995 till:2012 text:CAA

bar:8 color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:end text:A-10

bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1979 text:Indep.

bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:1982 text:CAA

bar:9 color:FullxF from:1982 till:1991 text:Old Dominion (1982–1991)

bar:9 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:2013 text:CAA

bar:9 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2022 text:C-USA

bar:9 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:(2022–present)

bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1982 text:OVC

bar:10 color:FullxF from:1982 till:2009 text:Western Kentucky (1982–2014)

bar:10 color:Full from:2009 till:2014

bar:10 color:OtherC1 from:2014 till:end text:C-USA

bar:11 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1987 text:Southland

bar:11 color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:11 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2001 text:Arkansas State (1991–present)

bar:11 color:Full from:2001 till:end

bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1977 text:AIC

bar:12 color:OtherC2 from:1977 till:1979 text:Indep.

bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:1979 till:1991 text:TAAC

bar:12 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2022 text:Little Rock (1991–2022)

bar:12 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:OVC

bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:1984 till:1990 text:Independent

bar:13 shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:1990 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:13 color:FullxF from:1991 till:1992 text:UCF (1991–1992)

bar:13 shift:(120) color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:2005 text:TAAC/ASUN

bar:13 color:OtherC2 from:2005 till:2013 text:C-USA

bar:13 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2023 text:American

bar:13 color:AssocOS from:2023 till:end text:(2023–present)

bar:14 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1987 text:Southland

bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:14 color:FullxF from:1991 till:1998 text:Lamar (1991–1998)

bar:14 shift:(-10) color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:1999 text:Indep.

bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:1999 till:2021 text:Southland

bar:14 shift:(-8) color:OtherC1 from:2021 till:2022 text:WAC

bar:14 color:OtherC2 from:2022 till:end text:Southland

bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1987 text:Southland

bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:15 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2001 text:Louisiana Tech (1991–2001)

bar:15 color:OtherC1 from:2001 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:15 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:C-USA

bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1982 text:Southland

bar:16 color:OtherC2 from:1982 till:1987 text:Independent

bar:16 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:16 color:FullxF from:1991 till:2001 text:Louisiana-Lafayette (1991–present)

bar:16 color:Full from:2001 till:end

bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1978 text:Indep.

bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1978 till:1980 text:TAAC

bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:1980 till:1987 text:Independent

bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:1987 till:1991 text:ASC

bar:17 color:FullxF from:1991 till:1998 text:Texas–Pan American (1991–1998)

bar:17 shift:(50) color:OtherC1 from:1998 till:2009 text:Independent

bar:17 color:OtherC2 from:2009 till:2013 text:GWC

bar:17 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:WAC

bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1988 text:DII Independent

bar:18 color:OtherC2 from:1988 till:1991 text:DI Indep.

bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:1991 till:1998 text:TAAC

bar:18 color:FullxF from:1998 till:2005 text:Florida International (1998–2013)

bar:18 color:Full from:2005 till:2013

bar:18 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:C-USA

bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1980 text:DI Indep.

bar:19 color:OtherC2 from:1980 till:1990 text:NAIA Indep.

bar:19 color:OtherC1 from:1990 till:1998 text:DII Indep.

bar:19 shift:(-20) color:OtherC2 from:1998 till:1999 text:DI Indep.

bar:19 color:FullxF from:1999 till:2012 text:Denver (1999–2012)

bar:19 shift:(-5) color:OtherC1 from:2012 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:19 shift:(10) color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:end text:Summit

bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:2000 text:OVC

bar:20 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2001 text:Middle Tennessee State (2000–2013)

bar:20 color:Full from:2001 till:2013

bar:20 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:end text:C-USA

bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1983 text:MVC

bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:2000 text:PCAA/Big West

bar:21 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2001 text:New Mexico State (2000–2005)

bar:21 color:Full from:2001 till:2005

bar:21 shift:(60) color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2014 text:WAC (FB Indep. 2013)

bar:21 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2018 text:(2014–2018)

bar:21 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:2023 text:WAC (FB Indep.)

bar:21 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:C-USA

bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1982 text:Independent

bar:22 color:OtherC2 from:1982 till:1996 text:Southland

bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:1996 till:2000 text:Big West

bar:22 color:FullxF from:2000 till:2001 text:North Texas (2000–2013)

bar:22 color:Full from:2001 till:2013

bar:22 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2023 text:C-USA

bar:22 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:American

bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1996 text:Big Sky

bar:23 color:OtherC2 from:1996 till:2001 text:Big West

bar:23 color:AssocF from:2001 till:2005 text:Idaho (2001–2005)

bar:23 shift:(25) color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2012 text:WAC

bar:23 color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2014 text:Indep.

bar:23 color:AssocF from:2014 till:2018 text:(2014–2018)

bar:23 color:OtherC1 from:2018 till:end text:Big Sky

bar:24 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1982 text:Independent

bar:24 color:OtherC2 from:1982 till:2001 text:Southland; FB Indep. (1994–2000)

bar:24 color:AssocF from:2001 till:2006 text:Louisiana–Monroe (2001–present)

bar:24 color:Full from:2006 till:end

bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1978 text:Indep.

bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:1978 till:2003 text:PCAA/Big West; FB Indep. (2001–2003)

bar:25 color:AssocF from:2003 till:2005 text:Utah State (2003–2005)

bar:25 shift:(85) color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:25 color:OtherC2 from:2013 till:2026 text:MWC

bar:25 color:OtherC1 from:2026 till:end text:Pac-12

bar:26 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1991 text:GSC

bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1991 till:1993 text:Ind.

bar:26 shift:(-5) color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:1994 text:ECC

bar:26 color:OtherC2 from:1994 till:1997 text:Mid-Continent

bar:26 shift:(20) color:OtherC1 from:1997 till:2004 text:TAAC/ASUN (FB Ind.)

bar:26 color:AssocF from:2004 till:2005 text:Troy (2004–present)

bar:26 color:Full from:2005 till:end

bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1983 text:NAIA Independent

bar:27 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:1993 text: DII Independent

bar:27 color:AssocF from:2005 till:2006 text:Florida Atlantic (2005–2013)

bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:1993 till:2006 text:TAAC/ASUN

bar:27 color:Full from:2006 till:2013

bar:27 color:OtherC1 from:2013 till:2023 text:C-USA

bar:27 color:OtherC2 from:2023 till:end text:American

bar:28 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1983 text:LSC

bar:28 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:1987 text:GSC

bar:28 color:OtherC1 from:1987 till:2012 text:Southland

bar:28 shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:28 color:Full from:2013 till:end text:Texas State (2013–present)

bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:2012 text:Southland

bar:29 shift:(-5) color:OtherC2 from:2012 till:2013 text:WAC

bar:29 color:FullxF from:2013 till:2022 text:UT Arlington (2013–2022)

bar:29 color:OtherC1 from:2022 till:end text:WAC

bar:30 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:2014 text:SoCon

bar:30 color:Full from:2014 till:end text:Appalachian State (2014–present)

bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1980 text:Independent

bar:31 color:OtherC2 from:1980 till:1992 text:TAAC

bar:31 color:OtherC1 from:1992 till:2014 text:SoCon

bar:31 color:Full from:2014 till:end text:Georgia Southern (2014–present)

bar:32 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1983 text:Independent

bar:32 color:OtherC2 from:1983 till:2016 text:Big South

bar:32 color:FullxF from:2016 till:2017 text:Coastal Carolina (2016–present)

bar:32 color:Full from:2017 till:end

bar:37 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1979 text:Indep.

bar:37 color:OtherC2 from:1979 till:2022 text:CAA

bar:37 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:James Madison (2022–present)

bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1997 text:SoCon

bar:38 color:OtherC2 from:1997 till:2005 text:MAC

bar:38 color:OtherC1 from:2005 till:2022 text:C-USA

bar:38 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:Marshall (2022–present)

bar:39 color:OtherC1 from:1976 till:1982 text:Independent

bar:39 color:OtherC2 from:1982 till:1995 text:Metro

bar:39 color:OtherC1 from:1995 till:2022 text:C-USA

bar:39 color:Full from:2022 till:end text:Southern Miss (2022–present)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:2 start:1976

{{Font color||{{RGB|190|186|218}}| Full members (all sports) }} {{Font color||{{RGB|141|211|199}}| Full members (non-football) }} {{Font color||{{RGB|251|128|114}}| Associate members (football-only) }} {{Font color||{{RGB|128|177|211}}| Associate members (other) }} {{Font color||{{RGB|255|255|179}}| Other Conference }} {{Font color||{{RGB|253|180|98}}| Other Conference }}

File:Vic Bubas.jpg

• Vic Bubas (1976–1990)
• Jim Lessig (1990–1991)
• Craig Thompson (1991–1998)
• Wright Waters (1999–2012)
• Karl Benson (2012–2019)
• Keith Gill (2019–present)

In addition to the five Sun Belt commissioners, three future league leaders served on the Sun Belt staff prior to becoming conference commissioners, including Doug Elgin (Missouri Valley), John Iamarino (Northeast, Southern), and Tom Burnett (Southland).

On October 12, 2011, ESPN reported that Wright Waters would retire, effective July 1, 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/7093448/sun-belt-conference-commissioner-wright-waters-retire-july|title=Sun Belt Conference commissioner Wright Waters to retire in July|work=ESPN.com|date=October 12, 2011|access-date=May 29, 2015}} On February 15, 2012, Karl Benson was hired as the new commissioner of the Sun Belt, after having been the commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference for 17 years. Waters would later move his departure date to March 15, allowing Benson to take over at that time.

Keith Gill was named the commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference on March 18, 2019. He is the first African American to lead any FBS conference.{{cite news|url=https://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/basketball/the-sun-belt-s-keith-gill-on-his-new-conference/article_d0be4df7-0e9e-59b3-915b-6fb68416499a.html|title=The Sun Belt's Keith Gill on his new conference and being the first African-American FBS commissioner|date=March 19, 2019|agency=Winston-Salem Journal|author=Joyce, Ethan|access-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401081849/https://www.journalnow.com/sports/asu/basketball/the-sun-belt-s-keith-gill-on-his-new-conference/article_d0be4df7-0e9e-59b3-915b-6fb68416499a.html|url-status=live|archive-date=April 1, 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sun-belt-hires-keith-gill-as-first-african-american-commissioner-overseeing-fbs-conference/|title=Sun Belt hires Keith Gill as first African-American commissioner overseeing FBS conference|date=March 19, 2019|agency=CBS Sports|author=Kercheval, Ben|access-date=April 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401053844/https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sun-belt-hires-keith-gill-as-first-african-american-commissioner-overseeing-fbs-conference/|url-status=live|archive-date=April 1, 2019}}

As of the current 2024–25 school year, the Sun Belt Conference sponsors championship competition in nine men's and eleven women's NCAA sanctioned sports.{{cite web|url=http://www.sunbeltsports.org/|title=Sun Belt Conference|publisher=Sunbeltsports.org|access-date=May 28, 2015}} The most recent change to sports sponsorship was the reinstatement of women's swimming and diving in 2023–24.

When Marshall was formally introduced as an incoming Sun Belt member, SBC commissioner Keith Gill also announced that the conference would reinstate men's soccer once all new members joined. Men's soccer resumed play in 2022–23 with six full members joined by three associates; a fourth associate joined in 2023–24. Beach volleyball started play with eight members, evenly divided between full members and associates.

File:LSU Baseball vs. USM, rundown.jpg

File:Georgia State vs Georgia Southern basketball 2020.jpg

File:Army-football-takes-on-the-university-of-louisiana-at-monroe-at-malone-stadium-in-monroe-la-sep-2-2023-us-army-photo-by-cadet-patrick-faherty 53165134618 o.jpg

{{notelist|group=t}}

Member-by-member sponsorship of the nine men's SBC sports for the 2023–24 academic year.

{{notelist|group=mn}}

Member-by-member sponsorship of the 11 women's SBC sports for the 2024–25 academic year.

{{notelist|group=wn}}

{{See also|List of Sun Belt Conference champions}}

"RS" is regular season, "T" is tournament. Championships from the previous academic year are flagged with the calendar year in which the most recent season or tournament ended.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-3}}

;Fall 2024

{{col-3}}

;Winter 2024–25

{{col-3}}

;Spring 2024

{{col-end}}

{{notelist|group=champ}}

The only school to have won a national title while an SBC member is Old Dominion, which won one title in women's basketball and five in the non-SBC sport of field hockey during its first conference tenure from 1982 to 1991. Six other current members have won NCAA Division I team championships prior to joining the conference. Coastal Carolina won its only D-I national title on the day before it officially joined the SBC, while representing the Big South Conference.

See also:

List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships,

List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships, and

NCAA Division I FBS Conferences

For more information see Sun Belt Conference football. For the most recent season, see 2024 Sun Belt Conference football season.

{{Location map+

| USA

| width=350

| caption=Sun Belt Member locations
10px – Football member (East)
10px – Football member (West)

| places=

}}

The Sun Belt first began sponsoring football in 2001. It originally consisted of seven football playing schools, three of which are still members of the conference. Up until 2009, the conference only had a contract with one bowl, the New Orleans Bowl. Following the Sun Belt's improved football success and geographical membership changes, other bowls began to sign contracts with the Sun Belt Conference. {{as of|2021|10}}, the conference had seven bowl game tie-ins (Cure, Boca Raton, LendingTree, New Orleans, Myrtle Beach, Frisco, and Camellia)

Throughout the years, the conference has experienced flux in membership changes, similar to many other FBS conferences. The conference announced that beginning in 2018, the conference (10 teams after the departure of Idaho and New Mexico State){{cite press release|title=Sun Belt Football to Be 10 Teams in 2018|date=March 1, 2016|publisher=Sun Belt Conference|url=http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2016/3/1/FB_0301161055.aspx|access-date=March 1, 2016}} would be divided into two divisions for football: East: Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, and Troy; West: Arkansas State, Louisiana, Louisiana–Monroe, South Alabama, and Texas State. The divisional alignments changed again with the 2022 expansion, with the new dividing line being the Alabama–Georgia border. The winner of each division will meet in the Sun Belt Championship game.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/sun-belt-announces-football-divisions-starting-in-2018-collaborative-replay-system/|title=Sun Belt announces football divisions for 2018, new collaborative replay system|work=CBSSports.com|access-date=May 23, 2017|language=en}}

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=found}}

Since the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS season, the Sun Belt Conference has held a football championship game.{{Cite web|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2016/6/8/FB_0608165919.aspx|title=Inaugural Sun Belt Football Championship to be played in 2018|date=June 8, 2016|website=sunbeltsports.org}}

;Notes

• Louisiana–Lafayette vacated 2013 shared Sun Belt Conference co-championship due to major NCAA violations.{{cite news |title=Big NCAA penalties for UL-Lafayette: Cajuns vacate 20-plus wins, two bowls, 2013 Sun Belt title |newspaper=The Advocate|date=March 6, 2016 |url=http://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/sports/ul_lafayette/article_552fb7b4-da9e-5db7-84ea-038ad6369850.html}}
• The 2020 championship game was canceled due to COVID-19 issues; the divisional champions were declared league co-champions.

As of the 2024–25 NCAA football bowl games, the Sun Belt Conference had tie-ins with the following bowl games:{{Cite web|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2024/6/6/football-sun-belt-espn-announce-2024-bowl-season-slate.aspx|title=Sun Belt & ESPN Announce 2024 Bowl Season Slate|date=June 6, 2024|website=sunbeltsports.org}}

Football rivalries involving Sun Belt teams include:

;Notes:

{{notelist|group=rivalry}}

{{For|the current season|2024–25 Sun Belt Conference men's basketball season}}

This list goes through the 2021–22 season.{{cite web|title=2021–22 NCAA Men's Basketball Records|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/m_basketball_RB/2022/D1.pdf|publisher=NCAA|access-date=November 5, 2021}}

This list goes through the 2022–23 season.{{cite web |title=2023-24 Division I Women's Basketball Records |url=http://fs.ncaa.org.s3.amazonaws.com/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/D1.pdf |publisher=NCAA |access-date=September 27, 2023}}

{{main|Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament|Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament}}

Since the 2022–23 season, the Sun Belt Conference men's and women's basketball tournaments, held in early March, have involved all 14 of the conference's teams, and have been bracketed in a semi-stepladder format. The bottom four seeds play in the first round; seed 5 through 10 receive byes to the second round, and the top 4 seeds to the quarterfinals. All rounds are held in Pensacola, Florida at Pensacola Bay Center since 2022.{{cite press release|url=https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2020/3/3/general-pensacola-selected-to-host-2021-25-basketball-championships.aspx |title=Pensacola Selected to Host 2021-25 Basketball Championships |publisher=Sun Belt Conference |date=March 3, 2020 |access-date=March 3, 2020}} Winners of the tournaments earn automatic bids to their respective NCAA Division I basketball tournament.

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{main|Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament}}

The Sun Belt Conference has sponsored an annual baseball tournament to determine the conference winner since 1978. South Alabama has won the most championships, at 13.

• Teams in bold represent current conference members.

{{col-2}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{col-end}}

File:Old Dominion Monarchs versus Louisiana Ragin Cajuns football game at SB Ballard Stadium 9-9-2023.jpeg

File:Trojan Arena Troy 9.jpg

;Notes

{{notelist|group=f}}

Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights and licensing, student fees, school funds and all other sources including TV income, camp income, concessions, and novelties.

Total expenses includes coach and staff salaries, scholarships, buildings and grounds, maintenance, utilities and rental fees, recruiting, team travel, equipment and uniforms, conference dues, and insurance.

The following table shows institutional reporting to the United States Department of Education as shown on the DOE Equity in Athletics website for the 2021–22 academic year.{{cite news |title=Equity in Athletics Data Analysis |work=U.S. Department of Education |url=https://ope.ed.gov/athletics/#/institution/search }}

Four of the Sun Belt's member schools, Georgia State, Louisiana, Old Dominion and Southern Miss are doctorate-granting universities with "very high research activity," the highest classification given by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.{{cite web|url=https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/lookup.php|title=Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup |publisher=Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching |year=2021 |access-date=October 26, 2021 }}

Appalachian State is also currently ranked as one of the Top 10 regional schools in the South by the U.S. News & World Report.

{{Reflist|group=d}}

{{Reflist|2}}

{{commons cat}}

• {{Official website}}

{{Sun Belt Conference navbox}}

{{NCAA Division I all-sports conferences}}

{{NCAA Division I FBS conference navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sun Belt Conference}}

Category:Organizations based in New Orleans

Category:Sports organizations established in 1976

Category:Sports in the Southern United States

Category:College sports in Alabama

Category:College sports in Arkansas

Category:College sports in Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:College sports in Louisiana

Category:College sports in Mississippi

Category:College sports in North Carolina

Category:College sports in South Carolina

Category:College sports in Texas

Category:College sports in Virginia

Category:College sports in West Virginia