Sun Belt Conference (FBS Group Of Five)
Overview: 2022 proved to be yet another solid season for the Sun Belt Conference, especially during the first several weeks of it.
On September 10, SBC newcomer Marshall (9-4 overall in 2022) pulled the upset over then No. 8 Notre Dame, claiming a 26-21 win in front of a sell-out crowd in South Bend, Indiana, while Appalachian State (6-6) stunned then No. 6 Texas A&M, 17-14, merely minutes after Marshall's win over Notre Dame.
But maybe the most shocking win of all came under the lights at Nebraska, as Georgia Southern (6-7) shocked the Cornhuskers 45-42 on a run from quarterback Kyle Vantrease in the closing seconds. That win helped propel the Eagles to an eventual appearance in the Camellia Bowl under first-year head coach Clay Helton, only to lose to Buffalo in a 23-21 heartbreaker on December 27.
After a competitive conference season where every team lost at least one conference game last fall, the Troy University Trojans (12-2 in 2022) downed the Coastal Carolina University Chanticleers (9-4) 45-16 on December 3, to win their seventh Sun Belt Conference championship in school history.
The Trojans were one of three SBC teams to win bowl games, beating UTSA in the closing seconds to claim the Cure Bowl on December 17. League newcomers Southern Mississippi (7-6) and Marshall also emerged victorious in their respective contests, with the Golden Eagles defeating Rice in the Lending Tree Bowl, while the Thundering Herd outlasted UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
A quick look ahead to the 2023 season has multiple SBC squads playing a strong non-conference schedule during the season's first several weeks, with South Alabama at Tulane, Coastal Carolina at UCLA, Appalachian State at North Carolina, Southern Miss at Florida State, and Georgia Southern at Wisconsin, being among the most notable contests.
To make that long story short, expect another competitive season, from top to bottom, in the Sun Belt Conference this fall.
2023 Schedules (Teams listed in alphabetical order, click the links below to access to find the schedules)
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
NOTE: If the link to the team's schedule is not highlighted, it means that the team has not submitted its schedule for the 2023 season. When the team's schedule is submitted, the link (s) will appear in each blog post. Also, please visit the RFC blog at realfootballcentral.blogspot.com for schedules, schedule updates, preseason previews, and much more.
West Division
Arkansas State
Louisiana
South Alabama
*-Ineligible for postseason play and the Sun Belt Conference title, transitioning from the FCS level.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
Follow RFC on Twitter @realfootball.
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