Sun Belt Conference

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Sun Belt Conference

The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference

List of college athletic conferences

This is a List of Athletic Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ....
that has been affiliated with the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a voluntary association of about 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and University in the United States ....
's Division I since 1976

1976 in sports

Athletics...
. Its football

College football

College football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American University, colleges, and United States military academies....
teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the higher of two levels of Division I football competition (formerly known as Division I-A). The Sun Belt has member institutions distributed primarily across the southern United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Sun Belt Conference was founded on August 4, 1976 with New Orleans, South Alabama, Georgia State, Jacksonville, North Carolina-Charlotte and South Florida.

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Encyclopedia

The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference

List of college athletic conferences

This is a List of Athletic Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics ....
that has been affiliated with the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

1976 in sports

Athletics...
. Its football

College football

United States

History

The Sun Belt Conference was founded on August 4, 1976 with New Orleans, South Alabama, Georgia State, Jacksonville, North Carolina-Charlotte and South Florida. Over the next ten years the conference would add Western Kentucky, Old Dominion, UAB, and Virginia Commonwealth.

After the 1990

1990 in sports

Athletics...
-91

1991 in sports

Artistic Gymnastics*1991 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships:**Men's all-around champion: Grigory Misutin, USSR**Women's all-around champion: Kim Zmeskal, USA...
basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a basketball through a 10 feet high hoop under organized rules....
season, all members of the Sun Belt except Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky University

University of South Alabama

The University of South Alabama is a state university, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, Alabama, United States. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama....
, Jacksonville

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville University is a private university located in Jacksonville, Florida, Florida, on the shore of the St. Johns River. JU was founded in 1934 as William J....
, and incoming member Arkansas-Little Rock

University of Arkansas at Little Rock

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public research university located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, the institution became a private four-year university under the name Little Rock University, in 1957....
departed for other conferences. The Sun Belt then merged with the American South Conference, made up of Arkansas State

Arkansas State University

Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and fourth largest university by enrollment....
, Louisiana Tech

Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year....
, Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana....
), Texas-Pan American, New Orleans

University of New Orleans

The University of New Orleans, often locally called UNO, is a medium sized public urban university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States....
, Lamar

Lamar University

Lamar University is a four-year university located in Beaumont, Texas, Texas, United States, and a member of The Texas State University System....
, and Central Florida

University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida is a space grant colleges university located in Orlando, Florida, Florida. UCF is the second largest overall in the state of Florida, and the List of largest US universities by enrollment in the nation....
.

The conference did not sponsor football

American football

American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive team sport known for mixing strategy with physical play....
until 2001

2001 in sports

2001 in sports was marked by a high-scoring UEFA Cup final, in which Liverpool FC defeated Deportivo Alav?s by 5-4 after extra-time....
, when the league added former Big West Conference

Big West Conference

The Big West Conference is an National Collegiate Athletic Association-affiliated Division I major college athletic conference that formerly sponsored Division I-A college football, through the 2000 season....
members New Mexico State

New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
and North Texas

University of North Texas

The University of North Texas is a public university located in Denton, Texas, Texas, United States. UNT is the flagship of the University of North Texas System, which also includes the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the University of North Texas at Dallas....
and then-independent Middle Tennessee State

Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Tennessee....
as full members and added independent Louisiana-Monroe

University of Louisiana at Monroe

The University of Louisiana at Monroe, or ULM, is a coeducational public school university located in Monroe, Louisiana, Louisiana, USA, and is a part of the University of Louisiana System....
(ULM) and Big West member Idaho

University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
as "football only" members. Another Big West school, Utah State

Utah State University

Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
, was added as a "football only" member in 2003

2003 in sports

2003 in sports saw world cricket dominated by the Australian team which won both the Ashes and the World Cup....
, then departed in 2005

2005 in sports

2005 in sports describes events in world sport in 2005....
with Idaho and New Mexico State for the WAC

Western Athletic Conference

The Western Athletic Conference was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision ....
.

In 2005, Troy joined the conference. In 2006, Louisiana-Monroe joined the conference as a member in all sports, and Florida Atlantic joined the conference.

Membership history timeline

Future

ULM and FAU joined the league as a member in all sports on July 1, 2005

2005 in sports

2005 in sports describes events in world sport in 2005....
. Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
will join the Sun Belt Conference for football in 2009 after its Board of Regents voted to upgrade the school's football program to Division I FBS.

South Alabama

University of South Alabama

Organization

The Sun Belt conference office has been headquartered in downtown New Orleans since 2000, after moving from suburban Metairie, Louisiana

Metairie, Louisiana

Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana, United States. The population was 146,136 at the United States Census, 2000....
where it had been based since 1991. Prior to moving to the “Big Easy” the league was based in Tampa, Florida

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, Florida, on the west coast of the state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County....
from 1977–1991. The original conference office was located in Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The List of United States cities by population in the United States....
from 1976–77.

Commissioners

Vic Bubas
Vic Bubas

Vic Bubas is a former basketball coach of Duke University....
(1976–1990)
Jim Lessig (1990–1991)
Craig Thompson (1991–1998)
Wright Waters (1999–present)

Current members

Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Affiliation	Enrollment	Football Member	Endowment
University of Arkansas at Little Rock University of Arkansas at Little Rock The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is a public research university located in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States.Established as Little Rock Junior College by the Little Rock School District in 1927, the institution became a private four-year university under the name Little Rock University, in 1957....	Trojans	Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock is the Capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Pulaski County, Arkansas. The city's population was estimated at 184,422 in 2005.... (187,452)	1927	Public	12,000	No	$7.6 million
Arkansas State University Arkansas State University Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and fourth largest university by enrollment....	Red Wolves Arkansas State Red Wolves The Arkansas State University Red Wolves is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I status....	Jonesboro, Arkansas Jonesboro, Arkansas Jonesboro is a city in and one of the two county seats of Craighead County, Arkansas, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 59,358.... (64,849)	1909	Public	16,494	Yes	$33.1 million
University of Denver University of Denver The University of Denver , founded in 1864 is the oldest private university university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. The University of Denver is a coeducational, four-year university in Denver, Colorado, Colorado....	Pioneers Denver Pioneers The Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference....	Denver, Colorado Denver, Colorado Denver is the Capital and the Colorado municipalities of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.... (588,349)	1864	Private/Non-sectarian	9,846	No	$291 million
Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public university, coeducational, research university located in Boca Raton, Florida, United States....	Owls Florida Atlantic Owls The Florida Atlantic Owls are the athletics teams of Florida Atlantic University. The Owls participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as members of the Sun Belt Conference....	Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, Florida incorporated in May 1925. As of the United States Census 2000, the city had a total population of 74,764; the 2006 population recorded by the U.S.... (86,396)	1964	Public	26,000	Yes	$190 million
Florida International University Florida International University Florida International University, commonly referred to as FIU or Florida International, is a public university research university located in Miami, Florida, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus at University Park, Florida....	Golden Panthers	Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a global city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. Miami is the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, the most populous county in Florida.... (409,719)	1965	Public	39,500	Yes	$110 million
University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana....	Ragin' Cajuns Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns is the trademarked nickname of the athletic teams of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. UL Lafayette, at that time known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana, was the first to adopt the nickname Ragin' Cajuns, using it initially in the 1960s to refer to its football team....	Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River . The population was 110,257 at the 2000 United States Census; a 2007 census estimate put the Lafayette, Louisiana metropolitan area's population at 256,494.... (110,275)	1900	Public	18,079	Yes	$93 million
University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisiana at Monroe The University of Louisiana at Monroe, or ULM, is a coeducational public school university located in Monroe, Louisiana, Louisiana, USA, and is a part of the University of Louisiana System....	Warhawks ULM Warhawks The ULM Warhawks represent the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 10 sports, baseball, men's and women's basketball, cross country, American football, men's and women's golf, women's Association football, softball, track and field athletics, women's tennis, and volleyball....	Monroe, Louisiana Monroe, Louisiana Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana.... (53,107)	1931	Public	8,140	Yes	$20.6 million
Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Tennessee....	Blue Raiders Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders The Blue Raiders are the men's and women's athletic teams at Middle Tennessee State University, a member of the Sun Belt Conference....	Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tennessee Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States. The population was 100,575 according to the city's 2008 official special census, up from 81,393 residents certified during the 2005 special census.... (100,575)	1911	Public	22,554	Yes	$23.8 million
University of New Orleans University of New Orleans The University of New Orleans, often locally called UNO, is a medium sized public urban university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States....	Privateers New Orleans Privateers The New Orleans Privateers represent the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics.UNO's athletic teams participate in the Sun Belt Conference....	New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans metropolitan area metropolitan area, the largest metro area in the state.... (223,388)	1958	Public	17,350	No	$15.5 million
University of North Texas University of North Texas The University of North Texas is a public university located in Denton, Texas, Texas, United States. UNT is the flagship of the University of North Texas System, which also includes the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and the University of North Texas at Dallas....	Mean Green North Texas Mean Green North Texas Mean Green is the team name used for both men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas....	Denton, Texas Denton, Texas Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. According to the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 80,537, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.... (115,506)	1890	Public	34,795	Yes	$62.4 million
University of South Alabama University of South Alabama The University of South Alabama is a state university, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, Alabama, United States. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama....	Jaguars South Alabama Jaguars The South Alabama Jaguars represent the University of South Alabama in NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics.USA participates in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletics....	Mobile, Alabama Mobile, Alabama Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern United States United States state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County, Alabama.... (198,915)	1963	Public	14,003	Yes (2013)	$270 million
Troy University Troy University Troy University is a public university located in Troy, Alabama, Alabama and founded in 1887, as "Troy Normal School" with a mission to educate and train new teachers....	Trojans Troy Trojans The Troy Trojans were a Major League Baseball team in the National League for four seasons from 1879 in baseball to 1882 in baseball.Their home games were played at Putnam Grounds , Haymakers' Grounds , and Troy Ball Clubs Grounds , all in the upstate New York city of Troy, New York....	Troy, Alabama Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 13,935. A new census estimate documented in the July 18, 2008, edition of the Dothan Eagle newspaper, lists Troy's population as 14,482.... (13,935)	1887	Public	27,148	Yes	$27 million
Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....	Hilltoppers Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers....	Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the fourth-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kentucky after Louisville, Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, and Owensboro, Kentucky.... (63,745)	1906	Public	18,391	Yes (2009)	$102 million

Conference facilities

School	Football stadium	Capacity	Basketball arena	Capacity
Arkansas Little-Rock	Non-football school	N/A	Jack Stephens Center Jack Stephens Center Jack Stephens Center is a 5,600-seat multi-purpose arena in Little Rock, Arkansas and was built in 2005. It is home to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Trojans basketball team, and named in honor of billionaire philanthropist Jackson T....	5,600
Arkansas State	ASU Stadium Indian Stadium ASU Stadium is located on the campus of Arkansas State University and is home to their college football team, the Indians. The stadium was named after the old nickname of the school, the Indians, until the 2008 season....	33,410	Convocation Center Convocation Center (Arkansas State University) Convocation Center is a 10,925-seat multi-purpose arena in Jonesboro, Arkansas. It was built in 1987. It is home to the Arkansas State University Red Wolves basketball team....	10,563
Denver	Non-football school	N/A	Magness Arena Magness Arena Magness Arena is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose collegiate sports arena in Denver, Colorado. It was built in from 1997 to 1999 as part of the Daniel L....	7,200
Florida Atlantic	Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium Lockhart Stadium, located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is a stadium that serves as the home of the Florida Atlantic University college football team.... *	20,450	FAU Arena	5,000
Florida International	FIU Stadium FIU Stadium FIU Stadium is the stadium for the FIU Golden Panthers football team, and is located in Miami, Florida. The facility opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for many years as a university recreation field and by local high school football teams.... **	20,000	U.S. Century Bank Arena	6,000
Louisiana-Lafayette	Cajun Field Cajun Field Cajun Field is a stadium located in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. Nicknamed The Swamp, it is the home field of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns....	31,000	Cajundome Cajundome The Cajundome is a 12,068 seat multi-purpose arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. The arena was completed in 1985, during the administration of Mayor Dud Lastrapes, at a cost of $64 million....	11,550
ULM	Malone Stadium Malone Stadium Malone Stadium is a stadium in Monroe, Louisiana. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks....	30,427	Fant-Ewing Coliseum Fant-Ewing Coliseum Fant-Ewing Coliseum is a 7,085-seat multi-purpose arena in Monroe, Louisiana and was built in 1971. It is home to the University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks basketball team....	7,085
Middle Tennessee State	Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium	31,000	Murphy Center Murphy Center Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center is the name of the main athletic department building at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....	11,520
New Orleans	Non-football school	N/A	UNO Lakefront Arena	10,000
North Texas	Fouts Field Fouts Field Fouts Field is the stadium of the University of North Texas, located in Denton, Texas, Texas, United States. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the University of North Texas Eagles, also known as the North Texas Mean Green football....	30,500	UNT Coliseum	10,040
South Alabama	Ladd-Peebles Stadium***	40,646	Mitchell Center Mitchell Center Mitchell Center is a 10,041-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It was completed in 1998 and is the home court for South Alabama Jaguars basketball....	10,000
Troy	Movie Gallery Stadium Movie Gallery Stadium Movie Gallery Veterans Stadium is a stadium in Troy, Alabama. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Troy University Trojans....	30,000	Trojan Arena Trojan Arena Trojan Arena is a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Troy, Alabama. It is home to the Troy University Trojans basketball team....	4,000
Western Kentucky	Houchens Industries - L. T. Smith Stadium****	17,500	E. A. Diddle Arena E. A. Diddle Arena E.A. Diddle Arena is a 8,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The arena, built in 1963, is home to the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers men's basketball team and Lady Toppers women's basketball and volleyball teams....	8,300

Notes:

Arkansas-Little Rock normally plays its home games on campus, but occasionally plays at Alltel Arena
Alltel Arena

Alltel Arena is an 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, directly across the Arkansas River from downtown Little Rock, Arkansas....
.
New Orleans' normal home, Lakefront Arena
Lakefront Arena

Senator Nat G. Kiefer University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Arena was built in 1983 and hosts an array of events including concerts, family shows, and graduations....
, is unavailable due to damage from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest Atlantic hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States....
.
*At least one home game a year is played at Dolphin Stadium
Dolphin Stadium

Dolphin Stadium is a American football, lacrosse, football , and baseball stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium serves as host to the Miami Dolphins, the Florida Marlins, and the Miami Hurricanes football....
in Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens, Florida

Miami Gardens is a city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive....
(home of the NFL Miami Dolphins and NCAA Miami Hurricanes). FAU is constructing an on campus 30,000 seat stadium to open for their 2010 season.
**Florida International University's FIU Stadium
FIU Stadium

FIU Stadium is the stadium for the FIU Golden Panthers football team, and is located in Miami, Florida. The facility opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for many years as a university recreation field and by local high school football teams....
is currently undergoing expansions for an increased seating capacity to 45,000. The expansion is to be done in two separate phases, phase one to be finished for the Fall 2008 season and phase two by Fall 2010. The school also used the Miami Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl

The Miami Orange Bowl was a stadium in the City of Miami, west of Downtown Miami in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes football American football team and the temporary home of the Florida International University Golden Panthers for the 2007 football season while the FIU Stadium underwent e...
as its home stadium for the 2007 season.
***South Alabama will begin a football team in 2009, with its first year of Sun Belt play in 2013.
****Through the 2006 season, Western Kentucky was not a football member of the Sun Belt Conference, as it competed at the Division I FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level in the Gateway Football Conference
Gateway Football Conference

The Missouri Valley Football Conference is a list of college athletic conferences which operates in the midwestern United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I#Football Championship Subdivision as a college football-only conference....
. The football team is moving up to Division I FBS in 2007 and will join the conference in 2009; by that time, Smith Stadium's capacity will be expanded to around 22,000 seats.

Sports

Football

Champions by year:

Season	Champion	Conference Record
2001	Middle Tennessee State	5-1
2001	North Texas North Texas Mean Green football The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in NCAA Division I-FBS college football, competing as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.... *	5-1
2002	North Texas	6-0
2003	North Texas	7-0
2004	North Texas	7-0
2005	Arkansas State**	5-2
	Louisiana-Lafayette	5-2
	ULM	5-2
2006	Middle Tennessee State	6-1
2006	Troy***	6-1
2007	Troy	6-1
2007	Florida Atlantic****	6-1
2008	Troy	6-1

* North Texas won the conference's automatic bowl bid because it won the head-to-head game against Middle Tennessee. Also, North Texas had a losing overall record in 2001 and was not technically bowl-eligible, but the NCAA granted the team an exemption because it had won the conference. This is similar to what is granted to a basketball or baseball team which has a losing overall record but wins its conference tournament.
** Arkansas State won the conference's automatic bowl bid through a three-way tiebreaker.
*** Troy won the conference's automatic bowl bid through a tiebreaker by virtue of its head-to-head victory against Middle Tennessee, and Middle Tennessee earned a bid to the Motor City Bowl
Motor City Bowl

The Motor City Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the National Collegiate Athletic Association that has been played annually since 1997....
in Detroit.
**** Florida Atlantic won the conference's automatic bowl bid through a tiebreaker by virtue of its head-to-head victory against Troy.

Bowl affiliates

New Orleans Bowl New Orleans Bowl The New Orleans Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the National Collegiate Athletic Association that has been played annually at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana since 2001....	St. Petersburg Bowl St. Petersburg Bowl The magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I#Football Bowl Subdivision college football bowl game that made its debut in NCAA football bowl games, 2008-09 at Tropicana Field in St....	Independence Bowl Independence Bowl The Independence Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial....	PapaJohns.com Bowl	Motor City Bowl Motor City Bowl The Motor City Bowl is a post-season college football bowl game certified by the National Collegiate Athletic Association that has been played annually since 1997....
Sun Belt vs. C-USA Conference USA Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....	Sun Belt serves as an alternate for Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, C-USA, MAC and SEC Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in , which operates in the Southern United States part of the United States.... .

Basketball

Baseball

The Sun Belt Conference has sponsored an annual baseball tournament to determine the conference winner since 1978. South Alabama has (by far) won the most championships, at 11.

Other Sports

Besides football, basketball, and baseball, the Sun Belt Conference sponsors intercollegiate competition in men’s and women’s cross country

Cross country running

Cross Country running is a sport in which runners compete to complete a course over open or rough terrain. The courses used at these events may include Poaceae, mud, woodlands, and water....
, men’s and women’s golf

Golf

Golf is a sport in which players using many types of Golf club including wood , iron , and putter , attempt to hit golf ball into each hole on a golf course in the lowest possible number of strokes....
, women’s soccer, women’s softball

Softball

Softball is a Team sport sport popular especially in the United States. It is a direct descendant of baseball and the rules of both sports are substantially similar....
, men's and women’s swimming

Swimming

Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through water, usually without artificial assistance. Swimming is an activity that can be both useful and recreational....
and diving

Diving

Diving refers to the sport of performing acrobatics while jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard of a certain height. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games....
, men’s and women’s tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a strung racquet to strike a hollow rubber Tennis ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's tennis court....
, men’s and women’s indoor track and field, men’s and women’s outdoor track and field, and women’s volleyball

Volleyball

Volleyball is an Olympic Games team sport in which two teams of 6 active players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules....
. While the conference does not sponsor men's soccer, four schools do have teams, with Denver

University of Denver

The University of Denver , founded in 1864 is the oldest private university university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. The University of Denver is a coeducational, four-year university in Denver, Colorado, Colorado....
competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation

The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I....
, Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public university, coeducational, research university located in Boca Raton, Florida, United States....
in the Atlantic Soccer Conference

Atlantic Soccer Conference

Atlantic Soccer Conference is a college athletic conference which only sponsors men's soccer. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I and its champion does not receive an automatic bid to the annual NCAA Men's Soccer Championship Tournament....
, Florida International

Florida International University

Florida International University, commonly referred to as FIU or Florida International, is a public university research university located in Miami, Florida, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus at University Park, Florida....
in Conference USA

Conference USA

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a list of college athletic conferences whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States....
, and Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky University

Missouri Valley Conference

The Missouri Valley Conference is a list of college athletic conferences whose members are located in the midwestern United States. The conference participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I....
. Denver

University of Denver

The University of Denver , founded in 1864 is the oldest private university university in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States. The University of Denver is a coeducational, four-year university in Denver, Colorado, Colorado....
, the only Sun Belt member school with a varsity ice hockey program, is also a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association

Western Collegiate Hockey Association

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States....
.

Rivalries

Intraconference rivalries

Rivalry	Sport	Significant Game	Trophy
Florida Atlantic Florida Atlantic Owls football The Florida Atlantic Owls American football team represents Florida Atlantic University, a mid-major NCAA Division I-A college football team, that currently competes in the Sun Belt Conference.... - FIU FIU Golden Panthers football The FIU Golden Panthers is the football team that represents Florida International University in Miami, Florida. The FIU Golden Panthers are a mid-major NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision college football team led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium....	All	Shula Bowl Shula Bowl The Shula Bowl is a yearly college football game between the Florida Atlantic Owls football and the FIU Golden Panthers football. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, named the Don Shula Award, for one year.... (football)	The Shula Award
UALR - Arkansas State Arkansas State Red Wolves The Arkansas State University Red Wolves is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I status....	All
Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns is the trademarked nickname of the athletic teams of The University of Louisiana at Lafayette. UL Lafayette, at that time known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana, was the first to adopt the nickname Ragin' Cajuns, using it initially in the 1960s to refer to its football team.... - ULM University of Louisiana at Monroe The University of Louisiana at Monroe, or ULM, is a coeducational public school university located in Monroe, Louisiana, Louisiana, USA, and is a part of the University of Louisiana System....	All	Battle on the Bayou (football)
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders American football team represents Middle Tennessee State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I#Football Bowl Subdivision football competition.... - Troy	Football	Battle for the Palladium	The Palladium Palladium Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal that was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston, who named it palladium after the 2 Pallas, which in turn, was named after the epithet of the Greek mythology goddess Athena, acquired by her when she slew Athena#Pallas_Athena....
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee State University Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Tennessee.... - Western Kentucky Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....	All

Interconference rivalries

Rivalry	Sport	Significant Game
Eastern Kentucky Eastern Kentucky University Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, United States of America.... - Western Kentucky Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....	Football	Battle of the Bluegrass
FIU - University of Miami University of Miami The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 in the city of Coral Gables, Florida, Florida, United States, a historic suburb of Miami, Florida....	All
Arkansas State Arkansas State Red Wolves The Arkansas State University Red Wolves is the name given to Arkansas State University's athletic teams. The university is affiliated with the Sun Belt Conference in sports and maintains National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I status.... - University of Memphis University of Memphis The University of Memphis is an American public university research university located in the Normal Station, Memphis neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, Tennessee, United States, and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....	All	Paint Bucket Bowl (football)
New Orleans New Orleans Privateers The New Orleans Privateers represent the University of New Orleans in NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics.UNO's athletic teams participate in the Sun Belt Conference.... - Tulane Tulane Green Wave Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane Hullabaloo in 1920....	Basketball, Baseball
North Texas North Texas Mean Green North Texas Mean Green is the team name used for both men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas.... - SMU SMU Mustangs The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA....	Football	Safeway Bowl

Former Members

Georgia State
Georgia State University

Georgia State University is an Urban area research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia , USA. Founded in 1913, it serves over 28,000 students, and is one of the University System of Georgia four research universities....
- 1976-1981
Jacksonville
Jacksonville University

Jacksonville University is a private university located in Jacksonville, Florida, Florida, on the shore of the St. Johns River. JU was founded in 1934 as William J....
- 1976-1998
Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a public, coeducational, research intensive university located in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States....
- 1976-1991
South Florida
University of South Florida

The University of South Florida , a public institution known within the State University System of Florida as USF Tampa, is a public research university system located in Tampa, Florida, Florida, United States, with an autonomous campus in University of South Florida St....
- 1976-1991
UAB
University of Alabama at Birmingham

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a state university , co-education university located in Birmingham, Alabama, Alabama, United States....
- 1979-1991
Virginia Commonwealth
Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, is a large public United States research university with its main campuses located in Richmond, Virginia, Virginia....
- 1979-1991
Old Dominion
Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University is a large public research university located in historic Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia....
- 1982-1991
UCF
University of Central Florida

The University of Central Florida is a space grant colleges university located in Orlando, Florida, Florida. UCF is the second largest overall in the state of Florida, and the List of largest US universities by enrollment in the nation....
- 1991-1992
Lamar
Lamar University

Lamar University is a four-year university located in Beaumont, Texas, Texas, United States, and a member of The Texas State University System....
- 1991-1998
Texas-Pan American - 1991-1998
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech University

Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana is a coeducational public institution of higher learning with an enrollment of 10,950 students in the 08-09 year....
- 1991-2001
New Mexico State
New Mexico State University

New Mexico State University, or NMSU, is a land-grant university that has its main campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, New Mexico. The school was founded in 1888 as the Las Cruces College, an agricultural college, and in 1889 the school became "New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts." It received its present name, New Mexico State...
- 2001-2005
Idaho
University of Idaho

The University of Idaho is Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow, Idaho in Latah County, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant university and primary research university....
(football only) - 2001-2005
Utah State
Utah State University

Utah State University is a Public university land-grant university whose main campus is located in Logan, Utah.It was established in 1888, after Anthon H....
(football only) - 2003-2005

Affiliate Members

Missouri State

Missouri State Bears

The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908....
, Southern Illinois

Southern Illinois Salukis

The Southern Illinois Salukis are the varsity athletic teams representing Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The nickname comes from the saluki, the royal dog of Egypt, which ties into the fact that southern Illinois has had the nickname "Little Egypt " for just under 200 years....
, University of Evansville

Evansville Purple Aces

Purple Aces and Ace PurpleThe University of Evansville's nickname, the Aces, was acquired after an opposing coach cracked a joke after losing to the Evansville College Pioneers in the 1920s....
, Eastern Michigan University

Eastern Michigan Eagles

The Eastern Michigan Eagles, formerly known as the Eastern Michigan Hurons, have won three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I national championships in five different sports ; moreover, EMU has been NCAA Division I national runner-up twice....
, Ball State University

Ball State Cardinals

Ball State University's athletic teams are called the Cardinals. The Cardinals are part of the NCAA Mid-American Conference and located in Muncie, Indiana, Indiana....
, the University at Buffalo

Buffalo Bulls

The Buffalo Bulls are the athletic teams representing the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York in intercollegiate athletics. The Bulls currently play in Division I , and are a member of the Mid-American Conference for all sports except women's rowing....
and Miami University

Miami RedHawks

Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, features 18 different varsity level sports teams for men and women, all of which are known as the Miami RedHawks....
began competing with the Sun Belt in men's swimming and diving, in 2008.

Sun Belt Conference

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Current members

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Rivalries

Intraconference rivalries

Interconference rivalries

Former Members

Affiliate Members

See also

External links