2022 Sun Belt Conference football season
LeagueNCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
SportFootball
DurationSeptember 2, 2022 – December 3, 2022
Number of teams14
2023 NFL Draft
Top draft pickOT Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
Picked byNew Orleans Saints, 103rd overall
Regular season
East championsCoastal Carolina
James Madison
West championsTroy
South Alabama
SBC Championship Game
ChampionsTroy
  Runners-upCoastal Carolina
Finals MVPQB Gunnar Watson, Troy
Seasons
2022 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
Coastal Carolina xy   6 – 2     9 – 4  
James Madison* x   6 – 2     8 – 3  
Marshall   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Georgia Southern   3 – 5     6 – 7  
Appalachian State   3 – 5     6 – 6  
Georgia State   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Old Dominion   2 – 6     3 – 9  
West Division
No. 19 Troy xy$   7 – 1     12 – 2  
South Alabama x   7 – 1     10 – 3  
Southern Miss   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Louisiana   4 – 4     6 – 7  
Louisiana–Monroe   3 – 5     4 – 8  
Texas State   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Arkansas State   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Championship: Troy 45, Coastal Carolina 26
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 Sun Belt Conference football season is the 22nd season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The season began on September 2, 2022, and will conclude with its conference championship game on December 3, 2022. It is part of the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The conference expanded to 14 football members for the 2022 season with the addition of 4 new member schools. The 14 members were divided into two divisions for play. The conference released its schedule on March 1, 2022.[1]

Previous season

Main article: 2021 Sun Belt Conference football season

The 2021 season saw Appalachian State win the East Division, while Louisiana won the West Division. In the Conference Championship game, Louisiana took victory by a score of 24–16. Louisiana advanced to the New Orleans Bowl, where they defeated Marshall.[2] Appalachian State advanced to the Boca Raton Bowl, where they lost to Western Kentucky.[3]

Coastal Carolina and Georgia State also reached bowl games, with both winning their games.

Conference expansion

Prior to the 2022 season, the SBC added four new schools as full members: Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss, previously from Conference USA, and James Madison, previously from the Colonial Athletic Association at the Division I FCS level. The initial intent was for the schools to begin playing in the conference starting no later that July 1, 2023.[4] However, all four teams elected to join for the 2022 season, with the move officially announced with the release of the conference's 2022 schedule.[1]

For the 2022 season, James Madison is ineligible for both the conference championship and for bowl games due to its transition from the FCS level to FBS level. Due to JMU meeting FBS scheduling requirements for the 2022 season, specifically five home games against FBS opponents, it was able to skip one year of the normal two-year transition process, making it eligible for both the SBC title and bowl games beginning with the 2023 season.[5]

Preseason

Preseason Media Poll

The Sun Belt released its preseason poll on July 25. Appalachian State was named the favorite to win the East Division, while Louisiana was named the favorite to win the West Division.[6]

East
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Appalachian State 94 (10)
2 Coastal Carolina 77 (2)
3 Georgia State 68 (1)
4 Marshall 62
5 Georgia Southern 35 (1)
6 James Madison 31
7 Old Dominion 25
West
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Louisiana 95 (12)
2 South Alabama 79 (2)
3 Troy 76
4 Texas State 41
5 Southern Miss 40
6 Arkansas State 37
7 Louisiana–Monroe 24

Preseason All-Conference teams

Individual awards

The following list contains Sun Belt players who were included on preseason watch lists for national awards.

Head coaches

Team Head coach Previous Job Years at school Overall record Sun Belt record Sun Belt titles
Appalachian State Shawn Clark Appalachian State (Off. Line Coach) 3 20–7 (.741) 13–3 (.813) 0
Arkansas State Butch Jones Alabama (assistant coach) 2 86–64 (.573) 1–7 (.125) 0
Coastal Carolina Jamey Chadwell Coastal Carolina (Off. Coordinator) 5 90–54 (.625) 18–14 (.563) 1
Georgia Southern Clay Helton USC 1 46–24 (.657) 0–0 (–) 0
Georgia State Shawn Elliott South Carolina (Off. Line Coach) 6 31–35 (.470) 20–20 (.500) 0
James Madison Curt Cignetti Elon 4 100–31 (.763) 0–0 (–) 0
Louisiana Michael Desormeaux Louisiana (Co-Off. Coordinator) 1 1–0 (1.000) 0–0 (–) 0
Louisiana–Monroe Terry Bowden Clemson (Grad. Assistant) 2 179–122–2 (.594) 2–6 (.250) 0
Marshall Charles Huff Alabama (associate head coach) 2 7–6 (.538) 0–0 (–) 0
Old Dominion Ricky Rahne Penn State (Off. Coordinator) 3 6–7 (.462) 0–0 (–) 0
South Alabama Kane Wommack Indiana (Def. Coordinator) 2 5–7 (.417) 2–6 (.250) 0
Southern Miss Will Hall Tulane (Off. Coordinator) 2 59–29 (.670) 0–0 (–) 0
Texas State Jake Spavital West Virginia (Off. Coordinator) 4 9–27 (.250) 7–17 (.292) 0
Troy Jon Sumrall Kentucky (Co-Def. Coordinator) 1 0–0 (–) 0–0 (–) 0

Post-season changes

Rankings

See also: 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
  Pre Wk
1		 Wk
2		 Wk
3		 Wk
4		 Wk
5		 Wk
6		 Wk
7		 Wk
8		 Wk
9		 Wk
10		 Wk
11		 Wk
12		 Wk
13		 Wk
14		 Final
Appalachian State AP RV RV RV
C RV RV RV
CFP Not released
Arkansas State AP
C
CFP Not released
Coastal Carolina AP RV RV RV RV 23 23 RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 23 23 RV RV
CFP Not released
Georgia Southern AP
C
CFP Not released
Georgia State AP
C
CFP Not released
James Madison AP RV RV 25 RV RV RV
C RV RV RV RV
CFP Not released
Louisiana AP
C RV RV
CFP Not released
Louisiana–Monroe AP
C
CFP Not released
Marshall AP RV RV
C RV
CFP Not released
Old Dominion AP
C
CFP Not released
South Alabama AP RV RV RV RV RV
C RV RV RV RV RV RV
CFP Not released
Southern Miss AP
C
CFP Not released
Texas State AP
C
CFP Not released
Troy AP RV RV RV RV RV 23 19
C RV RV RV RV RV 24 20
CFP Not released 24
Legend
    Improvement in ranking
  Drop in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
  No change in ranking from previous week
RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

Schedule

Index to colors and formatting
Sun Belt member won
Sun Belt member lost
Sun Belt teams in bold

All times Central time.

Week 1

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 2 6:00 p.m. Virginia Tech Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPNU W 20–17   21,944
September 3 11:00 a.m. North Carolina Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPNU L 61–63   40,168
September 3 2:30 p.m. Norfolk State Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN3 W 55–3   24,607
September 3 3:00 p.m. Troy No. 21 Ole Miss Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS SECN L 10–28   60,533
September 3 4:00 p.m. Nicholls South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN3 W 48–7   15,101
September 3 4:30 p.m. Texas State Nevada Mackay Stadium • Reno, NV NSN/MWSN L 14–38   13,260
September 3 5:00 p.m. Morgan State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN3 W 59–7   15,183
September 3 5:00 p.m. Middle Tennessee James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+ W 44–7   23,074
September 3 6:00 p.m. Army Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 38–28   21,165
September 3 6:00 p.m. Grambling State Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN3 W 58–3   17,893
September 3 6:00 p.m. No. 17 (FCS) Southeastern Louisiana Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA (Cypress Mug) ESPN+ W 24–7   16,812
September 3 6:00 p.m. Liberty Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+ L 27–29 4OT  24,051
September 3 6:30 p.m. Georgia State South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC ESPN+/SECN+ L 14–35   78,297
September 3 7:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Texas Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium • Austin, TX LHN L 10–52   94,873
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 2

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 10 11:00 a.m. Arkansas State No. 3 Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH BTN L 12–45   100,067
September 10 11:00 a.m. Southern Miss No. 15 Miami (FL) Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL ACCN L 7–30   46,422
September 10 11:00 a.m. North Carolina Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPNU L 28–35   17,687
September 10 12:00 p.m. South Alabama Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI ESPN+ W 38–24   17,205
September 10 1:30 pm Marshall No. 8 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN NBC W 26–21   77,622
September 10 2:30 p.m. Appalachian State No. 6 Texas A&M Kyle Field • College Station, TX ESPN2 W 17–14   92,664
September 10 3:00 p.m. Norfolk State James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN3 W 63–7   23,928
September 10 5:00 p.m. Old Dominion East Carolina Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC ESPN+ L 21–39   36,853
September 10 5:00 p.m. Gardner-Webb Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 31–27   12,261
September 10 6:00 p.m. Eastern Michigan Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA NFLN W 49–21   15,352
September 10 6:00 p.m. FIU Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+ W 41–12   18,757
September 10 6:00 p.m. Alabama A&M Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN3 W 38–17   26,189
September 10 6:30 p.m. Georgia Southern Nebraska Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE FS1 W 45–42   86,862
September 10 7:00 p.m. Nicholls Louisiana–Monroe JPS Field at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN3 W 35–7   13,536
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 3

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 17 11:00 a.m. Texas State No. 17 Baylor McLane Stadium • Waco, TX FS1 L 7–42   45,597
September 17 12:00 p.m. Buffalo Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+ W 38–26   13,372
September 17 1:00 p.m. South Alabama UCLA Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA P12N L 31–32   29,344
September 17 1:00 p.m. Old Dominion Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA ACCN L 14–16   40,556
September 17 2:30 p.m. Troy Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+  APPST 32–28   34,406
September 17 2:30 p.m. Georgia Southern UAB Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL Stadium L 21–35   24,302
September 17 3:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe No. 2 Alabama Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL SECN L 7–63   98,433
September 17 4:00 p.m. Marshall Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH NFLN L 31–34 OT  21,158
September 17 6:00 p.m. Northwestern State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN3 W 64–10   26,202
September 17 6:00 p.m. Arkansas State Memphis Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN (Paint Bucket Bowl) ESPN+ L 32–44   32,620
September 17 6:00 p.m. Charlotte Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+ L 41–42   16,433
September 17 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Rice Rice Stadium • Houston, TX ESPN+ L 21–33   18,746
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 4

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
September 22 6:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN2  CCU 41–24   13,467
September 24 2:30 p.m. James Madison Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+  JMU 32–28   33,248
September 24 5:00 p.m. Arkansas State Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+  ODU 29–26   20,655
September 24 5:00 p.m. Ball State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+ W 34–23   18,434
September 24 6:00 p.m. Louisiana Tech South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+ W 38–14   17,939
September 24 6:00 p.m. Southern Miss Tulane Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Bell) ESPN+ W 27–24   20,422
September 24 6:00 p.m. Houston Christian Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN3 W 34–0   16,237
September 24 6:00 p.m. Marshall Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL NFLN  TROY 16–7   27,514
September 24 7:00 p.m. Louisiana Louisiana–Monroe JPS Field at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA (Battle on the Bayou) ESPN+  ULM 21–17   19,077
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 5

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 1 11:00 a.m. Georgia State Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY CBSSN W 31–14   25,752
October 1 12:30 p.m. Texas State James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+  JMU 40–13   25,188
October 1 2:30 p.m. Gardner-Webb Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN+ W 28–7   19,845
October 1 2:30 p.m. The Citadel Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+ W 49–0   30,789
October 1 4:00 p.m. South Alabama Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN+  USA 20–17   20,671
October 1 5:00 p.m. Liberty Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+ L 24–38   18,368
October 1 6:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN+  ASU 45–28   18,172
October 1 6:00 p.m. Troy Western Kentucky Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY ESPN+ W 34–27   20,168
October 1 6:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN+  CCU 34–30   18,756
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 6

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 8 1:00 p.m. Georgia Southern Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA (Modern Day Hate) ESPN3  GSU 41–33   20,109
October 8 6:00 p.m. James Madison Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR NFLN  JMU 42–20   20,083
October 8 6:00 p.m. Appalachian State Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  TXST 36–24   25,613
October 8 6:00 p.m. Southern Miss Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+  TROY 27–10   26,017
October 8 7:00 p.m. Coastal Carolina Louisiana–Monroe JPS Field at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  CCU 28–21   18,448
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 7

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 12 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN2  ULL 23–13   19,905
October 15 11:00 a.m. Old Dominion Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPNU  ODU 49–21   16,814
October 15 2:30 p.m. Texas State Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN3  TROY 17–14   23,480
October 15 3:00 p.m. No. 25 James Madison Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  GASO 45–38   18,738
October 15 6:00 p.m. Arkansas State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+  USM 20–19   27,042
October 15 6:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL NFLN  SOAL 41–34   15,459
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 8

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 19 6:30 p.m. Georgia State Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN2  APPST 42–17   31,757
October 20 5:30 p.m. Troy South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL (Battle for the Belt) ESPNU  TROY 10–6   25,450
October 22 12:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY CBSSN L 24–48   30,132
October 22 2:30 p.m. Marshall James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+  MU 26–12   26,159
October 22 2:30 p.m. Georgia Southern Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+  GASO 28–23   20,162
October 22 4:00 p.m. Arkansas State Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN+  ULL 38–18   15,017
October 22 4:00 p.m. Southern Miss Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  USM 20–14   16,318
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 9

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
October 27 6:30 p.m. Louisiana Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN2  USM 39–24   27,332
October 29 3:00 p.m. Old Dominion Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  GSU 31–17   16,203
October 29 3:30 p.m. Robert Morris Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+ W 42–3   32,501
October 29 4:00 p.m. South Alabama Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPNU  SOAL 31–3   11,714
October 29 7:00 p.m. Coastal Carolina Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV NFLN  CCU 24–13   24,954
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 10

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 3 6:30 p.m. Appalachian State Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN  CCU 35–28   21,224
November 5 1:00 p.m. Marshall Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA ESPN+  MU 12–0   18,327
November 5 2:00 p.m. Georgia State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS ESPN+  GSU 42–14   22,128
November 5 3:00 p.m. South Alabama Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  SOAL 38–31   17,084
November 5 4:00 p.m. Texas State Louisiana–Monroe JPS Field at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN3  ULM 31–30   11,376
November 5 4:00 p.m. Troy Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN+  TROY 23–17   7,888
November 5 6:30 p.m. James Madison Louisville Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY ESPNU L 10–34   42,157
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 11

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 10 6:30 p.m. Georgia Southern Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA ESPN2  ULL 36–17   11,512
November 12 12:00 p.m. James Madison Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA (Oyster Bowl) ESPN+  JMU 37–3   21,934
November 12 12:00 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA ESPN+  ULM 31–28   12,241
November 12 2:00 p.m. UMass Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPN3 W 35–33   14,354
November 12 2:30 p.m. Appalachian State Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN+  MU 28–21   24,312
November 12 2:30 p.m. Army Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL NFLN W 10–9   31,010
November 12 4:00 p.m. Texas State South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  SOAL 38–21   14,518
November 12 6:30 p.m. Southern Miss Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPNU  CCU 26–23   16,203
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 12

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 19 12:00 p.m. Louisiana No. 19 Florida State Doak Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL ACCRSN L 17–49   58,597
November 19 2:00 p.m. Georgia State James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPN+  JMU 42–40   20,055
November 19 2:30 p.m. Old Dominion Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC ESPN+  APPST 27–14   32,096
November 19 3:30 p.m. South Alabama Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS NFLN  SOAL 27–20   24,032
November 19 3:30 p.m. Louisiana–Monroe Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN+  TROY 34–16   23,864
November 19 5:00 p.m. Arkansas State Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN3  TXST 16–13   13,287
November 19 6:00 p.m. Marshall Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA ESPN+  MU 23–10   16,153
November 19 3:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA ACCRSN  Canceled due to the University of Virginia shooting[37]    
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Week 13

Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
November 26 11:00 a.m. Coastal Carolina James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA ESPNU  JMU 47–7   19,393
November 26 11:00 a.m. Georgia State Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV ESPN+  MU 28–23   17,427
November 26 11:00 a.m. Old Dominion South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN+  SOAL 27–20   11,407
November 26 2:30 p.m. Troy Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR ESPNU  TROY 48–19   9,376
November 26 4:00 p.m. Louisiana Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX ESPN+  ULL 41–13   15,035
November 26 4:00 p.m. Southern Miss Louisiana–Monroe JPS Field at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA ESPN+  USM 20–10   4,465
November 26 5:00 p.m. Appalachian State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA (rivalry) ESPN+  GASO 51–48 2OT  18,683
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Championship Game

Week 15 (Sun Belt Championship Game)

See also: 2022 Sun Belt Conference Football Championship Game
Date Time Visiting team Home team Site TV Result Attendance
December 3 2:30 p.m. Coastal Carolina Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL ESPN  TROY 45–26   21,554
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time.

Postseason

Bowl Games

See also: 2022–23 NCAA football bowl games
Legend
  Sun Belt win
  Sun Belt loss
Bowl game Date Site Television Time (CST) Sun Belt team Opponent Score Attendance
Cure Bowl December 16 Exploria Stadium • Orlando, FL ESPN 2:30 p.m. No. 24 Troy No. 25 UTSA W 18–12 11,911
LendingTree Bowl December 17 Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN 4:45 p.m. Southern Miss Rice W 38–24 20,512
Myrtle Beach Bowl December 19 Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC ESPN 1:30 p.m. Marshall UConn W 28–14 12,023
New Orleans Bowl December 21 Caesars Superdome • New Orleans, LA ESPN 8:00 p.m. South Alabama Western Kentucky L 23–44 13,456
Independence Bowl December 23 Independence Stadium • Shreveport, LA ESPN 2:00 p.m. Louisiana Houston L 16–23 23,410
Camellia Bowl December 27 Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL ESPN 11:00 a.m. Georgia Southern Buffalo L 21–23 15,322
Birmingham Bowl December 27 Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL ESPN 5:45 p.m. Coastal Carolina East Carolina L 53–29

Rankings are from Final CFP rankings. All times Central Time Zone.

Selection of teams

Sun Belt Records against other conferences

2022–2023 records against non-conference foes:

Sun Belt vs Power 5 matchups

This is a list of games the Sun Belt has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, BYU, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.


Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 2 ACC Virginia Tech Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA W 20–17
September 3 ACC North Carolina Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC L 61–63
September 3 SEC Troy No. 21 Ole Miss Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS L 10–28
September 3 SEC Georgia State South Carolina Williams–Brice Stadium • Columbia, SC L 14–35
September 3 Big 12 Louisiana–Monroe Texas Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium • Austin, TX L 10–52
September 10 Big Ten Arkansas State No. 3 Ohio State Ohio Stadium • Columbus, OH L 12–45
September 10 ACC Southern Miss No. 15 Miami (FL) Hard Rock Stadium • Miami Gardens, FL L 7–30
September 10 ACC North Carolina Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA L 28–35
September 10 Independent Marshall No. 8 Notre Dame Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN W 26–21
September 10 SEC Appalachian State No. 6 Texas A&M Kyle Field • College Station, TX W 17–14
September 10 Big Ten Georgia Southern Nebraska Memorial Stadium • Lincoln, NE W 45–42
September 17 Big 12 Texas State No. 17 Baylor McLane Stadium • Waco, TX L 7–42
September 17 Pac-12 South Alabama UCLA Rose Bowl • Pasadena, CA L 31–32
September 17 ACC Old Dominion Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA L 14–16
September 17 SEC Louisiana–Monroe No. 2 Alabama Bryant–Denny Stadium • Tuscaloosa, AL L 7–63
November 5 ACC James Madison Louisville Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY L 10–34
November 19 ACC Louisiana Florida State Daok Campbell Stadium • Tallahassee, FL L 17–49
November 19 ACC Coastal Carolina Virginia Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA  

Sun Belt vs Group of Five matchups

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, MAC, or Mountain West.

Date Conference Visitor Home Site Score
September 3 Mountain West Texas State Nevada Mackay Stadium • Reno, NV L 14–38
September 3 C-USA Middle Tennessee James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA W 44–7
September 10 MAC South Alabama Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts Stadium • Mount Pleasant, MI W 38–24
September 10 American Old Dominion East Carolina Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium • Greenville, NC L 21–39
September 10 MAC Eastern Michigan Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA W 49–21
September 10 C-USA FIU Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX W 41–12
September 17 MAC Buffalo Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 38–26
September 17 C-USA Georgia Southern UAB Protective Stadium • Birmingham, AL L 21–35
September 17 MAC Marshall Bowling Green Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH L 31–34 OT
September 17 American Arkansas State Memphis Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN (Paint Bucket Bowl) L 32–44
September 17 C-USA Charlotte Georgia State Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA L 41–42
September 17 C-USA Louisiana Rice Rice Stadium • Houston, TX L 21–33
September 24 MAC Ball State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W 34–23
September 24 C-USA Louisiana Tech South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL W 38–14
September 24 American Southern Miss Tulane Yulman Stadium • New Orleans, LA (Battle for the Bell) W 27–24
October 1 C-USA Troy Western Kentucky Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY W 34–27

Sun Belt vs FBS independents matchups

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn, or UMass.

Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 3 Army Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 38–28
September 3 Liberty Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS L 27–29 4OT
October 1 Georgia State Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY W 31–14
October 1 Liberty Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium • Norfolk, VA L 24–38
October 22 Louisiana–Monroe Army Michie Stadium • West Point, NY L 24–48
November 12 UMass Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR W 35–33
November 12 Army Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL W 10–9

Sun Belt vs FCS matchups

The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FCS schools.


Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 3 Norfolk State Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV W 55–3
September 3 Nicholls South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL W 48–7
September 3 Morgan State Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA W 59–7
September 3 Grambling State Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR W 58–3
September 3 Southeastern Louisiana Louisiana Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA (Cypress Mug) W 24–7
September 10 Norfolk State James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium • Harrisonburg, VA W 63–7
September 10 Gardner-Webb Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC W 31–27
September 10 Alabama A&M Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL W 38–17
September 10 Nicholls Louisiana–Monroe JPS Field at Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA W 35–7
September 17 Northwestern State Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS W 64–10
September 24 Houston Christian Texas State Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX W 34–0
October 1 The Citadel Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W 49–0
October 1 Gardner-Webb Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV W 28–7
October 29 Robert Morris Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC W 42–3

Home game attendance

Team Stadium Capacity Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Total Average % of Capacity
Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium 30,000 40,168 † 34,406 33,248 30,789 31,757 32,501 32,096 234,965 33,566 111.8%
Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium 30,406 17,893 18,172 20,083† 11,714 14,354 9,376 91,592 15,265 50.2%
Coastal Carolina Brooks Stadium 21,000 21,165 12,261 13,372 18,756 16,814 21,224 † 16,203 119,795 17,113 81.4%
Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium 25,000 15,183 18,434 18,738† 17,084 16,153 18,683 104,275 17,379 69.5%
Georgia State Center Parc Stadium 24,333 17,687 16,433 13,467 20,109† 16,203 12,241 96,140 16,023 65.8%
James Madison Bridgeforth Stadium 24,877 23,074 23,928 25,188 26,159 † 20,055 19,393 137,804 22,967 92.3%
Louisiana Cajun Field 41,426 16,812 18,079 20,671† 15,017 7,888 11,512 89,979 14,997 36.2%
Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium 27,617 13,536 19,077† 18,448 11,376 4,465 66,902 13,380 58.4%
Marshall Joan C. Edwards Stadium 38,227 24,607 19,845 19,905 24,954† 24,312 17,427 131,131 21,855 57.1%
Old Dominion S. B. Ballard Stadium 21,944 21,944 † 20,655 18,368 20,162 18,327 21,934 121,390 20,232 92.1%
South Alabama Hancock Whitney Stadium 25,450 15,101 17,939 15,459 25,450 † 14,518 11,407 99,874 16,645 65.4%
Southern Miss M. M. Roberts Stadium 36,000 24,051 26,202 25,765 27,332† 22,128 24,032 150,787 25,131 69.8%
Texas State Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium 30,008 18,757 16,237 25,613† 16,318 13,287 15,035 105,247 17,541 58.4%
Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium 30,470 26,189 27,514 26,017 23,480 31,010 † 23,864 158,074 26,346 86.4%

Bold – At or Exceeded capacity
†Season High

Awards and honors

Player of the week honors

Week Offensive Defensive Special Teams
Player Team Position Player Team Position Player Team Position
Week 1 (September 5)[38] Chase Brice Appalachian State QB Jason Henderson Old Dominion LB Eric Garror Louisiana RS
Week 2 (September 12)[39] Kyle Vantrease Georgia Southern QB Jalen McLeod Appalachian State LB Matthew McDoom Coastal Carolina RS
Week 3 (September 19)[40] Christian Horn Appalachian State WR Nick Ross Appalachian State DB Natrone Brooks Southern Miss RS
Week 4 (September 26)[41] Todd Centeio James Madison QB Carlton Martial Troy LB Caullin Lacy South Alabama RS
Week 5 (October 3)[42] Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina QB Carlton Martial (2) Troy LB Johnnie Lang Jr. Arkansas State RS
Week 6 (October 10)[43] Todd Centeio (2) James Madison QB Troy Spears Texas State S Seth Keller Texas State K
Week 7 (October 17)[44] Kyle Vantrease (2) Georgia Southern QB Tre Hawkins Old Dominion DB Kenneth Almendares Louisiana K
Week 8 (October 24)[45] Ben Woolridge Louisiana QB Owen Porter Marshall DL Mike Rivers Troy P
Week 9 (October 31)[46] La'Damian Webb South Alabama RB Shane Bruce Coastal Carolina LB Evan Crenshaw Coastal Carolina P
Week 10 (November 7)[47] La'Damian Webb (2) South Alabama RB Carlton Martial (3) Troy LB Rece Verhoff Marshall K
Week 11 (November 14)[48] Todd Centeio (3) James Madison QB Carlton Martial (4) Troy LB Kenneth Almendares (2) Louisiana K
Week 12 (November 21)[49] Kimani Vidal Troy RB Jaden Voisin South Alabama DB Seth Keller (2) Texas State K
Week 13 (November 28)[50] Todd Centeio (4) James Madison QB Reddy Steward Troy DB Alex Raynor Georgia Southern K

Sun Belt individual awards

The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the Sun Belt Conference football coaches at the end of the season.[51]

Award Player School
Player of the Year Grayson McCall Coastal Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year Todd Centeio James Madison
Defensive Player of the Year Carlton Martial Troy
Freshman Player of the Year Jared Brown Coastal Carolina
Newcomer of the Year Todd Centeio James Madison
Coach of the Year Jon Sumrall Troy

All-Conference teams

The following players were selected as part of the Sun Belt's All-Conference Teams.[51]

NFL draft

The following list includes all Sun Belt players who were drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Player Position School Draft
Round 		Round
Pick 		Overall
Pick 		Team
Nick Saldiveri OT Old Dominion 4 1 103 New Orleans Saints
Jake Andrews C Troy 4 5 107 New England Patriots
Darrell Luter Jr. CB South Alabama 5 20 155 San Francisco 49ers
Nick Hampton LB Appalachian State 5 26 161 Los Angeles Rams
Eric Scott Jr. CB Southern Miss 6 1 178 Dallas Cowboys
Tre Hawkins III CB Old Dominion 6 32 209 New York Giants
Zack Kuntz TE Old Dominion 7 3 220 New York Jets
Cooper Hodges OT Appalachian State 7 9 226 Jacksonville Jaguars
Andre Jones Jr. LB Louisiana 7 16 233 Washington Commanders

Notes

  1. ^ Although Appalachian State had a 6–6 record, they were not bowl eligible as they had more than one win against FCS level teams. Only one win against an FCS opponent may count towards bowl eligibility under NCAA rules.
  2. ^ James Madison was not bowl eligible due to NCAA rules regarding teams transitioning between the FCS and FBS levels

References

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  4. ^ Sallee, Barrett; Jeyarajah, Shehan (October 30, 2021). "Sun Belt expansion: Marshall follows Southern Miss, Old Dominion in joining league from Conference USA". CBSSports.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
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