NEW ORLEANS – Most players had never been here before last Monday. Following the annual Sun Belt Conference Football Media Day at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, they all want to be back soon.
Two players from each of the 10 football-playing schools in the Sun Belt visited the iconic venue for the media day event, which also is where the conference champion is scheduled to return Dec. 21 for the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Appalachian State won the New Orleans Bowl in 2018 with a victory against Middle Tennessee State. The ambition for the Mountaineers is to make a return visit at the end of the 2019 season.
“I love coming back,” said Appalachian State senior defensive back Josh Thomas, whose eight tackles and one interception keyed a bowl victory last season. “It brings back great memories from last year, just coming in here and having a great game and being with all my teammates.”
Appalachian State is predicted by conference coaches to win another league championship in 2019. Last season, the Mountaineers won the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Championship Game against Louisiana, 30-19.
The preseason poll of league coaches has Appalachian State and Louisiana again winning their divisions -- Appalachian State in the East and Louisiana in the West -- for another conference championship matchup Dec. 7, with Appalachian State winning.
Held inside the Superdome’s Bienville Lounge, Media Day included 30-minute media sessions with the head coach and two student-athletes from each school. Student-athletes who hadn’t been to the Dome before marveled at the size of the facility that first opened in 1975. The Dome has been home to the annual New Orleans Bowl since it was first played in 2001, and home to the league offices since a move there in 2013.
“I didn’t know Muhammad Ali fought here,” Coastal Carolina offensive lineman Trey Carter said. “I thought that was the coolest thing. I know about the football games and the Super Bowls and things like that. That gave me chills.”
New Sun Belt Conference commissioner, Keith Gill, noted the 15-round fight Ali won against Leon Spinks in 1978 when listing events during his State of the Conference address. The Dome has been home to seven Super Bowl games and many historic college football games. This season, the Dome will be home to the College Football Playoff championship.
In the middle of the room sat the Conference Championship trophy and the MVP Belt, one of the most unique trophies in college football for a Most Valuable Player.
Some players held the belt for a moment, and Georgia State quarterback Dan Ellington posed after coach Shawn Elliott asked if he wanted a picture with the belt.
“Hopefully that’s not the last time I’m holding it,” said Ellington, who said he didn’t think the belt “was going to be that heavy.
“It has some pounds to it,” he said.
Most important to many players was the chance to represent their schools.
Troy quarterback Kaleb Barker first visited the Superdome with his team in 2017 for the New Orleans Bowl. To get to New Orleans, the team rode busses for roughly six hours. This time, a 42-minute chartered plane ride took him to New Orleans. Once there, he got chauffeured around by a car service. “You kind of feel like you’re famous for a day or two,” Barker said.
While at Media Day players can also gather in a lounge that is separate from the interview areas. There, they get to know each other as something other than opponents.
“The biggest thing is seeing these guys outside the helmet and shoulder pads and being able to meet and greet,” ULM quarterback Caleb Evans said.
Next, players will return to their campuses and prepare for the beginning of preseason practices.
The Sun Belt has sponsored football since 2001. Last season, the 24 non-conference wins were the most in league history, which has many around the conference believing things are on the upswing. The best way to show that will be with another strong showing in non-conference games.
During his State of the Conference address, Gill said how the conference scheduling philosophy has changed in recent years. In 2010, three-fourths of all non-conference games came against schools from Autonomy Five conferences. This season, the league will have a 50/50 split of games against Autonomy Five and Group of Five programs -- 13 from each.