NEW ORLEANS – Here are this week's highlights of coverage around the Sun Belt Conference across media outlets and the league's member schools:
COVERAGE FROM MEDIA OUTLETS
Kyle Busch Posts Special Xfinity Win for Family of Joe Gibbs, Appalachian State
A victory Monday was nowhere near as startling as when the Mountaineers upset Michigan in 2007, but Kyle Busch’s triumph in a car celebrating Appalachian State in the Xfinity Series Alsco 300 race hit home big time for the football family. – USA Today
Ranking the Sun Belt's College Football Coaches for 2020
Success with any college football team starts with coaching. Even if a program doesn’t have the resources of the nation’s elite jobs, a good coach can elevate a program into national title contention. – Athlon Sports
What’s Next for College Football? Texas State Coach Outlines Potential Return Dates, Coronavirus Testing for Athletes
While a return to college football remains uncertain amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are signs of progress. – KSAT-TV
ULM Football: Warhawks to Watch in the 2021 NFL Draft
Louisiana-Monroe did not have a player selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. In the previous draft, ULM’s Marcus Green was the lone selection from the Sun Belt Conference. The flip side is that several Warhawks from last year’s junior-laden team have a chance to hear their names called in 2021. – Monroe News Star
APR Scores Please Athletic Directors Across State
Division I schools' athletic teams in the state of Arkansas had vastly positive Academic Progress Rates based on the NCAA's Tuesday release of its latest national APR data. – Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Major Changes Not Expected at UL or in Sun Belt
While all conferences and schools look to recoup lost funds, Louisiana athletics director Dr. Bryan Maggard said eliminating sports and conference tournaments have never been items on the menu. – KATC-TV
COVERAGE FROM SUN BELT SCHOOLS
Busch Drives App State-Branded Car to NASCAR Win
The specially branded NASCAR Xfinity Series car driven by Kyle Busch produced a familiar finishing position for App State: first place.
App State Finishes Second Nationally in Helper Helper Community Service
After setting the community service hours record for a second straight year, Appalachian State Athletics finished second overall in the NCAA Division I Team Works Community Service competition, highlighted by eight sports finishing in the top 10. – AppStateSports.com
Coastal Rewind: Mondi's Goal Wins It in Double OT
Tyrone Mondi, who had been close to scoring several times throughout the contest, scored the game-winning goal with 6:26 left in the second overtime period to propel Coastal Carolina to a 3-2 win at NC State and on to the NCAA Championship second round. – GoCCUSports.com
EAGLE RE-FLIGHT: Relive Georgia Southern Softball's Walk-Off Win Against ULM This Saturday
The first of the three EAGLE RE-FLIGHT productions will be this coming Saturday, May 23, at 2 p.m. as we rebroadcast Georgia Southern softball's walk-off win over ULM, originally played on March 7. – GSEagles.com
Lanier Continues the Winning Culture at Georgia State
After two weeks of interviews and meetings with possible candidates, Georgia State President Mark Becker and Athletic Director Charlie Cobb found their guy. On April 5, 2019, Becker and Cobb announced that Rob Lanier would be the new coach of the men's basketball team. – GeorgiaStateSports.com
South Alabama Volleyball Alum Abby Baker Digs Deep in the Fight Against COVID-19
Approximately 450 miles north of Mobile on Interstate 65, one former University of South Alabama student-athlete is on the front line helping battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Abby Baker — who lettered in volleyball at USA from 2013-17 — is a registered nurse in the Nurse Residency Program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where she works in the Medicine/Cardiac Stepdown unit dealing directly with COVID-19 patients. – USAJaguars.com