NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference’s Presidents and Chancellors gathered in person for their annual CEO meeting, to discuss initiatives that will further strengthen the Conference and its twelve members. Visibility grew substantially league-wide during 2020-21—with the Sun Belt emerging as one of the most talked about conferences in FBS, finishing with two programs (Coastal Carolina and Louisiana) in the postseason CFP top 20.
 
“We could not be prouder of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and administrators for their commitment to all of our programs throughout the pandemic. Every Sun Belt program was able to compete during their traditional season. We also enjoyed unprecedented success in postseason play in several of our sports,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. 
 
“We want to thank our University CEOs, Athletics Directors, trainers, and our COVID-19 Advisory Panel for finding the way forward for providing a complete, competitive season while ensuring everyone’s health and safety. Our student-athletes were able to continue to participate at a very high level during this very challenging year.”
 
During the annual CEO meeting, the Conference reviewed its 2020 football media evaluation report, further demonstrating the value of completing the full season. The Sun Belt finished with 50 linear football game broadcasts, generating $261 million in media value for the league and its members. Viewership was up 135 percent and seven of the linear game broadcasts included more than one million viewers. The print and electronic media assessment recap tabulated just over 6 billion readers during the season. Social media platforms and earned broadcast news also resulted in significant increases. 
 
The group also reviewed the success of the conference-wide emphasis on racial equity and inclusion. The Sun Belt Conference’s “BE THE CHANGE” program includes three pillars: focusing attention on America’s history surrounding civil rights, promoting civic engagement, and creating dialog with law enforcement in each community. The SBC’s initiative includes educational webinars, visits to sites on the Sun Belt Conference Civil Rights Trail, and BE THE CHANGE emblems to remind individuals that they have the ability to make a difference. 
 
“Our initiative to address racial inequality remains at the forefront,” added Commissioner Gill. “We are grateful to our members, staff, and partners for their important work launching our BE THE CHANGE program and helping to educate our Sun Belt Conference student-athletes, staff, and communities as they engage with racial justice issues. We have stressed the value in having conversations, keeping dialogue alive, and providing safe places for conversation about racism.” 
 
Louisiana Athletics Director Bryan Maggard joined the group via conference call to report on the Athletics Directors Spring meeting held in Montgomery. The AD’s recommendation to eliminate the Sun Belt Conference’s intraconference transfer policy, effective immediately, was unanimously approved by the CEOs. Student-athletes will now be permitted to transfer between Sun Belt institutions, aligning the Conference with NCAA legislation.
 
The CEOs were also updated about the unveiling of the state-of-the-art Sun Belt studio and control room this summer. The production center will be located within the Sun Belt Conference office in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and will provide a tremendous platform to communicate all of the good news coming from the conference. The Sun Belt announced that its representation in NCAA Governance has increased including nine new appointments made during 2020-21.
 
The group recognized and thanked Dr. Joseph Savoie (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) for his leadership as Chair of the Sun Belt Executive Committee which will end July 1, noting that his guidance throughout COVID-19 was exemplary. The group appreciated his steady hand and wisdom as the Sun Belt worked through unprecedented circumstances.
 
Dr. Denise Trauth, President of Texas State University, was also recognized for her service on three committees and several subcommittees, which will end this August. Most notably, Dr. Trauth was elected Chair of the Division I Board of Directors. She is the second female chair of the Division I Board of Directors and the first to hail from outside of the Autonomy 5 conferences.
 
Finally, the CEOs voted unanimously to confirm the Sun Belt Executive Committee’s recommendations for the following appointments, effective July 1, 2021:

• Dr. Kelly Damphousse (Arkansas State University) will serve as President of the Sun Belt, chair the Executive Committee and beginning September 1 will serve as the Sun Belt’s NCAA Board of Directors Representative.
• Dr. Sheri Everts (App State) will serve as Vice President of the Sun Belt.  
• Dr. Kyle Marrero (Georgia Southern University) will serve as Treasurer.
• Dr. Savoie (University of Louisiana at Lafayette) will serve as Past President.

These appointments are two-year terms, ending June 30, 2023