Sun Belt shatters record, sends six teams to bowl games
NEW ORLEANS - Six Sun Belt Conference football programs accepted bowl invitations Sunday - a new record number for the conference.
The six postseason teams breaks the previous Sun Belt record of four set in 2012 and tied last season.
The R L Carriers New Orleans Bowl will feature the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns, the Dollar General Bowl will have the Troy Trojans, the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl will welcome back the Appalachian State Mountaineers, the AutoNation Cure Bowl will have the Arkansas State Red Wolves and, in its first game with a primary tie-in with the Sun Belt Conference, the NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl will host the South Alabama Jaguars. The Idaho Vandals will participate in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
For the fifth time in the last six years, Louisiana (6-6, 5-3) will be making the short trip down I-10 to play in the New Orleans Bowl. The Ragin' Cajuns, which secured their sixth win on the final day of the regular season, have won all four of their appearances in the bowl game.
Troy (9-3, 6-2) will play in a bowl game for first time since 2010 and its sixth time in program history. The Trojans will be making a second appearance in a Mobile, Ala., bowl game after it played in the 2010 game. The Trojans played in four bowl games in five seasons from 2006 to 2010. The 2016 campaign saw the Trojans become the Sun Belt Conference's first ever top-25 ranked team as they entered the poll after defeating Appalachian State on Nov. 12.
Appalachian State (9-3, 7-1), the co-champions of the Sun Belt this year, will make a second consecutive appearance in the Camellia Bowl after defeating Ohio in last year's rendition 31-29 for its first bowl win in program history.
Arkansas State (7-5, 7-1), which clinched at least a share of the Sun Belt title for the fifth time in the last six seasons, will play in a postseason bowl game for the sixth consecutive season when it plays in the Cure Bowl.
The Arizona Bowl welcomes South Alabama (6-6, 2-6) this season. The bowl game, which played its first game last season, is in its first year with a primary bowl tie-in with the Sun Belt Conference. The Jaguars will be making a second bowl appearance in just their fifth year as a FBS program. The Jaguars own wins against a top-25 opponent (San Diego State) and an SEC foe (Mississippi State) this season.
The Idaho Vandals (7-4, 5-2) are bowl eligible for the first time since 2009 and their selection in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl comes as from outside of the Sun Belt's five bowl agreements.
"This was an unprecedented year for Sun Belt Conference football with our first AP Top 25 team and six bowl representatives that have all had impressive seasons," Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said. "Our bowl partners are excited to host these teams that are all veterans of postseason bowl play. Arkansas State is making a sixth straight bowl appearance while Louisiana is in the New Orleans Bowl for the fifth time in the last six years with four wins in those games. Troy has completed an exciting turnaround to return to a bowl game and Appalachian State is in a bowl game for the second time in three years as a FBS program. South Alabama turned in two of the most exciting non-conference wins in recent history this year to get its second bowl bid in three seasons. Idaho has undergone a remarkable turnaround to get to its first bowl game since 2009."
Autonation Cure Bowl
Matchup (conference): Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. Central Florida Knights (American Athletic Conference)
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Camping World Stadium - Orlando, Fla.
Raycom Media Camellia Bowl
Matchup (conference): Appalachian State Mountaineers vs. Toledo Rockets (Mid-American Conference)
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Cramton Bowl - Montgomery, Ala.
R L Carriers New Orleans Bowl
Matchup (conference): Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns vs. Southern Miss Eagles (Conference-USA)
Date: Dec. 17
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Mercedes-Benz Superdome - New Orleans, La.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Matchup (conference): Idaho Vandals vs. Colorado State Rams (Mountain West Conference)
Date: Dec. 22
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Albertsons Stadium - Boise, Idaho
Dollar General Bowl
Matchup (conference): Troy Trojans vs. Ohio Bobcats (Mid-American Conference)
Date: Dec. 23
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Ladd-Peebles Stadium - Mobile, Ala.
NOVA Home Loans Arizona Bowl
Matchup (conference): South Alabama Jaguars vs. Air Force Falcons (Mountain West Conference
Date: Dec. 30
Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Arizona Stadium - Tucson, Ariz.