Football

National-Best 12 Sun Belt Football Programs Set for Bowl Season

BOWL SEASON CONFERENCE NOTES | BOWL SEASON TICKETS VIA TICKETSMARTER

NEW ORLEANS – A conference-record and national-best 12 Sun Belt teams will participate in Bowl Season in 2023, outpacing the totals from the ACC (11), Big Ten (9), Big 12 (9), SEC (9) and Pac-12 (8). No other non-autonomy conference has more than seven Bowl Season representatives. 
 
The Sun Belt—which opened the season with four-straight weeks with a victory over an autonomy five foe—once again captured national attention during the 2023 campaign. In addition to bettering the conference record of seven Bowl Season participants and tying the conference record of four wins over autonomy five opponents set in 2022, the Sun Belt also hosted ESPN’s College GameDay for the second time in as many seasons—App State in 2022 and James Madison in 2023. 
 
For the sixth-straight season, the conference boasts multiple 10-win teams—and for the third-straight year had multiple teams reach the mark during the regular season. 
 
The Sun Belt paces the FBS with a .614 bowl winning percentage since the dawn of the College Football Playoff (CFP) era in 2014, a mark its 12 representatives—including all seven teams from the Sun Belt East Division—will look to better during Bowl Season. 

Nine of the Sun Belt’s 12 bowl games will be televised nationally on ESPN, with the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl, the 76 Birmingham Bowl and the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl airing on ABC. The Sun Belt’s three appearances on ABC are tied with the Big Ten for the most during Bowl Season. The Sun Belt's Bowl Season slate features appearances in four games for the first time—the Famous Toastery Bowl, the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl and the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl. 

Georgia Southern (6-6, 3-5 SBC) is bound for the Myrtle Beach Bowl for its sixth all-time bowl appearance and fifth over the past six seasons. The Eagles will take on Ohio (9-3, 6-2 MAC) at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 16, in Conway. S.C.      
 
Louisiana (6-6, 3-5 SBC) is headed to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl for its sixth-straight and 11th all-time bowl appearance. The Ragin’ Cajuns will take on Jacksonville State (8-4, 6-2 CUSA) at 2:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 16, in New Orleans, La. 
 
Sun Belt East Division champion App State (8-5, 6-2 SBC) returns to Bowl Season after a one-year hiatus for its eighth all-time bowl appearance in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl. The Mountaineers will square off against MAC champion Miami (Ohio) (11-2, 7-1 MAC) at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 16, in Orlando, Fla. 
 
Old Dominion (6-6, 5-3 SBC) will make its third all-time bowl appearance in the Famous Toastery Bowl. The Monarchs will face Western Kentucky (7-5, 5-3 CUSA) at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 18, in Charlotte, N.C.
 
Marshall (6-6, 3-5 SBC) will make its seventh-straight and 19th all-time bowl appearance in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl. The Thundering Herd will face UTSA (8-4, 7-1 AAC) at 9:00 p.m. ET/8:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 19, in Frisco, Texas. 

Back-to-back Sun Belt Conference champion Troy (11-2, 7-1 SBC) is headed to the 76 Birmingham Bowl for its second-straight and 10th all-time bowl appearance. The Trojans will square off against Duke (7-5, 4-4 ACC) at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 23, in Birmingham, Ala. The matchup will be the Sun Belt's first-ever against an autonomy five program in Bowl Season. 

Arkansas State (6-6, 4-4 SBC) will make its first bowl appearance since a string of nine-straight from 2011-19 in the Camellia Bowl. The Red Wolves will face Northern Illinois (6-6, 5-3 MAC) at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 23, in Montgomery, Ala. 
 
Georgia State (6-6, 3-5 SBC) is bound for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where it will make its fourth bowl appearance in five seasons and sixth all-time. The Panthers will take on Utah State (6-6, 4-4 MW) at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 23, in Boise, Idaho. 
 
James Madison (11-1, 7-1 SBC) will make its first-ever bowl appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. The Dukes will square off against Air Force (8-4, 5-3 MW) at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 23, in Fort Worth, Texas.  

South Alabama (6-6, 4-4 SBC) is headed to the 68 Ventures Bowl where it will make back-to-back bowl appearances for the first time in program history. The Jaguars—who will be competing in their fourth all-time bowl game—will face Eastern Michigan (6-6, 4-4 MAC) at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 23, in Mobile, Ala. 
 
Coastal Carolina (7-5, 5-3 SBC) is bound for the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl for its fourth-straight and fourth all-time bowl appearance. The Chanticleers will take on San Jose State (7-5, 6-2 MW) at 10:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 23, in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

Texas State (7-5, 4-4 SBC) will round out the Sun Belt’s Bowl Season with its first-ever bowl appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. The Bobcats will square off against Rice (6-6, 4-4 AAC) at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Dec. 26, in Dallas, Texas. 
 
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
  • MYRTLE BEACH BOWL – For the sixth time in nine years of eligibility and the fifth time over the past six seasons, Georgia Southern is bowl bound. The Eagles, who are 3-2 all-time in bowl games, will square off against Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT on ESPN. The matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. 
  • R+L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL – Bowling for the program-record sixth-straight season, Louisiana will take on Jacksonville State in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 2:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Ragin’ Cajuns own an official 5-3 record in 10 prior bowl appearances, including concluding three of the past four seasons with a bowl victory. 
  • AVOCADOS FROM MEXICO CURE BOWL – For the eighth time in nine years of eligibility, Sun Belt East Division champion App State is bowl bound. The Mountaineers, who are 6-1 all-time in bowl games, will return to Bowl Season after a one-year hiatus when they take on MAC champion Miami (Ohio) in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on ABC. The matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs and is 1-of-3 Sun Belt bowl appearances on ABC. 
  • FAMOUS TOASTERY BOWL – Old Dominion will appear in its third all-time bowl game—and second over the past three seasons—when it squares off against Western Kentucky in the Famous Toastery Bowl on Monday, Dec. 18, at 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Monarchs—who won their last two regular-season games on the final play to get bowl eligible—are 1-1 in two prior bowl appearances. Old Dominion is the first Sun Belt program to ever appear in the Famous Toastery Bowl, which is the relocated Bahamas Bowl for 2023. 
  • SCOOTER’S COFFEE FRISCO BOWL – Marshall, which owns the top bowl winning percentage among FBS teams that have appeared in at least 10 bowl games at .722 (13-5), will participate in Bowl Season for the seventh-straight year. The Thundering Herd will face UTSA in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on ESPN. Marshall, which is the first Sun Belt program to appear in the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl, leads the all-time series against the Roadrunners, 2-1 
  • 76 BIRMINGHAM BOWL – Back-to-back Sun Belt champion Troy will become the first conference team to face off against an autonomy five program in Bowl Season when it takes on Duke in the 76 Birmingham Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on ABC. The Trojans have won five-straight bowl games dating back to 2010—the second-longest active bowl winning streak in the country—to run their all-time record to 6-3 in nine prior bowl appearances. Troy enters Bowl Season having won 10-straight games for the second-straight season.
  • CAMELLIA BOWL – Arkansas State will make its first bowl appearance since 2019 when it squares off against Northern Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 23, in the Camellia Bowl at 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT on ESPN. This will be the 11th all-time bowl appearance for the Red Wolves, who are 4-6 in 10 prior bowl appearances, and the first since a string of nine-straight from 2011-19. 
  • FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL – Georgia State will face Utah State for the first time ever in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Panthers are making their fourth bowl appearance in five seasons and their sixth all-time and carry a 3-2 bowl record into the matchup. 
  • LOCKHEED MARTIN ARMED FORCES BOWL – James Madison will make its first-ever bowl appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23. The Dukes will square off against Air Force for the first time in program history at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT on ABC. The Dukes are the first Sun Belt team to ever appear in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, which is 1-of-3 Sun Belt bowl appearances on ABC. 
  • 68 VENTURES BOWL – South Alabama will make its fourth all-time bowl appearance and will be in search of its first-ever bowl win in the 68 Ventures Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23. The Jaguars, who are bowling in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history, will face Eastern Michigan for the first time ever at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT on ESPN. 
  • EASYPOST HAWAII BOWL – Bowling for the fourth-straight season and the fourth time in program history, Coastal Carolina will face San Jose State in the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23, at 10:30 p.m. ET/9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The Chanticleers, who are the first Sun Belt team to ever appear in the EasyPost Hawaii Bowl, are 1-2 in three prior bowl appearances. 
  • SERVPRO FIRST RESPONDER BOWL – Texas State will make its first-ever bowl appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 26. The Bobcats will face in-state foe Rice for the first time since 1987 at 5:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. The teams have split the four prior meetings, 2-2. 
 
WHERE TO WATCH
 
 Date  Game  Time  Broadcast
 Saturday, Dec. 16  Georgia Southern vs. Ohio  10:00 a.m.  ESPN
 Saturday, Dec. 16  Louisiana vs. Jacksonville State  1:15 p.m.  ESPN
 Saturday, Dec. 16  App State vs. Miami (Ohio)  2:30 p.m.  ABC
 Monday, Dec. 18  Old Dominion vs. Western Kentucky   1:30 p.m.  ESPN
 Tuesday, Dec. 19  Marshall vs. UTSA  8:00 p.m.   ESPN
 Saturday, Dec. 23  Troy vs. Duke  11:00 a.m.  ABC
 Saturday, Dec. 23  Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois  11:00 a.m.  ESPN
 Saturday, Dec. 23  Georgia State vs. Utah State  2:30 p.m.   ESPN
 Saturday, Dec. 23  James Madison vs. Air Force  2:30 p.m.  ABC
 Saturday, Dec. 23  South Alabama vs. Eastern Michigan  6:00 p.m.  ESPN
 Saturday, Dec. 23  Coastal Carolina vs. San Jose State  9:30 p.m.  ESPN
 Tuesday, Dec. 26  Texas State vs. Rice  4:30 p.m.   ESPN
 
All Times CT