NEW ORLEANS – Sun Belt football programs will be well-represented in the inaugural American Bowl on Thursday.
 
Four alums will compete in the inaugural American Bowl at Victory Field in Lakeland, Fla., at 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, Jan. 22. The game will be nationally televised on NFL Network. 
 
The group includes a pair of All-Sun Belt honorees from 2025—All-Sun Belt Second Team pick Texas State redshirt senior running back Lincoln Pare and All-Sun Belt Third Team selection James Madison redshirt senior defensive back Elijah Culp. Senior wide receivers Nick DeGennaro out of James Madison and RaRa Thomas out of Troy also made the trip to Lakeland. 
 
Sun Belt standouts will also feature in the upcoming East-West Shrine Bowl on Tuesday, Jan. 27, and Panini Senior Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 31. Complete rosters have yet to be announced for these events.  
 
The Sun Belt has produced multiple NFL Draft selections in 21-of-24 drafts since it began sponsoring football in 2001, with four of its six highest NFL Draft totals coming over the past six seasons. The Sun Belt registered a conference-record nine selections in 2023, seven draftees in 2020 and six picks in 2022 and 2024. The Sun Belt has tallied six-or-more draft picks on six occasions all-time (2010, 2012, 2020, 2022, 2023 & 2024). 
 
Linebacker Mike Green—the 2024 Sun Belt Player of the Year—was a second round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in last year’s NFL Draft. Green appeared in all 17 games during the 2025-26 regular season, tallying 41 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble as a rookie. 
 
American Bowl 
Elijah Culp, James Madison (RS Sr., DB – Charlotte, N.C.) 
Nick DeGennaro, James Madison (Sr., WR – Old Bridge, N.J.) 
Lincoln Pare, Texas State (RS Sr., RB – Germantown, Tenn.) 
RaRa Thomas, Troy (Sr., WR – Eufaula, Ala.)