Sun Belt Conference facts for kids
The Sun Belt Conference is a group of college sports teams that play each other on the NCAA Division I level. The conference was formed in 1976, and started playing football in 2001. Of the current 12 full members (those playing most of their sports in the league), nine play football in the top-level Division I FBS. Two do not play football, and the league's newest member, Coastal Carolina, will move its football team from the second-level Division I FCS to the Sun Belt Conference in 2017. The conference's full members are scattered through the southern United States.
Contents
Members
The current non-football members are Coastal Carolina, Little Rock, and Texas–Arlington. Coastal will join for football in 2017.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) |
Nickname | Joined Sun Belt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | 1899 | Public | Mountaineers | 2014 |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, Arkansas | 1909 | Public | Red Wolves | 1991 |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway, South Carolina | 1954 | Public | Chanticleers | 2016 (2017 in football) |
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, Georgia | 1906 | Public | Eagles | 2014 |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | 1913 | Public | Panthers | 1976, 2013 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Little Rock) | Little Rock, Arkansas | 1927 | Public | Trojans | 1991 |
| University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Lafayette, Louisiana | 1898 | Public | Ragin' Cajuns | 1991 |
| University of Louisiana at Monroe | Monroe, Louisiana | 1931 | Public | Warhawks | 2001 (football only) 2006 (all sports) |
| University of South Alabama | Mobile, Alabama | 1963 | Public | Jaguars | 1976 |
| University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington, Texas | 1895 | Public | Mavericks | 2013 |
| Texas State University | San Marcos, Texas | 1899 | Public | Bobcats | 2013 |
| Troy University | Troy, Alabama | 1887 | Public | Trojans | 2004 (football only) 2005 (all sports) |
Associate members
In the past, the Sun Belt has had "associate members" that play only a few sports, usually one, in the league. Since 2014, the league once again has associate members, with two playing only football and two playing only men's soccer.
The Sun Belt announced in 2016 that its agreements for Idaho and New Mexico State to play football in the league would not be renewed when they end after the 2017 season.
| School | Location | Founded | Type (affiliation) |
Nickname | Joined | Sun Belt sport | Main conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwick College | Oneonta, New York | 1797 | Private | Hawks | 2014 | Men's soccer | Empire 8 (Division III) |
| Howard University | Washington, D.C. | 1867 | Private | Bison | 2014 | Men's soccer | MEAC |
| University of Idaho | Moscow, Idaho | 1889 | Public | Vandals | 2014 | Football | Big Sky |
| New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, New Mexico | 1888 | Public | Aggies | 2014 | Football | WAC |
Images for kids
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Map of full member institutes of the Sun Belt Conference in 2016
See also
In Spanish: Sun Belt Conference para niños
