SUNBELT CONFERENCE
The Sun Belt Conference The Sun Belt Conference is in its 29th year of existence.
Current full-time members of the Sun Belt Conference are the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Arkansas State University, the University of Denver, Florida International University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Middle Tennessee State University, New Mexico State University (leaving in 2005), the University of New Orleans, the University of North Texas, the University of South Alabama, and Western Kentucky University. The University of Idaho and Utah State University (leaving in 2005) are currently football-only members, with the Vandals (leaving in 2005)
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is an affiliate member in football and women's swimming & diving. Troy State University is scheduled to join the league in football in 2004 and all sports in 2005.
The Sun Belt began play as a Division I-A football conference in 2001, and its champion plays in the annual New Orleans Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome. This year's game, the first of the 2003-04 bowl season, will be played Tuesday, Dec. 16, live on ESPN2, and will feature Sun Belt champion North Texas against Conference USA opponent Memphis. In just two short years, the new kid on the block among IA college football leagues has already won a bowl game, when North Texas defeated Conference USA co-champion Cincinnati, 24-19 in 2002.
The league also has long-term agreements with ESPN and ESPN Regional Television for coverage of Sun Belt football, and men's and women's basketball, through 2007-08. Included in the deal is regional coverage beginning in the 2001-02 academic year, and national exposures of Sun Belt football teams on ESPN and ESPN2 beginning with the 2003 season. The Sun Belt Conference was the first conference to sign a long-term contract with ESPN in 1979, and has the longest running broadcast relationship with the network of any conference, 24 consecutive years. The league's first nationally-televised football game on Nov. 25, 2003, featuring North Texas at New Mexico State on ESPN2, received an 0.86 rating, a competitive rating in the same time slot versus games featuring BCS conferences. In men's basketball, the Sun Belt Conference sent a team to the Final Four in its first-year of play (Charlotte in 1977) and became known as an innovator in its early stages by pioneering the shot clock and three-point field goal, standards which are followed throughout college basketball today.
Sun Belt members have also made tremendous strides in women's basketball. The league made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1983 when former member Old Dominion advanced to the national semifinals against then-future member Louisiana Tech. ODU continued to set the tone by winning the National Championship in 1985. Since then as many as three teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament each season with Western Kentucky and former member Louisiana Tech leading the way.
The Sun Belt Conference annually ranks among the nation's top conferences in the country in baseball. In five straight seasons, the league has placed at least three teams in the NCAA Tournament - including four in 2000 and 2002. In 2000, Louisiana-Lafayette made it to the NCAA College World Series, where the Ragin' Cajuns finished tied for third after claiming two wins. The sport that is quickly garnering national attention for the league is softball. In just its fourth year of sponsorship, the league was represented in the Women's College World Series in 2003 when Louisiana-Lafayette reached Oklahoma City. Even with just five schools competing in the sport, two reached the 2003 NCAA Tournament - UL Lafayette and Florida International. Women's soccer has also made great strides in three seasons with Denver advancing to the NCAA Tournament for three consecutive seasons. In 2003, Middle Tennessee's Mardy Scales won an NCAA championship in the men's outdoor 100-meter dash, giving the league its second national track & field champion in four years. Former Sun Belt Conference Student Athlete of the Year David Kimani of South Alabama was a three-time national champion distance runner in the 1999-2000 season.
The Sun Belt Conference is also very involved with NCAA Championships, serving as the co-host of the 2002 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships and the 2003 NCAA Men's Final Four in New Orleans. The Sun Belt has been headquartered in the New Orleans area since 1991, moving to its current downtown location in 2000.
Current Membership for 2005 (13 full members; 9 I-A football members):
East Division:
Florida Atlantic (joining around 2005);
Florida International (1998-present);
Middle Tennessee (2000-present);
South Alabama (charter member; 1976-present);
Troy State (Fb only 2004; full member in 2005);
Western Kentucky (1982-present)
West Division
Arkansas-Little Rock (1991-present);
Arkansas State (1991-present);
Denver (1999-present);
Idaho (Fb only 2001-04; leaving in 2005);
Louisiana (1991-present);
New Orleans (1976-80; 1991-present);
North Texas (2000-present)
Affiliate Member Louisiana-Monroe - football (2001-present); women's swimming & diving (2002-present)
Former Members (years of membership)
Central Florida (1991-92);
Georgia State (1976-81);
Jacksonville (1976-98);
Lamar (1991-98);
Louisiana Tech (1991-2001);
New Mexico State (2000-05);
UNC Charlotte (1976-91);
Old Dominion (1982-1991);
South Florida (1976-91);
Texas-Pan American (1991-98);
UAB (1979-91);
*Utah State (Football, 2003-04);
*Vanderbilt (Men's soccer, 1995);
Virginia Commonwealth (1979-91)
*=affiliate member Championship Sports
Men's Sports
(first season; 8 sports)
Baseball (1978);
Basketball (1976-77);
Cross Country (1978);
Football (2001);
Golf (1977);
Tennis (1977);
Indoor Track & Field (1992);
Outdoor Track & Field (1992)
Women's Sports (first season; 10 sports)
Basketball (1983);
Cross Country (1978);
Golf (1990);
Soccer (2000);
Softball (2000);
Swimming & Diving (2001);
Tennis (1984);
Indoor Track & Field (1992);
Outdoor Track & Field (1992);
Volleyball (1983)
Discontinued Sports
Men's Soccer (1976-1996)
The Vic Bubas Cup (All Sports Award; formerly The Commissioner's Cup)
1977 Jacksonville
1978 South Florida
1979 South Florida
1980 South Florida
1981 South Florida
1982 South Florida
1983 Old Dominion
1984 South Florida
1985 South Florida
1986 South Florida
1987 Western Kentucky
1988 South Alabama
1989 South Alabama
1990 South Florida
1991 South Alabama
1992 South Alabama
1993 South Alabama
1994 South Alabama
1995 Arkansas State
1996 South Alabama
1997 South Alabama
1998 Arkansas State
1999 South Alabama
2000 South Alabama
2001 Middle Tennessee
2002 Western Kentucky
2003 Western Kentucky
2004 Middle Tennessee updated
Carnegie Classification of Sun Belt members (2000 rankings)
Doctoral/Research - Extensive:
Denver,
Florida International,
Idaho,
North Texas
Doctoral/Research - Intensive:
Arkansas-Little Rock,
Florida Atlantic,
Louisiana,
Middle Tennessee,
New Orleans,
South Alabama
Master's I:
Arkansas State,
Troy State,
Western Kentucky
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