Troy University Athletics
Sun Belt Conference Adds Southern Miss to League Membership
10/27/2021 9:38:00 AM | General
NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced on Tuesday the addition of The University of Southern Mississippi into the league after a unanimous vote of the Sun Belt CEOs. Southern Miss will become members no later than July 1, 2023.
"This is a big day for our conference. We are thrilled to welcome The University of Southern Mississippi to the Sun Belt. Southern Miss brings a host of strengths to our conference. They are competitive across all of their sports, have a strong brand and are supported by a great fan base. The electric atmosphere surrounding their games is a tradition we are proud to now be a part of," said Keith Gill, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner. "I am grateful to President Dr. Rodney D. Bennett and Athletics Director Jeremy McClain for their leadership during this process. I'd also like to thank the CEOs and athletic directors of our current member institutions for their efforts as we continue our discussions around adding new members."
The addition of Southern Miss will bring the number of Sun Belt members to 13 with the Golden Eagles joining current members App State, Little Rock, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, UTA, Texas State and Troy.
"The evolution of the Sun Belt Conference over the past decade has been inspiring. The SBC has gone from the bottom to the top of the Group of Five. We believe the addition of Southern Mississippi will contribute to the continued growth and success of the Sun Belt," Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor, said. "USM fits our regional footprint and is an outstanding institution both athletically and academically. I look forward to the rivalry between the Trojans and the Golden Eagles."
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910 and located in Hattiesburg, Miss., is a Tier-1 Research University that supports a student population of over 14,000. The school has won five NCAA national championships—two in NCAA Division II football in 1958 and 1962 and three individual crowns in track & field. The football program has appeared in 26 bowl games all-time. The men's basketball program won the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 1987, the softball program appeared in two College World Series in 1999 and 2000 and the baseball team advanced to the College World Series in 2009.
"We are excited to welcome Southern Miss to the Sun Belt. This is a very strategic move for all parties involved and further enhances the brand of our conference," Troy Director of Athletics Brent Jones said. "The rivalry between our two schools in particular will continue to grow in all sports, and our fans will enjoy the opportunities to continue to engage with one another. Having previously worked at USM for six years, I personally know their program and fan base are a great addition to the Sun Belt Conference as we continue to strengthen our brand as one of the premier Group of Five conferences in the nation."
Geographically, Southern Miss is a natural fit as the state of Mississippi is bordered by three states (Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana) that are currently home to Sun Belt institutions.
The Golden Eagles sponsor 17 varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Southern Miss participates in every sport sponsored by the Sun Belt Conference except men's cross country. The Sun Belt Conference sponsors every sport in which the Golden Eagles compete except beach volleyball.
The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. Over the course of the past five seasons, the conference has posted an FBS-leading .692 winning percentage in bowl games, going 18-8 over the stretch.
The Sun Belt sponsors 17 NCAA sports and annually awards nearly $134 million in financial aid to more than 4,600 student-athletes. App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy comprise the league's 10 football members. Little Rock and UTA compete as Sun Belt members in sports other than football.
SUN BELT MEMBERSHIP
"This is a big day for our conference. We are thrilled to welcome The University of Southern Mississippi to the Sun Belt. Southern Miss brings a host of strengths to our conference. They are competitive across all of their sports, have a strong brand and are supported by a great fan base. The electric atmosphere surrounding their games is a tradition we are proud to now be a part of," said Keith Gill, Sun Belt Conference Commissioner. "I am grateful to President Dr. Rodney D. Bennett and Athletics Director Jeremy McClain for their leadership during this process. I'd also like to thank the CEOs and athletic directors of our current member institutions for their efforts as we continue our discussions around adding new members."
The addition of Southern Miss will bring the number of Sun Belt members to 13 with the Golden Eagles joining current members App State, Little Rock, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, UTA, Texas State and Troy.
"The evolution of the Sun Belt Conference over the past decade has been inspiring. The SBC has gone from the bottom to the top of the Group of Five. We believe the addition of Southern Mississippi will contribute to the continued growth and success of the Sun Belt," Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor, said. "USM fits our regional footprint and is an outstanding institution both athletically and academically. I look forward to the rivalry between the Trojans and the Golden Eagles."
The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910 and located in Hattiesburg, Miss., is a Tier-1 Research University that supports a student population of over 14,000. The school has won five NCAA national championships—two in NCAA Division II football in 1958 and 1962 and three individual crowns in track & field. The football program has appeared in 26 bowl games all-time. The men's basketball program won the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in 1987, the softball program appeared in two College World Series in 1999 and 2000 and the baseball team advanced to the College World Series in 2009.
"We are excited to welcome Southern Miss to the Sun Belt. This is a very strategic move for all parties involved and further enhances the brand of our conference," Troy Director of Athletics Brent Jones said. "The rivalry between our two schools in particular will continue to grow in all sports, and our fans will enjoy the opportunities to continue to engage with one another. Having previously worked at USM for six years, I personally know their program and fan base are a great addition to the Sun Belt Conference as we continue to strengthen our brand as one of the premier Group of Five conferences in the nation."
Geographically, Southern Miss is a natural fit as the state of Mississippi is bordered by three states (Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana) that are currently home to Sun Belt institutions.
The Golden Eagles sponsor 17 varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field and tennis. Women's sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Southern Miss participates in every sport sponsored by the Sun Belt Conference except men's cross country. The Sun Belt Conference sponsors every sport in which the Golden Eagles compete except beach volleyball.
The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. Over the course of the past five seasons, the conference has posted an FBS-leading .692 winning percentage in bowl games, going 18-8 over the stretch.
The Sun Belt sponsors 17 NCAA sports and annually awards nearly $134 million in financial aid to more than 4,600 student-athletes. App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy comprise the league's 10 football members. Little Rock and UTA compete as Sun Belt members in sports other than football.
SUN BELT MEMBERSHIP
| Joined | Institution | Location | Enrollment |
| 1976 | South Alabama | Mobile, Ala. | 9,050 |
| 1991 | Arkansas State | Jonesboro, Ark. | 13,772 |
| 1991 | Little Rock | Little Rock, Ark. | 7,006 |
| 1991 | Louisiana | Lafayette, La. | 14,020 |
| 2005 | Troy | Troy, Ala. | 12,712 |
| 2006 | ULM | Monroe, La. | 6,859 |
| 2013 | Georgia State | Atlanta, Ga. | 28,772 |
| 2013 | Texas State | San Marcos, Texas | 33,193 |
| 2013 | UTA | Arlington, Texas | 35,064 |
| 2014 | App State | Boone, N.C. | 18,061 |
| 2014 | Georgia Southern | Statesboro, Ga. | 23,469 |
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