Sun Belt Football: 5 Best Non-Conference Matchups in 2025

It’s one of the most dreadful times in sports for college fans. That eight-month period between the end of the CFP National Championship game and the beginning of training camp. Sure, recruiting news can curb your appetite for a short while, but there is nothing like the rush of the Monday before the season opener.

At noon on Saturday, Aug. 23, Kansas State and Iowa State kick off the 2025 campaign with our first Top 25 matchup. It is officially football season.

Congratulations, you’ve made it.

For Sun Belt Conference fans, however, you’ll have to wait just a bit longer. No Week 0 festivities for any of the 14 Sun Belt members– ULM will kick off the Sun Belt slate on Thursday, Aug. 28, with a non-conference tilt against St. Francis (Pa.). 24 hours later, App State will take on Charlotte in the Duke’s Mayo Classic and Week 1 of the 2025 College Football season will be well under way.

In the spirit of the new season, Sun Belt Syndicate takes a look at the top non-conference matchups of 2025.

Honorable Mentions:

Coastal Carolina at Virginia (Aug. 30 — 6 p.m. ET)

The beginning of this all-time matchup was delayed a year, due to the tragic on-campus shooting at Virginia in 2022, but the two schools finally met on the gridiron for the first time in 2024. Unfortunately for the Chants, this is a day they wish they could forget.

The Cavaliers blew out Coastal, 43-24, in Conway last season in front of a record-setting sellout crowd. Not the way the Chanticleers wanted to finish up the non-conference schedule, but now they will have a chance at redemption in Charlottesville to open up the year.

Coastal head coach Tim Beck said prior to fall camp that this Coastal Carolina team is the best he’s had since beginning his tenure in Conway. That’s quite the compliment, being as though his first-year offense included quarterback Grayson McCall, tailbacks Reese White and Braydon Bennett, and receiver Sam Pinckney. These new-look Chants, with a much-improved defense, will have the chance to prove him right in Week 1.

Marshall at Georgia (Aug. 30 — 3:30 p.m. ET)

Talk about a tall task to begin your college coaching career.

Tony Gibson, entering his first college head coaching season, will stand on the sidelines for the first time opposite Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. If you were to rank “best first game venues for new head coaches,” between the hedges in Athens has to be in the conversation.

The Marshall roster was decimated this past offseason, in part due to the departure of head coach Charles Huff. Gibson was able to land some big transfers though, highlighted by starting quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson from Syracuse. With a great running back room and incoming transfers at receiver, like Akron’s Adrian Norton, Marshall will look to compete with college football’s newest dynasty.

Louisiana at Missouri (Sept. 13 — 4 p.m. ET)

Cajuns-Tigers is such an interesting matchup.

Sun Belt Syndicate’s Garrett Armbrust claims that this is arguably head coach Michael Desormeaux’s “deepest roster” since arriving in Lafayette. Add the duo of LSU transfers in quarterback Walker Howard and Shelton Sampson Jr. into the mix, and the reigning West Division champs have a chance to be even better.

On the flip side, Eliah Drinkwitz’s Missouri squad saw a total of 45 players depart its 10-3 2024 roster. The Tigers are picked to finish 12th in the SEC. Sure, it’s still an SEC opponent– one with one of college football’s premiere head coaches. The Tigers will be a tall task for Louisiana.

But you can’t help but feel like there could be some “Fun Belt” magic in the air.

5: Arkansas State at Arkansas

Sept. 6 — 5 p.m. ET

Somehow, someway, in the 114 years that Arkansas State has sponsored football, the Red Wolves have never taken on in-state SEC foe Arkansas.

That will all change on Sept. 6, as the two schools go head-to-head for the first time ever– in the state’s capital of Little Rock, no less. Both schools have commented on how tremendous of an occasion it is for the great state of Arkansas– even in jest by Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman.

Today at the @LRTouchdownClub, Sam Pittman talked about the Hogs matchup with Arkansas State and once again joked about the concept of playing a home-and-home.

“Ask somebody in 186 years what he wants to do.” #Arkansas #AState #WPS #WolvesUp pic.twitter.com/kkyeNgCMLG

— Jack Allen KATV (@JackAllenTV) August 18, 2025

It’s easy to write off the Red Wolves in its first SEC matchup since 2019, a 55-0 loss at the hands of Georgia. It’s no secret that there is one program that every Arkansas resident roots for– and roots for like their life depends on it. It’s just understood in Arkansas that Saturdays belong to the city of Fayetteville.

But could 2025 be the perfect storm that allows the Red Wolves to walk out of Little Rock with a victory?

Pittman returns 13 starters from his 2024 team, but that doesn’t seem to bother his fellow SEC coaches. The Razorbacks are picked to finish 14th in the SEC after a disappointing 7-6 finish in 2024. Arkansas returns dual-threat quarterback Taylen Green for his senior season, but loses all eight of its top eight receivers. It will be “next man up” mentality for the Razorbacks’ receiving corps.

The Red Wolves also return starting quarterback Jaylen Raynor, the longest-tenured quarterback in the Sun Belt Conference. A-State also returns starting tailback and WR1 in Ja’Quez Cross and Corey Rucker, respectively. The two combined for 1,919 all-purpose yards in 2024 (Rucker was a 1,000-yard receiver last year) and will likely lead the Red Wolves offensive production again this year.

Arkansas State has the tools on offense. If the Red Wolves defense can contain Arkansas’ Green on the ground, mayhem may be headed for Little Rock in Week 2.

4: Southern Miss vs. Mississippi State

Aug. 30 — 12 p.m. ET

Charles Huff shocked the Sun Belt Conference by leaving 2024 SBC-champion Marshall to take the job at conference-rival Southern Miss. With him, Huff took Preseason Sun Belt Player of the Year Braylon Braxton to be his starting quarterback in Hattiesburg.

Along with Braxton, the Golden Eagles saw a massive influx of Marshall transfers— 21 in total. Among them is corner Joshua Moten, a four-star transfer according to 247Sports. Moten is a pest in the secondary, recording five interceptions and five pass breakups to go along with 38 total tackles in 2024. He will be a massive piece of this USM secondary.

Huff also saw a total of 15 transfers of power conference schools pack their bags for Hattiesburg. Six of these transfers come from the SEC– and three of them directly from Southern Miss’ Week 1 opponent.

Mississippi State is picked to finish dead last in the SEC, per the preseason poll. Southern Miss DID finish dead last in 2024, but these aren’t the same Golden Eagles. Huff has proven he can win a conference championship at the Group of Five level, and now he gets an opportunity to shock the college football world.

3: Texas State at Arizona State

Sept. 13 — 10:30 p.m. ET

GJ Kinne’s Bobcats have made more news off the field recently than on it, as Texas State announced a move to the new-look PAC-12 conference in 2026 earlier this summer.

Don’t let that distract you from what Kinne has done for this program in just two short years.

Inheriting a program that won just 10 games in the previous three years combined, Kinne has brought Texas State its first two bowl appearances– and first two bowl wins– in program history. Back-to-back 8-5 seasons is a huge step forward for the Bobcats, and the culture in San Marcos has been flipped on its head. They’ll have one last hurrah in the Sun Belt, looking for that elusive Sun Belt Championship before heading to the PAC-12.

A tilt with a 2024 CFP participant will set the tone in Week 3.

Arizona State shocked the college football world in 2024, winning the Big 12 after being picked dead last in the preseason poll and punching a ticket to the College Football Playoff. The Sun Devils, behind running back Cam Skattebo, took Texas to double-overtime in the quarterfinals before eventually losing, 39-31. The media has caught on this time around, with the Sun Devils ranked 11th in the preseason AP Poll.

While Skattebo is off to the NFL, Arizona State returns 79% of its production and 17 of its 22 starters. It will certainly be a test for Texas State, but not having to worry about one of the nation’s best running backs will certainly help. With the eyes of the college football world starting to turn towards San Marcos, heading to Phoenix and emerging victorious would be quite the “Welcome to the Show” moment.

2: Georgia Southern at USC

Sept. 6 — 7:30 p.m. ET

This is one of the more intriguing storylines on the docket.

Clay Helton gave 12 years of his life to the University of Southern California. He represented a sense of stability during a time of chaos, working as a quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator under head coaches Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian– as well as alongside Ed Orgeron before the then-defensive coordinator left for LSU. All the while, Helton remained– and finally got his shot in 2015 after Sarkisian was fired.

Under Helton, USC went 46-24 with three divisional championships and one PAC-12 Championship (2017). The Trojans saw two 10-win seasons under Helton’s leadership, as well as a 5-1 record during the 2020 season, and finished in the AP Top 25 in four of his eight seasons at the helm. Helton led USC to a Rose Bowl victory in 2016.

Then, in 2021, Helton was fired– just two games into the season after winning the PAC-12 South in 2020.

USC Director of Athletics Mike Bohn announced Clay Helton will no longer serve as head coach for the Trojans.

Donte Williams has been named interim head coach for the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com/8G4xfPnau6

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 13, 2021

Some point to the 42-28 loss to Stanford just two days prior. Some refer to recruiting lapses by Helton and his staff. Whatever the reason, the news came as a shock to the Trojans and then-appointed interim head coach Donte Williams. USC athletic director, Mike Bohn, believed that Helton was simply not the man for the job.

“During the past two off-seasons we provided every resource necessary for our football program to compete for championships,” said Bohn in 2021, regarding the decision to fire Helton. “The added resources carried significantly increased expectations for our team’s performance, and it is already evident that, despite the enhancements, those expectations would not be met without a change in leadership.”

Helton moved on, taking the Georgia Southern job and introducing Statesboro to the air-raid offense. He has been eligible for bowls in each of his first three seasons, though going 0-3 in said games. But in contrast to his stability in Los Angeles, Helton’s quarterback room has been a revolving door of transfers.

Well, Helton finally has a second-year signal caller in JC French– and the Eagles return 13 starters.

This is a chance for Helton to stick it to the program that left him in the cold. It’s a redemption story, and Helton may find himself as the main character on Sept. 6.

1: App State at Boise State

Sept. 27 — TBD

Speaking of CFP teams…

When you think of Group of Five programs that are known for the upset, two teams immediately come to mind: App State and Boise State.

When App State STUNNED Michigan in Ann Arbor 👀 pic.twitter.com/6YjZclP2dp

— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) August 12, 2025

The Mountaineers have the greatest upset in college football history, defeating No. 5 Michigan in 2007 and single-handedly changing the way rankings are put together (as it turns out, you cannot reasonably rank an FCS school in an FBS poll– no matter how bad you might want to). Boise State has arguably the greatest upset in bowl game history under its belt, defeating Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and introducing the casual football fan to terms like “Statue of Liberty” and “Hook-and-Ladder.”

2007. What a time to be alive.

The Oklahoma – Boise State Fiesta Bowl is one of the greatest CFB games all time. pic.twitter.com/buu7lTOUfr

— College Football Alerts  (@CFBAlerts_) May 29, 2024

Now 18 years later, arguably the two greatest spoilers in college football history go head-to-head for the first time since 1994– and the second time in series history. The Broncos took the first round, defeating App State in Boise, 17-14, and the 31-year rematch will make its way back to the Gem State at the end of September.

Last season, running back Ashton Jeanty was the talk of the college football world. He burst onto the scene, seemingly from out of nowhere, and led the nation with 2,601 rushing yards– just 27 yards shy of Barry Sanders’ record. Jeanty didn’t just beat up on other run-of-the-mill Mountain West schools. In three matchups with Top 25 schools (Oregon, UNLV, Penn State), Jeanty cracked triple-digits in all of them (505 yards total). Largely due to Jeanty’s rushing ability, Boise State has emerged as the frontrunner for 2025’s G5 representative in the CFP.

But Jeanty is an Oakland Raider… and App State is loaded.

Quarterback AJ Swann (Vanderbilt), tailback Rashod Dubinion (Arkansas), and receiver Davion Dozier (Arkansas) are all projected starters from SEC programs. Receiver Dalton Stroman returns. Five starters return on defense. Joey Aguilar may be gone, but these Mountaineers are primed to turn some heads in the Sun Belt under first-year head coach Dowell Loggains.

This non-conference matchup would not only be a feather in App State’s cap– this matchup is pivotal for the Sun Belt Conference as a whole. Although, top to bottom, the Sun Belt is widely considered to be the best league in the Group of Five, they are yet to be represented in the CFP/NY6 since the conference’s expansion in 2022. An App State win over Boise State would change how the college football world perceives the Sun Belt Conference.

Because of the timing and the stakes, this is arguably the most meaningful non-conference game the Sun Belt has scheduled of all time.