The Sun Belt Conference was founded on Aug. 4, 1976, primarily as a basketball league. Like many other conferences, it has experienced membership changes over time. It eventually added football to its list of sponsored sports.
This article highlights each school’s best and worst seasons at the Division I level. These seasons may have occurred while in the Sun Belt or another conference. Division I includes both Division I-A and the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) following the 1973 split.
Appalachian State
The most memorable season in Appalachian State football history is also its best. After winning back-to-back Division I-AA national titles, the Mountaineers opened the 2007 season with a guarantee game at Michigan. Ranked No. 5 in the preseason, the Wolverines saw the game as a warm-up for their matchup with Oregon. But Appalachian State had other plans. They pulled off a historic 34-32 upset to become the first I-AA team to beat a team ranked in the AP Top 5. Even with losses to Georgia Southern and Wofford, the Mountaineers claimed a third straight national title by beating Delaware.
Week 3️⃣ work 😤#BoroBuiltMiddleMade pic.twitter.com/MQRtmVr0hS
— Middle Tennessee Football (@MT_FB) April 6, 2025
Their worst season came in 1977. The team finished 2-9 under head coach Jim Brakefield in his seventh year. Their only wins came against Marshall—who also went 2-9—and Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. The season was sandwiched between winning records in 1976 and 1978.
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina’s football program began in 2003. Two seasons stand out for very different reasons. In 2013, the Chanticleers finished with a program-best No. 7 national ranking and reached the FCS quarterfinals. They lost to eventual champion North Dakota State. The 2020 season was their best at the FBS level. They ended with a No. 15 national ranking and their first bowl appearance. That year included a nationally televised win over ranked BYU and a visit from ESPN’s College GameDay. Coastal fell to Liberty in the Cure Bowl.
No. 14 Coastal Carolina Shuts Down No. 8 BYU in Thrilling Top-15 Matchup#BEL1EVE | #BAM | #STS | #TEALNATION https://t.co/OSBmE0xK95
— Coastal Football (@CoastalFootball) December 6, 2020
Their worst season came in 2018, their second year of transitioning to the FBS. They finished 3-9. They opened with a win over UMass, then dropped nine in a row — including a 52-10 loss to FCS team Western Illinois. They won late-season games over Idaho and Georgia Southern, but the year showed how tough the Sun Belt could be.
Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern restarted its football program in 1982 and quickly became a powerhouse. The team reached six straight national championship games and won four. The Eagles went 15-0 in 1989 — their only undefeated season — snapping a two-year title drought. Most wins came by double digits. Close calls included a 21-13 victory over Nicholls State and a 37-34 win against Stephen F. Austin in the title game.
The Catch 🎯
Tracy Ham’s 13-yard completion to Frankie Johnson with only 14 seconds left vs. Furman would lead the Eagles to their first national championship title in 1985.#HailSouthern pic.twitter.com/BVNdwmaM6g
— Georgia Southern Football (@GSAthletics_FB) June 19, 2025
Their worst season came in 2017. Georgia Southern started with nine straight losses, including a defeat to FCS opponent New Hampshire. They upset South Alabama and Louisiana late in the year but lost the finale to Coastal Carolina. Head coach Tyson Summers was fired after the loss to New Hampshire. Special teams coordinator Chad Lunsford became the interim head coach.
Georgia State
Georgia State is a founding Sun Belt member but didn’t start its football program until 2010. Their best season came in 2021. They went 8–5, a school record, and earned their third bowl win in four years. After a 1–4 start that included losses to Auburn and North Carolina, Georgia State finished tied for second in the East Division. They held the tiebreaker over Coastal Carolina and ended the season with a blowout win over Ball State in the Camellia Bowl.
𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨
🔹 Most wins in program history
🔹 3rd Bowl win in 5 years#SoundTheHorn | #LightItBlue pic.twitter.com/rWebfPQMr9— GSU Football (@GeorgiaStateFB) December 25, 2021
Their worst season came in 2013 during their final year transitioning to FBS. The Panthers went winless. They lost guaranteed games against West Virginia and Alabama. All three FCS teams on their schedule also beat them. That included Chattanooga, who shared the Southern Conference title but didn’t qualify for the playoffs.
James Madison
James Madison moved to Division I in 1979, experiencing highs and lows as an independent and later in the Colonial Athletic Association (formerly the Yankee Conference). The Dukes won the FCS national title in 2004 after going 13-2, but many consider the 2016 team stronger. That team finished 14-1. Its only loss was to FBS opponent North Carolina. They went unbeaten in FCS play and snapped North Dakota State’s five-year title run with a 27-17 semifinal win.
Last night was NDSU’s first playoff loss in 2,198 days. Streak began with JMU in 2011, only fitting JMU end the streak at 22 games. pic.twitter.com/k9qyt37IRM
— JMU Football (@JMUFootball) December 18, 2016
Their worst year came in 2001. The Dukes went 2-9, beating only FCS independents Elon and Liberty. Elon was in its third FCS season after moving up from Division II. James Madison was scheduled to host Florida Atlantic on Sept. 15, but the game was canceled due to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Marshall
Marshall has made many postseason runs, but 1996 was its most memorable. That year, the team went undefeated and won the national championship in its final Division I-AA season. The Thundering Herd won games by an average of 26 points. Their toughest test was a 14-point win over No. 20 Appalachian State. Marshall’s jump to FBS was successful. It made seven bowl games in its first eight seasons at the higher level.
@Lowes Defining Moment: In 1996, MU beat Ga. Southern en route to 15-0 record & a national title! #DefiningMoment pic.twitter.com/4CXfGFs9Zl
— Marshall Football (@HerdFB) September 19, 2013
Marshall was classified as a Division I program after the NCAA’s 1973 split. At the time, it was still rebuilding from the 1970 plane crash that claimed most of the team and coaching staff. The Herd’s lone win during the 1974 season came against then-Division II Akron in the second game of the year. Marshall did not record a winning season until 1984.
Old Dominion
Old Dominion had a team from 1930 to 1940 before pausing due to accreditation issues and World War II. The program returned in 2009 in the FCS. It made the playoffs twice, reaching the quarterfinals in 2013 with an 11-2 record. They went 7-1 in conference play but couldn’t compete for the CAA title because of their upcoming FBS move.
In 2019, Old Dominion opened with a 24-21 win over Norfolk State, then lost 11 straight games. This came one year after the team upset a ranked Virginia Tech squad. Head coach Bobby Wilder, who had led the program since its return, resigned after the season.
About The Author
