Rising Sun? Sun Belt expands, hopes to keep moving forward
The Sun Belt Conference’s success the past few seasons to catch college football’s attention and league officials believe additional steps this offseason will keep that momentum going.
There are four new members, including Marshall, increasing the league to 14 teams. The league features one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the NCAA back for another year in Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall and ex-Southern Cal coach Clay Helton will try and revive Georgia Southern’s usually powerful program. And with the uncertainty in college football involving issues such as realignment, NIL and the transfer portal, “I’m absolutely sure of one thing,” Commissioner Keith Gill said this summer. “The Sun Belt is rising.”
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If the resurgence continues again this year, the packed Sun Belt East Division, where Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina and newcomer Marshall should battle for the top spot.
Coach Billy Napier had Louisiana the cream of the West Division with last year’s league title, four division titles and three bowl wins since 2018. But Napier left to revive Florida, leaving his Rajun’ Cajun assistant — and former Louisiana quarterback — Michael Desormeaux to take over the program. Desormeaux has had a front-row seat to Louisiana’s rise and is grateful for the chance to continue things “at a place, where going on seven years now where I’ve been able to be a part of building it,” he said. “It means everything to me.”
Depending how the season unfolds, Louisiana could finally have that league championship game matchup with Coastal Carolina that was called off in 2020 due to COVID-19 in the Chanticleers’ program. Much like Louisiana, Coastal has surged the past few seasons and spent much of 2020 and 2021 in the Top 25.
That coincides with McCall’s time running the offense. He’s passed for 53 touchdowns with just six interceptions in 491 attempts the past two years. The fourth-year junior completed nearly 69% of his throws in 2020, then upped that to 73% last fall. McCall set an NCAA record with a passer efficiency rating of 207.6 last season. Winter questions swirled around whether McCall would bolt the Chants for a Power Five opportunity, but instead he stuck around with his announcement that he was returning.
