Sun Belt Conference Announces Return of Men’s Soccer This Fall

NEW ORLEANS –The Sun Belt Conference will bring back men's soccer beginning in fall 2022, the league announced on Wednesday. 

"This is my 37thyear in college soccer and I can say without hesitation, top to bottom, this is the most competitive conference I've ever been a part of," ODU head coachAlan Dawsonsaid. "We not only have some of the most consistently successful programs, but we also have some great young coaches. I think the Sun Belt will be a magnet for the best recruits in the country and will be an ideal place to play and showcase talent. We've got some old rivalries from Conference USA and old foes from the CAA in Georgia State and JMU. We are very eager to begin a new era in our new home, the Sun Belt."

Nine teams will comprise Sun Belt Conference men's soccer; three of the new Sun Belt members (as of July 1) Old Dominion, James Madison and Marshall will join Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State. In addition, Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia will compete as affiliate members for men's soccer only. The Sun Belt Conference previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976-1995 and 2014-20. 

"These elite programs will lend instant credibility and help establish the Sun Belt as one of the nation's premier men's collegiate soccer conferences," said Commissioner Keith Gill. "They each bring their unique traditions and histories of excellence. We welcome them and look forward to a bright future on the pitch."

The Sun Belt Conference men's soccer membership will boast some of the sport's most accomplished programs. The nine teams have combined for more than 100 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances. 

Marshall claimed the 2020 NCAA Championship, becoming the first unseeded team to accomplish the feat in nearly 15 years. South Carolina is one of just 24 programs all-time to make 20 or more NCAA Tournament appearances, finishing as national runners-up in 1993.

The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The Sun Belt will now sponsor 18 NCAA Division I sports and annually awards nearly $134 million in financial aid to more than 4,600 student-athletes. Beginning July 1, 2022, the Sun Belt membership will be comprised of App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Troy.

ODU All-Time NCAA Tournament Appearances