2020 Sun Belt Conference football season
Sports season
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The 2020 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 20th season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference. The season began September 3, 2020 and concluded December 26, 2020 as part of the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Sun Belt consists of 10 members in two divisions. The conference released its schedule on February 28, 2020,[1] but numerous changes were made due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| 2020 Sun Belt Conference football season | |
|---|---|
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| League | NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision |
| Sport | Football |
| Duration | September 3, 2020 – December 26, 2020 |
| Teams | 10 |
| 2021 NFL Draft | |
| Top draft pick | CB Shemar Jean-Charles, Appalachian State |
| Picked by | Green Bay Packers, 178th overall |
| Regular season | |
| Season champions | Coastal Carolina & Louisiana |
| Season MVP | QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina |
| East champions | Coastal Carolina |
| West champions | Louisiana |
| Championship Game cancelled | |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 14 Coastal Carolina xy+ | 8 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appalachian State | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Southern | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Troy | 3 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 15 Louisiana xy+ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Alabama | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas State | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas State | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Monroe | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Louisiana at Coastal Carolina (Canceled) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason
The conference released its preseason media poll and all-conference teams on August 25, 2020.[2]
Preseason media poll
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East Division
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West Division
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All-conference preseason teams
Preseason All-Sun Belt
- Offensive Player of the Year: Zac Thomas (Senior, Appalachian State quarterback)
- Defensive Player of the Year: Carlton Martial (Junior, Troy linebacker)
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Head coaches
Appalachian State was the only team to undergo a coaching change from last season; Eliah Drinkwitz departed the program after the conclusion of the regular season to become the head coach at Missouri.[3] Shawn Clark was named interim coach upon his departure, and the interim tag was removed in time for him to coach the Mountaineers to a victory in the 2019 New Orleans Bowl.[4]
| Team | Head coach | Years at school | Overall record | Record at school | Sun Belt record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | Shawn Clark | 1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 |
| Arkansas State | Blake Anderson | 7 | 51–34 | 51–34 | 40–12 |
| Coastal Carolina | Jamey Chadwell | 2 | 71–55 | 11–18 | 4–15 |
| Georgia Southern | Chad Lunsford | 4 | 24–16 | 24–16 | 21–11 |
| Georgia State | Shawn Elliott | 4 | 23–29 | 22–23 | 13–15 |
| Louisiana | Billy Napier | 3 | 23–12 | 23–12 | 14–5 |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Matt Viator | 5 | 100–66 | 22–33 | 17–18 |
| South Alabama | Steve Campbell | 3 | 66–49 | 6–26 | 4–20 |
| Texas State | Jake Spavital | 2 | 5–14 | 5–14 | 3–9 |
| Troy | Chip Lindsey | 2 | 8–11 | 8–11 | 4–7 |
Rankings
| Pre | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State | AP | RV | т23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||
| C | RV | 23 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | |||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas State | AP | RV | RV | RV | ||||||||||||||
| C | RV | RV | RV | |||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Coastal Carolina | AP | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 14 | |||
| C | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 14 | ||
| CFP | Not released | 20 | 18 | 13 | 12 | 12 | ||||||||||||
| Georgia Southern | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Georgia State | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana | AP | 19 | 19 | RV | 23 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | 23 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | |
| C | RV | 21 | 25 | RV | 23 | 21 | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 24 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | |
| CFP | Not released | 25 | 19 | 19 | 19 | |||||||||||||
| Louisiana–Monroe | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| South Alabama | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Texas State | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Troy | AP | |||||||||||||||||
| C | ||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | |||||||||||||||||
| Improvement in ranking | ||
| Drop in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| No change in ranking from previous week | ||
| RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll | |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol | |
Schedule
Regular season
| Index to colors and formatting |
|---|
| Sun Belt Member won |
| Sun Belt Member lost |
| Sun Belt teams in bold |
Week One
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3 | 8:00 p.m. | South Alabama | Southern Miss | M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS | CBSSN | W 32–21 | ||
| September 5 | 3:30 p.m. | SMU | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPN | L 24–31 | 7,500 | |
| September 5 | 7:00 p.m. | Arkansas State | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN | ESPN | L 24–37 | 4,537 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Two
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | 11:00 a.m. | Louisiana | No. 23 Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA | ESPN | W 31–14 | ||
| September 12 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas State | Kansas State | Bill Snyder Family Stadium • Manhattan, KS | Fox | W 35–31 | ||
| September 12 | 11:00 a.m. | Charlotte | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN2 | W 35–20 | ||
| September 12 | 12:30 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Army | Michie Stadium • West Point, NY | CBSSN | L 7–37 | ||
| September 12 | 2:30 p.m. | UTSA | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPN2 | L 48–51 2OT | ||
| September 12 | 2:30 p.m. | Campbell | Georgia Southern | Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPNU | W 27-26 | ||
| September 12 | 6:30 p.m. | Tulane | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPN2 | L 24–27 | ||
| September 12 | 9:00 p.m. | Coastal Carolina | Kansas | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | FS1 | W 38–23 | ||
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Three
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | 6:00 p.m. | Campbell | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN3 | W 43–21 | 5,000 | |
| September 19 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 19 Louisiana | Georgia State | Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA | ESPN2 | ULL 34–31 OT | 4,126 | |
| September 19 | 12:30 p.m. | No. 23 Appalachian State | Marshall | Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV | CBSSN | L 7–17 | 12,050 | |
| September 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Florida Atlantic | Georgia Southern | Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPN2 | postponed | ||
| September 19 | 3:00 p.m. | Troy | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | ESPNU | W 47–14 | 6,000 | |
| September 19 | 6:00 p.m. | Central Arkansas | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN+ | postponed | ||
| September 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Texas State | Louisiana–Monroe | Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA | ESPNU | TXST 38–17 | 5,816 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Four
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 24 | 6:30 p.m. | UAB | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPN | L 10–42 | 5,766 | |
| September 26 | 11:00 a.m. | Georgia Southern | No. 19 Louisiana | Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA | ESPN2 | ULL 20–18 | 5,585 | |
| September 26 | 11:00 a.m. | Campbell | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN+ | W 52–21 | 0 | |
| September 26 | 11:00 a.m. | Georgia State | Charlotte | Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, NC | postponed | - | ||
| September 26 | 2:30 p.m. | Tulsa | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | postponed | - | ||
| September 26 | 5:00 p.m. | Texas State | Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | ESPN3 | L 21–24 | 0 | |
| September 26 | 2:30 p.m. | UTEP | Louisiana–Monroe | Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA | ESPN2 | L 6–31 | 5,491 | |
| September 26 | 9:15 p.m. | Troy | No. 18 BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | ESPN | L 7–48 | 0 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Five
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 | 11:00 a.m. | East Carolina | Georgia State | Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA | ESPNU | W 49–29 | 3,823 | |
| October 3 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas State | Costal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN2 | CCU 52–23 | 5,000 | |
| October 3 | 6:00 p.m. | Georgia Southern | Louisiana–Monroe | Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA | ESPN+ | GASO 35–30 | 6,338 | |
| October 3 | 7:00 p.m. | Troy | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | postponed | - | ||
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Six
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 10 | 11:00 a.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | ESPN2 | L 7–40 | 1,000 | |
| October 10 | 2:30 p.m. | Texas State | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPN3 | TROY 37–17 | 10,500 | |
| October 10 | 2:30 p.m. | Central Arkansas | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN3 | W 50–27 | 4,561 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Seven
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 14 | 6:30 p.m. | Costal Carolina | No. 21 Louisiana | Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA | ESPN | CCU 30–27 | 5,585 | |
| October 15 | 6:30 p.m. | Georgia State | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN | ARKST 59–52 | 5,496 | |
| October 17 | 11:00 a.m. | Texas State | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPNU | SOAL 30–20 | 5,142 | |
| October 17 | 2:30 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPN3 | W 31–29 | 10,500 | |
| October 17 | 3:00 p.m. | UMass | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPN2 | W 41–0 | 4,856 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Eight
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Arkansas State | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN | APPST 45–17 | 2,100 | |
| October 23 | 7:00 p.m. | Louisiana | UAB | Legion Field • Birmingham, AL | CBSSN | W 24–20 | 11,610 | |
| October 24 | 11:00 a.m. | Georgia Southern | No. 25 Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPNU | CCU 28–14 | 5,000 | |
| October 24 | 3:00 p.m. | Georgia State | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPNU | GSU 36–34 | 12,000 | |
| October 24 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPN+ | SOAL 38–14 | 5,186 | |
| October 24 | 9:15 p.m. | Texas State | No. 12 BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | ESPN | L 14–52 | 6,570 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Nine
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 29 | 6:30 p.m. | South Alabama | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPN | GASO 24–17 | 3,457 | |
| October 31 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 20 Coastal Carolina | Georgia State | Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA | ESPNU | CCU 51–0 | 3,642 | |
| October 31 | 2:00 p.m. | Troy | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN3 | TROY 38–10 | 6,757 | |
| October 31 | 3:00 p.m. | Appalachian State | Louisiana–Monroe | Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA | ESPNU | APPST 31–13 | 5,493 | |
| October 31 | 7:00 p.m. | Louisiana | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPNU | ULL 44–34 | 7,500 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Ten
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Georgia State | Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA | ESPN3 | GSU 52–34 | 2,921 | |
| November 7 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas State | Louisiana | Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA | ESPNU | ULL 27–20 | 5,585 | |
| November 7 | 12:00 p.m. | Troy | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPN3 | GASO 20–13 | 5,012 | |
| November 7 | 2:00 p.m. | Appalachian State | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPN+ | APPST 38–17 | 6,745 | |
| November 7 | 7:00 p.m. | South Alabama | No. 15 Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPNU | CCU 23–6 | 5,000 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Eleven
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 14 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 15 Coastal Carolina | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | postponed | - | ||
| November 14 | 1:00 p.m. | South Alabama | No. 25 Louisiana | Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA | ESPN+ | ULL 38–10 | 5,585 | |
| November 14 | 1:30 p.m. | Georgia State | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN+ | APPST 17–13 | 2,100 | |
| November 14 | 2:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | postponed | - | ||
| November 14 | 2:30 p.m. | Texas State | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPN3 | GASO 40–38 | 4,478 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Twelve
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 21 | 11:00 a.m. | Appalachian State | No. 15 Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN | CCU 34–23 | 5,000 | |
| November 21 | 11:00 a.m. | Arkansas State | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPN2 | TXST 47–45 | 5,218 | |
| November 21 | 11:00 a.m. | Georgia Southern | Army | Michie Stadium • West Point, NY | CBSSN | L 27–28 | 5,181 | |
| November 21 | 1:00 p.m. | Central Arkansas | No. 24 Louisiana | Cajun Field • Lafayette, LA | cancelled | - | ||
| November 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Georgia State | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPNU | GSU 31–14 | 5,224 | |
| November 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPN3 | L 17–20 | 12,000 | |
| November 21 | 3:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Louisiana Tech | Independence Stadium • Shreveport, LA | cancelled | - | ||
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Thirteen
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 28 | 11:00 a.m. | Georgia Southern | Georgia State | Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA (Modern Day Hate) | ESPN3 | GSU 30–24 | 4,523 | |
| November 28 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 23 Louisiana | Louisiana–Monroe | Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA (Battle on the Bayou) | ESPN3 | ULL 70–20 | 3,132 | |
| November 28 | 2:00 p.m. | South Alabama | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN3 | SOAL 38–31 | 4,013 | |
| November 28 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 16 Coastal Carolina | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | ESPN+ | CCU 49–14 | 3,245 | |
| November 28 | 2:30 p.m. | Troy | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN2 | APPST 47–10 | 2,100 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Fourteen
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 4 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 20 Louisiana | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | ESPN | ULL 24–21 | 2,170 | |
| December 5 | 1:00 p.m. | Troy | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL (Battle for the Belt) | ESPN3 | TROY 29–0 | 5,375 | |
| December 5 | 2:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN3 | ARKST 48–15 | 3,268 | |
| December 5 | 4:30 p.m. | No. 8 BYU | No. 14 Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPNU | W 22–17 | 5,000 | |
| December 5 | 5:00 p.m. | Florida Atlantic | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | ESPN+ | W 20–3 | - | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Fifteen
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 12 | 2:00 p.m. | #11 Coastal Carolina | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPN+ | CCU 42–38 | 11,000 | |
| December 12 | 2:00 p.m. | Incarnate Word | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | ESPN3 | cancelled | n/a | |
| December 12 | 5:00 p.m. | Appalachian State | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA (rivalry) | ESPN3 | APPST 34–26 | ||
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Week Sixteen
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 19 | 6:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Monroe | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | ESPN3 | cancelled | n/a | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Championship Game
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 19 | 2:30 p.m. | Louisiana | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN | cancelled | n/a | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Central Time. | ||||||||
Postseason
Bowl Games
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Sun Belt win | |
| Sun Belt loss | |
| Bowl game | Date | Site | Television | Time (CST) | Sun Belt team | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myrtle Beach Bowl | December 21 | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | ESPN | 1:30 p.m. | Appalachian State | North Texas | W 56–28 | 5,000 |
| New Orleans Bowl | December 23 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome • New Orleans, LA | ESPN | 2:00 p.m. | Georgia Southern | Louisiana Tech | W 38–3 | 3,000 |
| First Responder Bowl | December 26 | Gerald J. Ford Stadium • University Park, TX | ABC | 2:30 p.m. | No. 16 Louisiana | UTSA | W 31–24 | 3,512 |
| LendingTree Bowl | December 26 | Ladd–Peebles Stadium • Mobile, AL | ESPN | 2:30 p.m. | Georgia State | Western Kentucky | W 39–21 | 5,128 |
| Cure Bowl | December 26 | Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL | ESPN | 6:30 p.m. | No. 9 Coastal Carolina | No. 23 Liberty | L 34–37 OT | 4,488 |
Sun Belt records vs. other conferences
2020–2021 records against non-conference foes:
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Regular season
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Sun Belt vs Power Five matchups
This is a list of games the Sun Belt has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac-12, BYU/Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.
| Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Big 12 | Louisiana | No. 23 Iowa State | Jack Trice Stadium • Ames, IA | W, 31–14 |
| September 12 | Big 12 | Arkansas State | Kansas State | Bill Snyder Family Stadium • Manhattan, KS | W, 35–31 |
| September 12 | Big 12 | Coastal Carolina | Kansas | David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium • Lawrence, KS | W, 38–23 |
| September 26 | ACC | Texas State | Boston College | Alumni Stadium • Chestnut Hill, MA | L, 21–24 |
| September 26 | Independent | Troy | No. 18 BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | L, 7–48 |
| October 24 | Independent | Texas State | No. 12 BYU | LaVell Edwards Stadium • Provo, UT | L, 14–52 |
| December 5 | Independent | No. 8 BYU | No. 14 Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | W, 22–17 |
Sun Belt vs Group of Five matchups
The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against teams from the American, C-USA, MAC or Mountain West.
| Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3 | C-USA | South Alabama | Southern Miss | M. M. Roberts Stadium • Hattiesburg, MS | W, 32–21 |
| September 5 | American | SMU | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | L, 24–31 |
| September 5 | American | Arkansas State | Memphis | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium • Memphis, TN | L, 24–37 |
| September 12 | C-USA | Charlotte | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | W, 35–20 |
| September 12 | C-USA | UTSA | Texas State | Bobcat Stadium • San Marcos, TX | L, 48–512OT |
| September 12 | American | Tulane | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | L, 24–27 |
| September 19 | C-USA | No. 23 Appalachian State | Marshall | Joan C. Edwards Stadium • Huntington, WV | L, 7–17 |
| September 19 | C-USA | Troy | Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN | W, 47–14 |
| September 24 | C-USA | UAB | South Alabama | Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL | L, 10–42 |
| September 26 | C-USA | UTEP | Louisiana–Monroe | Malone Stadium • Monroe, LA | L, 6–31 |
| October 3 | American | East Carolina | Georgia State | Center Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GA | W, 49–29 |
| October 23 | C-USA | Louisiana | UAB | Legion Field • Birmingham, AL | W, 24–20 |
| November 21 | C-USA | Middle Tennessee | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | L 17–20 |
| December 5 | C-USA | Florida Atlantic | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | W, 20–3 |
Sun Belt vs FBS independents matchups
The following games include Sun Belt teams competing against FBS Independents, which includes Army, Liberty, New Mexico State, UConn, or UMass.
| Date | Conference | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Independents | Louisiana–Monroe | Army | Michie Stadium • West Point, NY | L, 7–37 |
| October 10 | Independents | Louisiana–Monroe | Liberty | Williams Stadium • Lynchburg, VA | L, 7–40 |
| October 17 | Independents | UMass | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | W, 41–0 |
| November 21 | Independents | Georgia Southern | Army | Michie Stadium • West Point, NY | L, 27–28 |
Sun Belt vs FCS matchups
| Date | Visitor | Home | Site | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Campbell | Georgia Southern | Allen E. Paulson Stadium • Statesboro, GA | W, 26–27 |
| September 18 | Campbell | Coastal Carolina | Brooks Stadium • Conway, SC | W, 43–21 |
| September 26 | Campbell | Appalachian State | Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC | W, 52–21 |
| October 10 | Central Arkansas | Arkansas State | Centennial Bank Stadium • Jonesboro, AR | W, 50–27 |
| October 17 | Eastern Kentucky | Troy | Veterans Memorial Stadium • Troy, AL | W, 31–29 |
Awards and honors
Players of the week
| Week | Offensive | Defensive | Special Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Position | Player | Team | Position | Player | Team | Position | |||||
| Week 1 | Jalen Tolbert | South Alabama | WR | Nick Mobley | South Alabama | LB | Blake Grupe | Arkansas State | K | ||||
| Week 2 | Jonathan Adams Jr. | Arkansas State | WR | Ferrod Gardner | Louisiana | LB | Chris Smith | Louisiana | KR | ||||
| Week 3 | Elijah Mitchell | Louisiana | RB | Silas Kelly | Coastal Carolina | LB | Rhys Byrns | Louisiana | P | ||||
| Week 4 | Daetrich Harrington | Appalachian State | RB | Lorenzo McCaskill | Louisiana | LB | Nate Snyder | Louisiana | K | ||||
| Week 5 | Grayson McCall | Coastal Carolina | QB | Antavaious Lane | Georgia State | S | NaJee Thompson | Georgia Southern | WR | ||||
| Week 6 | Gunnar Watson | Troy | QB | Justin Rice | Arkansas State | LB | Ryan Hanson | Arkansas State | P | ||||
| Week 7 | Jonathan Adams Jr. | Arkansas State | WR | Riley Cole | South Alabama | LB | Massimo Biscardi | Coastal Carolina | K | ||||
| Week 8 | Kawaan Baker Zac Thomas |
South Alabama Appalachian State |
WR QB |
Jordan Strachan | Georgia State | LB | Chris Smith | Louisiana | KR | ||||
| Week 9 | Grayson McCall | Coastal Carolina | QB | Tarron Jackson | Coastal Carolina | DE | Seth Keller | Texas State | K | ||||
| Week 10 | Cornelious Brown IV | Georgia State | QB | Tarron Jackson | Coastal Carolina | DE | Jack Martin | Troy | P | ||||
| Week 11 | Levi Lewis | Louisiana | QB | D'Marco Jackson | Appalachian State | LB | Jeremiah Haydel | Texas State | KR | ||||
| Week 12 | Brady McBride | Texas State | QB | C. J. Brewer | Coastal Carolina | DT | Chandler Staton | Appalachian State | K | ||||
| Week 13 | Jalen Tolbert | South Alabama | WR | Tarron Jackson | Coastal Carolina | DE | Noel Ruiz | Georgia State | P | ||||
| Week 14 | Corey Rucker | Arkansas State | WR | Jeffrey Gunter | Coastal Carolina | BE | Khaleb Hood | Georgia Southern | PR | ||||
| Week 15 | Grayson McCall | Coastal Carolina | QB | Carlton Martial | Troy | LB | Jalen Virgil | Appalachian State | KR | ||||
Sun Belt individual awards
The following individuals received postseason honors as voted by the Sun Belt Conference football coaches at the end of the season
| Award | Player | School |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Grayson McCall | Coastal Carolina |
| Offensive Player of the Year | Jonathan Adams | Arkansas State |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Tarron Jackson | Coastal Carolina |
| Freshman Player of the Year | Grayson McCall | Coastal Carolina |
| Newcomer of the Year | D'Jordan Strong | Coastal Carolina |
| Coach of the Year | Jamey Chadwell | Coastal Carolina |
All-conference teams
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All-Americans
The 2020 College Football All-America Teams are composed of the following College Football All-American first teams chosen by the following selector organizations: Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Walter Camp Foundation (WCFF), The Sporting News (TSN), Sports Illustrated (SI), USA Today (USAT) ESPN, CBS Sports (CBS), FOX Sports (FOX) College Football News (CFN), Bleacher Report (BR), Scout.com, Phil Steele (PS), SB Nation (SB), Athlon Sports, Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Yahoo! Sports (Yahoo!).
Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. Football consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.
| Position | Player | School | Selector | Unanimous | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Team All-Americans | |||||
| DE | Tarron Jackson | Coastal Carolina | AFCA, AP, Athletic, ESPN, FWAA | * | |
| RS | Jeremiah Haydel | Texas State | ESPN | ||
| RS | Chris Smith | Louisiana | CBS | ||
| Position | Player | School | Selector | Unanimous | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second Team All-Americans | |||||
| WR | Jonathan Adams Jr. | Arkansas State | AP, CBS, FWAA, TSN, USAT | ||
| G | Ryan Neuzil | Appalachian State | TSN | ||
| DE | Tarron Jackson | Coastal Carolina | CBS, TSN, USAT | ||
| LB | Justin Rice | Arkansas State | USAT | ||
| CB | Shemar Jean-Charles | Appalachian State | TSN | ||
| PR | Jeremiah Haydel | Texas State | FWAA, USAT | ||
| KR | Chris Smith | Louisiana | FWAA | ||
| Position | Player | School | Selector | Unanimous | Consensus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third Team All-Americans | |||||
| DT | C. J. Brewer | Coastal Carolina | AP | ||
NFL draft
The following list includes all Sun Belt Players who were drafted in the 2021 NFL draft
| Player | Position | School | Draft Round |
Round Pick |
Overall Pick |
Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shemar Jean-Charles | CB | Appalachian State | 5 | 34 | 178 | Green Bay Packers |
| Tarron Jackson | DE | Coastal Carolina | 6 | 7 | 191 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Elijah Mitchell | RB | Louisiana | 6 | 10 | 194 | San Francisco 49ers |
| Kawaan Baker | WR | South Alabama | 7 | 28 | 255 | New Orleans Saints |