Southern Miss makes move to Sun Belt official
NEW ORLEANS (BVM) — More moves continue to shake up the landscape of the NCAA.
Current CUSA member Southern Mississippi announced last week that the university has accepted the Sun Belt Conference’s invitation to join the conference.
And on Tuesday, the Golden Eagles made the move official.
𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 ☀️
🔗» https://t.co/vcB1qS7hBW
📺» https://t.co/MNbyr7rWQB#SMTTT | @SunBelt pic.twitter.com/tU5TsHK1Bz— Southern Miss🔝 (@USMGoldenEagles) October 26, 2021
“Membership in the Sun Belt Conference is an exciting opportunity for The University of Southern Mississippi, for our student-athletes, for our alumni and fans, and for the University’s host communities,” Southern Miss. President Rodney Bennett said in a press release. “This move will allow Southern Miss student-athletes to compete in what is fast-becoming the best Group of Five conference in the country and will provide greater visibility for the University’s championship athletics programs.”
Along with the president of the university, head football coach Will Hall was excited about the move to the Sun Belt.
Will Hall’s reaction to Southern Miss moving to the Sun Belt.
“Awww man…really..really fired up.”#SMTTT #AIE pic.twitter.com/pKeSf9XyDS
— Dima Mixon (@dima_mixon) October 26, 2021
Southern Mississippi’s move to the Sun Belt now brings the total of teams to 13. But there could be more teams on the way. The conference has also invited current CUSA members Marshall, Old Dominion. They also invited FCS school James Madison. But those schools have yet to make an official stance on the invitation.
Whatever happens down the road, Southern Mississippi and the Sun Belt are looking forward to a successful partnership.
“Today is a great day for Southern Miss. I want to thank Commissioner Gill and the Board of Directors within the Sun Belt for their faith in our institution and our ability to add value to the conference,” Southern Mississippi Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain said in the release. “We are excited about adding our rich tradition of success and passionate fan base to a conference that values those attributes and look forward to working together to continue to elevate the Sun Belt on the national stage.”
The Golden Eagles will make the move no later than July 1, 2023.
