James Madison’s decision to leave the Sun Belt Conference for the American Conference has raised questions about the league’s future, but conference officials say they remain committed to the regional structure that has helped fuel its recent success.
The Dukes, who joined the Sun Belt in 2022, quickly established themselves as one of the conference’s top football programs. Their departure follows Texas State’s exit for the Pac-12, while Louisiana Tech joined the Sun Belt following Texas State’s departure.
In a statement released Oct. 12, Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill pointed to the conference’s success since expanding to 14 football-playing members.
“Since expanding to 14 football-playing members, the Sun Belt Conference has experienced the best four-year stretch in the conference’s 50-year history,” Gill said.