San Marcos, Texas – Texas State officially joined the Sun Belt Conference at 12:01 a.m., on July 1, 2013 ushering a new era in Bobcat athletics.
Texas State and fellow newcomers UT Arlington and Georgia State join a Sun Belt that retains Arkansas Little Rock, Arkansas State, Louisiana Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama, Troy and Western Kentucky, giving the league 10 teams for the 2013-14 season. UALR and UT Arlington will compete as non-football members.
In 2014-15 the league will add four more universities as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern will officially join as all-sports members and Idaho and New Mexico State will be added as football playing members.
The Sun Belt Conference is a member of the 10-league alliance of the Bowl Championship Series and soon-to-be College Football Playoff. This past season the SBC sent four teams to postseason bowl games – the league's highest total since it began sponsoring football in 2001. The SBC also posted a 7-2 record against Conference USA and tallied the highest non-conference win total in league history (19). This success led to the conference having its highest ever ranking in the BCS computer poll average – finishing ahead of both CUSA and the Mountain West Conference.
The conference also recently unveiled its new logo and brand after a nearly yearlong examination of the impact, sustainability and core values associated with the Sun Belt Conference. "Together We Rise" is the new mantra for the conference and it is the foundation and essence of the contemporary logo that the league will now be identified with.
The Sun Belt has been in existence since 1976 and has a permanent seat on the NCAA's 18-member Board of Directors, giving the conference a crucial voice on some of the most pressing issues in college athletics and will always have a role in the implementation of any future NCAA legislation and guidelines.
The league's headquarters are in New Orleans, La., site of the 2014 Sun Belt Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament along with the R&L Carriers Bowl which the league has a tie-in with.
To purchase season tickets so you can watch the Bobcats play against members of the Sun Belt Conference and other opponents visit txstatebobcats.com/tickets or call 512-245-2272.
What They're Saying About the Sun Belt Conference
President Denise M. Trauth
"Texas State's entry into the Sun Belt represents a major milestone for our intercollegiate athletics program. We look forward to exciting new rivalries with the other Sun Belt schools."
Director of Athletics Larry Teis
"We are very excited to join the Sun Belt Conference. If you look at their success the past few years, the league has improved tremendously in all areas. Last season they had four bowl teams in football and recently four teams played in the NCAA post-season baseball tournament. Geographically, we are also in a conference with two teams from Texas, two from Arkansas, and two from Louisiana. Teams in the East are also nice places for our fans to visit and provide us additional regions to recruit quality student-athletes.'
Head Football Coach Dennis Franchione
"Joining Sun Belt Conference this year is exciting for us because it is a conference where I feel we will be for a while and that is good for us. The geography is a good fit for us and we have a history with Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette and Troy. It is a good football conference with four bowl teams from last season coming back. We are excited about the opportunity to play them."
Head Men's Basketball Coach Danny Kaspar
"This is an exciting time for Texas State athletics. Our inclusion in the Sun Belt Conference will bring exciting competition to San Marcos. It should provide for many sensational football, basketball and baseball contests."
Head Women's Basketball Coach Zenarae Antoine
"Moving into the Sunbelt conference is exciting for Bobcat Women's Basketball. The Sunbelt Conference traditionally has had multiple programs have post season play and they have consistently won games in head-to-head matches with BCS level programs."
Head Baseball Coach Ty Harrington
"It's exciting. They had four teams in the regionals this season, and, traditionally, it's a tremendous baseball conference. It's an outstanding opportunity for our program. The Sun Belt is full of great players and great coaches, and we're excited about it."
To see the Sun Belt Conference Preview and Countdown to July 1st visit txstatebobcats.com/sunbeltpreview.
