2016 Sun Belt Conference football season

2016 Sun Belt Conference football season
League NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Sport Football
Duration September 1, 2016
through January 2017
Number of teams 11
Regular season
2016 Sun Belt football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
Appalachian State +   7 – 1         9 – 3  
Arkansas State +   7 – 1         7 – 5  
Troy   6 – 2         9 – 3  
Idaho   6 – 2         8 – 4  
Louisiana–Lafayette   5 – 3         6 – 6  
Georgia Southern   4 – 4         5 – 7  
Louisiana–Monroe   3 – 5         4 – 8  
South Alabama   2 – 6         6 – 6  
Georgia State   2 – 6         3 – 9  
New Mexico State   2 – 6         3 – 9  
Texas State   0 – 8         2 – 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
As of December 6, 2016; Rankings from AP Poll

The 2016 Sun Belt Conference football season represents the 16th season of football for the Sun Belt conference taking place during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The season began on September 1 with Appalachian State facing Tennessee.[1] This is the third season for the Sun Belt under realignment that took place in 2014, which added the tenth and eleventh members – Idaho and New Mexico State. Both teams were previously an independent before joining the conference. The Sun Belt Conference is a "Group of Five" conference under the College Football Playoff format along with the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA, the Mid-American Conference, and the Mountain West Conference.

The Sun Belt consists of 11 members: Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Idaho, Louisiana–Lafayette, Louisiana–Monroe, New Mexico State, South Alabama, Texas State, and Troy; and whoever is on the top of the standings in conference play are crown winners of the conference.

Arkansas State enters the season as defending Sun Belt champions as they went undefeated in conference play. The Red Wolves would then go on to lose to Louisiana Tech in the New Orleans Bowl 28–47.[2]

Preseason

2016 predictions

The 2016 preseason coaches predictions were released on July 21, 2016 with the vote conducted by the head football coaches of each conference school. Appalachian State was picked to win the conference for the first time in school history. After coming second in the conference last year which resulted a trip to the Camellia Bowl, the Mountaineers will return 22 starters on the field for the upcoming season. As a runner up the media predicts Arkansas State to overcome the other 9 teams in the division. Arkansas State has claimed their 4th title in the last five years including last season. The Red Wolves will bring back six starters on offense and seven starters on defense.

Below are the results of the coaches poll with total points received next to each school and first-place votes in parentheses.

  • 1. Appalachian State – 114 (5)
  • 2. Arkansas State – 110 (5)
  • 3. Georgia Southern – 98 (1)
  • 4. Georgia State – 73
  • 5. Louisiana–Lafayette – 70
  • 6. Troy – 70
  • 7. South Alabama – 62
  • 8. Idaho – 48
  • 9. New Mexico State – 37
  • 10. Texas State – 30
  • 11. Louisiana–Monroe – 14

References:[3]

Sun Belt vs other Conferences

Sun Belt vs Power Conference matchups

This is a list of the power conference teams (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) Sun Belt plays in non-conference (Rankings from the AP Poll):

Date Visitor Home Site Score
September 1 Appalachian State #9 Tennessee (SEC) Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN L 13–20 OT
September 3 South Alabama Mississippi State (SEC) Davis Wade Stadium • Starkville, MS W 21–20
September 10 Arkansas State Auburn (SEC) Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL L 14–51
September 10 Idaho #8 Washington (Pac-12) Husky Stadium • Seattle, WA L 14–59
September 10 Troy #2 Clemson (ACC) Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC L 24–30
September 10 Louisiana–Monroe #14 Oklahoma (Big 12) Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium • Norman, OK L 17–59
September 17 Miami (ACC) Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium • Boone, NC L 45-10
September 17 Georgia State Wisconsin (Big Ten) Camp Randall Stadium • Madison, WI L 17–23
September 17 Idaho Washington State (Pac-12) Martin Stadium • Pullman, WA L 6–56
September 17 New Mexico State Kentucky (SEC) Commonwealth Stadium • Lexington, KY L 42–62
September 17 Texas State Arkansas (SEC) Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium • Fayetteville, AR L 3–42
October 1 Louisiana–Monroe Auburn (SEC) Jordan–Hare Stadium • Auburn, AL L 7–58
October 15 Georgia Southern Georgia Tech (ACC) Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA L 24–35
October 29 New Mexico State Texas A&M (SEC) Kyle Field • College Station, TX L 10–52
November 5 Georgia Southern Ole Miss (SEC) Vaught–Hemingway Stadium • Oxford, MS L 27–37
November 19 South Alabama LSU (SEC) Tiger Stadium • Baton Rouge, LA
November 19 Louisiana–Lafayette Georgia (SEC) Sanford Stadium • Athens, GA

2016 records against non-conference opponents

Regular Season

Power 5 Conferences Record
ACC 0–1
Big Ten 0–0
Big 12 0–1
Pac-12 0–1
SEC 1–2
Power 5 Total 1–5
Other FBS Conferences Record
American 0–0
Conference USA 1–1
Independents 0–0
MAC 1–2
Mountain West 1–2
Other FBS Total 3–5
FCS Opponents Record
Football Championship Subdivision 5–0
Total Non-Conference Record 9–10

Post Season

Power 5 Conferences Record
ACC 0–0
Big Ten 0–0
Big 12 0–0
Pac-12 0–0
SEC 0–0
Power 5 Total 0–0
Other FBS Conferences Record
American 0–0
Conference USA 0–0
Independents 0–0
MAC 0–0
Mountain West 0–0
Other FBS Total 0–0
Total Bowl Record 0–0

Home attendance

Team Stadium (Capacity) Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7 Total Average % of Capacity
Appalachian State Kidd Brewer Stadium (24,050) 23,374 34,658 24,782 26,931 28,472 18,699 — 156,916 26,152 108.74%
Arkansas State Centennial Bank Stadium (30,382) 26,182 28,012 19,381 22,277 20,170 20,178 — 136,200 22,700 74.72%
Georgia Southern Paulson Stadium (25,000) 21,250 25,735 23,474 16,786 — — 87,245 21,811 87.25%
Georgia State Georgia Dome (28,155) 12,233 13,179 15,223 13,363 13,106 23,513 — 90,617 15,102 53.64%
Idaho Kibbie Dome (16,000) 11,987 13,392 10,278 9,049 — — 44,706 11,176 69.85%
Louisiana–Lafayette Cajun Field (36,900) 22,661 26,891 19,208 16,960 21,367 14,259 — 121,346 20,224 54.81%
Louisiana–Monroe Malone Stadium (30,427) 24,718 9,524 12,735 16,073 — — 63,050 15,762 51.8%
New Mexico State Aggie Memorial Stadium (30,343) 17,852 8,142 10,085 6,280 5,366 — — 47,725 9,545 31.46%
South Alabama Ladd Peebles Stadium (33,471) 17,691 13,086 14,741 30,837 11,565 11,017 98,937 16,489 49.26%
Texas State Bobcat Stadium (30,000) 33,133 22,845 18,278 15,314 8,010 — 97,580 19,560 65.05%
Troy Veterans Memorial Stadium (30,000) 18,885 21,146 23,913 21,763 25,782 23,764 — 135,253 22,542 75.14%

Bold – Exceed capacity
†Season High

References

  1. ↑ "2016 Sun Belt Football Schedule Announced". sunbeltsports.org. 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  2. ↑ "Louisiana Tech, Kenneth Dixon topple Arkansas State in New Orleans Bowl, 47-28". NOLA.com. New Orleans, LA. The Times-Picayune. December 20, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Mountaineers Picked to Win League Title in 2016". Sun Belt Conference. July 21, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
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