Thundering Herd to join league no later than July 1, 2023
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marshall Athletics has accepted an invitation to join the Sun Belt Conference, the department announced Saturday. The Thundering Herd will join the league no later than July 1, 2023.
A press conference is set for Monday at the Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center in Huntington at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT and will include Marshall President Dr. Jerome A. Gilbert, Marshall President-Elect Brad D. Smith, Marshall Interim Director of Athletics Jeff O'Malley and Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. The event will be livestreamed here: www.marshall.edu/it/livestream.
Marshall University is a public research university located along the banks of the Ohio River in Huntington, West Virginia. Founded in 1837, the university has an enrollment of nearly 13,000 students and employs more than 3,000 people in the Tri-State region of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. U.S. News & World Report ranked Marshall University among its Best National Universities in 2020, and the school achieved a research milestone in 2018 when Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education selected Marshall University as an “R2” research institution – the second highest in the nation – which places the school among the top six percent of college universities in the nation.
The student-centered research university has campuses in Huntington, South Charleston, Point Pleasant, Teays Valley and Beckley. Marshall, which has 57 baccalaureate degree programs, 52 master’s degree programs and four doctoral degree programs, has more than 90,000 alumni. Marshall University Medicine has been a leading voice in the fight against the opioid epidemic, and the Marshall Sports Medicine Institute houses all of the disciplines related to sports medicine under one roof, providing advanced coordinated care. U.S. News also recognized the Brad D. Smith Schools of Business as being among the best undergraduate business schools in the nation.
The addition of Marshall will bring the number of Sun Belt members to 15, with the Thundering Herd joining current members—App State, Little Rock, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, UTA, Texas State and Troy—and new additions Southern Miss and Old Dominion, which were welcomed to the Sun Belt Conference this week.
The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. Over the course of the past five football seasons, the conference has posted an FBS-leading .692 winning percentage in bowl games, going 18-8 over the stretch.
The Sun Belt sponsors 17 NCAA sports and annually awards nearly $134 million in financial aid to more than 4,600 student-athletes. App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy comprise the league’s 10 football members. Little Rock and UTA compete as Sun Belt members in sports other than football.
What They’re Saying About Marshall’s Move to the Sun Belt Conference
Marshall President Jerome A. Gilbert
“Today is a time for a new beginning for Marshall Athletics. Conference USA has been good to us over the years, and we are grateful for that. But when conditions change and it is time to act, you have to look to the future. The Sun Belt will be good for the future of Marshall Athletics, and I am excited that we are going in this new direction. Go Herd.”
Marshall University President-Elect Brad D. Smith
“Marshall is well positioned for an exciting future in the Sun Belt Conference. Our brand, our athletic programs and our incredible fans earned this opportunity. This is a strong move forward for our university, our athletes and our fans.”
Marshall Interim Director of Athletics Jeff O’Malley
“We’re excited for Marshall University to begin a new era in the Sun Belt Conference. During our comprehensive and thoughtful discussions over the past weeks and months, it became clear that the Sun Belt offered a perfect fit for our school and athletic department. There’s an energy in the league that meshes nostalgic rivalries with new opponents that will delight our fan base.
“Marshall was uniquely positioned in this round of realignment because of the number of options we had, which is a testament to our strong national brand, reputation and passionate fan base.
“I want to express my gratitude and appreciation to Conference USA for a great relationship over the years. Thank you.”
Keith Gill, Sun Belt Commissioner
“Today we welcome Marshall University to the Sun Belt Conference. This is another big day for our conference. Marshall’s football tradition and passionate fans bring a strong presence to the Sun Belt. Their natural rivals are in our footprint and make our East Division even more competitive than it already was. I am grateful to Marshall President Dr. Jerome Gilbert, Chairman of the Marshall Board of Governors Patrick Farrell and Interim Athletics Director Jeff O’Malley for their leadership during this process and look forward to working closely with President-Elect Brad D. Smith.”
Dr. Kelly Damphousse, Chancellor at Arkansas State University and President of the SBC Board of Directors
“Amid national realignment discussions, our presidents and chancellors have expressed confidence in the SBC leadership and our member configuration (especially with the recent additions of Southern Miss and Old Dominion). As I shared with MU leadership, the Sun Belt CEOs believe that Marshall University mirrors our conference’s athletics and academic missions, while also capitalizing on regionality goals. My colleagues and I look forward to welcoming President-Elect Brad D. Smith and the Herd to the Sun Belt Conference!”
