App State (Boone, N.C.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The Appalachian State Mountaineers followed Southern to the Sun Belt after the 2013 season, keeping the heated rivalry alive and well. App’s football program rivaled Georgia Southern’s while in the FCS ranks, winning three national titles. The meeting this season will be a Thursday night home game featured on ESPN U.[/one_half_last]

Arkansas State (Jonesboro, Ark.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The Red Wolves of Arkansas State have sported coaches that have gone on to have success in the Southeastern Conference, including Ole Miss Head Coach Hugh Freeze and Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn. The team has also enjoyed recent success, going to three bowl games the last three seasons and winning two.[/one_half_last]

Georgia State (Atlanta)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The not-so-secret rivalry between the student bodies of GSU and, well, GSU has another reason to crank up this football season. Georgia State played its first Sun Belt football schedule a year ago and has struggled out of the gate. The young program has only been around since 2009 and won zero games in 2013, its first FBS season. Needless to say, Oct. 25 in the Georgia Dome will be marked on calendars in Statesboro and Atlanta.[/one_half_last]

Idaho (Moscow, Idaho)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The Vandals of Idaho certainly will win the award for most traveled Sun Belt team in 2014, with its closest conference opponent residing over 1,400 miles away. The team came to the Sun Belt after experiencing last season as a Division I Independent. Idaho is also a football-only member of the Sun Belt as of 2014, and was a previous member of the Sun Belt from 2001-2004.[/one_half_last]

UL Lafayette (Lafayette, La.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The Ragin’ Cajuns were a unanimous pick to take home the Sun Belt title in 2014. The program has racked up 27 wins over the last three seasons while winning three-consecutive bowl games in the process. Lafayette is one of the longest-tenured members of the conference, having joined in 2001.[/one_half_last]

UL Monroe (Monroe, La.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]Monroe, also having been a Sun Belt member since 2001, saw its most recent success in 2012 with an eight-win season that included an overtime victory over Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Warhawks also appeared in their first FBS bowl game that season, falling to Ohio in the Independence Bowl.[/one_half_last]

New Mexico State (Las Cruces, N.M.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The Aggies, who have begun a second stint with the Sun Belt, are back in 2014. New Mexico State is 2-0-1 all-time in bowl games, but has not appeared in one since 1960.[/one_half_last]

South Alabama (Mobile, Ala.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]South Alabama played its inaugural football season in 2009 and sports an overall record of 31-21 under Head Coach Joey Jones.[/one_half_last]

Texas State (San Marcos, Texas)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]The Bobcats left the Western Athletic Conference after 2012 to join the Sun Belt. Finishing 6-6 last season, the team went through some similar situations that Southern and App State will most likely experience in 2014. Texas State is now one of the largest universities in the state of Texas.[/one_half_last]

Troy (Troy, Ala.)

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[one_half_last padding=”30px 0 0 2px”]Like Texas State, Troy also finished 6-6 in 2013. The Trojans, who have been members in the Sun Belt since 2006, have had several notable players make to the NFL, including Atlanta Falcons DE Osi Umenyiora.[/one_half_last]

All logos pictured here came from SunBeltSports.org.