The 2021 Sun Belt Conference football season was the 21st season of college football play for the Sun Belt Conference. The season began September 2, 2021 and concluded with its championship game on December 4, 2021. It was part of the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Sun Belt Conference consists of 10 football members split into two divisions. The conference released its schedule on March 1, 2021.[1]
Previous season
The 2020 season saw Coastal Carolina win the East Division, while Louisiana won the West Division. The Conference Championship game was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the two teams were declared co-champions.[2] Coastal Carolina advanced to the Cure Bowl, where they lost in overtime to Liberty.[3] Louisiana advanced to the First Responder Bowl, where they defeated UTSA.[4]
The Preseason Media Poll was released on July 20. Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State tied as the favorites for the East Division, while Louisiana was favored to win the West Division.[8]
East
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
T1
Coastal Carolina
44 (6)
T1
Appalachian State
44 (4)
3
Georgia State
24
4
Georgia Southern
20
5
Troy
18
West
Predicted finish
Team
Votes (1st place)
1
Louisiana
49 (9)
2
Arkansas State
38 (1)
3
South Alabama
27
4
Texas State
25
5
Louisiana–Monroe
11
Preseason awards
The following list contains players and coaches included on preseason watch lists for national awards.
On September 26, Georgia Southern announced that they had fired Chad Lunsford. Georgia Southern named cornerbacks coach Kevin Whitley as the interim head coach.[32] Former USC head coach Clay Helton was later announced as the permanent replacement for Lunsford beginning in 2022.
On November 21, Troy announced that they had fired Chip Lindsey. Troy named defensive coordinator Brandon Hall as the interim head coach.[33] On December 3, the school announced Kentucky defensive coordinator Jon Sumrall as the new permanent head coach.[34]
Post-season changes
On November 28, Billy Napier announced that he would become the new head coach at Florida in the Southeastern Conference starting in 2022. On December 5, Louisiana promoted assistant head coach Michael Desormeaux to head coach, beginning with the school's season-ending bowl game.
Rankings
Pre
Wk 1
Wk 2
Wk 3
Wk 4
Wk 5
Wk 6
Wk 7
Wk 8
Wk 9
Wk 10
Wk 11
Wk 12
Wk 13
Wk 14
Final
Appalachian State
AP
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
C
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
Arkansas State
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Coastal Carolina
AP
22
17
16
17
16
15
15
14
24
21
22
RV
RV
C
24
19
18
17
16т
15
15
16
24
21
21
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
CFP
Not released
Georgia Southern
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Georgia State
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Louisiana
AP
23
RV
RV
RV
24
24
22
23
20
16
16
C
23
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
RV
25
21
23
21
17
18
CFP
Not released
24
23
Louisiana–Monroe
AP
C
CFP
Not released
South Alabama
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Texas State
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Troy
AP
C
CFP
Not released
Legend
Improvement in ranking
Drop in ranking
Not ranked previous week
No change in ranking from previous week
RV
Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
т
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
Currently, the NCAA compiles consensus all-America teams in the sports of Division I-FBS football and Division I men's basketball using a point system computed from All-America teams named by coaches associations or media sources. The system consists of three points for a first-team honor, two points for second-team honor, and one point for third-team honor. Honorable mention and fourth team or lower recognitions are not accorded any points. Football consensus teams are compiled by position and the player accumulating the most points at each position is named first team consensus all-American. Currently, the NCAA recognizes All-Americans selected by the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN, and the WCFF to determine Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans. Any player named to the First Team by all five of the NCAA-recognized selectors is deemed a Unanimous All-American.
^"Sun Belt Conference Unveils 2021 Football Schedule". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. March 1, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^"Sun Belt Conference Championship Football Game Canceled". sunbeltsport.org. Sun Belt Conference. December 17, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^"Liberty Takes Down Coastal Carolina in Wild Cure Bowl Win" Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
^"Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns win another nail-biter, beating UTSA 31-24 at First Responder Bowl" Daily Advertiser. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
^"Camerun Peoples Sets Bowl Rushing Mark, App State Tops North Texas in Myrtle Beach Bowl" Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
^"Georgia Southern 38, Louisiana Tech 3: Bulldogs' win streak ends at New Orleans Bowl" The New Star. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
^"Quad Brown leads Georgia State to LendingTree Bowl win" Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2021-12-03.
^"Sun Belt Announces Football Preseason Awards & Poll". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
^"Lott IMPACT Trophy announces 2021 watch list". June 15, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
^"2021 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List Announced". July 13, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
^"2021 Maxwell Award Watch List – Maxwell Football Club". July 19, 2021.
^"2021 Bednarik Award Watch List – Maxwell Football Club". July 19, 2021.
^"Davey O'Brien Award Announces 30-Player Preseason Watch List". July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
^"2021 Doak Walker Award Candidates". www.smu.eduaccess-date=July 21, 2021. July 21, 2021.
^"2021 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List Released". July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
^"2021 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released". July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
^"Rimington Trophy Press Release". July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
^"2020 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List Released". July 26, 2021. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
^"2021 Outland Trophy Award Watchlist Unveiled". July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
^"2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watchlist Unveiled". July 27, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
^"Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award Announces 2021 Preseason Watch List". July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
^"57 PLAYERS NAMED TO 2021 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". July 29, 2021. Archived from the original on July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
^"Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2021 Watch List". July 29, 2021. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
^"Walter Camp Foundation Announces 2021 Player of the Year Preseason Watch List". July 30, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
^"Allstate Sugar Bowl announces Manning Award Watch List". August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^"Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award announces 2021 Preseason Watch List" (PDF). August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
^"Ray Guy Award announces 2021 Preseason Watch List". August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
^"The 2021 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Announces 2021 Preseason Watch List". August 19, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
^Low, Chris (December 12, 2020). "Butch Jones credits Alabama experience for helping him land Arkansas State head-coaching job". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^Rittenberg, Adam; Schlabach, Mark (December 23, 2020). "Terry Bowden named Louisiana-Monroe football coach". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^Stephenson, Creg (January 7, 2021). "South Alabama football coach Kane Wommack completes on-field staff". al.com. Advance Local Media, LLC. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^"Georgia Southern Makes a Leadership Change Within the Football Program". Georgia Southern Eagles. September 26, 2021. Archived from the original on September 26, 2021.
^Thamel, Pete (November 21, 2021). "Sources: Troy expected to fire coach Chip Lindsey". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
^Stephenson, Creg (December 3, 2021). "Troy hires Jon Sumrall as head football coach". al.com. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
^"Arkansas State's Rucker, Troy's Williams & Georgia Southern's Williams Earn Sun Belt Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 6, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2021.
^"Coastal Carolina's White & Stewart & South Alabama's Guajardo Claim Sun Belt Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
^"Louisiana's Johnson, Troy's Solomon & ULM's Sutherland Earn Sun Belt Weekly Nods". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 20, 2021.
^"App State's Noel, ULM's Williams & Arkansas State's Lamar Claim Sun Belt Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. September 27, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
^"Georgia Southern's Wright, App State's Jackson & Louisiana's Smith Capture Sun Belt Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
^"Coastal Carolina's Likely, Texas State's Tupou & Troy's Buce Earn Sun Belt Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
^"South Alabama's Bentley, Troy's Martial & ULM's Sutherland Reap Sun Belt Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
^"ULM's Rogers, App State's Taylor & Staton Capture Sun Belt Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.com. Sun Belt Conference. October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
^"Coastal Carolina's McCall, App State's Cobb & Arkansas State's Lamar Earn Sun Belt Weekly Nods". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 1, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
^"Texas State's Vitt, App State's Jones & Coastal Carolina's Spillum Claim Sun Belt Weekly Awards". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
^"Georgia State's Grainger, Georgia Southern's Robinson II & Arkansas State's Grupe Earn Sun Belt Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
^"Coastal Carolina's McCall & Louisiana's Manac & Cambre Claim Sun Belt Weekly Honors". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 22, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2021.
^"Coastal Carolina's Jones & Kelly & App State's Virgil Earn Sun Belt Weekly Accolades". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
^ a b"Sun Belt Announces 2021 Football Postseason Awards & All-Conference Teams". sunbeltsports.org. Sun Belt Conference. December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.