Stop Wasting Time And Start ANALYSIS | ESPN IS HELPING TURN SUN BELT FOOTBALL INTO MUST-SEE TV: When it comes to college football coverage, it doesn’t get bigger than ESPN. The cable network’s self-proclaimed “world leader in sports” has been the standard for showing college football for decades. Not only do they have the authority to cover four of the five Power 5 conferences, but thanks to shows like College Gameday and College Football Finals, ESPN has maintained its influence on college football and how many understand it. If a school is chosen to host a college gameday or a player in a college football final gets a helmet sticker, that’s a big deal.
Why You Really Need (A) ANALYSIS | ESPN IS HELPING TURN SUN BELT FOOTBALL INTO MUST-SEE TV
It’s worth noting that after an off-season filled with major conference realignments, ESPN has begun its coverage this season focusing on one convention in particular: the Sun Belt Conference.
Fans of 14 Sun Belt Schools have been aware of the potential of this new convention for almost a year. With JMU, Marshall, Old Dominion, and Southern Miss officially joining the convention in early July this year, the excitement for this season is clear and ESPN has taken notice.
While on-screen, ESPN’s coverage did not highlight the Sun Belt in the first place; Off camera, ESPN’s relationship with the conference has grown rapidly. At the Sun Belt Media Days on July 26, 2022, convention commissioner Keith Gill announced that the convention had expanded its media rights agreement with ESPN to include 6,000 Sun Belt events across the ESPN network.
“This new agreement is a recognition of our commitment to the development of the Sun Belt Conference and to excellence in all sports,” Gill said at the news conference announcing the agreement.
ESPN may have recognized Sun Belt’s growth, but the company’s business deals do not affect what journalists working for ESPN choose to cover. (Stop Wasting Time And Start ANALYSIS | ESPN IS HELPING TURN SUN BELT FOOTBALL INTO MUST-SEE TV) Despite this, ESPN reporters were given a very good reason to cover the convention as soon as the season began.
In the first Sun Belt game of the season
In the first Sun Belt game of the season, Old Dominion eliminated state rival Virginia Tech, the Sun Belt’s first upset on a Power 5 team this season. It came more quickly: The next day, JMU began its first FBS season with a 44–7 victory over Middle Tennessee State. (Stop Wasting Time And Start ANALYSIS | ESPN IS HELPING TURN SUN BELT FOOTBALL INTO MUST-SEE TV) That game led to ESPN’s first major Sun Belt recognition: a helmet decal given to graduate QB Todd Santio by Matty Barry in the college football finals.
While enthusiasm for the convention was slowly gaining steam in the first week, it exploded in week 2.
In the span of a few hours, Sun Belt arranged three Power 5 upsets. First, Marshall beat No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, followed by Georgia, before Appalachian State beat No. 6 Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. Southern ended the day by beating Nebraska at Lincoln.
Seemingly overnight, the Sun Belts became the most popular conference in college football.
“[Last week] was just a banner week for Sun Belt football, and it’s great that we were able to show it on national television the way we have,” Gill said during the conference’s weekly coach call,
Marshall and Appalachian State not only received team helmet decals in the college football finals but the Mountaineers were selected to host the college gameday for Saturday’s matchup against Troy; This is only the second time Gameday has gone to the Sun Belt school, the first in 2020 being Coast Carolina.
With one day left in the first week of conference play, ESPN’s focus is entirely on the Sun Belt.
“Gameday will be like a big infomercial showcasing Sun Belt football.” Gill said on the coaches’ call: “The entire Sun Belt will be exposed for quality institutions, the quality football we have.”
With GameDay just set to turn to Boone, North Carolina, and Sun Belt fans in the conference to see which teams will win their respective divisions in the coming weeks, it’s safe to say that ESPN will take the Sun Belt national title. Will continue to give performances. Warm-up and football keep interesting.
This time, a year ago, the 14 fan base was wondering out loud what the new sunbelt could bring in the future. Now, thanks to the efforts of one media outlet, the entire college football world is watching.
