Our MNC Wednesday column is scraping the bottom of the FBS barrel today with this look at the Sun Belt Conference, formed as a Division I-A conference in 2001. In 22 full seasons overall, this league has had just 5 teams finish in the Top 25 at the end of a season. We’re only looking at five seasons here, for a few reasons, as opposed the usual 10 spot. We do want to point out the Sun Belt’s 39-30 bowl record, though: well played.

5. 2018

The conference finished with a winning record (65-61), and five schools went bowling: Arkansas State (Arizona Bowl, L); Troy (Dollar General Bowl, W); Georgia Southern (Camellia Bowl, W); Louisiana (Cure Bowl, L); and Appalachian State (New Orleans Bowl, W). Three schools posted double-digit victory totals, including league champ Appy State (11-2). Troy and Georgia Southern each won 10 times as well. Not bad …

4. 2012

Arkansas State (10-3) emerged as the conference champion and the only school to win at least 10 times, as four teams earned bowl invitations. The Red Wolves won the GoDaddy.com Bowl, while Louisiana-Monroe (Independence, L); Western Kentucky (Little Caesars, L); and Louisiana (New Orleans, W) also enjoyed the postseason parade. Middle Tennessee State also went 8-4 but did not play in a bowl game, strangely.

3. 2020

The Covid season was odd, and as a result, two teams from the Sun Belt finished the year ranked in the Top 15: Coastal Carolina (14) and Louisiana (15). The Chanticleers were actually undefeated until losing the Cure Bowl. Meanwhile, the Ragin’ Cajuns won the First Responder Bowl. Other Sun Belt schools in bowl games? Appalachian State (Myrtle Beach), Georgia Southern (New Orleans), and Georgia State (Lending Tree).

2. 2019

Appy State (13-1) ended up ranked 19th at the end of this banner year for the Sun Belt, as the league posted a 66-61 record—sending five teams to bowls: Louisiana (Lending Tree, W); Georgia State (Arizona, L); Arkansas State (Camellia, W); Georgia Southern (Cure, L); and the Mountaineers (New Orleans, W). The Ragin’ Cajuns also finished in double digits with an 11-3 mark. The other five teams all had losing records.

1. 2022

Clearly a conference on the rise, somehow, the Sun Belt’s best season was last year—with Troy (12-2) finishing No. 19 in the nation after a Cure Bowl victory. Seven teams made went bowling as the league posted a 91-84 record: Coastal Carolina (Birmingham); Georgia Southern (Camellia); Louisiana (Independence); South Alabama (New Orleans); Marshall (Myrtle Beach); and Southern Miss (LendingTree).