This article first appeared in the fall 2022 Mace & Crown magazine issue.
On July 1st of 2022, the Old Dominion Athletics program became an official member of the Sunbelt Conference after announcing earlier in the spring that it was leaving Conference USA in pursuit of new horizons. The move was made to increase its national exposure and reignite regional rivalries with familiar foes James Madison and Marshall, along with a stout East Division among schools like Appalachian State, and Coastal Carolina. What many ordinary folks outside of the Norfolk area don’t know is this isn’t the first time the Monarchs were in the Sun Belt.