NEW ORLEANS – James Madison earned the Sun Belt’s first-ever berth into the College Football Playoff to headline a 10-team contingent participating in Bowl Season. This is the fourth-straight season that the Sun Belt paces all non-autonomy conferences in Bowl Season representation. The Sun Belt produced seven Bowl Season qualifiers in 2022, a conference-record and national-best 12 in 2023 and eight in 2024.
The Sun Belt owns a .571 bowl winning percentage during the College Football Playoff era, trailing only the SEC (.578).
Sun Belt West Division champion Troy (8-5, 6-2 SBC) will kick off the Sun Belt’s Bowl Season in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala.