EUGENE, Ore. – As the sun rises over Eugene, Ore., on Saturday, Dec. 20, the stage is set for the culminating moment of a 25-year rise of Sun Belt football, when No. 12-seeded James Madison steps onto the field at Autzen Stadium to take on No. 5-seeded Oregon in the College Football Playoff First Round.
The youngest Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference, having begun sponsoring football in 2001, the Sun Belt has built a nationally-noted brand over the past decade, ascending to its perch as the premier non-autonomy conference in the country.
The brainchild of Wright Waters—the Sun Belt’s fourth commissioner, who presided over the league from 1999-2012—Sun Belt football faced headwinds in its early days.