Conference preview

Sun Belt Conference

Our projected 2026 finish, top to bottom — the top two meet in the conference championship — plus each team's game-by-game schedule.

Model projection

Conference favorite

James Madison

Top of the Sun Belt Conference board · 9% to make the 12

Best playoff odds

James Madison

9% chance at the 12-team field

Projected in the 12

None in the current field.

0 teams in our 12-team projection

#
Team
Proj W
CFP%
1
8
9%
2
8
1%
3
8
1%
4
7
5%
5
7
1%
6
6
0%
7
6
1%
8
6
1%
9
6
0%
10
5
0%
11
5
0%
12
5
0%
13
4
0%
14
4
0%

Projected wins run each team's real schedule through the model; Rating is national board strength. A strong team on a brutal schedule can out-rate its win total (and vice-versa).

Sun Belt Conference championship (projected)

Our top two by projection meet for the title.

James Madison

Old Dominion

James Madison is the lean on a neutral field, at about 62%.

Schedule paths

Projected wins, schedule strength, and the weekly edge for each team — the same forecast as the board above.

Appalachian State

6 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: NC State (15%) · Easiest: Maine (90%)

1 toss-up · Schedule strength #115

Vegas win total5.5

Arkansas St

6 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: TCU (12%) · Easiest: West Georgia (88%)

4 toss-ups · Schedule strength #119

Vegas win total5.5

Coastal Carolina

5 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: James Madison (8%) · Easiest: Fordham (86%)

3 toss-ups · Schedule strength #110

Vegas win total4.5

GA Southern

5 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: Clemson (9%) · Easiest: Charleston Southern (89%)

2 toss-ups · Schedule strength #98

Vegas win total4.5

Georgia St

4 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: James Madison (5%) · Easiest: North Carolina A&T (78%)

0 toss-ups · Schedule strength #111

Vegas win total3.5

Marshall

8 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: Penn State (6%) · Easiest: Gardner-Webb (94%)

0 toss-ups · Schedule strength #94

Vegas win total7.5

Old Dominion

9 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: James Madison (46%) · Easiest: Norfolk State (97%)

2 toss-ups · Schedule strength #112

Troy

7 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: Missouri (11%) · Easiest: Alabama State (92%)

2 toss-ups · Schedule strength #120

Vegas win total6.5

UL Monroe

4 projected wins · 12 games

Toughest: Mississippi St (3%) · Easiest: SE Louisiana (79%)

0 toss-ups · Schedule strength #123

Vegas win total3.5

How to read it

Expected wins add up each game's win chance. League wins count only conference games; overall wins include the full schedule. Labels translate those probabilities into plain language: likely win, lean win, toss-up, lean loss, and likely loss. The full national playoff picture lives on the home page.