Ranking the 6 Best Sun Belt Football Games of 2026

The Sun Belt has been a darling G5 conference in recent years, even capitalizing with a successful College Football Playoff bid in 2025. JMU’s game against Oregon was almost certainly the biggest football moment the conference has ever had.

But as the Pac-12 reconstitutes itself, and brain drain has repeatedly pulled good coaches out of the Sun Belt, the conference could be facing a crisis of relevancy in 2026.

Who will be the top schools in the conference this year? And can they deliver in key non-conference showdowns? These are the games that will matter the most in Sun Belt football this year.

Week 2: Old Dominion at Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech has to play somebody in September, and their post-2010 fear of nearby James Madison has been pretty well-documented. So instead, the Hokies trek across the state to Norfolk, where they beat up on ODU in exchange for exposure in the region’s best hotbed for high school football talent.

Well, that was the plan, anyway. But Old Dominion is 2-2 against Virginia Tech since 2022, including a truly embarrassing Blacksburg beatdown last September that quickly got Brent Pry fired. ODU led 31-0 at one point in the third quarter, which is probably around the time that Pry voluntarily took off his security badge.

But things have changed this year. I am reluctant to inform you that the Hokies – sigh – have finally made a good hire. James Franklin is now in charge of the program, and if anyone knows how to rack up wins against other middle-class programs, it’s him.

ODU’s games against Virginia Tech have produced good results for the Sun Belt, and so this game makes the list virtually by default. But in the interest of transparency, I have to tell you that I think Virginia Tech will probably win big here.

Week 3: JMU at San Diego State

The Pac-12 will begin its new era as a G6 conference with a certain unimpeachable historical benefit. This was once the conference of UCLA and USC – of course, it belongs atop the heap as G6 royalty.

A five-minute look at the actual rosters filling out this zombie conference might dispel that notion. Nevertheless, perception is reality, and a southeastern conference like the Sun Belt won’t get too many chances to directly challenge that.

JMU has a rare opportunity in its Week 3 road game in California. San Diego State is well-known for its defensive prowess and won nine games last year in Sean Lewis’ second season as head coach of the Aztecs.

A win here, however difficult, would cement JMU’s position atop the Sun Belt in a new coaching administration. But it would also give the Sun Belt some real ammunition in the inevitable discussions of which conference is most deserving of poll relevance and playoff respect. For that reason, it might be the single most important game in this list.

Week 4: Liberty at Coastal Carolina

Liberty opens its season in Harrisonburg, but the Flames have been a mess for about a year and a half now. I think JMU will probably handle business at home in that scenario.

From a wider conference standpoint, I think the more interesting game is a national primetime game on Thursday in Week 4, when Liberty heads to Conway to play Coastal Carolina.

This will be an interesting game for several reasons beyond just the television eyeballs. For one thing, Coastal has gotten some sleeper buzz this year, with head coach Ryan Beard coming over from Missouri State and JuCo quarterback Tre Guerra coming in from Tyler (TJC). Back-to-back games against Delaware and Liberty should tell us exactly what to expect from the Chants.

Maybe more importantly, in the never-ending conference wars, it’ll be a big win for the Sun Belt if a projected mid-table team like Coastal can score wins or keep it close, with top favorites in Conference USA. A Coastal win over Liberty on national television keeps the Sun Belt far ahead of CUSA in the public consciousness. 

Week 4: JMU at ODU

This is the game most likely to decide the Sun Belt’s rugged Eastern Division, at least according to BetMGM’s college football odds. 

JMU hasn’t lost to Old Dominion as an FBS team, but the games have often been close and competitive, last year’s 63-27 Harrisonburg mugging notwithstanding. 

One year after winning 10 games, ODU brings back a relatively strong defense that looks tough up front. The Monarchs get both Marshall and JMU in Norfolk, but the latter is the opponent that really matters. If JMU is vulnerable in its first year of yet another coaching change, this will be ODU’s best chance to score a rivalry win and seize early control of the East. 

Week 6 & Week 7: Louisiana Tech’s Back-to-Back In-State Showdown

If you haven’t been following the Real Housewives of Louisiana Football, then you may not be aware of the months of hooting and spatting surrounding Louisiana Tech’s entrance to the Sun Belt.

Local Louisiana Sun Belt fans are annoyed at past comments the Louisiana Tech community has made about the Sun Belt’s inferiority to Conference USA. (Boy, has that argument aged poorly.) Thus, there’s been a fair amount of grumbling at the idea that the Sun Belt is throwing a life raft to Bulldogs fans as they escape the glorified FCS conference that CUSA has become.

Meanwhile, many teams in the East would rather see a stronger addition, like maybe Delaware. LaTech doesn’t add to the conference’s footprint, with Louisiana and UL-Monroe already nearby in the West.

But all this is moot because Louisiana Tech is officially a conference member as of July 1. And the schedule gods delivered a gift this year: back-to-back games against in-state foes on Oct. 10 (vs. Louisiana) and Oct. 17 (at Monroe, which is coming off a bye). Prepare for fireworks!

Week 9: Troy at JMU

This rematch of last year’s Sun Belt championship game is likely to carry major divisional implications for both JMU and Troy.

JMU is tabbed as a sizable favorite in this year’s Sun Belt odds, but it’s probably worth comparing the Dukes’ inaugural season with new head coach Billy Napier against the 2024 season with then-new head coach Bob Chesney.

Two years ago, JMU was similarly expected to finish near the top of the conference, simply because of its resource advantages. But JMU struggled down the stretch, as teams with more cohesion and coaching experience ultimately prevailed. In the final six weeks of the season, JMU lost to Georgia Southern, App State, and Marshall. 

The Thundering Herd ultimately won the conference on JMU’s field during a walk-off double-overtime touchdown in the season finale.

Could something similar happen this year? Perhaps. Napier is a better and more experienced coach than Chesney, so it’s not a foregone conclusion. Still, Troy looked undaunted for most of last year’s championship game in Harrisonburg, so the Trojans won’t be afraid of a Thursday return trip in the middle of this season. 

Best Sun Belt Games In 2026

• Old Dominion at Virginia Tech
• James Madison at San Diego State
• Liberty at Coastal Carolina
• James Madison at Old Dominion
• Louisiana at Louisiana Tech
• Troy at James Madison