The Sun Belt conference locked up their 3 bowl appearances days before the rest of the FBS is planning to set their schedule. With all 3 Sun Belt Bowls set the teams await to learn who they will face on the field.
Eligible vs Ineligible
Georgia Southern was locked out of the bowl selections in spite of their 8-0 Sun Belt record and earning the Conference Champion title. Due to their probationary transition from FCS to FBS play they are inelibigle for bowl play. GSU appealed to both the Sun Belt and the NCAA. Appalachian State finds themselves in the a similar spot due to their transition as well. They finished 7-5 with a 6-2 Sun Belt record. In final conference standings Georgia Southern and Appalachian State finished 1st and 3rd respectively.
With GSU and Appalachian State out of the mix due to ineligibility the top three Sun Belt teams who are eligible are the 9-3 UL-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns, the 6-6 South Alabama Jaguars and the Red Wolves of Arkansas State who finished the season at 7-5. Texas State was the only other Sun Belt team eligible for a bowl bid. They have not been tapped for a bowl at the time of this writing.
Repeat Performances 
Arkansas State will be returning to the Go Daddy Bowl in Mobile Alabama for the 4th year in a row. The Jaguars will face a MAC team on January 4. As we announced via Twitter the Ragin Cajuns will be returning to defend their title in their 4th consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl game. UL Lafayette will face a team from the Mountain West on December 20. The R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl is the first Bowl game of the season.
First Appearances
The South Alabama Jaguars, in only their 6th season of play, and second year of Sun Belt competition, will play in their first postseason bowl game. The Jaguars will travel a few hours north to Montgomery, Alabama to play in the very first Raycom Media Camellia Bowl. They will face a challenger from the MAC on December 20.
Opponents
Check back here at RLBowl.com for a complete list of Mountain West and Sun Belt matches next week. Follow along with all the #RLBowl action via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Our social media team will on the ground in New Orleans will live updates from player and fan events all week.
