Sun Belt Men's Soccer to Re-Debut in Fall 20142/11/2014 9:00:00 AM
Sun Belt Conference
http://www.sunbeltsports.org/news/2014/2/11/GENERAL_0211145401.aspxNEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference will revitalize one of its first sponsored sports as it was announced Tuesday that the conference will reintroduce men's soccer this upcoming fall.
Full-time members Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State will play alongside affiliate members Hartwick,
Howard, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology in a single round robin schedule.
"The reintroduction of men's soccer to the Sun Belt Conference means that we will be able to provide valuable opportunities for student-athletes and deliver them a first-class championship experience," said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Karl Benson. "Our new affiliate members provide us with a full field of competitive teams and we welcome them to the Sun Belt Conference."
The Sun Belt will conduct a championship at one of the six institutions with the winner earning an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship. The championship format will see the top two teams from the regular season earning a bye into the tournament semifinals. A date and site for the championship will be announced in May.
"We are looking forward to having an automatic qualifier in the sport to represent us in the NCAA postseason," said Benson. "And we are optimistic at the possibility of sending multiple teams to the tournament field each year."
The Sun Belt previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976 to 1995. In fact, the first ever Sun Belt Championship in any sport was the 1976 men's soccer championship. With the addition of men's soccer, the Sun Belt will now sponsor 18 sports. On the men's side the conference now competes in basketball, baseball, cross country, the highest level of NCAA football, golf, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, soccer, and tennis. For women's sports, the Sun Belt offers basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, tennis, and volleyball.
Come July 1, 2014 the Sun Belt membership will consist of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (non-football), Arkansas State University, Georgia State University, Georgia Southern University, the University of Idaho (football only), the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, New Mexico State University (football only), the University of South Alabama, the University of Texas at Arlington (non-football), Texas State University, and Troy University. Hartwick College,
Howard University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology will compete as affiliate members in men's soccer.
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Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Louis B. "Skip" Perkins, Jr., Howard University:
"Howard University is extremely proud to be a member of the Sun Belt Conference in the sport of men's soccer. This gives our soccer program the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament and ultimately a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. We look forward to the challenge and are excited about being a part of the Sun Belt Conference."
