Why the Sun Belt Conference stood firm with football divisions unlike SEC, Big Ten

As the rest of the sport is zigging, the Sun Belt Conference is zagging.

With the start of the 2024 football season, the Sun Belt will be the only FBS conference split into divisions. Other conferences have abandoned divisions with the new 12-team College Football Playoff that begins this season.

Conference commissioner Keith Gill, speaking Tuesday at Sun Belt Media Days , said the league considered slashing divisions but think the split is what’s best for the conference.

“We brought together a lot of historical rivalries when we added schools and we want to do everything we can to facilitate as many kinds of competitions between those teams as possible,” Gill said. “I would say that we’ll always evaluate it. We certainly will. As we look through this first year of the (expanded) CFP, if we notice that we could put ourselves in a better kind of advantageous situation with some modifications or changes, we’ll certainly consider those.”

Georgia Southern coach Clay Helton said he supports the Sun Belt’s divisional format.

“There are some natural great games that our college fan bases are very passionate about,” he said. “That may not happen in other conferences that are spread apart, but we have a definite region of 14 teams over 10 states that these natural rivalries happen. And because of that, I think that is a natural separation in east and west conference that provides great Saturdays.”

MORE: Five Southern Miss football, Will Hall questions we want answered at Sun Belt Media Days

What Sun Belt commissioner said of possible Group of 5 split

Gill wasn’t shy to address reports of preliminary discussions of a separate Group of 5 playoff .

“We just aren’t really interested,” he said. “The Sun Belt is fully committed to the CFP and only wants to participate in polls and postseason that includes all nine FBS conferences and Notre Dame. We do not see greatness with caveats.”

The five conference champions that are ranked the highest by the CFP selection committee will qualify for the playoff, meaning at least one Group of 5 team will participate.

Sam Sklar is the Southern Miss beat reporter for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at ssklar@hattiesb.gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Why the Sun Belt Conference stood firm with football divisions unlike SEC, Big Ten