Coastal Carolina will join the Sun Belt for the 2016-2017 seasons, SB Nation’s Steven Godfrey reported. CCU’s first football season in the SBC will be 2017, ESPN’s Brett McMurphy later reported. The Chanticleers beat out Eastern Kentucky for the position, in a process the conference was remarkably open about.
The addition is expected to be announced Tuesday.
Coastal Carolina, located near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has won three straight Big South Conference titles under head coach Joe Moglia, a former Wall Street executive. NFL alumni include Mike Tolbert and Tyler Thigpen.
The Sun Belt gets a program with a history of success, sure, but don’t forget about that sweet, sweet field.
The Coastal addition gives the conference the requisite 12 teams it would need for a conference championship game, something commissioner Karl Benson has previously expressed interest in.