2024 Sun Belt Conference Championship Odds: Appalachian State Favored to Win Revamped Conference

Reed Wallach | Jun 25, 2024

Dec 16, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Joey Aguilar (4) drops back to pass against the Miami (OH) Redhawks in the first quarter during the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Sun Belt has emerged as a consistent conference for high-level football in the Group of Five ranks. While the entire college football landscape is shuffling, there's been a consistent set of teams in the mix in the Sun Belt.

However, some changes are coming, and a new set of teams is set to step forward. Troy, who is back-to-back champions, lost its head coach Jon Summral, and a host of talent, while the conference title runner-up Appalachian State is set to run it back behind the big arm of Joey Aguilar.

Meanwhile, upstart Texas State made waves last season, and entered as the second choice to win the Sun Belt in 2024 with transfer quarterback Jordan McCloud heading to San Marco from James Madison. 

There are plenty of teams in the mix, per oddsmakers, but there are some new contenders emerging. 

Here are the odds from FanDuel Sportsbook. 

2024 Sun Belt Conference Championship Odds 

• Appalachian State: +300
• Texas State: +450
• Louisiana: +600
• South Alabama: +750
• James Madison: +850
• Troy: +1400
• Arkansas State: +1400
• Marshall: +1600
• Coastal Carolina: +1700
• Georgia Southern: +2200
• Old Dominion: +2700
• Southern Mississippi: +4200
• Georgia State: +4200
• Louisiana-Monroe: +35000

Appalachian State Favored in Competitive Sun Belt 

With a lot of coaching turnover from the top of the conference, including the likes of Troy, South Alabama and James Madison, there is a bit of a changing of the guard in recent Sun Belt history. 

While Appalachian State has always been among the most competitive programs in the conference, Texas State is the name to keep an eye on as a rising program under second-year coach GJ Kinne, who plucked McCloud from James Madison to run his high-octane offense that got the Bobcats back to a bowl game in 2023. 

Meanwhile, Louisiana will hope that better health at quarterback can lead to a resurgence of the program. The program returns a ton of production, top 20 in the country, per ESPN.com.

The aforementioned three programs that lost head coaches this season are going through turnover, but are looked at favorably in terms of oddsmakers to compete at a high level in 2024 in the league. However, it’s worth noting that these three teams, Troy, South Alabama, and James Madison, are bottom 20 in returning production, which can lead to way more variance than a team with more continuity. 

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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