Marshall University Athletics
Sun Belt Announces the Return of Men’s Soccer for the 2022 Season
4/6/2022 12:52:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Marshall will be one of nine teams in the league
NEW ORLEANS – The Marshall men's soccer team will be making the move into the Sun Belt Conference this coming fall of 2022, as the league announced on Wednesday that men's soccer will be back this season.
Nine teams will comprise Sun Belt Conference men's soccer; three of the new Sun Belt members (as of July 1) James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion will join Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State. In addition, Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia will compete as affiliate members for men's soccer only. The Sun Belt Conference previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976-1995 and 2014-20.
"These elite programs will lend instant credibility and help establish the Sun Belt as one of the nation's premier men's collegiate soccer conferences," said Commissioner Keith Gill. "They each bring their unique traditions and histories of excellence. We welcome them and look forward to a bright future on the pitch."
The Sun Belt Conference men's soccer membership will boast some of the sport's most accomplished programs. The nine teams have combined for more than 100 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances.
"With conference realignment it caused a little bit of a crisis," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "But I think as coaches we saw an opportunity to create a top conference that was always in the power five in terms of men's soccer that is always trying to produce national champions. As well as every year always getting five or six teams in the (NCAA) tournament with that being the goal of the conference.
"I have been really proud to be a new member of the Sun Belt. I have to thank Kathy Keene for that. You guys have worked incredibly well with us, not just to make sure that we had the affiliates in and that we had such a strong soccer conference, but that the format was correct. You listened to us about concerns, and we set up the league in a way that we're going to have rest and recovery and that we are going to get the best product on the field.
"From day one with the Sun Belt affiliation, I am very proud to be a member and I think we are going to do great things as a conference."
Marshall is coming off its third-straight season playing in the NCAA Tournament and has been in the top 25 rankings every week since Oct. 15, 2019. The Herd won the 2019 and the 2020 Conference USA Championships. Marshall made its masterful run through the NCAA Tournament in the spring of 2021 (fall 2020 was cancelled due to COVID) on the way to capturing its first ever College Cup NCAA Championship. The Herd became the first unseeded team to hold the National Championship Trophy in nearly 15 years. The Herd defeated No. 3 Indiana, 1-0, in overtime on a goal from Jamil Roberts in the 98th minute.
With the announcement and the movement of programs, Marshall gets to maintain a few of its old rivalries from Conference USA with Old Dominion, Kentucky and South Carolina joining. In addition, the Herd will now get to battle against in-state rival West Virginia every season as a conference matchup.
"I think it is a fantastic game for the state," coach Grassie said. "Specifically, when coach Strats (WVU head coach Daniel Stratford) used to work together at UC (The University of Charleston) we talked all the time about how is this game not happening. We feel, and we have talked about it, how we think we can get 10,000 fans. We can make this a big event in the future. And then to have three points on the line just make it that much more meaningful of a game that is already such a super rivalry and such a super draw. We are happy to put the event on and we are both going to try and have great teams and have a great spectacle of soccer."
South Carolina is one of just 24 programs all-time to make 20 or more NCAA Tournament appearances, finishing as national runners-up in 1993.
The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The Sun Belt will now sponsor 18 NCAA Division I sports and annually awards nearly $134 million in financial aid to more than 4,600 student-athletes. Beginning July 1, 2022, the Sun Belt membership will be comprised of App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Troy.
2022 Marshall Sun Belt Schedule
Saturday, September 17 – at Kentucky
Saturday, September 24 – vs. West Virginia
Saturday, October 1 – at Coastal Carolina
Saturday, October 8 – at South Carolina
Saturday, October 15 – vs. Old Dominion
Wednesday, October 19 – at Georgia State
Sunday, October 23 – vs. Georgia Southern
Tuesday, November 1 – vs. James Madison
Follow #SunBeltMSOC on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
Nine teams will comprise Sun Belt Conference men's soccer; three of the new Sun Belt members (as of July 1) James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion will join Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, and Georgia State. In addition, Kentucky, South Carolina, and West Virginia will compete as affiliate members for men's soccer only. The Sun Belt Conference previously sponsored men's soccer from 1976-1995 and 2014-20.
"These elite programs will lend instant credibility and help establish the Sun Belt as one of the nation's premier men's collegiate soccer conferences," said Commissioner Keith Gill. "They each bring their unique traditions and histories of excellence. We welcome them and look forward to a bright future on the pitch."
The Sun Belt Conference men's soccer membership will boast some of the sport's most accomplished programs. The nine teams have combined for more than 100 all-time NCAA Tournament appearances.
"With conference realignment it caused a little bit of a crisis," Herd head coach Chris Grassie said. "But I think as coaches we saw an opportunity to create a top conference that was always in the power five in terms of men's soccer that is always trying to produce national champions. As well as every year always getting five or six teams in the (NCAA) tournament with that being the goal of the conference.
"I have been really proud to be a new member of the Sun Belt. I have to thank Kathy Keene for that. You guys have worked incredibly well with us, not just to make sure that we had the affiliates in and that we had such a strong soccer conference, but that the format was correct. You listened to us about concerns, and we set up the league in a way that we're going to have rest and recovery and that we are going to get the best product on the field.
"From day one with the Sun Belt affiliation, I am very proud to be a member and I think we are going to do great things as a conference."
Marshall is coming off its third-straight season playing in the NCAA Tournament and has been in the top 25 rankings every week since Oct. 15, 2019. The Herd won the 2019 and the 2020 Conference USA Championships. Marshall made its masterful run through the NCAA Tournament in the spring of 2021 (fall 2020 was cancelled due to COVID) on the way to capturing its first ever College Cup NCAA Championship. The Herd became the first unseeded team to hold the National Championship Trophy in nearly 15 years. The Herd defeated No. 3 Indiana, 1-0, in overtime on a goal from Jamil Roberts in the 98th minute.
With the announcement and the movement of programs, Marshall gets to maintain a few of its old rivalries from Conference USA with Old Dominion, Kentucky and South Carolina joining. In addition, the Herd will now get to battle against in-state rival West Virginia every season as a conference matchup.
"I think it is a fantastic game for the state," coach Grassie said. "Specifically, when coach Strats (WVU head coach Daniel Stratford) used to work together at UC (The University of Charleston) we talked all the time about how is this game not happening. We feel, and we have talked about it, how we think we can get 10,000 fans. We can make this a big event in the future. And then to have three points on the line just make it that much more meaningful of a game that is already such a super rivalry and such a super draw. We are happy to put the event on and we are both going to try and have great teams and have a great spectacle of soccer."
South Carolina is one of just 24 programs all-time to make 20 or more NCAA Tournament appearances, finishing as national runners-up in 1993.
The Sun Belt Conference was founded in 1976 and began sponsoring football in 2001. The Sun Belt will now sponsor 18 NCAA Division I sports and annually awards nearly $134 million in financial aid to more than 4,600 student-athletes. Beginning July 1, 2022, the Sun Belt membership will be comprised of App State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Louisiana, ULM, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, and Troy.
2022 Marshall Sun Belt Schedule
Saturday, September 17 – at Kentucky
Saturday, September 24 – vs. West Virginia
Saturday, October 1 – at Coastal Carolina
Saturday, October 8 – at South Carolina
Saturday, October 15 – vs. Old Dominion
Wednesday, October 19 – at Georgia State
Sunday, October 23 – vs. Georgia Southern
Tuesday, November 1 – vs. James Madison
Follow #SunBeltMSOC on social media via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
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