Marshall Football
Sun Belt Hands Marshall Fine, Public Reprimand for Bowl Opt Out

The Sun Belt Conference is sending Marshall some bad news to kick off their weekend. On Friday, the conference handed the Thundering Herd a $100,000 fine and a public reprimand for opting out of the Independence Bowl.
Back on Dec. 14, Marshall, who was set to face Army in a bowl game after winning the Sun Belt title decided to opt out of the game and end their season instead. Marshall made this decision due to dealing with a mass exodus of players in the transfer portal.
Not only was the December portal window already open, but Marshall players were able to experience their own period because of the program’s coaching change. Marshall decided to not renew Charles Huff’s contract and then hied West Virginia native Tony Gibson as his replacement.
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The official announcement about Gibson came shortly after Huff was hired away by Southern Miss earlier in the same day. That turn of events culminated just days after the Herd dominated Louisiana 31-3 to win the Sun Belt title, the programโs first conference title of any kind since 2014.
Based on the transition and uncertainty, Marshall started focusing on the 2025 season rather than try to cap off 2024 with a bowl win.
“While the conference acknowledges the medical model and best practice guidance adhered to by Marshall, as well as their fundamental concern for the health and safety of the remaining eligible student-athletes to compete in a safe and viable manner, the nature and timing of this decision was detrimental to the Sun Belt Conference and its membership, to Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” reads a statement from the Sun Belt.
This now creates the awkward scenario of a conference making a potential enemy of its current champion.