JMU Is Leaving. Now What?

Earlier this week, JMU announced it will leave the Sun Belt Conference for the American Conference no later than July 1, 2028. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, the Sun Belt's upcoming vote to raise exit fees sped up JMU's timeline, and athletic director Matt Roan later called the fees the "tipping point."

That vote came later in the week, and according to Yahoo's Ross Dellenger, the remaining members approved a new exit fee structure ranging from $8 million to $18 million. The amount depends on how much notice a departing school gives; the shorter the notice, the steeper the fee.

Exit fees won't stop schools from finding new homes, but they do provide a financial cushion for the conference and the members who stay. That money could help cover entrance and exit fees for replacement schools joining the Sun Belt, or it could be distributed among the current members to keep them content.

The other important point for the Sun Belt as it considers its next move is JMU's exit date. In the days since the announcement, talk has picked up that the Dukes could become full members of the American at the end of this school year. On3 reported JMU could leave as early as 2027, which would raise its exit fee to $10 million.

Whenever JMU leaves, the Sun Belt drops to 13 members, assuming no one else departs. An early exit just moves up the clock on replacing them. There are rumors that other members want to follow JMU's lead, but we have not seen anyone credible reporting that. Until something more official comes out, we will assume the rest of the league stays in the Sun Belt. Well, almost everyone.

The Athletic's Chris Vannini reported this week that ULM may not be long for the league, or for FBS football. Vannini described the Warhawks as "one of the least resourced programs in the FBS," with little on-field success to show for it. He also noted that a Louisiana higher education board member suggested last month that all three of the state's G6 schools consider dropping to the FCS, though that move may not pay off financially in the short run.

I say all of that to note that this puts the conference at a decision point. The league could add one member to get back to 14. It could add three to reach 16, cutting travel and leaning further into regional rivalries. The league could also add one football school and two non-football schools to strengthen basketball while staying regional (i.e. WKU, UNC-Wilmington and College of Charleston). Then there is that fourth option: go to 12, with ULM dropping to the FCS. That would be a rare move, though. Idaho is the only school in recent memory to step down from FBS, so we won't count on it happening here.

So what program or programs should the Sun Belt add? I asked a few other Monarchists contributors for their takes so you get as many viewpoints as possible. Each of us wrote independently, without seeing the others' picks, so no one was nudged toward a school they don't actually believe in.

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Justice Pick: Delaware

I am making a couple of assumptions in regards to my pick for the addition to the Sun Belt. I am assuming the Sun Belt adds only one team and that team must slot in the East Division. In my opinion, there are two prime candidates for the Sun Belt to add to the East: Delaware and Western Kentucky.

My preference would be Delaware. They have a tradition-rich football team that won a national championship at the FCS level. Their women's basketball program also has some good history and success. They add another team to the Mid-Atlantic region and are in the Eastern Time Zone. They provide Old Dominion with another former CAA foe and one that could potentially replace the JMU rivalry. It's an easy drive for fans to attend an away game. And finally, it opens up another media market for the Sun Belt.

David Asbury Pick: Delaware

My choice is Delaware. At first, I thought Western Kentucky was the shoo-in to replace JMU given their desire to join the Sun Belt, geographical advantage, and recent sports success. But the Sun Belt needs a team that is investing in the future and on the rise (as JMU was). Delaware fits the mold.

While many G6 teams operate on bare-bones budgets, UDel is entering the FBS ranks with massive financial backing, sporting an annual athletic budget between $65 and $69.5 million, more than twice WKU's budget. This level of funding ensures the Blue Hens can not just immediately compete but rise to a higher level without dragging down the conference. In fact, they already defeated the Sun Belt's Louisiana Tech and Louisiana in 2025, and Coastal Carolina this season. The Belt needs this team in the tent pissing out, not out of the tent pissing in.

For ODU fans, this also means a travel partner. Out of all the potential options, UDel would be the closest school to Norfolk (roughly 131 miles closer than App State). A "Delmarva" rivalry could even bud given their short history together in the CAA, where ODU went 1-1 in the series. Now, the rest of the Sun Belt may not want Delaware because it is outside of the footprint. The conference clearly prefers regionality, and no one would ever consider the state of Delaware part of the Sun Belt region. It would add travel costs for western schools, who may prefer to travel to Tennessee or Kentucky instead. But I am afraid if they do not pick UDel, they will regret it as the Blue Hens continue to rise.

CB Picks: Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, MTSU/WKU

Since my opinions won't have influence on anyone who makes decisions anyway, I'm making my list based on what would be best for Sun Belt baseball. Unfortunately, I also want to anchor it in reality, and my top choice, Charlotte, isn't very likely to leave the American. Similarly, my next choices, Campbell and Mercer, are private schools (the Sun Belt is all public institutions), and UNC Wilmington doesn't have a football team. So the most attractive baseball schools that are the most geographically desirable for ODU aren't very likely to end up as conference foes. The most reasonable option is to pluck members from the current C-USA.

Jacksonville State: Aside from a down year in 2024, the Gamecocks have been consistently good for the past two decades, including winning C-USA and making a regional appearance in 2026. Their new head coach, Travis Creel, spent the previous seven seasons as an assistant at Southern Miss, so he certainly knows how to win in the Sun Belt. While Jacksonville isn't a quick trip from Norfolk, this seems like a school that would be a great addition to the baseball conference.

Kennesaw State: I'll be honest and say I thought this school was in Ohio, but that's how it goes with new opponents sometimes. Don't lie and say you had any idea where Troy was before ODU joined the Sun Belt. The Owls are just northwest of Atlanta, so Georgia State and Georgia Southern would get another rival, and while it's not a short trip for the Monarchs, it's closer than Texas. KSU has been solid in baseball the last few years, including a regional appearance at Southern Miss in 2022.

Middle Tennessee/Western Kentucky: I'm pairing these two because, aside from Western Kentucky winning C-USA in 2025, neither has been consistently good at baseball for the last decade or so. They're both more or less the same distance from ODU, though they're still a long bus ride away. The Hilltoppers have better facilities, partially due to improvements made by Wood Selig and Chris Finwood during their years at WKU before heading to ODU. The Blue Raiders have some emotional ties: their head coach, Jerry Myers, was once ODU's head coach, and their pitching coach, Adam Wisniewski, is an ODU grad and former coach who still holds the school's single-season saves record.

Mike Langston Pick: Go to 16 with WKU, MTSU, Ohio

I really like the Delaware pick. It makes the most sense for Old Dominion. It adds a potential rival given the proximity and our shared history in the CAA, and the Blue Hens have a budget and fanbase that seem to mesh well with ODU. However, I struggle to see the rest of the league picking them over other options.

Liberty would be a strong fit on paper too, with its resources, its recent football success and a location that makes it a natural rival for ODU (and App State). But as a private school, that option appears to be a non-starter for an all-public Sun Belt.

So my pick is going to 16 by adding WKU, MTSU and Ohio. That picks up two great rivalries, fills some holes in the conference map, keeps the league regional, and could really hurt the future of C-USA.

WKU and MTSU bring the 100 Miles of Hate. Ohio is a big rival of Marshall and a perfect travel partner for the Herd. Good rivalries are what make college sports great. Putting those games under the Sun Belt banner gives the league marquee matchups to sell every season, the kind TV partners and fans circle on the calendar. It also gives Marshall a natural travel partner, which helps the league's northern edge feel less isolated.

The map matters too. Adding schools in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio fills the gap between the league's East and West, and it keeps travel reasonable for everyone. That makes this a regional move in the truest sense, not a stretch for one market.

Then there's the competitive angle. Taking WKU and MTSU would pull two of C-USA's most established programs, weakening the league that has been competing with the Sun Belt for the same schools over the last decade-plus. If the Sun Belt wants to keep its footing over C-USA, the surest way to get there is to grab programs from them before they get in a position to do the same to the Sun Belt. Delaware may be the dream pick for ODU, but going to 16 with WKU, MTSU and Ohio is the move that makes the whole league stronger. Going to 16 also protects the league with any future departures and given all the realignment that could happen in the coming years, that seems pretty important.