By Mark Pszonak
G5 programs are always looking for a program-building victory against a P4 opponent. Sun Belt Conference teams have multiple opportunities to accomplish this in 2025. Here are five games to watch that could produce huge wins for the conference:
James Madison at Louisville (September 5)
The skinny: This early season Friday night game is a sneaky good matchup. The Dukes have only been an FBS program for three seasons but have impressively accumulated a 28-9 record over this time. One of these victories was their memorable 70-50 win at North Carolina last season. Their visit to one of the top ACC programs gives them a huge opportunity to take the next step nationally. This game has not received enough attention to the point.
Texas State at Arizona State (September 13)
The skinny: Head Coach G.J. Kinne has made the Texas State program respectable quickly, compiling a 16-10 record in two seasons. He already has a G4 victory under his belt, winning at Baylor in 2023, but winning at Arizona State would be a much more impressive accomplishment. The Bobcats won’t be intimidated, considering they almost pulled off the upset against the Sun Devils last season at home, losing 31-28.
© Tim Heitman-Imagn Images
More Sports News
Coastal Carolina at Virginia (August 30)
The skinny: Coming off their first losing season since 2019, Coastal Carolina is eager to right the ship in 2025. They have the chance to do so against a Virginia team coming off a 5-7 season and with a head coach, Tony Elliott, on an extremely hot seat.
Arkansas State at Arkansas (September 6)
The skinny: The amazing part about this game is that these two programs, which are less than 300 miles apart and have both been playing football since 1911, have never played before. Led by Head Coach Butch Jones, the Red Wolves did put up a respectable fight last season at Michigan before falling 28-18, so can they produce a monumental victory for the program in Jonesboro in early September?
Georgia State at Vanderbilt (September 20)
The skinny: Many people forget that three weeks before stunning Alabama at home last season, Vanderbilt lost 36-32 at Georgia State. Considering the Panthers finished 3-9, that victory became even more improbable by the end of the season. This won’t be an easy task for Georgia State and will be their third difficult out-of-conference game, following Ole Miss and Memphis. A victory is unlikely, but that was also the case in 2024.
