Sun Belt Conference men's soccer tournament explained

Sun Belt Conference men's soccer tournament
Optional Subheader:Conference soccer championship
Sport:College soccer
Conference:Sun Belt Conference
Number Of Teams:8
Format:Single-elimination tournament
Current Stadium:Campus sites
Years:1976–1995; 2014–2020; 2022–present
Most Recent:2023
Current Champion:Marshall
Most Championships:South Florida (9)
Television:ESPN+

The Sun Belt Conference men's soccer tournament is the conference championship tournament in soccer for the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The tournament was held from 1976 through 1995, when the sport was discontinued.[1] The tournament resumed in 2014 when the conference reinstated men's soccer, and was discontinued again when the conference dropped men's soccer for the second time after the 2020–21 season. The SBC later announced that men's soccer would be reinstated again in 2022, and the tournament resumed at that time.[2]

It is a single-elimination tournament involving the top eight teams in the SBC regular-season standings, with seeding based on record. Starting with the 2022 tournament, the quarterfinals and semifinals are hosted by the top two seeds, with the final being held at the home field of the top surviving seed. The winner, declared conference champion, receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I men's soccer championship.

Champions

Key

(2) Title number
Match went to extra time
Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time
BoldWinning team won regular season

By year

YearChampionScoreRunner-upVenueTournament MVP
1976South Florida6–1Georgia StateSouthern Oak Stadium • Jacksonville, FloridaMVP (School)
19774–3JacksonvilleUSF Soccer Stadium • Tampa, FloridaFran Lemmons (USF)
1978Jacksonville2–1Georgia StateUSF Soccer Stadium • Tampa, FloridaAleks Mihailović (JAX)
19793–2*CharlotteGSU Soccer Field • Atlanta, GeorgiaRalph Baker (USF)
19802–1Georgia StateMemorial StadiumCharlotte, North CarolinaNigel Clark (USF)
19812–1South AlabamaUSF Soccer Stadium • Tampa, FloridaJay Whitr (USF)
19822–1Old DominionUSF Soccer Stadium • Tampa, FloridaRoy Wegerle (USF)
1983Charlotte0–0*Old DominionForeman FieldNorfolk, VirginiaCraig Brown (UNCC)
1984Old Dominion2–1South FloridaLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaAlvaro Ibanez (ODU)
19852–2†Old DominionForeman FieldNorfolk, VirginiaRay Perler (USF)
19861–0Western KentuckyUSF Soccer Stadium • Tampa, FloridaAris Bogdaneris (USF)
19871–0South AlabamaForeman FieldNorfolk, VirginiaChris Haywood (ODU)
19881–1†Old DominionLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaSean Crowley (ODU)
19891–1†South AlabamaOld Dominion Soccer ComplexNorfolk, VirginiaRick Jenik (ODU)
1990no tournament held
1991South Alabama 3–0Western KentuckyLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaStephen Small (USA)
1992Western Kentucky1–1†South AlabamaLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaStephen Small (USA)
1993South Alabama 5–0Little RockUTPA Soccer Field • Edinburg, TexasLuke Whittle (USA)
1994South Alabama 3–0Western KentuckyLadd–Peebles StadiumMobile, AlabamaDale Edwards (USA)
19953–2Western KentuckyWKU Soccer Complex • Bowling Green, KentuckyShaun Rothuysen (USA)
1996–2013Sun Belt did not sponsor men's soccer
2014Hartwick1–0Georgia SouthernErk Russell Athletic Park • Statesboro, GeorgiaKit Tregear (HWCK)
2015Hartwick 2–0Georgia StateASU Soccer StadiumBoone, North CarolinaJamie O’Grady (HWCK)
2016Coastal Carolina1–0Georgia StateGSU Soccer Field • Atlanta, GeorgiaJair Espinoza (CCU)
2017Coastal Carolina 2–0Georgia StateCCU Soccer FieldConway, South CarolinaFrantzdy Pierrot (CCU)
2018Georgia State4–2Georgia SouthernEagle FieldStatesboro, GeorgiaHannes Burmeister (GSU)
20191–1†Georgia StateASU Soccer StadiumBoone, North CarolinaAlberto Ciroi (CCU)
2020Coastal Carolina bgcolor=#cedff2 align=center 0–0†Georgia StateCenter Parc Stadium • Atlanta, GeorgiaTor Saunders (CCU)
2021Sun Belt did not sponsor men's soccer
2022Kentuckyalign=center 2–0Bell Soccer Complex • Lexington, KentuckyClay Holstad (UK)
2023Marshallalign=center 3–2Hoops Family FieldHuntington, West VirginiaAlvaro Garcia-Pascual (MU)

Statistics

All-time champions

Teams in bold are current SBC men's soccer members. Teams with a † no longer sponsor men's soccer.

CollegeWinsLast final wonRunners-upLast final lost
align=left 9198811984
Coastal Carolina 420200
South Alabama4199531989
Old Dominion 3198941988
220150
Georgia State 12018 42020
WKU1199241995
1198311979
1197811977
align=left Kentucky 1 2022 0
align=left Marshall 1 2023 0
align=left Georgia Southern 0 1 2014
align=left James Madison 0 1 2022
align=left West Virginia 0 1 2023
Little Rock011993

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Record Book. Sun Belt Conference. SunBeltSports.org. December 18, 2016. August 24, 2016.
  2. Sun Belt Conference Announces Return of Men’s Soccer This Fall . Sun Belt Conference . April 6, 2022 . April 7, 2022.