James Madison and Troy Headline 2026 Sun Belt Preseason Poll as Louisiana Tech Enters the Fold

The Sun Belt Conference has released its 2026 preseason football coaches poll, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most fiercely contested Group of 5 championship races in the country. Defending champion James Madison and last year's runner-up Troy enter the fall as the clear teams to beat, selected as the preseason favorites to win the East and West divisions, respectively.[1]

The stakes for the upcoming season are unprecedented. Under the revised 2026 College Football Playoff rules, the 12-team bracket explicitly reserves one automatic bid for the highest-ranked champion from the Group of 5 conferences. After James Madison broke through to earn the Sun Belt's first-ever CFP berth in 2025, the conference is widely viewed as the premier non-autonomy league in college football, making its championship race a de facto playoff play-in.[5]

In the East Division, James Madison claimed 11 of the 14 first-place votes, amassing 94 total points. The Dukes are entering a transition year, having replaced departed head coach Bob Chesney with Billy Napier. Despite returning just five starters, Napier inherits a roster loaded with talent and a program riding the immense momentum of a historic playoff appearance.[1][4]

Old Dominion and Marshall are projected to be the Dukes' primary challengers in the East. Old Dominion secured 73 points and one first-place vote, while Marshall tallied 67 points. The Thundering Herd boast the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, who broke a 43-year-old school rushing record for a quarterback last season and provides a dynamic dual-threat capability.[1]

Over in the West Division, Troy is viewed as the most stable program in the conference. The Trojans dominated the preseason voting, securing 12 of the 14 first-place votes and 96 total points. Troy's defense is expected to be a suffocating force, anchored by Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Donnie Smith, who ranked eighth nationally with 11 sacks last year.[1]

The Trojans also feature a massive weapon on special teams in punter Evan Crenshaw. The reigning Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Year averaged over 45 yards per punt in 2025 and was a finalist for the Ray Guy Award. With elite defense and field-position advantages, Troy is built to win grueling, low-scoring conference matchups.[1]

The 2026 season also marks the dawn of a new era for the Sun Belt's geographic footprint. Louisiana Tech officially joins the conference this summer, replacing Texas State, which departed for the Pac-12. The Bulldogs arrive after 13 years in Conference USA, a move that reunites several long-standing regional rivalries and tightens the league's travel map.[3]

Louisiana Tech was picked to finish fourth in the West Division with 55 points. The Bulldogs are already making their presence felt on the preseason All-Conference teams, with linebacker Kolbe Fields earning First Team honors after a dominant campaign that included 110 tackles and 12 tackles for loss.[1][6]

Arkansas State is another team poised to make noise in the West. Despite being picked third in the division behind Troy and Louisiana, the Red Wolves led the entire conference with seven First Team All-Sun Belt selections. Their loaded roster suggests they could easily overperform their preseason ranking and disrupt the divisional race.[1][4]

As fall camps open across the South, the narrative is clear: the Sun Belt is no longer just fighting for regional pride. With the College Football Playoff committee watching closely, every conference game carries national championship implications. The road to the 12-team bracket runs directly through the Sun Belt Championship Game.[4][5]