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The Sun Belt had one of the greatest bowl seasons for any conference ever in 2023—twelve of its 14 teams played in bowls stretching from Myrtle Beach to Honolulu. The untrained eye may have thought this was the norm for the league, but this was far from the truth.
There was once a time when the Sun Belt needed every bowl it could get. An unexpected bowl helped the conference grow its postseason footprint and lay the foundation for something greater.
The end of the GameAbove Sports Bowl calls for a recollection of Sun Belt bowl appearances in Detroit. Although the Sun Belt has not played in Detroit’s bowl game since 2012, it was an important step in the conference’s ascent. One could argue that the Sun Belt's loaded 2023 could never have happened without the help of the Motor City Bowl over the years.
The Sun Belt had one bowl tie-in at the start of the 2006 season, the New Orleans Bowl. The league had placed a second team in a bowl for the first time in 2004. The Silicon Valley Classic picked 6-5 Troy to play Northern Illinois. However, the optimism was short-lived. Before the Sun Belt could try to play itself into a partnership, the Silicon Valley Football Classic folded.
Middle Tennessee finished with a 7-5 record in 2006, and it appeared they would join the list of quality Sun Belt teams left out of bowls, such as the 2001 8-3 Blue Raiders and the 2002 New Mexico State team that went 7-5. However, the NCAA and the Big Ten paved the way for the Blue Raiders to make their first bowl.
The NCAA instituted a rule forcing bowls to select 7-5 teams over 6-6 teams, while the Big Ten sent two teams to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS). These circumstances created a perfect storm that sent the Blue Raiders to the Motor City Bowl.
The Blue Raiders and Northern Illinois were the only 7-5 teams available for the Poinsettia and Motor City Bowls. The Motor City Bowl did not want an all-MAC matchup, so they had no choice but to invite the Blue Raiders. Middle Tennessee may have lost 31-14 to MAC Champion Central Michigan, but it was the start of a beneficial partnership for the Sun Belt.
In 2008, the Motor City Bowl found itself in the same position. The Big Ten sent two teams to the BCS. Once again, the Motor City Bowl needed a replacement for its Big Ten representative. A trio of 6-6 Sun Belt teams in Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, and Louisiana, and 6-6 San Jose State awaited the Motor City Bowl’s decision.
Just like in 2006, the Motor City Bowl had limited options. They selected Florida Atlantic over a much more distant San Jose State squad. Three bowls that the Sun Belt had backup contracts with passed, but the Motor City Bowl gave the conference a chance.
Florida Atlantic did not disappoint in the Motor City Bowl. The Owls upset a Central Michigan squad with a win over Indiana, 24-21. The Sun Belt had found a way to keep the attention of the Motor City Bowl for good.
Two years later, the Sun Belt and the now Little Caesars Pizza Bowl made it official. The bowl formally agreed to give the conference a backup tie-in. The Sun Belt would step in twice and go 1-1. In 2010, FIU won its bowl debut 34-32 over Toledo, which had beaten Purdue earlier in the year. Two years later, Western Kentucky lost its first bowl appearance 24-21 to a Central Michigan team that beat Iowa.
The Sun Belt acquitted itself well in both Pizza Bowls and proved itself deserving of more postseason opportunities. These opportunities increased gradually in the coming years.
In 2014, the Sun Belt earned a third bowl spot, with the newly-established Camellia Bowl joining the New Orleans and GoDaddy.com Bowls. The following year, the Cure Bowl began an agreement with the conference. Finally, in 2016, the Arizona Bowl joined the conference bowl slate to bring the league’s total bowl slots to five. This robust lineup was a far cry from the Sun Belt's first eight seasons, when it had just one guaranteed bowl spot.
Fast forward to 2023, and the Sun Belt made a legitimate argument as the deepest conference in the FBS. The Sun Belt finally reached the peak with James Madison reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff. Although the Motor City Bowl played a small role, this remarkable ascent could not have happened without it. Thus, the end of bowl games in Detroit should be a somber and reflective day for Sun Belt fans.
