Top 25 Clash Headlines Sun Belt Football Week 1 Slate

WEEK 1 CONFERENCE NOTES

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference—the lone Group of Five league with a pair of preseason ranked teams—will kick off its 2021 season on Thursday night when No. 22/24 Coastal Carolina hosts The Citadel at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and App State squares off against East Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Classic at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

A Top 25 matchup between No. 23/23 Louisiana and No. 21/19 Texas headlines Week 1 action at 3:30 p.m. Saturday on FOX.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• MAKING HISTORY — For the first time since it began sponsoring football in 2001, the Sun Belt Conference boasts a pair of ranked teams in the preseason editions of both the USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll and the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 Poll.