ESPN’s College GameDay Built by The Home Depot will kick off the 2021 college football season by showcasing two early-season kickoff games in Atlanta and Charlotte, including a first-ever visit to the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff in week 0.

The premier college football pregame show will make its first stop on Saturday, Aug. 28 (9 a.m. ET, ESPN), live from outside Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, the site of the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff – featuring Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) North Carolina Central and Alcorn State (7 p.m., ESPN). The three-hour season preview show will highlight key storylines and offer news, analysis and predictions for upcoming college football season, while also celebrating the tradition, legacy and values of HBCUs.

“We all missed the traditions of college football and the festive atmosphere of Saturdays last season, so we are particularly excited to welcome fans back for College GameDay’s 35^th season, starting with the first two road shows in Atlanta and Charlotte,” said Drew Gallagher, ESPN coordinating producer.

Marching bands from both North Carolina Central (The Marching Sound Machine) and Alcorn State (The Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite) will also be showcased during GameDay’s week 0 stop.

In addition to College GameDay, ESPN’s signature morning debate show First Take – featuring Stephen A. Smith, Max Kellerman and host Molly Qerim Rose – will be live from Center Parc Stadium on Friday, Aug. 27, preparing fans for the Eagles vs. Braves matchup. The trio will also welcome a full lineup of special guests as they celebrate their first roadshow of the year.

Following the season-preview show, College GameDay will travel to Charlotte on Saturday, Sept. 4, to spotlight the highly anticipated, potential top-five matchup of Georgia vs. Clemson in the Duke’s Mayo Classic. The show will originate from Bearden Park in uptown Charlotte, just a few minutes from Bank of America Stadium, where the Bulldogs will take on the Tigers at 7:30 p.m., on ABC Saturday Night Football presented by Capital One. The southern rivals have played more than 60 times, but this will be the first game between the SEC and ACC schools since 2014.

Additional details and information regarding College GameDay’s first two shows, including special guests, will be announced in the coming weeks.

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NEW ORLEANS — Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill announced during his annual State of the Conference on Thursday that the conference has extended its media rights deal with ESPN. The deal now runs through the 2030-31 academic year. The new agreement will result in a more than 50 percent increase in the number of Sun Belt football games that appear on ESPN’s linear offerings (ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU), with 40 percent of those new opportunities being broadcast on a Saturday.  

“This new agreement is a recognition of our success and value. It will expand our reach and provide a vast amount of exposure for our members which will allow them to showcase the incredible athletic and academic accomplishments,” Gill said. “On behalf of the entire Sun Belt family, I want to thank Nick Dawson, ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, and the entire ESPN college football team for their support of the Sun Belt Conference. I am looking forward to continuing our wonderful partnership.”

“We are excited to extend our relationship with the Sun Belt and its member institutions,” Dawson said. “The Sun Belt is a valued partner and ESPN viewers have truly connected with the conference’s teams and storylines over the years. We look forward to our continued and enhanced coverage of Sun Belt football across ESPN networks and ESPN+ for many years to come.”

Since its move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level in 2001, the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) has established itself among intercollegiate athletic leagues, earning national acclaim. 2020, however, was a breakout year. The SBC led FBS with 21 non-conference wins in 2020, including a 3-0 record against Big 12 opponents. Two teams (Coastal Carolina and Louisiana) finished in the final AP Poll, Coaches Poll, and College Football Playoff Rankings.

The Sun Belt’s athletic success has never been more prominent or visible. In addition to the conference’s accomplishments on the football field during 2020, the conference boasted a 135 percent increase in TV viewership, with seven of the conference’s games surpassing 1 million viewers.

The Sun Belt Football Championship game, slated for Saturday, December 4, 2021 will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. Click here for the ESPN/SBC 2021 Schedule.

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“This schedule showcases the strength of our football programs and our partnership with ESPN, as we aim to continue the momentum from our record-breaking 2020 season,” said Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill. “We are excited about the increased linear opportunities provided by ESPN as we look to build upon the fact that more than 26 million viewers watched our football games in 2020.”

East Carolina at App State kicks off the Sun Belt’s linear appearances on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU. The game is 1-of-6 Sun Belt contests slated for ESPNU. 

A matchup of teams that finished the 2020 season ranked No. 19 and No. 20 in the College Football Playoff Rankings—Louisiana and Texas—will air on FOX on Saturday, Sept. 4, at 3:30 p.m. CT. 

A game that will occur under the Friday night lights on September 10—Kansas at Coastal Carolina—will air in primetime on ESPN2, with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. CT. The Jayhawks will be the first-ever Power 5 opponent to play on the “Surf Turf” inside Brooks Stadium. 

A pair of marquee non-conference matchups, App State at Miami at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 11, and Coastal Carolina at Buffalo at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 18, will flex to either ESPN2 or ESPNU. 

In midweek action, Ohio at Louisiana at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 16; Marshall at App State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Sept. 23; and Georgia State at Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday, Nov. 4, will receive flagship billing on ESPN. App State at Louisiana at 6:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Oct. 12, and Coastal Carolina at App State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Oct. 20 will be broadcast on ESPN2. 

Other ESPNU appearances include Army at Georgia State on Saturday, Sept. 4, at 11 a.m. CT; Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 6:30 p.m. CT; Georgia Southern at South Alabama on Thursday, Oct. 14, at 6:30 p.m. CT; Louisiana at Arkansas State on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 6:30 p.m. CT; and Troy at Coastal Carolina on Thursday, Oct. 28, at 6:30 p.m. CT. 

The 2021 Sun Belt Football Championship Game on Saturday, Dec. 4, will air on ESPN—with the kickoff time to be announced at a later date. The game will feature the champions of the conference’s East and West Divisions and will be played at the site of the divisional winner with the best overall conference record.

The 2021 season will conclude with the Sun Belt guaranteed a minimum of five spots in postseason bowl games—the Cure Bowl, Lending Tree Bowl, R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Myrtle Beach Bowl and Camellia Bowl. 

The Cure Bowl at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., will kick off the Sun Belt’s bowl season on Friday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. A pair of Sun Belt programs will compete on Saturday, Dec. 18, with one team in the Lending Tree Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., at 4:45 p.m. CT on ESPN and another in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, La., at 8:15 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

The Myrtle Beach Bowl at Brooks Stadium in Conway, S.C., will air on ESPN at 1:30 p.m. CT on Monday, Dec. 20, while the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., will round out the Sun Belt’s guaranteed bowl assignments at 1:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 25, on ESPN. 

The College Football Playoff also guarantees that a spot among the New Year’s Six bowl games will be awarded to the highest-ranked champion from the Group of Five conferences. 

The Sun Belt has won 69 percent of its bowl games over the past five seasons—including 4-of-5 in 2020—to lead all FBS conferences. 

2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thursday, September 2 
The Citadel at Coastal Carolina, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT — ESPN+
East Carolina at App State, 7:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Saturday, September 4 
Army at Georgia State, 12 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. CT – ESPNU
ULM at Kentucky, 12 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. CT – SECN
Louisiana at Texas, 4:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. CT – FOX 
Gardner-Webb at Georgia Southern, 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Central Arkansas at Arkansas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Southern at Troy, 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Baylor at Texas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Southern Miss at South Alabama, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT – ESPN+

Friday, September 10
Kansas at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Saturday, September 11
South Alabama at Bowling Green, 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT – ESPN+
App State at Miami, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN2 or ESPNU
Memphis at Arkansas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Liberty at Troy, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Nicholls State at Louisiana, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Texas State at Florida International, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+ 
Georgia State at North Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN3

Thursday, September 16
Ohio at Louisiana, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT – ESPN

Saturday, September 18
Coastal Carolina at Buffalo, 12 p.m. ET/11 a.m. CT – ESPN2 or ESPNU
Elon at App State, 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Arkansas, 4 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. CT – SECN
Arkansas State at Washington, 4:15 p.m. ET/3:15 p.m. CT – P12N
Charlotte at Georgia State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Incarnate Word at Texas State, 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Troy at Southern Miss, 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT – ESPN+
Alcorn State at South Alabama, 8 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. CT – ESPN3
Jackson State at ULM, 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT – ESPN3

Thursday, September 23
Marshall at App State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN

Thursday, October 7
Coastal Carolina at Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Tuesday, October 12
App State at Louisiana, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Thursday, October 14
Georgia Southern at South Alabama, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Wednesday, October 20
Coastal Carolina at App State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Thursday, October 21
Louisiana at Arkansas State, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Thursday, October 28
Troy at Coastal Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPNU

Thursday, November 4
Georgia State at Louisiana, 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT – ESPN 

Saturday, December 4
Sun Belt Football Championship Game, TBA – ESPN

Friday, December 17
Cure Bowl, 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT – ESPN2

Saturday, December 18
Lending Tree Bowl, 5:45 p.m. ET/4:45 p.m. CT – ESPN 
R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, 9:15 p.m. ET/8:15 p.m. CT – ESPN

Monday, December 20
Myrtle Beach Bowl, 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT – ESPN

Saturday, December 25
Camellia Bowl, 2:30 p.m. ET/1:30 p.m. CT – ESPN

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