The Sun Belt is the only conference in college football with divisions. It’s also among the most even leagues – and volatile.
It’s not a shock to go from worst to first, or vice versa, and this year should be more unpredictable than ever. That’s why our spring ranking of all the Sun Belt schedules is a bit looser than most of the other conferences.
We do this based on our Offseason First Look 1-136 Rankings. Our spring ranking of Southern Miss is 96. Win at home against the Golden Eagles, and that counts for 96 points. Win on the road, and that counts for half, so 48 points.
Any game against an FCS team counts as 137 points, and neutral site dates are treated like home games.
Overall, the lower the number and score, the harder your schedule.
Sun Belt Strength of Schedule Rankings: Spring
Sep 16, 2023; Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA; A Southern Miss Golden Eagles cheerleader performs before their game against the Tulane Green Wave at M.M. Roberts Stadium.
© Chuck Cook-Imagn Images
Again, the lower the score, the tougher the schedule and ranking.
No. 1 is the team with the hardest schedule, 14 has the easiest slate, along with ranking each team’s toughest game to easiest.
1 ULM Warhawks
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 817
– 2025 ULM Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 6 at Alabama
2 Oct 4 at Northwestern
3 Oct 25 at Southern Miss
4 Oct 11 at Coastal Carolina
5 Nov 29 at Louisiana
6 Nov 22 at Texas State
7 Sept 20 at UTEP
8 Sept 27 Arkansas State
9 Nov 15 South Alabama
10 Oct 18 Troy
11 Nov 1 Old Dominion
12 Aug 28 Saint Francis
Missing: App State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall
2 Arkansas State Red Wolves
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 837
– 2025 ASU Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 6 at Arkansas
2 Sept 13 Iowa State
3 Oct 14 at South Alabama
4 Nov 1 at Troy
5 Nov 29 at App State
6 Sept 20 at Kennesaw State
7 Sept 27 at ULM
8 Oct 25 Georgia Southern
9 Nov 8 Southern Miss
10 Nov 20 Louisiana
11 Oct 4 Texas State
12 Aug 30 SE Missouri State
Missing: Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion
3 Georgia State Panthers
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 844
– 2025 Georgia State Schedule Analysis
1 Aug 30 at Ole Miss
2 Sept 20 at Vanderbilt
3 Oct 18 at Georgia Southern
4 Nov 22 at Troy
5 Nov 8 at Coastal Carolina
6 Nov 29 at Old Dominion
7 Sept 6 Memphis
8 Oct 4 James Madison
9 Oct 23 South Alabama
10 Oct 11 App State
11 Nov 15 Marshall
12 Sept 13 Murray State
Missing: Arkansas State, Louisiana, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULM
4 South Alabama Jaguars
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 856.5
– 2025 USA Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 13 at Auburn
2 Sept 27 at North Texas
3 Oct 4 at Troy
4 Nov 29 at Texas State
5 Oct 23 at Georgia State
6 Nov 15 at ULM
7 Sept 6 Tulane
8 Oct. 14 Arkansas State
9 Nov 22 Southern Miss
10 Sept 20 Coastal Carolina
11 Nov 1 Louisiana
12 Aug 30 Morgan State
Missing: App State, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion
5 Troy Trojans
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 866
– 2025 Troy Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 6 at Clemson
2 Sept 20 at Buffalo
3 Nov 29 at Southern Miss
4 Oct 11 at Texas State
5 Nov 13 at Old Dominion
6 Oct 18 at ULM
7 Sept 13 Memphis
8 Nov 1 Arkansas State
9 Oct 4 South Alabama
10 Oct 25 Louisiana
11 Nov 22 Georgia State
12 Aug 30 Nicholls
Missing: App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Marshall
6 Old Dominion Monarchs
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 877
– 2025 ODU Schedule Analysis
1 Aug 30 at Indiana
2 Sept 13 at Virginia Tech
3 Oct 18 at James Madison
4 Nov 22 at Georgia Southern
5 Nov 1 at ULM
6 Oct 11 at Marshall
7 Sept 27 Liberty
8 Nov 13 Troy
9 Oct 4 Coastal Carolina
10 Oct 25 App State
11 Nov 29 Georgia State
12 Sept 6 NC Central
Missing: Arkansas State, Louisiana, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State
7 Texas State Bobcats
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 890
– 2025 Texas State Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 13 at Arizona State
2 Sept 6 at UTSA
3 Oct 4 at Arkansas State
4 Nov 15 at Southern Miss
5 Nov 8 at Louisiana
6 Oct 18 at Marshall
7 Oct 28 James Madison
8 Nov 29 South Alabama
9 Oct 11 Troy
10 Aug 30 Eastern Michigan
11 Nov 22 ULM
12 Sept 20 Nicholls
Missing: App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Old Dominion
8 Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 900
– 2025 Louisiana Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 13 at Missouri
2 Oct 11 at James Madison
3 Nov 20 at Arkansas State
4 Nov 1 at South Alabama
5 Oct 25 at Troy
6 Sept 20 at Eastern Michigan
7 Aug 30 Rice
8 Oct 18 Southern Miss
9 Nov 8 Texas State
10 Nov 29 ULM
11 Sept 27 Marshall
12 Sept 6 McNeese
Missing: App State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Old Dominion
9 James Madison Dukes
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 905
– 2025 JMU Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 6 at Louisville
2 Sept 20 at Liberty
3 Nov 29 at Coastal Carolina
4 Oct 28 at Texas State
5 Oct 4 at Georgia State
6 Nov 8 at Marshall
7 Nov 22 Washington State
8 Sept 27 Georgia Southern
9 Oct 11 Louisiana
10 Nov 15 App State
11 Oct 18 Old Dominion
12 Aug 30 Weber State
Missing: Arkansas State, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy, ULM
10 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 914.5
– 2025 Coastal Carolina Schedule Analysis
1 Nov 22 at South Carolina
2 Aug 30 at Virginia
3 Nov 15 at Georgia Southern
4 Sept 20 at South Alabama
5 Oct 18 at App State
6 Oct 4 at Old Dominion
7 Nov 29 James Madison
8 Sept 13 East Carolina
9 Nov 8 Georgia State
10 Oct 11 ULM
11 Oct 30 Marshall
12 Sept 6 Charleston Southern
Missing: Arkansas State, Louisiana, Southern Miss, Texas State, Troy
11 Marshall Thundering Herd
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 918
– 2025 Marshall Schedule Analysis
1 Aug 30 at Georgia
2 Oct 30 at Coastal Carolina
3 Sept 27 at Louisiana
4 Sept 20 at Middle Tennessee
5 Nov 22 at App State
6 Nov 15 at Georgia State
7 Nov 8 James Madison
8 Nov 29 Georgia Southern
9 Oct 18 Texas State
10 Oct 11 Old Dominion
11 Sept 6 Missouri State
12 Sept 13 Eastern Kentucky
Oct 4 OPEN DATE
Oct 25 OPEN DATE
Missing: Arkansas State, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy, ULM
12 Georgia Southern Eagles
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 923
– 2025 Georgia Southern Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 6 at USC
2 Aug 30 at Fresno State
3 Sept 27 at James Madison
4 Oct 25 at Arkansas State
5 Nov 8 at App State
6 Nov 29 at Marshall
7 Oct 11 Southern Miss
8 Nov 15 Coastal Carolina
9 Oct 18 Georgia State
10 Nov 22 Old Dominion
11 Sept 13 Jacksonville State
12 Sept 20 Maine
Missing: Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, ULM
13 App State Mountaineers
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 957
– 2025 App State Schedule Analysis
1 Sept 27 at Boise State
2 Nov 15 at James Madison
3 Sept 13 at Southern Miss
4 Oct 11 at Georgia State
5 Oct 25 at Old Dominion
6 Oct 4 Oregon State
7 Nov 8 Georgia Southern
8 Nov 29 Arkansas State
9 Oct 18 Coastal Carolina
10 Nov 22 Marshall
11 Aug 30 Charlotte
12 Sept 6 Lindenwood
Missing: Louisiana, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy, ULM
14 Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Spring Strength of Schedule Score: 993
– 2025 USM Schedule Analysis
1 Oct 4 at Georgia Southern
2 Nov 8 at Arkansas State
3 Nov 22 at South Alabama
4 Oct 18 at Louisiana
5 Sept 20 at Louisiana Tech
6 Aug 30 Mississippi State
7 Nov 29 Troy
8 Nov 15 Texas State
9 Sept 13 App State
10 Sept 27 Jacksonville State
11 Oct 25 ULM
12 Sept 6 Jackson State
Oct 11 OPEN DATE
Nov 1 OPEN DATE
Missing: Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion
