The Sun Belt Conference fined league member Marshall $100,000 for withdrawing from the Independence Bowl.
Marshall withdrew from the Dec. 28 game on Dec. 14 — six days after accepting the invitation — due to a depleted roster through the transfer portal and a head coaching change. Nearby Louisiana Tech, with a 5-7 record, replaced Marshall and lost 27-6.
“While the conference recognizes the medical model and best practices followed by Marshall, as well as their fundamental concern for the health and safety of the remaining eligible student-athletes to compete in a safe and viable manner, the nature and timing of this” The decision was detrimental to the Sun Belt Conference and its members, Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” the league said in a statement released Friday.
The Sun Belt added that it considered the matter closed and would have no further comment.
Marshall (10-3) won the Sun Belt on Dec. 7 and accepted the bowl invitation the next day. The same day, Marshall coach Charles Huff was named head coach at Southern Miss. More than 20 Marhsall players entered the transfer portal and were unavailable to play the game.
Following the withdrawal, U.S. Athletics Commissioner Tim Pernetti said the NCAA should draft legislation to penalize non-participation programs. Stakeholders also said a later transfer window would help prevent mass deregistrations in December.
On Tuesday, the American Football Coaches Association recommended moving the portal from Jan. 2 to Jan. 12, with the goal of allowing teams to finish their seasons with their full rosters. However, under current guidelines, due to Marshall’s coaching change, players still would have been able to enter the portal immediately.
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