About Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference acts primarily as a revenue‑distributing intermediary that channels conference earnings back to its member public universities, with large, formulaic payments to support campus athletic programs and conference operations. Grants are highly concentrated among conference members across the Southeast and South‑Central U.S., reflecting regular, repeat distributions rather than competitive project grants.
Focus Areas
Revenue distributions to Sun Belt member public universities (athletics funding)Support for NCAA Division I athletic programs and conference operationsRegional focus on Southeastern and South‑Central U.S. public institutionsRecurring institutional support (predictable, formulaic payments to members)
Who They Fund
organization membersindividual members/participants
Giving Approach
Concentrated, repeat distributions: relatively few large, regular grants directed to member universities (many recipients receive multiple equalized payments), indicating formulaic revenue sharing rather than one‑off program grants.
Funding Style
About Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference’s grantmaking is defined by large, repeat distributions to its member universities, not by project-based philanthropy. In 2024, Georgia State University received $2,010,000 marked as a distribution to members, the largest recent grant in the data. Other major 2024 payments went to Coastal Carolina University and Troy University at $1,970,000 each, and to University of South Alabama, University of Louisiana Lafayette, and Georgia Southern University at $1,920,000 each. That pattern shows the conference moving substantial earnings back into the institutions that participate in the league. The 2025 records continue the same structure, with multiple members receiving the same $1,757,089 payment, including Appalachian State University, Marshall University, Texas State University, Troy University, and University of Southern Mississippi. The repeated amounts and member-only recipient list point to a formal internal allocation model centered on athletics funding and conference operations. Rather than supporting individuals or outside nonprofits, the conference functions as a financial intermediary for public universities within its membership.
What Sun Belt Conference Funds
The clearest theme in the grant records is support for member athletics programs and conference operations. In 2024, Coastal Carolina University received $1,970,000 as a distribution to members, and Troy University received the same amount, showing large institutional payments tied to the league structure. Georgia Southern University also received $1,920,000 in 2024 for the same purpose. The 2025 entries keep that same pattern, with University of Louisiana Lafayette receiving $1,899,784 and University of Louisiana Monroe receiving $1,757,089. These grants are not framed as restricted project awards; they are recorded as distributions to members, which aligns with internal revenue sharing. The recipient list also reflects a concentration in public universities across the Southeastern and South-Central U.S., consistent with a conference serving NCAA Division I institutions.
How Sun Belt Conference Gives
The grant-size spread is tight: p25 is $1,597,500, median is $1,757,089, and p75 is $1,863,112. That clustering suggests formula-driven payments rather than discretionary awards of varying size. The recent record also shows repeated recipients across years, including Appalachian State University, Coastal Carolina University, Arkansas State University, Texas State University, Georgia State University, and University of Louisiana Lafayette. The conference does not fund individuals, and the grants are recorded as member distributions. The pattern is consistent with an internal allocation structure tied to conference membership rather than an open application process.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$23.9M
Total Assets
$23.3M
Total Revenue
$47M
Total Expenses
$48M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $1.6M and $1.9M, with a median of $1.8M.
25th Percentile
$1.6M
Median
$1.8M
75th Percentile
$1.9M
Geographic Reach
Leadership
HERBERT L CARTER III
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