Predictions set for Sun Belt football in 2022 P 8P 5 HUB unveiled as students return Summer songs to swing back into school P 6 www.ulmhawkeyeonline.com August 15, 2022VOLUME 102 ISSUE 1 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE Major events you missed over the summer P 6 ‘Where bringsCrawdadstheSing’mystery Opinion: In ation Reduction Act is a climate change win P 3 P 4
MysteriousPoland massive
August 15 1945: Emperor Hirohito announces Japan’s surrender in World War II. 1947: India becomes in dependent after 89 years of British rule. 1972: Award Winning ac tor Ben A eck is born. 1998: Apple reveals the iMac to the world. author stabbed on stage ULM’s campus was once again full of life as thousands of students moved in over the weekend. Photo August Tuesday, Monday, Friday, Sunday,Saturday,ursday,AugustAugustAugustAugust Friday Night Frisbee, 9 p.m., Bayou Park No Survival, 3 p.m. BCM Building 15 Firework display, 8:30 p.m., the Grove Roosevelt,right.”Teddy26thU.S.president live game show, 7 p.m. 6 p.m., building York diePolish riverMuslims MexicoLouisianaLouisiana abortion clinic
Reuters- A Muslim immigrant from Afghanistan has been arrested as the prime suspect in the serial killings of four Muslim men that rattled the Islamic community of New Mexico’s largest city, police said last Tuesday. After days bolstering security around Albuquerque-area mosques, seeking to allay fears of a shooter driven by anti-Muslim hate, police said on Tuesday they had arrested 51-year-old Muhammad Syed, one among the city’s Islamic immigrant community.Authorities said the killings may have been rooted in a personal grudge.
KTAL/KMSS- e Louisiana Supreme Court has denied an appeal from a Shreveport clinic seeking to reimpose a block on the state’s abortion trigger laws pending any legal challenges. According to a statement from ProLife Louisiana released last Friday, the Louisiana Supreme Court denied the appeal led by the Center for Reproductive Rights on Aug. 4 asking the state’s highest court to reverse the First Circuit Court of Appeals decision that closed three abortion clinics in the state.etrigger laws will remain in e ect in Louisiana pending any further legal action. TODAY IN HISTORY
BCM
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AP- Salman Rushdie, whose novel “ e Satanic Verses” drew death threats from Iran’s leader in the 1980s, was stabbed in the neck and abdomen Friday by a man who rushed the stage as the author was about to give a lecture in western New York. A bloodied Rushdie, 75, was own to a hospital and underwent surgery. His agent, Andrew Wylie, said the writer was on a ventilator Friday evening, with a damaged liver, severed nerves in his arm and an eye he was likely to lose.
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August 15, 2022PAGE 2 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE BRIEFS
August
Poland’s second longest river might take years to recover from the ecological damage caused by the large amount of waste.
off of sh in
Suspect arrested in killing of 4
Services Front page credits: Main photo: ULM Photo Services Top right photo: TopPixabaysidebar photo: Sun Belt CALENDARConferenceWednesday,
MOVIN’ TO MONROE photo courtesy ULM
BayouBCMPointeLuau,
denied appeal 17 18 19 20 21
“Knowing what’s right doesn’t mean much unless you do what’s
CAB
New
Anna Moskwa, the minister of climate and environment, said analyses of river samples taken in both Poland and Germany revealed elevated salt levels. Comprehensive toxicology studies are still underway in Poland, she said.
Police identi ed the attacker as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey. He was arrested at the scene. AP- Laboratory tests following a mass die-o of sh in the Oder River detected high levels of salinity but no mercury poisoning its waters, Poland’s environment minister said Saturday as the mystery continued as to what killed tons of sh in Central Europe.
events planned No events planned BCM
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August
Controversial
Culture Celebrating National Girlfriend Day is worth it
contact Kassidy Taylor taylorkad@warhawks.ulm.eduat ation Reduction Act is a must for climate change Kassidy Taylor
Climate change threatens the community’s access to essential needs such as clean water, air and food.e World Health Organization says the biggest issue of this century is climate change. e In ation Reduction Act is much needed and will provide a substantial advancement in clean energy and environmental justice. is climate bill was passed by the House of Representatives and has been sent to President Biden to be signed into law within weeks. Aside from combating in ation, this legislation will also tackle climate change. It will allow $369 billion in spending to ght against climate change.Nothing this large has been done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions until now. is bill is the most signi cant ght against climate change in decades. Biden aims for pollution to be reduced by 50% from 2005 levels by the year 2030. e United States Environmental Protection Agency says fossil fuel carbon emissions have signi cantly increased since 1900 and CO2 emissions have increased by 90% since 1970. is issue cannot be ignored and deserves the utmost attention. e American Physical Society states that climate change is a “critical issue” and can cause disruptions around the world. It is urgent that this legislation be implemented and the Biden administration take proper action to ensure that greenhouse gas emission levels fall. e proposed bill o ers tax credits for those implementing cleaner energy sources. It might also provide more job opportunities and reduce energy bills. In addition, it will help people a ord clean energy vehicles and appliances.erewillbe a $3 billion investment in creating cleaner ports. is will not only decrease pollution, but also improve the health of those living nearby as a side e ect. ere will also be investment in cleaner modes of transportation as well as cleaner manufacturing methods for industries. ere will be a fee on the oil and gas industry for the methane pollution they produce. is is important because industries need to be held more accountable for the pollution they are releasing in our community’s air andWhilewater.this bill is a great leap in the right direction, it is not a godsend, and much more must be done to solve the climate crisis.
OPINION
August 15, 2022PAGE 3 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE The opinions expressed in personal columns are the opinions of the author and not necessarily the opinions of the editors, staff, adviser or the university. Unsigned editorials represent the col lective opinion of The Hawkeye’s edito rial board, but not necessarily the opin ions of the adviser or the university. The Hawkeye (USPS #440-700) is pub lished weekly except vacation, exam & holiday periods by The University of Louisiana at Monroe, 700 University Avenue, Monroe, LA 71209. Annual subscription price is $15.00. Periodicals Postage Paid at Monroe, LAPOSTMASTER:71203. Send address chang es to The Hawkeye, 700 University Ave., Stubbs 131, Monroe, LA 712098832. Stubbs 131 700 University Avenue Monroe, LA 71209 Editor-in-Chief - Cameron Jett Co-managing Editor News - Maggie Eubanks Opinion Editor - Kassidy Taylor Co-managing Editor Arts & Entertainment - Carley Nail Sports Editor - Jonah Bostick Multimedia Editor Niraj Shrestha Copy Editor - Beau Benoit Ad Director Stanislava Prosvietova 318-342-5453 ulmhawkeyead@gmail.com Assistant Director: Courtney Collins 318 342 ccollins@ulm.edu5450 Feedback 318 342 5453 newsroom 318 342 5452 fax ulmhawkeye@gmail.com Don’t agree? Let us know! Contact the writers or the editor taylorkad@warhawks.ulm.eduat Beau Benoit On Aug. 1, many observed National Girlfriend Day by posting photos of the special woman in their life on social media platforms. Despite the word “national” in the title, the day is not a legitimate holiday because neither Congress nor a sitting president has o cially made it a Althoughholiday.itisnot a national holiday, it should be viewed with the same respect and excitement. If people can celebrate Groundhog Day where a rodent gets scared of a shadow, then other more casual holidays should be celebrated— even if they are not legally acknowledged.epurposeof National Girlfriend Day is to have fun and display your a ection for the lucky lady you have.Itcosts nothing to be happy and show o the girl who makes you happy. ere are no reasons not to doNationalso. Girlfriend Day is not the only example. ere are a wide range of national days recognized by the Popularpublic.others include National Boyfriend Day on Oct. 3, National Hotdog Day on July 19 and many more.Ifalarge enough audience acknowledges a date as having meaning and importance, then a holiday can be born. Not every important date on a calendar must be a federally mandated event with a long history or overly complicated backstory. People might want a break from the usual holidays lling up typical calendars.Whether you believe there are too many of these national holidays or you are unfazed by their celebration, the existence of these made up holidays do not hurt anyone. eir celebration should not be stopped or prevented. People will continue to gain joy from these fabricated holidays, and more holidays like them will continue to be added to calendars. Instead of ignoring these added national holidays and only recognizing federal holidays, try to join in on the festivities by nding one of these absurd holidays and celebrating it with friends or family. contact Beau Benoit benoitbb@warhawks.ulm.eduat
Politics In
photos courtesy ULM Photo Services Warhawks came back to their home on the bayou last Fri day noticing a new look for campus. ULM held a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the completion of the new HUB. Filled with balloons, cupcakes and cocktails, the celebration was the place to be. Students and faculty were present at the ceremony along with community o cials such as Monroe mayor Friday Ellis and Louisiana State Representative Adrian Fisher. e ribbon cutting was a momentous event for ULM and the culmination of years of work by two di erent adminis trations.Original plans for the building began under former ULM president Nick Bruno, but the construction was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the grand opening will not occur until August 29th, the ribbon cutting ceremony marked a historic part nership between ULM and Aramark. $6 billion was given by Aramark to complete the building and give ULM the new student center it needed. In total, the project cost was around $11.6 million. e HUB will o er ve new food vendors for students in cluding Starbucks, Subway, Flip Kitchen, Bento Sushi, Chickl-A and a small market for food and groceries. e old student union and Starbucks facilities will remain open until the grand opening on the 29th. After that, ULM President Berry announced that there will be new plans for the SUB and Starbucks buildings. Not only does the facility o er food and study space, but it also has an LED screen on the outside of the building that will play recruiting videos for the university.
President Berry was at the HUB to celebrate, and he com mented on the amazing energy present in the room and all the new amenities the building will o er. “ e energy in this room this morning is hard to describe. We hope our students realize how much we appreciate them to bring this magni cent building here for you,” Berry said. “ ere’s going to be study spaces up top where you can meet and eat to continue your education to truly become the best version of yourself.” e opening of the HUB will mark the most signi cant moment in President Berry’s tenure. e HUB is the most innovative and modern building on ULM’s campus. Along with the new services for students, the building will also make the bayou more attractive to prospective students. e two-story building has restaurants and food services on the bottom oor with study spaces and a picturesque balcony on the second oor. Every inch of the 23,000-square foot building was well utilized and planned out to ensure the building bene ts students in the best way possible. e HUB will be a place that allows ULM to step forward in a modernizing world. e architecture allows places for students to study, eat and hang out with friends in a building with an abundance of natural lighting and comfortable seating.SGAPresident Ethan Estis spoke on how generations to come will use the HUB and the completion of the building marks a new precedent for the university. “ e completion of this project sets the bar for years to follow, “ Estis said. “ is new building will become a focal point for our students, and a central location for all and we could not be more excited.”Estiswas the representative for students at the event, and he spoke for everyone when mentioning how the building has brought excitement since its groundbreaking last year. Every speaker at the ribbon cutting made sure that students knew this building was created with them in mind.
FieldsEstis
Students are excited to partake in the grand opening on the 29th and take full advantage of the building that is sure to become the center of all student events on the bayou.
“ e most important people here today are our students,” Vice President of Student A airs Valerie Fields said. “We are so excited about them sharing in this process and helping us be able to bring this building to fruition.”
August 15, 2022PAGE 4 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE NEWS Campus
ULM kicks off new year with HUB ribbon cutting contact Maggie Eubanks eubanksml@warhawks.ulm.eduat Berry
by Maggie Eubanks NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK: SGA President Ethan Estis cuts the ribbon with a member of Aramark to unveil the historic new student center.
Abortion After the landmark ruling from the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade, many states have held votes on whether or not abortion will become illegal within their borders. In states like Kansas, voters decided to keep abortion legal in the state. In states like Louisiana, Ken tucky and Utah, the situation is everchanging. According to the New York Times, Louisiana’s abortion laws have changed ve times since the fall of Roe with Kentucky’s laws changing four times and Utah’s three. With the power now in the hands of the states, voters will have to determine new laws concerning abortion. to know news from this summer
A federal judge signed o on a rst last Monday when he allowed the FBI to perform a search at former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. e signi cance of this event has caused elected o cials from both parties to speak out.
e investigation into the role Trump played in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol Building is still ongoing. With the added investigation from this FBI search, Trump’s political future looks to be on the fence. No charges have been brought against Trump, but if the investigation nds him guilty of violating these laws, Trump faces a possible prison sentence.
e original warrant cites that the agents had probable cause to believe the residence was hous ing materials that would show that Trump violated three di erent federal laws, including the Espio nage Act. e National Archives, which houses all o cial documents of past presidents, alerted federal o cials to these missing documents as early as February of this year, according to CNN. Trump was compliant with the request for documents originally, but he did not send in these boxes from Mar-a-Lago, causing the FBI to take action.
contact Maggie Eubanks eubanksml@warhawks.ulm.eduat
Political uproar after FBI search at Trump resort
TROUBLE IN PARADISE: Trump is under federal scrutiny after an FBI search. photo courtesy MCT Campus U.S. Congress has recently passed several bills aimed at de creasing in ation and promoting green energy. e rst of these bills will promote semiconductor production in the United States, allowing America to become a global com petitor in one of the fastest growing elds. e next two bills are largely aimed at reducing health care costs and putting aside billions of dollars to invest in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro electricity. According to AP News, the passage of these bills has been considered a big win for President Biden and his democratic backers. Ukraine e war between Russia and Ukraine raged on through out the summer. e majority of the ghting is focused in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, but Russian forces have dropped bombs across the entire country of Ukraine.Onekey area of concern is a nuclear plant in Ukraine that has come under Russian control. Increased shelling in the area has caused fears of a possible nuclear incident taking place. Neither country has taken blame for hitting the plant, but the UN has major concerns for the civilians living in the area, according to CNN.
PoliticsUpdate
e investigation is currently ongoing, but the search warrant and a list of what was taken from Trump’s residence were unsealed on Friday.
Need
PAGE 5 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE NEWS August 15, 2022
Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York said, “Presidents have a solemn duty to protect America’s national security, and allegations that former President Trump put our security at risk by mishandling classi ed information warrant the utmost scrutiny.”
by Maggie Eubanks
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to the search by calling it a raid and an overreach of federal power. “ e raid of Mar-a-Lago is another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents,” DeSantis said.is response from DeSantis mirrors the opin ions of many allies of President Trump as they feel the FBI could have handled the search with more secrecy and respect for the former president. Others are defending the search by saying that Trump should be held accountable if he took classi ed material from the White House.
According to AP News, FBI agents took 11 boxes of classi ed material from the Mar-a-Lago estate.
‘ e Kind of Love We Make’ by Luke Combs “ e Kind of Love We Make” soon became a country favorite after be ing released in June. While “ e Kind of Love We Make” is not Luke Combs’s most popular song, it has been the most streamed song on his newest album. is rustic southern love song is perfect for easy-listening and has been climb ing the country music charts.
Movie Review
Recommendations Summer hits to add in your ‘Back to School’ playlist ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ shocks viewers contact Carley Nail nailcn@warhawks.ulm.eduat ‘Vegas’ by Doja Cat Feel-good hype music has always been Doja’s specialty, but this time around she paid tribute to the un derrated Black musician that gave us “Hound Dog.” While “Hound Dog” grew in popularity from El vis’ cover, Big Mama ornton rst released the song. Doja heavily in cludes samples from ornton’s track, while also putting her own modern spin on this classic.
‘As It Was’ by Harry Styles “As It Was” quickly became one of the most popular songs of the summer. According to CNN, Styles broke a Guinness World Record with “As It Was” by being the male artist to have the most streams on Spotify in 24 hours. With its 80s sound and thought-provoking lyr ics, “As It Was” ful lled the request of many fans while also bringing the pop song of the summer.
‘Glimpse of Us’ by Joji After going viral on TikTok, “Glimpse of Us” is Joji’s rst song to hit the top 10 in Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. “Glimpse of Us” tells the tragic story of love, heartbreak and having to move on. Joji’s powerful lyrics mixed with the calm soothing piano shows true emotions embed ded in this song. ‘About Damn Time’ by Lizzo It was about damn time that Liz zo released a new song, and she certainly delivered. “About Damn Time” is a self-love and empow erment anthem with a beat that makes you want to dance. Released in April, this single preceded the drop of Lizzo’s new album and be came her second song to reach the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
August 15, 2022PAGE 6 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Usually people are innocent until proven guilty, but in Kya’s case she is guilty until proven innocent. Kya Clark has always been an outcast. But now after being charged with murder, her life is placed in the hands of the people that hate her most. Being hidden away from the rest of the world all her life, Kya calls the waters of the marsh home. She draws the creatures and plants that reside there. e marsh is her way of life.etownspeople think that her fascination with the marsh is odd. ey call her “marsh girl” and have spread rumors about her since she was a child. Kya has lived in isolation for so long that it’s the only way she knows. e marsh is her source of comfort and has always been a place she can run back to—until she runs into di ering people from town that change her life. She nds love, endures heartache and learns to stand up for herself. is lm is an adaptation from the book “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens. Published in 2018, the book has sold over 12 million copies, according to USA Today. “Where the Crawdads Sing” is presented to the audience as if there are two storylines that intertwine and complement each other. Kya narrates the story of her life leading up to the arrest as a ashback, while the trial is shown from a present point of view. ese di ering viewpoints keep the audience on their toes while also adding a deeper layer of explanation for how Kya got to the situation she is in. e lm opens with breathtaking cinematography of a beautiful marsh. Perfectly placed clips of nature and wildlife introduced the location of the lm—North Carolina. Despite the setting of the movie, most of the lming occurred inYouLouisiana.cantell that the location and set of the lm was taken into great consideration when lming and putting the movie together. is lm convinces you that you know how it will end. But when the story unfolds, not everything is as it“Whereseems. the Crawdads Sing” is full of thrills and mystery, while also showing how a young woman grows in independence and con dence. by Carley Nail
Freshman Advice: Moving from high school to college can be re ally overwhelming. Everyone will tell you that college is di erent, but you don’t truly under stand until you get here. I remember when I moved into my dorm room for the rst time. at night I sat in my room and thought about how this was the rst time that I had truly been alone. I didn’t know my room mate and none of my close friends went to ULM. But, freshman year became one of the best years of my life so far. I made great friends, made mistakes and learned a lot. Here are a few tips and tricks that I picked up during my freshman year.
2) Study Even if you were the smartest student at your high school, you need to study. Don’t think that because you didn’t need to study in high school that your college classes will be a breeze.
If you have a topic or question that you would like to see in Carley’s Corner, email me at nailcn@warhawks.ulm.edu. contact Carley Nail nailcn@warhawks.ulm.eduat
3) Find a Routine When you have a schedule, going to class and doing homework is so much easier. I recom mend getting a planner or a dry erase calendar. Planning your week makes it less likely that you’ll forget about something. Hopefully with this advice, your freshman year will run a little smoother.
August 15, 2022PAGE 7 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Crossword Courtesy of MCT CampusClassi eds Across 1 __ the fat 5 Fill, as a teddy bear 10 Bonneville Salt Flats state 14 Toy block brand with 3-in-1Creatorsets 15 Pitch-fixing pro 16 Indian flatbread 17 Hankering 18 Submit taxes online 19 Severelyovercook 20 Awesome event in history?military 22 Desertlike 23 Signs off on 24 Tree in a tray 26 Penne pappardelleand 30 Minor mistake 32 Scrubenergetically 33 Awesome side at a barbecue? 38 Comic __: casual typeface 39 Warty jumpers 40 “That is a fact” 41 Awesome double accessory?Dutch 43 Judy Nothing”Fourth“TalesBlume’sofa__ 44 Softball scores 45 Telephoned 46 Hypotheticalscenario 50 Hotmailalternative 51 A pop 52 Awesome tennis racket? 59 Digging 60 SpaghettiWesterndirectorSergio 61 Roof overhang 62 Splits 63 Superexcited 64 Marvel mutantsComics 65 __-and-seek 66 Trades blows 67 Structure with stakes Down 1 Sandwich type 2 Sandwich type 3 Spaghetticarbonaraingredients 4 Misfortunes 5 Swordfishservings 6 Clumps of fur 7 Scoville __: chili pepper measurementheat 8 Succumbed to gravity 9 Giveawayssampling,fore.g. 10 “Blue Ain’t Your Color” country singer Keith 11 Travels with the band 12 Open courtyards 13 Asian relatedlanguagetoUrdu 21 Wild pig 25 Choose (to) 26 Hissed “Hey!” 27 Smoothie bowl berry 28 Spotify selection 29 Booty 30 Scoreless Scrabble turns 31 News jargonjournalismopening,storyin 33 Shortly 34 __-Alt-Del 35 Spoken, not written 36 Disrespectful 37 “__ a lift?” 39 Artisan chocolate treats 42 Uni- + bi43 Huge bash 45 Quakes in fear 46 Put on a scale 47 Vietnam’s capital 48 Played a role 49 “The ones I’m pointing at” 50 Ed of “Up” 53 Jeté, e.g. 54 Lotus disciplinepose 55 Smartphonemessage 56 Subdue, as wild hair 57 Neck and neck 58 Tenant’s paymentmonthly Hot takes on college life
1) Get out of your comfort zone Go to the welcome week events. I know some times it’s awkward and it’s easy to talk yourself out of going. Even if you don’t have anyone to go with you, go by yourself. Every freshman is in the same boat you are. College is a time where you can truly be yourself. No one is judging you like you assume they are; this isn’t high school.
#4. South Alabama- e Jaguars hope to create their rst non-losing season since 2013. e team came close in 2021 with a 5-7 record but lost four one-possession games. If second year head coach Kane Wommack can win more close games, he might see his team make a bowl this year.
#3. Coastal Carolina- e Chanticleers lost some high caliber players and have the fewest returning starters in the SBC, but an extremely dangerous Grayson McCall is still under center. e two-time SBC Player of the Year will have to channel his inner gunslinger with marquee match-ups against Marshall and an at home game against App State. An elite quarterback such as McCall makes them a dark horse in the conference.
#1 Louisiana-Lafayette- Despite losing head coach Billy Napier in the o season to Florida, the Ragin’ Cajuns are still favored to win their division because their schedule is ranked the second easiest in the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to football analyst Phil Steele. With the addition of losing quarterback Levi Lewis, the defending Sun Belt Conference champions are expected to decline in 2022.
#4. Georgia State- e Panthers enter 2022 as a solid team on paper but they might nd themselves a victim of the draw on their schedule. ey visit App State o a bye week and close the season at Marshall. ey do have one of the premiere defenses in the SBC that collected a school record 38 sacks in 2021.
#3. Southern Miss- With 10 transfers from the SEC and 16 returning starters, Southern Miss should expect stability in their rst year in the SBC. e Golden Eagles will improve from their disappointing 3-9 2021 season under second year head coach Will Hall.
#7. Georgia Southern- A combination of a new coach, a scheme change and a di cult schedule makes it unlikely that the Eagles will be anything other than basement dwellers of the SBC looking to play spoiler. by Cameron Jett contact Cameron Jett jettcm@warhawks.ulm.eduat graphic by Cameron Jett
SPORTS Football Prediction by Jonah Bostick contact Jonah Bostick bostickjm@warhawks.ulm.eduat
August 15, 2022PAGE 8 THE STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA MONROE
#2. Troy- Under rst year head coach Jon Sumrall, the Trojans plan to rebound from an up-and-down 5-7 campaign in 2021. With a move to the weakened West Division, Troy should expect an easier schedule in 2022. e Trojans are also returning 18 starters including quarterback Gunnar Watson, who started the last seven games in 2021.
#5. ULM- After a four win season under head coach Terry Bowden, ULM aims to reach a bowl for the rst time since 2012. However, their schedule shows a tough road ahead, with away games at Texas, Army, and Alabama. Despite the schedule, with the return of eight o ensive starters including quarterback Chandler Rogers, the Warhawks are a dark horse in the West Division #6. Texas State- It’s a make-or-break year for fourth year head coach Jake Spavital, as he has a record of 9-27 in his rst three seasons. e Bobcats return running back Calvin Hill, who rushed for 744 yards last season with 5.6 yards per carry.
#2. Appalachian State- e defending East Division champs have a mostly favorable schedule with a few challenging outings. e Mountaineers host North Carolina and then face Texas A&M who slayed Alabama last season. en they take on Coastal and Marshall on the road. App State has two incredible running backs in Camerun Peoples and Nate Noel. e two backs had a total of over 2,000 yards rushing and 18 total touchdowns. It’ll be di cult to stop the most high-powered o ense in the East.
#5. James Madison- e Dukes have been a powerhouse in the football championship division. ey draw an easy schedule but face o against Marshall and Coastal to give them a SBC welcome. #6. Old Dominion- e Monarchs just broke a 17-game losing streak to football bowl division opponents last season. It’s unlikely they nd much in the winning column.
#7. Arkansas State- Head coach Butch Jones looks to continue the rebuild after a disastrous 2021 season which saw them going 2-10. 2022 looks to be another rough season with games at Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis and Ohio State.
Editors Pick: Sun Belt Preseason Predictions
#1. Marshall- e newcomer to the Sun Belt has great odds to run away with the conference in its rst year. e undering Herd gets their most di cult match-ups at home. ey will be tested with the elites of the SBC—Coastal, ULL and App State. Running back Rasheen Ali was rst in Conference USA last season with 24 rushing touchdowns. If he can have a repeat performance in 2022, Marshall will t right in the SBC.
