Sun Belt fines Marshall $100,000 for opting out of Independence Bowl

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — The Sun Belt fined Marshall $100,000 on Friday for opting out of the Independence Bowl last month.

Marshall withdrew from the Dec. 28 game in Shreveport, Louisiana, after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal.

Louisiana Tech replaced Marshall in the game against Army, which beat the Bulldogs 27-6.

In a statement, the Sun Belt said “the nature and timing of this decision was detrimental” to the conference and its membership, along with the bowl, Army, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN.

Marshall athletic director Christian Spears said Friday the school accepted the fine and that the opt-out decision was made “for all the right reasons.”

“In good conscience, we could not put out 41 student-athletes out on to that field. And again, we are always going to prioritize the health and safety of our student athletes," Spears said. "But that doesn’t take away the fact that a sincere and formal apology is due.”

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