NORFOLK, Va. — Old Dominion University (ODU) is joining the Sun Belt Conference no later than July 1, 2023.
In an announcement Wednesday, ODU's Athletics Department said it will join in all sports the conference offers, including baseball, men's basketball, football, men's golf, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's golf, women's soccer, women's tennis and volleyball.
ODU will join the 10 football-playing members of the conference, including Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Louisiana, ULM, South Alabama, Texas State and Troy.
The Monarchs will join with Southern Miss, which announced Tuesday it has also joined the league.
"Joining the Sun Belt Conference is a game-changer for Old Dominion University and our athletic program. We are excited about the expanded opportunities and limitless possibilities now and well into the future," ODU President Brian Hemphill, Ph.D. said.
Old Dominion’s decision to join the Sun Belt Conference puts it on new playing fields, both literally and figuratively.
“In the long run this should be really a plus plus for the university," said Peter Shaw, Tidewater Community College Business Professor.
Shaw and his wife are also season ticket holders for Old Dominion football games, and he says it’s a strategic move to take the program to a new level.
“This will put Old Dominion University on a grander scale in terms of a map and of course the higher you go on in the athletics world that becomes also a economic development magnet," said Shaw.
The move will reportedly cost the university in the millions, but Shaw does not think it will take long for ODU to recoup the money in revenue, when you consider the competition, television deal and overall exposure.
“It’s also visibility," said Shaw. "Over a million people watch Sun Belt games every season. That’s going to give you a lot of visibility that you may not have had before.”
And that could have a trickledown effect on the local economy.
Shaw says excitement around an athletic program is something that could draw future business to the area.
“The more prolific your athletic programs can be, that becomes part of the community fabric and it becomes part of the economic development component to help the economy prosper," he said.