The 2020 Sun Belt Conference men's soccer season was the 19th season of men's varsity soccer in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC). The regular season began on September 18 and concluded on November 6, 2020. The season culminated with the Sun Belt Tournament which began on November 13 and concluded on November 15, 2020.
Background
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the season
The COVID-19 pandemic drastically affected the landscape of men's soccer in the Sun Belt Conference. Long-time program, Appalachian State suspended its men's varsity soccer program in the wake of the pandemic, due to anticipated budget cuts in the athletics program. Additionally, Sun Belt associate member Howard opted out of playing during the fall season due to concerns with the ongoing pandemic.
The SBC and Atlantic Coast Conference were the only two men's soccer conferences that played during fall 2020.
The conference opted to play a six-match season with all programs doing a home-and-home series, or double round robin against every program in the conference. Most teams completed the fall season playing only 8–12 matches instead of the normal 15–18 matches.
Discontinuation of men's soccer Appalachian State's decision to drop men's soccer was the first move that led to the discontinuation of SBC men's soccer after the 2020–21 school year. In July 2020, Howard announced that it would become an associate member of the Northeast Conference in six sports, with men's soccer being one of four sports moving in July 2021. This left the SBC with only four men's soccer members, two less than the six required to maintain an automatic NCAA tournament berth. The next move that affected SBC men's soccer came in January 2021, when the ASUN Conference announced three schools as incoming full members, including SBC associate Central Arkansas. The following month saw Coastal Carolina announce that it would become a single-sport member of Conference USA (C-USA), joining another in-state C-USA associate in South Carolina. This left Georgia Southern and Georgia State as the only remaining Sun Belt men's soccer programs, and those two schools announced they would move that sport to the Mid-American Conference in late May 2021.
Return of Sun Belt men's soccer A major conference realignment initially triggered in July 2021 when Oklahoma and Texas announced their plans to leave the Big 12 Conference for the Southeastern Conference eventually led to the reinstatement of Sun Belt men's soccer. Further moves in this realignment cycle saw three men's soccer schools announce that they would join the SBC no later than 2023: Colonial Athletic Association member James Madison, and then-reigning national champion Marshall and Old Dominion from Conference USA. Accordingly, league commissioner Keith Gill announced on November 1, 2021 that SBC men's soccer would be reinstated no later than 2023.
Later developments in the realignment cycle led the SBC to reinstate men's soccer in 2022 instead of 2023.
Teams Stadiums and locations TeamLocationStadiumCapacityCentral Arkansas BearsConway, ArkansasBill Stephens Track/Soccer Complex1,000Coastal Carolina ChanticleersConway, South CarolinaCoastal Carolina University Soccer Field1,000Georgia Southern EaglesStatesboro, GeorgiaEagle Field3,500Georgia State PanthersDecatur, GeorgiaGSU Soccer Complex1,892AtlantaCenter Parc Stadium24,333
Head coaches
Team Head coach Previous job Years atschool Overall record Record atschool Sun Beltrecord NCAATournaments NCAACollege Cups NCAATitles Ref.Central Arkansas Vermont (asst.) 9 2 0 0Coastal Carolina Charleston Southern 22 13 0 0Georgia Southern Anderson (SC) 4 0 0 0Georgia State Jacksonville (asst.) 10 2 0 0Howard St. John's College High School 6 0 0 0
Preseason Preseason poll The preseason poll was released on August 27, 2020. Team ranking PointsFirst place votes 1.Central Arkansas121 2.Coastal Carolina101Georgia State101 4.Georgia Southern81
Preseason national polls Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, only College Soccer News released a preseason poll. UnitedSoccer CSNSoccerAmericaTop DrawerSoccerCentral Arkansas N/A — N/A N/ACoastal Carolina N/A RV N/A N/AGeorgia Southern N/A — N/A N/AGeorgia State N/A — N/A N/A
Preseason honors Defensive Player – Preseason All-Conference Alberto Suarez, Central Arkansas
Offensive Player – Preseason All-Conference Aris Briggs, Georgia State
+ Preseason All-Conference Team Position Nat. Player TeamFW Georgia StateFW Georgia SouthernFW Coastal CarolinaMF Central ArkansasMF Georgia StateMF Georgia StateDF Central ArkansasDF Georgia SouthernDF Central ArkansasGK Georgia StateGK Georgia Southern
Regular season Conference results
For the 2020 season, each team plays every other conference team twice; once home and once away.
Weekly results Legend Index to colors and formattingSBC member wonSBC member lostSBC member tiedSBC teams in bold All times Eastern time.
Week 1 (Sep. 14 – Sept. 20) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result Attendance September 18 7:00 p.m. Georgia State Mercer Bear FieldMacon, GA W 2–1 161September 195:00 p.m.UABCentral ArkansasBill Stephens Soccer ComplexConway, ARL 2–3 105September 197:00 p.m.Georgia SouthernSouth CarolinaEugene Stone StadiumColumbia, SCL 0–2 320
Week 2 (Sep. 21 – Sept. 27) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceSeptember 227:00 p.m.Georgia Southern Mercer Betts StadiumMacon, GA L 0–3161September 247:00 p.m.Georgia StateSouth CarolinaStone Soccer StadiumColumbia, SCW 3–1 320September 266:00 p.m.UABGeorgia SouthernEagle Field • Statesboro, GAW 3–2 266
Week 3 (Sep. 28 – Oct. 4) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceSeptember 305:00 p.m.UABGeorgia StateCenter Parc StadiumAtlanta, GAW 4–0214October 22:00 p.m.Central ArkansasKentuckyBell Soccer ComplexLexington, KYL 1–2 (OT)83October 42:00 p.m.Georgia SouthernGeorgia StateGSU Soccer FieldAtlanta, GAGSU 2–0377
Week 4 (Oct. 5 – Oct. 11) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceOctober 67:00 p.m.MercerGeorgia StateGSU Soccer FieldAtlanta, GAW 2–0 298October 101:00 p.m.Georgia StateCoastal CarolinaCCU Soccer FieldConway, SCCCU 1–0150October 107:00 p.m.Central ArkansasGeorgia SouthernEagle FieldStatesboro, GAUCA 4–1233
Week 5 (Oct. 12 – Oct. 18) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceOctober 138:00 p.m.Georgia StateUABBBVA FieldBirmingham, ALW 4–1195October 162:00 p.m.Central ArkansasCoastal CarolinaGSU Soccer FieldAtlanta, GACCU 3–250October 167:00 p.m.Georgia StateGeorgia SouthernEagle FieldStatesboro, GAGSU 3–0273October 181:00 p.m.Coastal CarolinaCentral ArkansasGSU Soccer FieldAtlanta, GACCU 1–0 (OT)62
Week 6 (Oct. 19 – Oct. 25) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceOctober 242:00 p.m.Georgia StateCentral ArkansasBill Stephens Soccer ComplexConway, ARUCA 2–084October 252:00 p.m.Coastal CarolinaGeorgia SouthernEagle FieldStatesboro, GACCU 2–1 (OT)150
Week 7 (Oct. 26 – Nov. 1) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceOctober 312:00 p.m.Georgia SouthernCentral ArkansasBill Stephens Soccer ComplexConway, ARUCA 1–0 96November 12:00 p.m.Coastal CarolinaGeorgia StateGSU Soccer FieldAtlanta, GAGSU 2–0223
Week 8 (Nov. 2 – Nov. 8) Date Time (ET) Visiting team Home team Site Result AttendanceNovember 612:00 p.m.Central ArkansasGeorgia StateGSU Soccer FieldAtlanta, GA GSU 1–0 1946:00 p.m.Coastal CarolinaGeorgia SouthernEagle Field • Statesboro, GA CCU 3–0 291
Players of the Week honors Week Offensive DefensiveRef. Player Position Team Player Position Team Sep. 23Aris BriggsFWGeorgia StatePaul TysonGKGeorgia State Sep. 30Matthew FearnleyMFGeorgia StateGeorge ProctorDFGeorgia State Oct. 7Aris BriggsFWGeorgia StateGunther RankenburgGKGeorgia State Oct. 14Soren JensenMFCentral ArkansasTor SaundersGKCoastal Carolina Oct. 21Andrew BennettMFGeorgia StateTor SaundersGKCoastal Carolina Oct. 28Soren JensenMFCentral ArkansasZach SchawlGKCentral ArkansasEthan HackenbergFWCoastal Carolina Nov. 4 Matthew Fearnley MF Georgia State George Proctor DF Georgia State Nov. 10 Marcello Jones MF Coastal Carolina George Proctor DF Georgia State
Postseason Sun Belt Tournament
All four teams qualified for the modified Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Tournament. The tournament was played from November 13–15, with Coastal Carolina winning the championship in penalties over Georgia State.
NCAA Tournament The winner of the 2020 SBC Tournament will earn an automatic berth into the 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was postponed from November/December 2020 to April/May 2021.
Seed School 2nd Round 3rd Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Coastal CarolinaL, 2–3 vs. Wake Forest
Postseason awards and honors 2020 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Individual Awards Award Recipient(s)Player of the YearGeorge Proctor, Georgia StateOffensive Player of the YearAris Briggs, Georgia StateNewcomer of the YearTor Saunders, Coastal CarolinaFreshman of the YearJason Kemble, Coastal CarolinaCoach of the YearShaun Docking, Coastal Carolina
2020 Sun Belt Men's Soccer All-Conference TeamAris Briggs, Georgia State (F) Adam Davie, Georgia Southern (F) Kasper Andersen, Central Ark. (F) Matthew Fearnley, Georgia State (MF) Soren Jensen, Central Ark. (MF) Marcello Jones, Coastal Carolina (MF) Ross Finnie, Georgia State (MF) George Proctor, Georgia State (D) Alberto Suarez, Central Ark. (D) Mael Couteau, Coastal Carolina (D) Ramon Munoz, Georgia State (D) Tor Saunders, Coastal Carolina (GK) Paul Tyson, Georgia State (GK)
MLS SuperDraft
The 2021 MLS SuperDraft will be held in January 2021.
Total picks by school TeamRound 1Round 2Round 3Comp.TotalCentral Arkansas 0 0 0 0 0Coastal Carolina 0 0 1 0 1Georgia State 0 0 1 0 1Georgia Southern 0 0 0 0 0Howard 0 0 0 0 0 Total 0 0 2 0 2
List of selections Round Pick # MLS team Player Position College Ref. 3 61 Real Salt Lake Georgia State 3 74 Nashville SC Coastal Carolina
Notable undrafted players The following players went pro after the 2020 season despite not getting drafted in the 2021 MLS draft.
Player Nationality Position College Team League
References
External links Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer