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The Marshall football team won the Sun Belt Championship earlier this month, capping a nine-win campaign with an emphatic victory. Two weeks later, the program appears in disarray.
The Thundering Herd have pulled out of a bowl game matchup vs. Army. They don’t have enough players to play the game.
The decision was made due to Marshall “falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.” The team has seen more than two dozen players enter the transfer portal since season’s end.
“We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement,” said Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill. The change of heart came after the school reportedly assured Independence Bowl brass that it intended to play the game.
Marshall & Sun Belt assured Independence Bowl for “several days” following its acceptance of bowl’s invitation that MU would play in bowl before Herd reversed field & formally opted out Saturday, sources said
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 15, 2024
It’s been interesting offseason for Marshall’s football team. Despite winning its first ever Sun Belt Conference title, the school opted not to renew head coach Charles Huff’s contract. He’s since accepted the head coaching role with league rival Southern Miss.
When that news went public, a slew of transfer portal announcements surfaced. While the university acted fast in finding Huff’s replacement, it wasn’t enough to convince current players to stay put.
The timing of the transfer portal window as it relates to bowl season certainly compounded the issue for the Thundering Herd. Still, it’s a scenario you don’t necessarily expect to see.
AAC commish Tim Pernetti on Marshall opting out of bowl: “This situation underscores a critical issue impacting college football. The timing of the transfer portal enables this behavior. If an institution & its conference has slightest concern regarding its ability to play in a…
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) December 15, 2024
Bowl season is a way of celebrating success on the field. After refusing to extend their head coach, Marshall won’t be able to reward its team on its historic campaign. NCAA transfer rules only added to the dilemma. Luckily, Louisiana Tech was able to fill Marshall’s spot. The 5-7 Bulldogs will face the 11-2 Army Black Knights on December 28th.