Marshall’s Decision to Skip Bowl Game: A Controversial Call with a $100K Price Tag
In a move that has sparked considerable discussion in the college football community, the Sun Belt Conference announced on Friday that it has fined Marshall $100,000. This penalty comes after the Thundering Herd opted out of the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl last month. The decision was made under challenging circumstances, as Marshall’s roster was significantly depleted to just 41 players following the departure of coach Charles Huff to Southern Miss and the entry of as many as 36 players into the transfer portal.
Marshall’s athletic director, Christian Spears, addressed the media on Friday, expressing the university’s acceptance of the fine while emphasizing that the health and safety of the players were the primary reasons for not participating in the bowl game against the American Athletic Conference champion Army on December 28.
In a twist of events, Louisiana Tech stepped in as a replacement team, and Army secured a victory with a score of 27-6.
Spears elaborated on the situation, stating, “We are excited about the dialogue that’s happening nationally right now around some rules changes [specifically, a single portal window that would move to January] to make sure that no other institution, ever, has this happen, but in good conscience, we could not put 41 student-athletes out onto that field, and again, we are always going to prioritize the health and safety of our student-athletes.” He added, “But that doesn’t take away the fact that a sincere and formal apology is due, and we are very appreciative of being a part of the Sun Belt Conference and the leadership of Commissioner [Keith] Gill and accept the fine that has been imposed.”
The Sun Belt Conference, in its statement, acknowledged Marshall’s adherence to medical models and best practice guidance, as well as their concern for the health and safety of the remaining eligible student-athletes. However, the conference also noted that the timing and nature of Marshall’s decision were detrimental to several parties, including the Sun Belt Conference, its membership, Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference, and ESPN, the broadcast partner.
The conference concluded its statement by saying it “considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.”
Marshall’s decision to withdraw from the bowl game was communicated to bowl officials on December 14, leading to Louisiana Tech’s announcement as a replacement. Marshall’s president, Brad Smith, explained to WSAZ-TV that of the 41 players available, many were scout-team players and freshmen who had not played. Additionally, all three quarterbacks who played during the 2024 season were in the transfer portal, and 17 of the 22 players on the two-deep chart from the Sun Belt championship game were also in the portal.
Despite these challenges, Marshall had a successful season, finishing with a 10-3 record and defeating Louisiana 31-3 in the Sun Belt championship game on December 7. The day after this victory, Huff was named the Southern Miss coach, although rumors of his move had been circulating for at least a week. Marshall and Huff had not reached an agreement on a contract extension before the 2024 season, and Spears mentioned that they had agreed not to discuss a new deal during the season as long as Huff didn’t pursue other job opportunities.
Spears reflected on the situation, saying, “We had made an agreement that we would wait until the end of the season and we would focus on winning a championship and that’s where we remained. Coach [Huff] had a chance to get an opportunity that he felt really good about, and we had an opportunity to go get someone who truly wants to be at Marshall [new coach Tony Gibson].”
The transfer portal opened a day after Huff’s departure to Southern Miss, and in the following weeks, 17 Marshall players announced their transfers to Southern Miss, including quarterback Braylon Braxton, who was the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in 2024.
Huff, at his Southern Miss introductory news conference, commented on the transition, saying, “There was a process put in place by the [Marshall] administration, and they went through that process thoroughly. At the end of it, they felt going in another direction was the right decision. That decision was probably made before we won the championship, if that makes sense. It was a mutual decision. It wasn’t a knock-down, drag-out.”
Originally Written by: Chris Low
