THE COLLEGE GAME · 2026
Sun Belt · Program & school history
Browse all programsCollege player coverage. Explore dated rosters and player details for 266 FBS and FCS programs. Every saved roster entry has a dated summary. Selected profiles include additional official-source background. Coverage varies by school; coaching backgrounds, program history and FAQs are still being expanded. Please check source dates and confirm changes with the schools. Division II, Division III and NAIA directories are not yet included.
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History
Coastal Carolina Junior College opened on September 20, 1954, as a College of Charleston branch. Its 53 students attended classes in the old Conway High School. Horry County citizens organized the foundation that made the college possible.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: History | Coastal Carolina
History
The college joined the University of South Carolina system in 1960. Junior- and senior-level coursework followed in 1973 and 1974, and its first bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 1975.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: History | Coastal Carolina
History
Governor Carroll Campbell signed the legislation establishing an independent Coastal Carolina University on May 14, 1993. Ronald R. Ingle became its first president, and graduate programs in education began that year.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: History | Coastal Carolina
History
Coastal Carolina launched football at Brooks Stadium on September 6, 2003. Its contemporary game report records a sellout crowd of 7,948 and a 21–14 victory over Newberry.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Coastal Football Starts Tradition With Dramatic Victory Over Newberry - Coastal Carolina University Athletics
History
Coastal’s first football game ended with an 11-play, 97-yard rushing drive. Eshoun Talley scored from nine yards out with seven seconds remaining, securing the 21–14 win over Newberry on September 6, 2003.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Coastal Football Starts Tradition With Dramatic Victory Over Newberry - Coastal Carolina University Athletics
History
The Sun Belt announced Coastal Carolina’s accepted membership invitation on September 1, 2015. Its plan distinguished the 2016–17 start for other sports from football’s later transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Coastal Carolina to Join Sun Belt Conference - Sun Belt Conference
History
The 2015 Sun Belt announcement scheduled Coastal football’s conference participation for 2017 and full FBS status for 2018. It specified that the program would not be postseason-eligible during the transition.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Coastal Carolina to Join Sun Belt Conference - Sun Belt Conference
History
Coastal captured the Big South football title with a 56–28 win over Charleston Southern on November 20, 2004. The contemporary school report records a 10–1 regular season, seven home victories and an eight-game winning streak to close that regular season.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: COASTAL FOOTBALL CAPTURES BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - Coastal Carolina University Athletics
History
Coastal’s official retrospective records its first NCAA Division I football playoff appearance in 2006. The program also won the Big South outright with a 4–0 conference record that year, following the 2004 title and a shared championship with Charleston Southern in 2005.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Football To Wrap Up Season Hosting Charleston Southern - Coastal Carolina University Athletics
History
After the 2020 conference championship game was canceled, the Sun Belt designated Coastal Carolina and Louisiana as co-champions. Coastal’s December 17 announcement records an 11–0 overall record and an 8–0 conference record at that point, before the postseason bowl game.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Sun Belt Championship Game Canceled - Coastal Carolina University Athletics
History
Coastal defeated Northern Illinois 47–41 in the 2021 Cure Bowl at Exploria Stadium in Orlando. The school’s contemporary report identifies it as the program’s first FBS postseason bowl victory. The win completed an 11–2 season and a second consecutive year with 11 victories.
Checked 2026-11-02 · Sources: Victorious Chants! Coastal Downs NIU for First-Ever FBS Bowl Win - Coastal Carolina University Athletics
These sourced summaries are prepared with AI assistance and checked against the linked material. They are not independently audited or presented as human-reviewed. Please verify details with the original sources; checked dates are not promises of live updates.