Marshall Thundering Herd Fined $100,000 for Opting Out of Independence Bowl
The Sun Belt Conference has fined the Marshall Thundering Herd $100,000 for opting out of the Independence Bowl in December. Marshall had decided not to participate in the game due to concerns about the health and safety of its student-athletes. Despite the fine, Marshall athletic director Christian Spears said that the school had made the decision in good conscience and that prioritizing the health and safety of its students was the right choice.
Louisiana Tech replaced Marshall in the game against Army, and the team lost 27-6. The Sun Belt Conference said in a statement that while it understood Marshall’s decision to prioritize the health and safety of its student-athletes, the timing and nature of the decision had a detrimental impact on the conference and its membership, as well as on Army, the bowl game, and ESPN.
Marshall’s decision to opt out of the game came after the team had gone 10-3 in the regular season, including a seven-game winning streak to win the Sun Belt championship. However, head coach Charles Huff left the school, reportedly due to a disagreement over a contract extension. Over 25 players subsequently left the program and entered the transfer portal, leading to the school’s withdrawal from the bowl game.
The team has since hired Tony Gibson, the offensive coordinator at NC State, to be its new head coach.