The Sun Belt Conference announced June 13 that App State Chancellor Sheri Everts will serve as president of the conference for the next two years beginning July 1. Everts was appointed at the league’s CEO meeting in Atlanta this spring. 

As president of the Sun Belt Conference, Everts will have a number of duties during her tenure, including serving as the chair of the conference’s executive committee. 

“I want to thank the conference for the opportunity to serve our institutions and student-athletes, and I look forward to working with my colleagues in the league to further advance the Sun Belt’s prestige and success across the nation,” Everts said in a press release.

Everts replaces Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse as his term ends. Damphousse was appointed president of the Sun Belt Conference for the 2021-23 academic years, and will now serve in the role as past president for the 2023-25 academic years. He will continue to serve as the Sun Belt Conferences representative for the NCAA Board of Directors. 

The decision to appoint Everts received support from Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill, in addition to Damphousse on Instagram.

 “Each of our CEOs has played a pivotal role in the Sun Belt’s rise,” Gill said in a press release. “I look forward to working closely with Dr. Sheri Everts of App State, and the rest of the incoming Executive Committee, as we continue to elevate the Sun Belt Conference and its 14 member institutions.”

In addition to Everts being announced as Sun Belt Conference president for the next two years, Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero was announced as vice president of the executive committee. University of Southern Mississippi President Joseph S. Paul was also announced as treasurer of the executive committee.

The Sun Belt Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that sponsors a number of different sports including football, soccer, basketball and baseball among other sports. It is most popularly associated with the NCAA Division 1 Football Subdivision when it began sponsoring football in 2001. It has been associated with NCAA Division 1 sports since 1976. 

The Sun Belt Conference has 14 member institutions across 10 contiguous states and sponsors 18 sports. Of App State’s 17 varsity sports teams, 15 are in the Sun Belt Conference. 

Everts, who became Chancellor of App State in 2014, joined the university the same year it became one of the 14 member institutions of the Sun Belt Conference. For the past two years, Everts served as vice president of the conference. 

Since 2020, the Sun Belt Conference has three top-15 teams in FBS in winning percentages since 2020. This is more than the rest of the Group of Five conferences combined. App State is one of these three top-15 teams. 

Additionally, since being in the Sun Belt Conference, App State noted in a press release that the university has the sixth highest winning percentage in FBS and is the only collegiate team to have won each of its first six consecutive bowl games.