University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Enjoys Highest Finish in Sun Belt Bubas Cup Standings
6/2/2026 1:30:00 PM | General
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss Department of Athletics finished third in the 2025-26 Bubas Cup Standings, awarded annually to the top athletics department in the Sun Belt Conference based on a points system.
The finish was the highest for the Golden Eagle athletics program in its four-year history in the league. The previous best was a fourth place showing during their inaugural year of 2022-23.
South Alabama earned 130.5 points to outpace Arkansas State (124.5) and Southern Miss (120.5). Coastal Carolina (118.5) finished fourth, as App State (112.5) rounded out the top five in the Bubas Cup standings.
Some of the highlights from last season in the league for Southern Miss included capturing both the regular season and tournament titles in baseball, capturing a second-place tie in the West Division in football en route to a seven-win season and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl, finishing second in women's cross country, while men's golf tied for third in its league tournament and softball registered a fourth place showing.
The Vic Bubas Cup is named after the Sun Belt Conference's first Commissioner. Bubas was appointed the conference's commissioner on Oct. 6, 1976, and served for 14 years until his retirement in 1990. He led the conference during a period in which its membership increased from six to eight members and its sport sponsorship grew from four to 10 sports. Bubas was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year at Duke in the 1960s, taking his team to three Final Fours. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Bubas passed away in April 2018 at the age of 91.
Points for the Bubas Cup are awarded based on regular-season finish for sports that have a regular-season conference schedule. Points are awarded based on Sun Belt Championship finish if that sport does not have a regular-season conference schedule. Points are awarded based on the number of schools sponsoring the sport. Institutions not sponsoring a sport do not receive points in that sport. Institutions tying for positions split the combined points of their positions.
For sports that have both a regular-season schedule and a conference tournament, one additional point will be awarded to the winner of the conference tournament, including an additional point for winning the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship.
For sports with divisions, the conference records of all teams are ranked and points are awarded regardless of divisional finish. Standings for the sports of men's and women's soccer are determined by points rather than winning percentage.
The finish was the highest for the Golden Eagle athletics program in its four-year history in the league. The previous best was a fourth place showing during their inaugural year of 2022-23.
South Alabama earned 130.5 points to outpace Arkansas State (124.5) and Southern Miss (120.5). Coastal Carolina (118.5) finished fourth, as App State (112.5) rounded out the top five in the Bubas Cup standings.
Some of the highlights from last season in the league for Southern Miss included capturing both the regular season and tournament titles in baseball, capturing a second-place tie in the West Division in football en route to a seven-win season and a trip to the New Orleans Bowl, finishing second in women's cross country, while men's golf tied for third in its league tournament and softball registered a fourth place showing.
The Vic Bubas Cup is named after the Sun Belt Conference's first Commissioner. Bubas was appointed the conference's commissioner on Oct. 6, 1976, and served for 14 years until his retirement in 1990. He led the conference during a period in which its membership increased from six to eight members and its sport sponsorship grew from four to 10 sports. Bubas was a three-time ACC Coach of the Year at Duke in the 1960s, taking his team to three Final Fours. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Bubas passed away in April 2018 at the age of 91.
Points for the Bubas Cup are awarded based on regular-season finish for sports that have a regular-season conference schedule. Points are awarded based on Sun Belt Championship finish if that sport does not have a regular-season conference schedule. Points are awarded based on the number of schools sponsoring the sport. Institutions not sponsoring a sport do not receive points in that sport. Institutions tying for positions split the combined points of their positions.
For sports that have both a regular-season schedule and a conference tournament, one additional point will be awarded to the winner of the conference tournament, including an additional point for winning the Sun Belt Conference Football Championship.
For sports with divisions, the conference records of all teams are ranked and points are awarded regardless of divisional finish. Standings for the sports of men's and women's soccer are determined by points rather than winning percentage.
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