FCS conference belt
The Southern Belt
A companion lineage restricted to Southern: the belt passes to whoever beats the holder, exactly like the real belt, but only games between two Southern members COUNT — and only for the seasons both sides were actually in Southern at the time. Caught it by beating Furman on October 3, 2026. Defended it 1 more time since.
Next Southern gameWofford at Samford · October 31, 2026 · ESPN+ — Samford takes it with a win.
150Reigns
481Belt Games
33Programs
Longest Reign
West Virginia — 7 yrs, 6 days
November 8, 1952 – November 14, 1959
Most Defenses, One Reign
West Virginia — 27
starting November 8, 1952
Most Reigns, All-Time
The Citadel — 16 separate reigns
33 Southern programs have held it
| # | Team | Reign | Length | Def. | Won it | Lost it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington and Lee | October 7, 1922 – November 4, 1922 | 28 days | 0 | Established it (first game on record) | lost to Virginia |
| 2 | Virginia | November 4, 1922 – November 30, 1922 | 26 days | 1 | beat Washington and Lee 22–6 | lost to North Carolina |
| 3 | North Carolina | November 30, 1922 – October 27, 1923 | 331 days | 1 | beat Virginia 10–7 | lost to Maryland |
| 4 | Maryland | October 27, 1923 – October 4, 1924 | 343 days | 1 | beat North Carolina 14–0 | lost to Washington and Lee |
| 5 | Washington and Lee | October 4, 1924 – December 6, 1924 | 63 days | 4 | beat Maryland 19–7 | lost to Florida |
| 6 | Florida | December 6, 1924 – October 17, 1925 | 315 days | 0 | beat Washington and Lee 16–6 | lost to Georgia Tech |
| 7 | Georgia Tech | October 17, 1925 – October 24, 1925 | 7 days | 0 | beat Florida 23–7 | lost to Alabama |
| 8 | Alabama | October 24, 1925 – October 15, 1927 | 1 yr, 356 days | 13 | beat Georgia Tech 7–0 | lost to Georgia Tech |
| 9 | Georgia Tech | October 15, 1927 – October 12, 1929 | 1 yr, 362 days | 13 | beat Alabama 13–0 | lost to North Carolina |
| 10 | North Carolina | October 12, 1929 – October 19, 1929 | 7 days | 0 | beat Georgia Tech 18–7 | lost to Georgia |
| 11 | Georgia | October 19, 1929 – October 26, 1929 | 7 days | 0 | beat North Carolina 19–12 | lost to Florida |
| 12 | Florida | October 26, 1929 – November 8, 1930 | 1 yr, 13 days | 6 | beat Georgia 18–6 | lost to Alabama |
| 13 | Alabama | November 8, 1930 – October 17, 1931 | 343 days | 4 | beat Florida 20–0 | lost to Tennessee |
| 14 | Tennessee | October 17, 1931 – December 3, 1932 | 1 yr, 47 days | 12 | beat Alabama 25–0 | vacated — left Southern before the 1933 season |
| 15 | North Carolina | December 4, 1932 – November 18, 1933 | 349 days | 1 | reverted after Tennessee left Southern | lost to Duke |
| 16 | Duke | November 18, 1933 – November 17, 1934 | 364 days | 3 | beat North Carolina 21–0 | lost to North Carolina |
| 17 | North Carolina | November 17, 1934 – November 16, 1935 | 364 days | 4 | beat Duke 7–0 | lost to Duke |
| 18 | Duke | November 16, 1935 – November 13, 1937 | 1 yr, 362 days | 12 | beat North Carolina 25–0 | lost to North Carolina |
| 19 | North Carolina | November 13, 1937 – October 29, 1938 | 350 days | 3 | beat Duke 14–6 | lost to Duke |
| 20 | Duke | October 29, 1938 – November 16, 1940 | 2 yrs, 18 days | 9 | beat North Carolina 14–0 | lost to North Carolina |
| 21 | North Carolina | November 16, 1940 – September 27, 1941 | 315 days | 0 | beat Duke 6–3 | lost to South Carolina |
| 22 | South Carolina | September 27, 1941 – October 3, 1942 | 1 yr, 6 days | 4 | beat North Carolina 13–7 | lost to North Carolina |
| 23 | North Carolina | October 3, 1942 – October 31, 1942 | 28 days | 0 | beat South Carolina 18–6 | lost to NC State |
| 24 | NC State | October 31, 1942 – November 21, 1942 | 21 days | 0 | beat North Carolina 21–14 | lost to Duke |
| 25 | Duke | November 21, 1942 – September 28, 1946 | 3 yrs, 311 days | 12 | beat NC State 47–0 | lost to NC State |
| 26 | NC State | September 28, 1946 – October 26, 1946 | 28 days | 3 | beat Duke 13–6 | lost to Virginia Tech |
| 27 | Virginia Tech | October 26, 1946 – November 2, 1946 | 7 days | 0 | beat NC State 14–6 | lost to Clemson |
| 28 | Clemson | November 2, 1946 – October 4, 1947 | 336 days | 1 | beat Virginia Tech 14–7 | lost to Wake Forest |
| 29 | Wake Forest | October 4, 1947 – October 25, 1947 | 21 days | 2 | beat Clemson 16–14 | lost to Duke |
| 30 | Duke | October 25, 1947 – November 22, 1947 | 28 days | 1 | beat Wake Forest 13–6 | lost to North Carolina |
| 31 | North Carolina | November 22, 1947 – October 14, 1950 | 2 yrs, 326 days | 11 | beat Duke 21–0 | lost to Wake Forest |
| 32 | Wake Forest | October 14, 1950 – October 28, 1950 | 14 days | 1 | beat North Carolina 13–7 | lost to Clemson |
| 33 | Clemson | October 28, 1950 – October 25, 1951 | 362 days | 2 | beat Wake Forest 13–12 | lost to South Carolina |
| 34 | South Carolina | October 25, 1951 – November 3, 1951 | 9 days | 0 | beat Clemson 20–0 | lost to George Washington |
| 35 | George Washington | November 3, 1951 – November 30, 1951 | 27 days | 0 | beat South Carolina 20–14 | lost to Richmond |
| 36 | Richmond | November 30, 1951 – October 4, 1952 | 309 days | 0 | beat George Washington 20–19 | lost to VMI |
| 37 | VMI | October 4, 1952 – November 8, 1952 | 35 days | 1 | beat Richmond 28–14 | lost to West Virginia |
| 38 | West Virginia | November 8, 1952 – November 14, 1959 | 7 yrs, 6 days | 27 | beat VMI 39–21 | lost to Virginia Tech |
| 39 | Virginia Tech | November 14, 1959 – November 26, 1959 | 12 days | 0 | beat West Virginia 12–0 | lost to VMI |
| 40 | VMI | November 26, 1959 – November 24, 1960 | 364 days | 4 | beat Virginia Tech 37–12 | lost to Virginia Tech |
| 41 | Virginia Tech | November 24, 1960 – October 7, 1961 | 317 days | 1 | beat VMI 13–12 | lost to West Virginia |
| 42 | West Virginia | October 7, 1961 – November 16, 1963 | 2 yrs, 40 days | 7 | beat Virginia Tech 28–0 | lost to Virginia Tech |
| 43 | Virginia Tech | November 16, 1963 – October 17, 1964 | 336 days | 2 | beat West Virginia 28–3 | lost to West Virginia |
| 44 | West Virginia | October 17, 1964 – November 18, 1967 | 3 yrs, 32 days | 13 | beat Virginia Tech 23–10 | vacated — left Southern before the 1968 season |
| 45 | VMI | November 19, 1967 – October 19, 1968 | 335 days | 0 | reverted after West Virginia left Southern | lost to The Citadel |
| 46 | The Citadel | October 19, 1968 – November 23, 1968 | 35 days | 2 | beat VMI 13–8 | lost to East Carolina |
| 47 | East Carolina | November 23, 1968 – October 4, 1969 | 315 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 23–14 | lost to The Citadel |
| 48 | The Citadel | October 4, 1969 – October 11, 1969 | 7 days | 0 | beat East Carolina 31–13 | lost to William & Mary |
| 49 | William & Mary | October 11, 1969 – October 18, 1969 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 21–14 | lost to Davidson |
| 50 | Davidson | October 18, 1969 – October 25, 1969 | 7 days | 0 | beat William & Mary 17–15 | lost to The Citadel |
| 51 | The Citadel | October 25, 1969 – November 1, 1969 | 7 days | 0 | beat Davidson 34–28 | lost to Richmond |
| 52 | Richmond | November 1, 1969 – September 26, 1970 | 329 days | 2 | beat The Citadel 45–18 | lost to Davidson |
| 53 | Davidson | September 26, 1970 – October 17, 1970 | 21 days | 0 | beat Richmond 14–5 | lost to Furman |
| 54 | Furman | October 17, 1970 – October 31, 1970 | 14 days | 0 | beat Davidson 31–24 | lost to East Carolina |
| 55 | East Carolina | October 31, 1970 – September 18, 1971 | 322 days | 1 | beat Furman 7–0 | lost to William & Mary |
| 56 | William & Mary | September 18, 1971 – November 20, 1971 | 63 days | 2 | beat East Carolina 28–10 | lost to Richmond |
| 57 | Richmond | November 20, 1971 – October 7, 1972 | 322 days | 1 | beat William & Mary 21–19 | lost to East Carolina |
| 58 | East Carolina | October 7, 1972 – October 19, 1974 | 2 yrs, 12 days | 11 | beat Richmond 21–0 | lost to App State |
| 59 | App State | October 19, 1974 – October 26, 1974 | 7 days | 0 | beat East Carolina 23–21 | lost to The Citadel |
| 60 | The Citadel | October 26, 1974 – November 2, 1974 | 7 days | 0 | beat App State 28–17 | lost to East Carolina |
| 61 | East Carolina | November 2, 1974 – November 9, 1974 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 41–21 | lost to Richmond |
| 62 | Richmond | November 9, 1974 – November 16, 1974 | 7 days | 0 | beat East Carolina 28–24 | lost to App State |
| 63 | App State | November 16, 1974 – September 27, 1975 | 315 days | 1 | beat Richmond 14–13 | lost to Furman |
| 64 | Furman | September 27, 1975 – October 4, 1975 | 7 days | 0 | beat App State 30–23 | lost to VMI |
| 65 | VMI | October 4, 1975 – October 18, 1975 | 14 days | 0 | beat Furman 13–10 | lost to Richmond |
| 66 | Richmond | October 18, 1975 – November 22, 1975 | 35 days | 2 | beat VMI 24–19 | lost to William & Mary |
| 67 | William & Mary | November 22, 1975 – September 25, 1976 | 308 days | 1 | beat Richmond 31–21 | lost to East Carolina |
| 68 | East Carolina | September 25, 1976 – November 13, 1976 | 49 days | 2 | beat William & Mary 20–19 | lost to Furman |
| 69 | Furman | November 13, 1976 – November 12, 1977 | 364 days | 4 | beat East Carolina 17–10 | lost to VMI |
| 70 | VMI | November 12, 1977 – September 23, 1978 | 315 days | 0 | beat Furman 31–28 | lost to The Citadel |
| 71 | The Citadel | September 23, 1978 – October 14, 1978 | 21 days | 1 | beat VMI 14–3 | lost to Western Carolina |
| 72 | Western Carolina | October 14, 1978 – November 11, 1978 | 28 days | 2 | beat The Citadel 38–24 | lost to Furman |
| 73 | Furman | November 11, 1978 – September 22, 1979 | 315 days | 1 | beat Western Carolina 24–7 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 74 | Chattanooga | September 22, 1979 – October 13, 1979 | 21 days | 2 | beat Furman 45–14 | lost to East Tennessee State |
| 75 | East Tennessee State | October 13, 1979 – October 27, 1979 | 14 days | 0 | beat Chattanooga 35–0 | lost to App State |
| 76 | App State | October 27, 1979 – September 20, 1980 | 329 days | 2 | beat East Tennessee State 24–10 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 77 | Chattanooga | September 20, 1980 – September 27, 1980 | 7 days | 0 | beat App State 14–7 | lost to The Citadel |
| 78 | The Citadel | September 27, 1980 – November 22, 1980 | 56 days | 3 | beat Chattanooga 29–13 | lost to Furman |
| 79 | Furman | November 22, 1980 – October 3, 1981 | 315 days | 2 | beat The Citadel 28–15 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 80 | Chattanooga | October 3, 1981 – October 24, 1981 | 21 days | 1 | beat Furman 31–28 | lost to Western Carolina |
| 81 | Western Carolina | October 24, 1981 – November 21, 1981 | 28 days | 2 | beat Chattanooga 24–10 | — belt retired — |
| 82 | Furman | August 30, 2003 – October 11, 2003 | 42 days | 1 | Re-established it (no Southern games on record between 1981 and 2003) | lost to App State |
| 83 | App State | October 11, 2003 – October 25, 2003 | 14 days | 1 | beat Furman 13–10 | lost to Wofford |
| 84 | Wofford | October 25, 2003 – September 18, 2004 | 329 days | 3 | beat App State 24–14 | lost to Georgia Southern |
| 85 | Georgia Southern | September 18, 2004 – November 6, 2004 | 49 days | 5 | beat Wofford 58–14 | lost to Furman |
| 86 | Furman | November 6, 2004 – September 10, 2005 | 308 days | 2 | beat Georgia Southern 29–22 | lost to Western Carolina |
| 87 | Western Carolina | September 10, 2005 – October 1, 2005 | 21 days | 0 | beat Furman 41–21 | lost to The Citadel |
| 88 | The Citadel | October 1, 2005 – October 15, 2005 | 14 days | 0 | beat Western Carolina 17–7 | lost to Furman |
| 89 | Furman | October 15, 2005 – November 5, 2005 | 21 days | 1 | beat The Citadel 39–31 | lost to Georgia Southern |
| 90 | Georgia Southern | November 5, 2005 – September 23, 2006 | 322 days | 0 | beat Furman 27–24 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 91 | Chattanooga | September 23, 2006 – September 30, 2006 | 7 days | 0 | beat Georgia Southern 27–26 | lost to The Citadel |
| 92 | The Citadel | September 30, 2006 – October 7, 2006 | 7 days | 0 | beat Chattanooga 24–21 | lost to Wofford |
| 93 | Wofford | October 7, 2006 – October 14, 2006 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 28–20 | lost to App State |
| 94 | App State | October 14, 2006 – September 22, 2007 | 343 days | 4 | beat Wofford 14–7 | lost to Wofford |
| 95 | Wofford | September 22, 2007 – October 20, 2007 | 28 days | 2 | beat App State 42–31 | lost to Elon |
| 96 | Elon | October 20, 2007 – November 3, 2007 | 14 days | 1 | beat Wofford 24–13 | lost to Furman |
| 97 | Furman | November 3, 2007 – October 4, 2008 | 336 days | 3 | beat Elon 52–49 | lost to Elon |
| 98 | Elon | October 4, 2008 – October 25, 2008 | 21 days | 2 | beat Furman 31–10 | lost to Wofford |
| 99 | Wofford | October 25, 2008 – October 31, 2008 | 6 days | 0 | beat Elon 55–20 | lost to App State |
| 100 | App State | October 31, 2008 – November 6, 2010 | 2 yrs, 6 days | 17 | beat Wofford 70–24 | lost to Georgia Southern |
| 101 | Georgia Southern | November 6, 2010 – October 29, 2011 | 357 days | 7 | beat App State 21–14 | lost to App State |
| 102 | App State | October 29, 2011 – November 5, 2011 | 7 days | 0 | beat Georgia Southern 24–17 | lost to Furman |
| 103 | Furman | November 5, 2011 – November 12, 2011 | 7 days | 0 | beat App State 20–10 | lost to Elon |
| 104 | Elon | November 12, 2011 – November 19, 2011 | 7 days | 0 | beat Furman 41–34 | lost to App State |
| 105 | App State | November 19, 2011 – September 15, 2012 | 301 days | 0 | beat Elon 28–24 | lost to The Citadel |
| 106 | The Citadel | September 15, 2012 – September 29, 2012 | 14 days | 0 | beat App State 52–28 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 107 | Chattanooga | September 29, 2012 – October 27, 2012 | 28 days | 2 | beat The Citadel 28–10 | lost to Georgia Southern |
| 108 | Georgia Southern | October 27, 2012 – November 3, 2012 | 7 days | 0 | beat Chattanooga 39–31 | lost to App State |
| 109 | App State | November 3, 2012 – October 5, 2013 | 336 days | 2 | beat Georgia Southern 31–28 | lost to The Citadel |
| 110 | The Citadel | October 5, 2013 – October 12, 2013 | 7 days | 0 | beat App State 31–28 | lost to Georgia Southern |
| 111 | Georgia Southern | October 12, 2013 – October 26, 2013 | 14 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 28–21 | lost to App State |
| 112 | App State | October 26, 2013 – November 2, 2013 | 7 days | 0 | beat Georgia Southern 38–14 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 113 | Chattanooga | November 2, 2013 – November 16, 2013 | 14 days | 1 | beat App State 35–28 | lost to Samford |
| 114 | Samford | November 16, 2013 – September 27, 2014 | 315 days | 2 | beat Chattanooga 17–14 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 115 | Chattanooga | September 27, 2014 – November 7, 2015 | 1 yr, 41 days | 11 | beat Samford 38–24 | lost to Mercer |
| 116 | Mercer | November 7, 2015 – November 21, 2015 | 14 days | 1 | beat Chattanooga 17–14 | lost to Samford |
| 117 | Samford | November 21, 2015 – September 24, 2016 | 308 days | 0 | beat Mercer 47–21 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 118 | Chattanooga | September 24, 2016 – October 15, 2016 | 21 days | 2 | beat Samford 41–21 | lost to The Citadel |
| 119 | The Citadel | October 15, 2016 – December 3, 2016 | 49 days | 4 | beat Chattanooga 22–14 | lost to Wofford |
| 120 | Wofford | December 3, 2016 – October 21, 2017 | 322 days | 4 | beat The Citadel 17–3 | lost to Samford |
| 121 | Samford | October 21, 2017 – October 28, 2017 | 7 days | 0 | beat Wofford 24–21 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 122 | Chattanooga | October 28, 2017 – November 4, 2017 | 7 days | 0 | beat Samford 23–21 | lost to Wofford |
| 123 | Wofford | November 4, 2017 – October 13, 2018 | 343 days | 5 | beat Chattanooga 24–21 | lost to Furman |
| 124 | Furman | October 13, 2018 – October 20, 2018 | 7 days | 0 | beat Wofford 34–14 | lost to Samford |
| 125 | Samford | October 20, 2018 – November 10, 2018 | 21 days | 1 | beat Furman 38–25 | lost to The Citadel |
| 126 | The Citadel | November 10, 2018 – September 28, 2019 | 322 days | 0 | beat Samford 42–27 | lost to Samford |
| 127 | Samford | September 28, 2019 – October 5, 2019 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 61–55 | lost to Furman |
| 128 | Furman | October 5, 2019 – October 19, 2019 | 14 days | 0 | beat Samford 58–14 | lost to The Citadel |
| 129 | The Citadel | October 19, 2019 – November 16, 2019 | 28 days | 2 | beat Furman 27–10 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 130 | Chattanooga | November 16, 2019 – November 23, 2019 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 34–33 | lost to VMI |
| 131 | VMI | November 23, 2019 – October 2, 2021 | 1 yr, 313 days | 1 | beat Chattanooga 31–24 | lost to The Citadel |
| 132 | The Citadel | October 2, 2021 – October 9, 2021 | 7 days | 0 | beat VMI 35–24 | lost to East Tennessee State |
| 133 | East Tennessee State | October 9, 2021 – October 16, 2021 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 48–21 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 134 | Chattanooga | October 16, 2021 – November 13, 2021 | 28 days | 3 | beat East Tennessee State 21–16 | lost to Mercer |
| 135 | Mercer | November 13, 2021 – November 20, 2021 | 7 days | 0 | beat Chattanooga 10–6 | lost to East Tennessee State |
| 136 | East Tennessee State | November 20, 2021 – September 10, 2022 | 294 days | 0 | beat Mercer 38–35 | lost to The Citadel |
| 137 | The Citadel | September 10, 2022 – September 17, 2022 | 7 days | 0 | beat East Tennessee State 20–17 | lost to Mercer |
| 138 | Mercer | September 17, 2022 – October 22, 2022 | 35 days | 3 | beat The Citadel 17–0 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 139 | Chattanooga | October 22, 2022 – October 29, 2022 | 7 days | 0 | beat Mercer 41–21 | lost to Furman |
| 140 | Furman | October 29, 2022 – November 18, 2023 | 1 yr, 20 days | 9 | beat Chattanooga 24–20 | lost to Wofford |
| 141 | Wofford | November 18, 2023 – September 28, 2024 | 315 days | 0 | beat Furman 19–13 | lost to Mercer |
| 142 | Mercer | September 28, 2024 – October 19, 2024 | 21 days | 0 | beat Wofford 22–3 | lost to Samford |
| 143 | Samford | October 19, 2024 – October 26, 2024 | 7 days | 0 | beat Mercer 55–35 | lost to The Citadel |
| 144 | The Citadel | October 26, 2024 – November 9, 2024 | 14 days | 0 | beat Samford 28–11 | lost to Chattanooga |
| 145 | Chattanooga | November 9, 2024 – November 16, 2024 | 7 days | 0 | beat The Citadel 31–7 | lost to Samford |
| 146 | Samford | November 16, 2024 – November 23, 2024 | 7 days | 0 | beat Chattanooga 36–13 | lost to Western Carolina |
| 147 | Western Carolina | November 23, 2024 – November 8, 2025 | 350 days | 5 | beat Samford 47–42 | lost to Mercer |
| 148 | Mercer | November 8, 2025 – September 12, 2026 | 308 days | 1 | beat Western Carolina 49–47 | lost to Furman |
| 149 | Furman | September 12, 2026 – October 3, 2026 | 21 days | 0 | beat Mercer 20–13 | lost to Wofford |
| 150 | Wofford | October 3, 2026 – Present | 28 days | 1 | beat Furman 32–25 | — present — |
No reigns match “.”
Membership is judged season by season from every game a team played, so realignment moves a team’s games with it. A holder that stays in Southern keeps the belt through any stretch without a game against another member; a holder that leaves vacates the belt on its last game as a member, and it reverts to the most recent earlier holder that is a member of the season it left for. If no one is left to inherit it, the belt retires with its last holder. Days count the offseason; switch to games to measure a reign by belt games only.