How Southern Miss' move to the Sun Belt impacts revenue, facility outlook

HATTIESBURG — Southern Miss is officially a member of the Sun Belt as of Friday morning, and Athletic Director Jeremy McClain has three items on his medium-term agenda. 

Level-up USM's athletic facilities. Increase fundraising. Win games. 

"I think all of those things are tied together," McClain told The Hattiesburg American on Friday. 

"We have to make sure that, in the changing landscape of college athletics, we're doing the things we need to do to remain competitive," he added. 

Southern Miss has seen an uptick in donation funds since the university announced its intent to join the Sun Belt last October, McClain said. He'll know the total impact later this year. 

McClain believes that has resulted from a reinvigorated Southern Miss donor base that can now travel more easily to games and, perhaps more importantly, envision rivalries with any number of local programs. Six Sun Belt institutions are placed within a 350-mile radius of Hattiesburg. Conference USA offered only two such universities. 

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JAYDEN HOBSON:Southern Miss football lands commitment from Alabama OL Jayden Hobson"We had really good rivalries early in Conference USA with Tulane, Memphis, Houston, East Carolina," McClain said. "We had all these rivalries, and then that all changed. And so I don’t think our fanbase was ever really able to make that transition to adopt new rivalries with a changing membership. I think in a lot of ways, it’s a fresh start."

The Sports Business Journal reported in February that Sun Belt institutions will receive $1.2 million annually from the conference's TV deal with ESPN. McClain said that number is "close to accurate," but added it could still be influenced by some variables. 

McClain said the Golden Eagles will save significant money on travel, with the 1,010-mile trip west to Conference USA foe UTEP off on the schedule. He also believes the excitement from the move will translate into increased ticket sales. 

"We have an opportunity to be better positioned in all of these revenue areas than where we have been in the past," McClain said. "...When we think about the financial aspect, it's greater than just, 'Hey, what's the final number from ESPN?' That's a piece of it, but it's much greater than that." 

Southern Miss' financial position will, of course, influence its ability to complete facilities projects. 

The university will announce a strategic facilities plan in the coming weeks, said McClain, who signed a four-year contract extension last month. 

The established plan for a renovation of Reed Green Coliseum remains near the top of the athletic department's list of priorities, according to McClain.  

"Our focus is on trying to move the needle there and get it where we need it to be," he said. 

Independent of the Sun Belt's impact on the university's finances, Southern Miss holds a commitment to renovate Reed Green Coliseum through Hattiesburg's 'Your Penny at Work Tax.' Approved by voters in 2019, Southern Miss receives 50% of the revenue generated by a 1% tax on transactions at restaurants, hotels and motels. 

McClain said that has raised about $4.5 million for the university to date. The first phase of the Reed Green Coliseum renovation has a budget of $15 million. 

"We're in the planning process," McClain said. "We need to upgrade that facility from a basketball perspective and from a community perspective." 

McClain elected not to discuss the remainder of the strategic plan in specifics, citing its impending announcement. 

He said he believes Southern Miss' Sun Belt move will only help the university accomplish the goals set to be revealed in the coming weeks.

"I woke up this morning really excited," McClain said. "...I think this is a step in a very positive direction for us. I think aligning in a conference with institutions that look like us, that are on a similar track, that are within our footprint, all those things matter." 

Reach Southern Miss writer David Eckert at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98.